On a recent trip to the United States, we flew in the new Delta One suites from Sydney to Los Angeles. The Delta One suite is the airline's latest iteration of business class, a fully enclosed suite complete with a door, giving you the option to close the suite off for maximum privacy.
Delta Airlines 777
The cabin is a 1-2-1 configuration with each mini-suite having direct aisle access and maximum privacy. Even though we were sitting in the front row, in 1D, it was still very quiet with the toilets on the other side of the plane and storage space before the galley so there was limited disruption from the crew. As an added upside the front seats have a much wider footwell, making for a comfortable flight.
Delta One Cabin
The Suite is well-appointed with great storage for shoes as well as ample space for headphones, amenities, water bottle and magazines. USB and AC charging ports are conveniently located next to both the seat and the storage compartment, making working or storing your device while charging possible. The seat controls were in easy reach with options to not only convert the seat into a bed but to adjust the lumbar and leg supports. Once in the bed position, there is a smaller control panel that can be used without sitting up. On these panels, there is the option to adjust the lighting and activate a ‘do not disturb’ feature. Once the seat is converted to a bed it was very comfortable with a plush blanket and soft pillow. Unfortunately, the sliding door of our suite was broken and wouldn’t close to make the suite fully enclosed for maximum privacy. The handset was also broken so I couldn't use the overhead light or call flight attendants, these were minor annoyances but shame on such a new product. Perhaps they broke on the flight over and will be fixed when back in the US.
Delta One Seat
IFE Control, Vanity Mirror, and Charging Ports
Seat and Suite Controls
Delta One flatbed
After getting comfortable in the suite we were offered the usual choice of orange juice, water or Champagne as a welcome drink to enjoy while we perused the inflight menu and amenity kit.
Amenities & Entertainment
The Tumi amenity kit is very extensive and one of the most extensive we have seen on the market, the kit includes a small pen, earplugs, hand sanitiser as well as other travel essentials. This along with the noise-cancelling headphones and slippers meant we were comfortable the whole flight.
Delta one Amenity Kit
Slippers and Noise Cancelling Headphones
The inflight entertainment system is a touch screen, but you had to apply quite a bit of pressure for quick responsiveness. The entertainment options included a huge range of movies and several HBO programs.
Personal Entertainment Screen
Delta Inflight Dining
The Delta inflight menu included an express style breakfast with your order for the entire flight being taken before the plane even pushed back. The food offered was a bit pedestrian with all of the options including various grilled meats, but otherwise, it was a pleasant menu. To start we had the Herb Marinated Prawns, with a green pumpkin salad and pomegranate dressing. For the main course, we decided to order the Beef tenderloin with potato puree and broccolini, which was a bit overcook as is often the case but still tender and delicious. After the main meal, we were able to choose from a dessert cart our choice of ice cream with an array of toppings or a cheese course including King Island Brie and Yarra Valley Feta. Dessert was served a good 30 minutes after the main meal, on a night flight this would have been too long but as it was a day flight it was nice not to feel rushed through all of the meals.
Entree - Herb Marinated Prawns with edamame puree and pickled radish and a Field Greens Salad with pumpkin, Yarra Valley feta, pickled red onion and pomegranate dressing
Main - Grilled Beef Tenderloin with roasted garlic potato puree, broccolini and wild mushroom demi-glace
Ice Cream served from the Dessert Cart
Midway through the flight, we had the option of a light snack, with the choice between a mushroom bruschetta or a Charcuterie and Cheese Plate. We chose the mushroom bruschetta which was served with a green salad and chocolate. It was a good-sized meal and an excellent way to break up the flight.
Mid Flight Snack - Spinach, Caramelised Onion and Mushroom Bruschetta
Breakfast was served an hour or so before landing, we opted for muesli, fresh fruit and a danish. Other options included a Potato and Cheddar Frittata, and Sourdough French Toast. The meal was a great start before a busy day.
Breakfast - Bircher Muesli, with berries, honey and chia seeds
Overall the flight in the Delta One suites was very comfortable, despite a few issues with the hardware, and the food was very tasty. Delta flies to Los Angeles daily out of Sydney and can be booked as part of a codeshare with Virgin Australia. To book your next flight to the USA in the Delta One Suites contact our team of expert travel consultants.