Without Delta's employees helping me when I was injured in Germany I wouldnt have made it home. I will always love Delta Airlines. I had been injured during my trip at our hotel trying to get into a rental van to go to the airport and the hotel luggage loader called Delta who sent out their own van for me and my friend. When we arrived at the airport they had a personal wheelchair there for me with someone dedicated to guiding me along. He stayed with me until it was time for the plain to load a nd took me into it. He even went and got us snacks before we loaded. THEN when we got back to Phoenix,there was someone there with a wheelchir to take me home and a Delta van to take us there. He also helped me get into my apartment and settled me into my lovely soft chair. There was my building's security to carry my luggage in too. I will always tell everyone of Delta's care and kindness. They're just the best.
The only thing Delta is good at, is their social media department that creates bots like these that give these type of comments to videos and then upvote them.... come on Delta we are not idiots
I flew Delta One last year after upgrading from PE for $499. I got a deal!From JFK to Athens. It was a positive experience for me except my door kept opening. The lie flat seat wasn’t that comfortable. It should have a better cushion. All the food was so good. No complaints there. Thanks Dan for your honest opinion.
@@JeanClaudeCOCO the most embarrassing airline, with 100 year old flight attendants and stale food. Let alone the deteriorating airports, more like a national embarrassment.
I flew Delta one from Amsterdam to Detroit…I booked four seats as far in advance as I could, I think 9 months…they gave away my PRIMO seats on the odd rows to seat other grown men and moved my children to aisle seats…I won’t fly with them ever again! The Dutch people were trying to shame me when I became furious about this. The gate agents were awful.
As someone who flies a lot of the U.S. domestic airlines, I'll offer some input. Of the big three (Delta, United, American), I always prefer Delta. Your criticisms are accurate--Delta does not have the best food and their equipment is on the older side. However, what keeps bringing me back is the service level. Delta employees up and down the line are just *nice*. They are generally professional and helpful while being cordial and friendly. That right there earns my loyalty. No one goes to an airline for the excellent meal. Sure, United's meals are a tad better, but you're not flying because you want a superb dining experience--save that for a Michelin restaurant on the ground if you're looking for a gastronomic delight. Delta was always known for the best IFE, but I think United is passing them in that category, too. Still, who needs 3-5 hours of grumpy, prickly flight attendants when you can fly Delta?
These are my thoughts as well. I typically only fly domestic and always choose Delta because of their service. I've flown United, AA, Southwest, and Alaskan also. Alaska used to be the superior airline but that is not the case anymore. I'll be flying Delta PE to London in a couple weeks. We'll see how that goes. VA was recommended but I wasn't able to work that out.
Dan does a fantastic job with his videos. My question to everyone is thus: With so many variables, how can anyone ascertain the jist of one airline over another? The variables are: caterers by city, airports, construction, ground handling, changes day to day on everything, aircraft type and age and airline flights that change crew often. One particular flight might be wonderful one week, atrocious the next. Its a mixed bag vortex of possibilities.
You make a great point Norman! My reviews are to give people a good idea of the product available and all it includes so that they may make a better informed decision rather than going in blind.
We have flown Delta one a few times. There are actually 7 different Delta Ones and it makes a difference on which plane you are flying. We are actually flying the 767-400 next week and the A330 on the return.
my best delta experience was definitely flying from incheon to detroit! it was on the a350 and i was fortunate to get a delta one suite! Unlike the european routes, this one had a mattress pad which doubles as lumbar support and its a suite so theres doors for privacy. The cabin is beautiful and i swear, delta's korean menu is the best flight food ive ever had! Its a must try. Only downside was the poor flight attendant service but thankfully its not a common occurrence on delta
Delta deserves credit for the meal, especially since it was catered in an out station and not a Delta hub. Singapore has the same issue with its superior catering from its hub compared to its return service.
Domestically Delta is still using box meals out of many out stations...a practice they've only increased, not decreased, in the last couple years. I swear the number of out stations serving only boxed meals has at least doubled since 2022. Thankfully I can now take a quick hop to LGA and get a great meal on the flight departing out of there, vs a flight to Atlanta with a turkey sandwich in a sad box.
@@jblyon2 everything depends on the flight time, mileage and time of day to get perishable food such as a chicken salad sandwich or a fruit and cheese plate. The box meals are available on most any flight depending on the flight time, and mileage to your destination, but time of day is 24/7
@williamkraft5574 You're referring to the economy buy on board box options. I'm referring to first class 900-1499 mile flight meals. Delta is subbing those boxes for proper meal service on flights to/from a seemingly ever increasing number of out station airports.
@jblyon2 Yes, you are correct, I was talking solely about the main cabin. There should be no reason at all for these boxes to be used in first class as a replacement for an oven warmed meal.
