Delta announced Delta One Business Class Expanding to More US Domestic Routes, with New York (JFK) to Seattle (SEA) and New York (JFK) to San Diego starting on April 1, 2018. Then, New York (JFK) to Las Vegas will also become a premium Delta One business class route starting on May 1, 2018.

They’ve also added Delta Medallion Upgrades Return on Transcontinental Flights however, decided to slash flight attendant staffing Delta Cutting Flight Attendant Staffing on Transcontinental Flights as a result of expanding their transcontinental routes.

Here’s a review of a recent Delta flight from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles, after these changes:

On my recent Delta flight from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles, I was fortunate to receive an upgrade at the gate to Delta One, thanks to the airline now allowing Medallion upgrades on these routes.

The flight departed out of Terminal 4 at JFK where Delta has a distinct check in area for Sky Priority passengers that it shares with Virgin Atlantic. My flight was schedule for midday and the terminal was not busy but depending on the day and time of travel and if you have Clear, it may be quicker to use Terminal 2 and take the shuttle over to Terminal 4.

Sky Priority Check In and Baggage Drop.

As a Delta One passenger, you are given complimentary access to the Delta SkyClub which has an excellent food and drink selection to enjoy before the flight. Additionally, the flagship SkyClub in Terminal 4 at JFK has the open-air SkyDeck which is great way to get fresh air and provides fantastic views of the ramp (only open during warm months).

A few minutes before boarding began, I headed to the gate which was conveniently located nearby the SkyClub. For my flight, I was on the Delta Boeing 757-200ER that had the SkyTeam livery on the exterior instead of the standard Delta colors.

Onboard, the Delta One cabin features 16 lie-flat seats in a 2×2 configuration. Each passenger receives a Westin Heavenly blanket and pillow, as well as Tumi amenity kit and 16oz water bottle at their seat.

The blue leather seats with signature Delta diamond stitching and are slightly angled. Each feature a large touch screen monitor, international plug, and two prong headphone connector. The seats are adjustable with the controls located near the center armrest and a small additional control panel behind the headrest to use when the seat is in the lie-flat position.

After boarding and before take-off, the flight attendant came around to offer a pre-departure beverage and hand out the LSTN headphones for the flight. I opted not to have a drink and instead used the time to look at the menu for flight. Once airborne, the flight attendant took drink orders and meal choice for the lunch time offering.

I opted for the Thai Braised Beef with coconut ginger sauce as my meal. Other options included Tuscan Kale and Herb Grilled Chicken Salad or a Pulled Chicken Sandwich. One of the differences I noticed between this Delta One transcon flight and pre Delta One complimentary upgrade flights was the absence of the appetizer portion of the meal.

I asked the flight attendant if there was an appetizer course, and was told that they’ve done away it on the transcontinental flights. Additionally, I was informed that they’ve also cut back an additional flight attendant on this route, and the service was definitely noticeable to what it had use to be.

For the next several hours, I rotated between brief naps, watching tv shows, and reading. We did experience some heavy turbulence over the Midwest region and several passenger’s beverages spilled, but the crew was quick to provide napkins and help clean up.

Towards the end of the flight, we were offered a warm triple chocolate cherry cookie snack. I took the time as well to open the window shade, which had remained shut for most of the day flight to keep the cabin light down and snapped a picture of the landscape below.

Overall, I was happy to receive the upgrade to Delta One, however with the exception of the seat it’s hard to differentiate this premium product from Delta’s regular domestic first class cabin in regards to the meal as well as the service onboard. It’s disappointing to see this product taking a turn, as Delta One was truly a great offering on these routes.

See our recent Delta Flight Reviews:

• Flight Review: Delta One Business Class Breakfast JFK-LAX
• Delta One Transcontinental Business Class Dinner SFO-JFK
• New Delta One Business Class North End Grill Menu
• Delta One Winter 2016 JFK-LAX Meal Service
• Delta One Business Class JFK-LAX Meal Service
• Flight Review: Delta Transcontinental JFK-LAX Comfort Plus
• Flight Review: Delta First Class New York (JFK)- Seattle

Has anyone else flown Delta One on a transcontinental flight since the cut backs? Feel free to share your thoughts below.