Flight Number DL 234
Seat 3J
Departing from New York at 23:40
After an interesting experience with United Airlines from Tel Aviv to Newark, I was interested to see how Delta’s modified pandemic business class service would compare. My initial plan was to fly back with Virgin Atlantic via London, though I was pleased to be moved to the nonstop Delta flight for free after a Virgin schedule change that impacted my flight.
Check In
Delta occupies the entire right side of the terminal 4 check in area at JFK. My 11:40pm departure was the only Delta flight leaving at that hour, so check in was not busy at all.
Delta offers a separate premium check in area however it was already closed.
After multiple health and temperature checks as well as confirming my eligibility to enter Israel, I was provided my boarding pass and directed to security.
The Delta Sky Lounge has remained open during the pandemic, however it closed just a few minutes before I arrived. The terminal was eerie otherwise with almost all shops closed and no other flights departing from the B concourse at those hours.
Boarding
The Delta flight to Tel Aviv always uses gate B41 which has space for the additional security screenings for all passengers. Just to get to the gate area, my bags were opened, and health declaration form checked once more. After scanning my boarding pass at the gate is another round of security with metal detectors and x-ray scanners.
Finally I was able to board the aircraft where the crew were waiting to offer wipes and masks then directed me left to my seat 3J.
Within seconds, the purser came to my seat to introduce herself and provide details about the flight and services available. What a contrast to United already!
Cabin and Seat
The A330 business class cabin has a total of 34 seats spread across 9 rows with 4 seats per row, though only two seats in row 1.
Delta uses reverse herringbone seats on this aircraft meaning all window seats are identical and face towards the windows.
Each pair of middle seats are identical as well and are angled towards each other, making them ideal for couples traveling together.
Generally I like reverse herringbone seats, though they do vary slightly from airline to airline. Unfortunately Delta’s are the worst version of the seat I have flown on for a few reasons.
1. The seats offer no storage compartments at all.
2. The IFE and IFE remote are quite old and should have been replaced years ago.
3. The table design is not so practical.
4. I found my legs to be quite constricted when sleeping. I was perfectly comfortable lying in one position, but any movements while lying down were not comfortable.
5. The seats lack significant privacy compared to other variations of the reverse herringbone seats.
Negatives aside, the seats are comfortable both sitting upright and in bed mode (as long as you don’t move around). The seat offers most things you would expect from a business class seat including universal power ports, easy to use seat controls, a sizeable table for work or dining, and multiple personal lighting options.
Food and Drinks
As has become the industry standard now, no pre departure drinks are served in business class. Delta has chosen to get rid of in flight menus as well. Rather than making them available via the IFE screen, the purser came by before departure to take my order for dinner (options were beef filet, chicken breast, or a pasta dish). I went for the beef.
After takeoff we were given the choice of drink including alcohol. I had a glass (plastic cup) of red wine which was just okay. It certainly feels odd to drink wine from a Coca Cola plastic cup, but these are the times we are living in.
Moments later I was brought my dinner on a single tray which included warm bread, tomato soup, fresh salad with dressing, the beef filet with greens and mashed potatoes, and a small cup of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for dessert.
Presentation, quality, and quantity of the meal surpassed my expectations for a covid era business class meal, though far from the best business class catering I’ve had.
Breakfast was served about 90 minutes before landing. I had the option of a hamburger (for breakfast…?) or onion quiche. I had the quiche which came with some sliced fruit, sausages, a chocolate, and selection of bread and pastries (I had a cinnamon roll).
I had a coffee and orange juice along with breakfast as well.
Again, the meal far surpassed my expectations!
Amenities
Delta seems to be offering their standard in flight amenities which include Westin Heavenly bedding, Tumi amenity kits, and slippers. The bedding was among the best I’ve gotten in business class. The Tumi kit and slippers were fairly nice as well.
Delta offers free basic wifi on the flight which is good for Whatsapp, Imessage, or Facebook messenger though not much else. Delta charges $28.95 for a full flight wifi pass which matches United’s pricing. I didn’t bother buying Wifi since I slept most of the flight.
IFE System
Delta has a decent IFE system with a large movie and TV show selection including several titles that interested me. While it’s not the most modern system, it will be updated as these planes get the new Delta One Suites installed.
Service
The crew were fantastic on this flight; however, it must be taken into consideration that there were only 3 business class passengers, and this was an overnight flight where most passengers slept for a majority of the flight. That said, the crew were among the best I’ve had in business class ever, on par with first class service on some of the world’s best airlines. I couldn’t have been more impressed!
Bottom Line
Despite some disappointments with the seat, I was extremely impressed by Delta’s business class service on this flight. The food quality, service, and amenities seem unchanged due to the current situation which is great to see. If this flight was operated by the new A330-900 or A350 with Delta’s new suites, this could have been one of my best business class flights to date, however the seats certainly have their flaws. I would happily fly Delta again given the right circumstance.
