I recently had the opportunity to fly from Minneapolis (HSP) to Tokyo (HND) with Delta in their Delta One cabin. After the experience, I still believe they offer a superior premium product as compared to American Airlines and United Airlines.
Delta is currently retrofitting their Boeing 777-200’s with the Delta One Suite first introduced on their Airbus A350s. The new cabin only has 28 suites, down from 37 in the older version.
The international flight leaves a little before noon from the US and arrives the following day midafternoon with a total flight time of approximately 13 hours. Before boarding I stopped in to the SkyClub which has a basic offering of snacks and beverages, but not a notable lounge.
Once onboard, I was very impressed with the new cutting-edge suites that had lots of features and attention to detail. To help get passengers acclimated to the advanced suite, Delta provides a helpful brochure to explain the various functions.
The large inflight entertainment touchscreen provides a substantial number of new and popular movies. Delta provides LSTN headphones in the premium cabin, but I haven’t found them too comfortable and they lack noise-cancelling.
The seat area has numerous lighting options and levels which I really liked. Each seat has two outlets and two USB plugs to keep all electronics fully charged. There is an open locker area that has a water bottle holder and headphone hook.
The suite has two control panels to make adjusting the seat position, lighting, and “do not disturb†mode effortless. The seats are lie-flat with a large foot cubby to stretch out in when completely reclined. The layout staggered and travelers wishing to sit next to each other should choose the seats in the middle section.
Before take-off the flight crew were helpful in getting passengers settled, taking meal orders (confirming if pre-ordered), and offering a pre-departure beverage. After the cabin door was closed, we pushed back from the gate, and the plane was de-iced before taxiing to the runway.
The flight crew started with a beverage offering and warm nuts at the beginning of the meal service. The wines included Lanson Black Label brut, two whites (Chardonnay and a blended sauvignon blanc), two reds (Pinot Noir and a blended Rhone), as well as an assortment of soft drinks, juices, coffee/tea, liquors, beer, and sake.
The flight has both a Western and Japanese menu. The western starters included harissa shrimp, Caesar salad, roll with butter, and mushroom soup.
The main course options included a braised beef short rib, herb chicken breast, soy glazed cod, and vegetable offering of smoked fontina fussiloni pasta.
Dessert choices were vanilla ice cream sundae, pumpkin cheesecake, and a selection of fine cheeses.
Throughout the flight in the forward part of the plane was a self-service cart of assortment of snacks and beverage. In addition, a mid-flight snack of either teriyaki beef tenderloin or cold soba noodles was offered.
For total privacy, the suite also has a half height sliding door, but it must remain open during take-off/landing, and meal service.
When the seat is fully reclined, it offers a comfy platform to sleep. Bedding is provided by Westin and each passenger gets two pillows (a full size and small one).
The arrival meal included fresh fruit, bread, and the option of either quiche caprese, vanilla almond granola, or ginger pork with rice.
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See our recent Delta Flight Reviews:
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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.
Overall, the flight was enjoyable, and I found the suite to provide privacy while not feeling claustrophobic. One annoying part was the blue overhead light on the outer edge of the cabin that was on the entire flight. The flight was smooth except a few minor turbulence. The inflight service was professional, timely, and the food was tasty for being on an airplane.
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Thanks for the article.
I’ve flown the in the Delta One A350 suite 3 times now. For me, it’s not my favorite. Out of the domestic big 3, my favorite hard product is AA’s B777. In my experience, Delta consistently delivers a better soft product than AA or UAL. My issues with the suite were:
•On 2 out of my 3 flights, my suite door became stuck to the point where I required help to dislodge it.
•To me, the TV in the suite feels huge and too close to my face. It feels exceptionally bright when the cabin is dark.
•The seat doesn’t seem to completely lay flat. I believe there’s a small amount of pitch to it.
•There is a lack of baggage storage in the cabin due to the absence of luggage bins over the middle seats. On my last flight, there were Delta One passengers that ended up stowing their luggage in Premium Economy because there was no more room for bags up front.
•Also, on my last flight, Delta ran out of the oatmeal breakfast option, and only had eggs available by the time they reached me. That was disappointing.
b\Based on my experience, I would never fly the D1 suite again. I was on the A350 and the cabin was way too warm in the center seats. The food was absolute rubbish and the service was US-carrier bad.
I highly prefer UA new Polaris or any AA Reverse Herringbone. I also thought the cabin looked bland and boring filled with grey plastic.
What do you mean Ryan. I would definitely recommend D1 suites, and am confused with the problems. It IS a us carrier, but a darn good one. The food is amazing, ask anyone, and has lots less grey then AA. AA’s cabin is FILLED with grey. I would really recommend this.