One of the coolest things about flying Delta domestically as an elite is they have the ability to get a complimentary upgrade to First Class. What makes this elite benefit even cooler, is that you can fly some of their best planes on domestic routes. This means you get to experience the international Business Class product at coach prices during a domestic route.

I flew Delta’s A330 in international Business Class from Los Angeles where I had a beer with Samantha Brown on a domestic coach ticket. I also flew Delta’s 777 in international Business Class to Los Angeles in their lie-flat seats. Two flights I haven’t had the opportunity to fly with Delta yet are their rare domestic routes with an internationally configured 747, or an interntionally configured 767 with their new lif-flat seats.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to fly Delta on another domestic route, JFK to ATL on Delta’s internationally configured 767 with the old style cradle seats.

Before Departure

I was able to snap a few pictures of the planes leaving JFK before heading to Delta’s SkyClub. This Aeromexico flight was bound for Mexico City. This flight would be a great award redemption route to South America if you couldn’t find award availability on Delta’s direct flights to South America. A quick stop in Mexico City might be worth it to save miles with a low level award ticket.

Before heading to the lounge, I checked out the 767 that would take me back to Atlanta just before the sun set on the east coast.

Delta SkyClub Lounge

There are a number of Delta SkyClubs at JFK, for a full list check out this map of the SkyClubs at this airport. We headed to the SkyClub next to the Brookstone store and it seemed like the right choice.

The Luxury bar was empty. I could enjoy a few beers with a nice view of the runway and catch up on some work.

The place was empty except for a few people waiting for flights.

The beers were cold. My first choice was a Corona. It was so cold, I had to follow it up with another one. The caramel popcorn required it.

To finish off the happy hour, I went with a mystery beer that reminded me of a recent trip, but you’ll have to click here to find out what kind of beer it is.

Delta’s Old Style 767 Business Class Seat

I entered the Business Class cabin and headed to the second aisle to grab my seat.

I ended up in a middle cabin aisle seat towards the rear. If I had a choice it would have been 1 G because there would be no seat in front of you to recline into your space.

The Business Elite cabin is set in a 2-2-2 configuration. The new lie-flat seats are a staggered 1-2-1 configuration which I shared my thoughts on in this post.

The seat controls were in the arm rests, similar to that of Korean Air Business Class.

Only a moment after settling into my seat, the flight attendant brought me a Woodford Reserve Bourbon on the rocks. Nothing like a Kentucky Bourbon to get a flight started right.

The only downside (if you think of it that way) of taking these internationally configured planes, is there is no wifi. So this flight gave me an opportunity to catch up on a movie and reading.

Delta’s 767 Business Class Service

The seat tray on this flight was not at all as good as the new ones on the newly configured 767s with lie-flat seats. The trays on this flight were not adjustable, and I found it would dig a little into my lap in a slightly reclined position. However, if I adjusted the seat just right, I managed to avoid the tray resting on my lap.

A place mat was delivered before the service started.

The choice on this flight was cold fried chicken or a sandwich. I went with the fried chicken. I’m not sure if it is supposed to be served cold, but it wasn’t good this way.

The chicken came with a cold potato salad, a fruit salad, and a cake that totally made up for the bland chicken.

Bottom Line

Delta has some cool planes flying domestically. If you stop and look around prior to picking your flight, you might just get to try one out.

Looking for More Delta Miles?

See current Credit Card Offers here to earn more miles.

Follow us on Twitter || Like us on Facebook || Sign Up For Email || Tips & Tricks Page

Points, Miles & Martinis will earn a small referral credit for successful applications through the links in this post. As always we appreciate any support for the blog.

This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.