Here is the Delta One Suite, Michele's trip report
Monday is the day on which we publish, very gladly, our readers' reviews. Today it is the turn of [...]
Delta
SkyTeam
JFK
Monday is the day on which we publish, very willingly, our readers' reviews. Today it is Michele's turn who tells us about his travel in Delta One Suite, the American carrier's new business class cabin. One of the best products available in this class.
In this article:
A little background, Michele took the same flight that I also reviewed, with the only difference being that I had happened upon the old Delta One.
Delta One Suite, JFK to Paris
This was the first return to New York after the pandemic, in the past I used to go there at least once a year and mostly with Alitalia, lately in Business-Magnificent class thanks in part to the miles earned with the use of paper AMEX-Alitalia and some dedicated promotions.
In early October, when ITA had yet to decide what to do, I found a great deal in business class with Air France, with the return operated by Delta, which, in addition to using an A330/900neo (never tried before), assured me a 2-hour transit at CDG. In my opinion it represents the right compromise for a flight with a stopover, allows you to avoid anxiety at the checkpoint line, allow for proper baggage transit, and last but not least, make a pass in the Lounge (spectacular the brand new Lounge at the Terminal 2F at CDG unfortunately seen on the fly).
Delta operates out of terminal 4 at JFK. The area on the right, opposite door 1 along the corridor, is dedicated to Sky-Priority customers: a dozen or so stations that are more aesthetically pleasing than the classic check-in desks, in a rather quiet and flowing setting.
Passed the controls with appropriate priority, however always very crowded bustling and rowdy, American movie style, one enters the T4 departure area, which is spread over two wide corridors: the longer one is for almost exclusive use by Delta and allows a good view of the runways and thus also of the many parked aircraft.
About halfway down the long corridor used by Delta is the Delta "Skyclub" Lounge, which is very large but also very crowded, a far cry from the concept of the Lounge as a place also dedicated to relaxation.
As it was a Saturday afternoon, the private traveling clientele was prevalent compared to the typical business traveling clientele.
This is the terminal that offers the best lounges in all of JFK: there is the Centurion of American Express, the Clubhouse of Virgin Atlantic, the lounges of Emirates, Swiss and Air India, the latter also open to Priority Pass holders. As well, of course, as the Skyclub.
In the Lounge there are several areas with various types of seating and a large central self-service that also offers hot dishes of decent quality; wine and water were served to me directly at the table by a very attentive and quick attendant.
There are also two stations dedicated to coffee always in self-service mode (Starbucks products) and some cookies, as well as large jugs of water with ice (I did not see any take-away bottles). Very nice and very clean bathrooms, a positive note given the considerable and chaotic crowding.
The free Wi-Fi network with password, distinct from the always-free one at JFK, is excellent. The two outer sides of the Lounge, which actually occupies an area above the Gate Corridor, have large windows over the runways.
After an hour or so of waiting in the Lounge, I went a little early to my assigned Gate, partly to observe Delta's preparatory boarding procedures: a panel, in addition to announcing the estimated boarding time (complied with), listed the availability of upgrades and thus the occupancy of the aircraft's four classes: economy, Delta Comfort+, Delta premium, and Delta One business (the latter, mine, was occupied for 26 pax out of 28 total seats).
All gates are equipped with biometric passenger recognition devices; in my case, upon boarding, the check failed, thwarting my attempt to get on among the first and take a couple of photos with the plane still empty.
Having resolved the biometric recognition issue with a gate attendant, I was finally able to board the A330 900 neo and thus in Delta One class (28 seats with 1-2-1 configuration), my Suite chosen at the time of booking was 2A.
The main feature of this new business chair offered by Delta is a sliding partition that allows you to completely close off your space on the aisle side.
The seats are very comfortable and adjustable with touch buttons with classic intuitive graphic symbology: normal, relax, lounge and bed position. Additional touch buttons are dedicated to adjusting the suite's lighting, selecting the "do not disturb" mode, and calling a flight attendant; there are also two USB sockets and a 110V multi-power outlet.
On the side from the chair, there is a small open compartment that holds the large audio headphones and a Delta custom water bottle.
Very large individual screen offering good entertainment programming, movies, cartoons, current events, games, etc. As well as satellite flight information with nice and certainly recent graphics. The fixed screen was manageable in touch mode only, with very good and accurate sensitivity.
Already present on each individual chair was a large rectangular fabric bag, sealed with a zipper, containing a lightweight quilt, a pair of disposable slippers, and a pillow (I found this "packaging" solution very pleasing compared to the more common cellophane packaging).
The courtesy kit was also already present. Described on the site as eco-sustainable, it is in fact a flat sachet made of recycled fabric that is rather shoddy in both aesthetics and product quality-Grown Alchemist, one of many cosmetic lines that claim 100% natural products. On the subject of containing waste, I find that the shoddy features and small size of the sachet make it of little use for future reuse, and I would add that even finding it already on the seat further debases its value: it is certainly more elegant and distinctive for it to be delivered personally to the passengers present by a flight attendant.
During boarding, we were handed the menu on a card, which could also be accessed through a QR code (usable, however, by those with a data network as the onboard wi-fi service was not yet active) and were offered a welcome drink with a small selection of dried fruits and cheese cubes.
One paper towel among many presented on the back the instructions to connect to the wi-fi network: the possibility of connection materialized about an hour after take-off and often suffered interruptions; in addition to some paid options, there was a free solution for T-mobile customers and an always free and timed one, limited to messaging only (whatsapp, telegram, etc.).
Dinner was served on a tray, then removed before serving the main course and side dish, the plate then lost on a small table left desolately empty except for the tablecloth glass and cutlery. Same manner and visual effect for dessert, in my case a cup with ice cream.
The quality of the dinner dishes was medium-low: acceptable was the lukewarm tomato soup as a first course, but an unconvincing second course of meat with almost raw steamed vegetables, and a ball of mashed potatoes. Good red wine, offered between two California labels straight from the cart and thus without the opportunity to consult a wine list in time.
Totally shoddy was the breakfast, served an hour before arrival in Paris: in addition to a small, lukewarm, shriveled croissant, it included either a savory pie (I chose it by exclusion, but after seeing and smelling it, I dared not taste it) or fresh fruit, the only satisfactory dish.
In conclusion, the cabin of this modern Airbus is certainly very comfortable, thanks in part to improved soundproofing compared with previous versions and LED lighting with restful tones. Of note, however, is the lack of blackout curtains between the business cabin and the galley-services area that remained brightly lit for the duration of the flight and thus with the inevitable glare in the passenger area; in contrast, the separation with the Delta premium class cabin was equipped with wide-mesh net curtains with side magnets with a mosquito net-like effect.
The flight attendants, well-organized and courteous, chatted animatedly for a couple of hours after dinner, disturbing those who chose to rest (I had to wear earplugs, which was totally unusual for me).
Mall-style ground attendants make no distinction between a business passenger and an economy passenger, accustomed to massive and coarse handling of the boarding order.
Did you enjoy Michele's story? Do you want to send us your trip reports? Write to us, we will do it very gladly.
