Points Miles & Martinis contributor Nicky shares his thoughts on his return flight from Honolulu to New York (JFK) in the Delta One Business Class cabin.

I spent the holidays in Hawaii and flew Delta round trip.  On the return trip, I flew nonstop from Honolulu to New York-JFK and was fortunate to get upgraded to Delta One complimentary as a Medallion Member.  Delta flies this nonstop flight only during the holidays on a Boeing 767-400ER with 40 Delta One seats and 206 Economy and Economy Comfort Seats.

Check in at Honolulu was quick as there was no wait or lines for Sky Priority.  After security, I went to the Delta Sky Club. This club is quite small and windowless.  

There is a small buffet of soups and salads with local snacks and small bites along with a small serviced bar.  The bar offered Hawaiian beers and cocktails. Attendants were friendly and walked around asking guests how their experience was and if they needed refills on drinks.  I left the club before boarding and the attendants at the club gave me a chocolate macadamia nut as a parting gift.

My flight was on Christmas Eve and was relatively empty in both cabins.  Boarding was done on time and was completed quickly. Upon boarding the plane, I was greeted by a flight attendant (the crew was HNL based).  This plane had the older Delta One seats that provided aisle access to all passengers.  

At my seat, there was a Westin branded blanket, bottled water, Tumi amenity kit, and LSTN headphones.

One flight attendant came around offering juice, water, or sparkling wine.  Unlike international Delta One flights, drinks were served in a plastic cup. Another flight attendant passed around menus and introduced himself, thanked me for flying Delta and being a medallion member. A few minutes later, he came back to take main meal choices.

Up in the air, flight attendants started meal service with a hot towel, drink of choice, and warm nuts.  I didn’t see an option for a signature cocktail (as per usual for Delta One international flights) so I went with a Gin & Tonic.  The whole meal was served on a tray, which was shrimp cocktail, caesar salad, a choice of bread (taro or sweet bread) and my main meal choice of Chicken Milanese with sauteed zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes.  

The chicken was pretty good, a bit soggy but full of flavor. For dessert, there was a choice between macadamia nut ice cream or fruit and cheese. I went with the ice cream which hit the spot. I had the ice cream with a cup of tea.     

Prior to landing, flight attendants took breakfast orders.  There was a choice between a frittata or granola cereal. I went with the frittata, which came with came with fruit and a raisin roll.  The breakfast was small and not as great as dinner service. Before landing, flight attendants passed chocolate macadamia nuts to all passengers and thanked us for flying Delta.  We landed 45 minutes ahead of schedule.

In all, I enjoyed my flight with Delta.  Service was fantastic, both on the ground and in the air.  I purchased Wi-Fi which was very fast and relatively cheap ($9.99 for the whole flight).  The IFE system is quite old and small however the 767-400 is due to get an upgrade next year, which includes the new Delta One Suites.  It is very rare to get such an empty flight and great service on a long domestic flight.

See our recent Delta Flight Reviews:

• Flight Review: Delta One Business Class Las Vegas – New York (JFK)
• 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

If you’re looking to redeem your Delta SkyMiles or other credit card points for Delta One business class, consider using the Juicy Miles award booking service, who can help you redeem for the lowest amount of miles.

Have you flown Delta One business class to/from Honolulu before? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.