I’m a former loyal Delta customer that is deciding to be a free agent due to its massive miles devaluation and overly inflated prices. As an American living abroad there are so many quality options at more affordable prices outside of SkyTeam.
I’m surprised you didn’t go to the exclusive Delta One check-in at LHR? Beautiful waiting area and private security. Makes the LHR experience so much better.
As someone in the USA who flies a lot domestically, Delta has the best US experience and also the best app for when things go wrong (weather, air traffic, or mechanical). That’s very important for shorter haul domestic flights when there are a lot more frequencies in flights, split flights, and alternative destinations.
IDK. The ONE thing United has going for its app. I'd def give United's app a slight edge over DL. Everything else is a Delta win... especially with the KILLER (looking) new One lounge at JFK.
I also love flying delta over any other US airline, but I have to say their app can use some serious help. In my experience AA more often than not has a way better app, especially dealing with delays/cancellations, status updates, and reviewing your trip. (That’s probably the only good thing I can say about AA).
Delta really is the best airline here in the US, Dan. I'm physically disabled, and the gate employees are always very gentle with me. Most of the time, Im just hopping up and down the East Coast, so Im either on an RJ900 or E175. If I am flying economy, I frequently get a free upgrade to Comfort Plus, which is very cushy. The flight attendants are always so good to me, and will give me plenty of refills on whatever I'm drinking, and also sneak me extra snacks. I love Biscoffs! Delta also has the best on time rate, and they rarely, if ever, lose your luggage.(which is more than I can say for the other airlines) All the cabin crew I've met have been very friendly and professional. I would fly Delta anywhere!
I too have been very impressed with Delta's service for those with disabilities. I traveled with my grandmother that has dementia and is in a wheel chair and they were amazing at every step of the process. At one point I had to use the restroom and my grandmother got agitated being alone for even a minute. When I came back a kind FA was sitting with her helping her do her crossword puzzle and getting her to laugh. Truly a wonderful experience.
Except Atlanta, then they STEAL your luggage. Happened to a friend of mine on the way to Paris. Had a hell of a time with them and Air France, who was handling that leg since each blamed each other. Turns out it was definitely Delta. The bag never left the US, and was eventually delivered back to her home address in California. But with all the important contents missing.
Air France FA’s are also incredibly rude. If you book through Delta, you may think you’re on their flight, but if it’s to Europe pretty good chance they’ve booked you on AF.
@@briansguy that is extremely rare, especially in Atlanta. They may be the world's busiest airport, but they're also the most efficient. I've been through Atlanta. They are very good at their jobs.
I don’t know but they are the only thing in Heathrow that are not a mess . They have plenty of staff, you can order a complete breakfast and they serve it to you. Just great service, I’ve been in this lounge 7 times. This is in Heathrow only though, LAX has a shared lounge which is mediocre at best. One more thing, when we arrived by taxi at Heathrow they have a private Virgin check in ( and Delta) and we were walked up to security fast trac - very cool !
Its a good one but no more haircuts and spa. THey used Covid as the excuse to get rid of them and not bring them back. Its a huge club and I find the food and service great in there. For me one of the best clubs in the world.
If you are ever changing terminals at Heathrow with luggage in your hands, you can take the Heathrow express, Piccadilly or Elizabeth Lines to change terminals as well.
Virgin Atlantic is my most favourite airline they’re so much better than BA and actually around the same price from where I live in Mumbai, flew on their odd 787 upper class. Wonderful experience, their lounge is practically your own airport
I didn't know that Delta owns 49% of VA! I'm flying to Rome using Delta ! Flew VA a couple of times EWR/London. And as I go through my stuff from my LAST flight on VA in 1992 I find a have 2 complete "comfort kits" that were given out to economy back then! (a bag, eye mask, headphones, foot socks, comb, earplugs and wipe). This time it's a hellish trip from El Paso connecting in Atlanta where I've elected for a long layover (about 7 hours) versus a 1.5 hour connection. Coming back from Rome, it's the same 1.5 hour connection, so I called and they offered me "wheelchair assist)...and it turns out it's for ALL the flights. I probably will only need the one for the return connection and I do have Global Entry, so fingers crossed I make it to El Paso by 10:15 PM. I've found their customer service very good so far. AND, I chose Premium Economy so fingers crossed!
I flew Delta One a few months ago from Capetown, SA to Atlanta on the Airbus A350-900. The seat was really nice with a nice clean mattress pad for lying flat. Anyway, It wasn't great but it was comfortable enough for a 15 hour flight!
Investors, business owners, and executives of big companies that travel. These are usually not people making only a couple hundred grand per year. 10k for the average person paying that much for a flight is like buying a 100$ dinner for us rather average or upper income folks lol.
The benefit for Delta within the US is not their soft product (which is similar to AA and UA) but their ability to run an ontime operation. They have the lowest lost luggage and has some of the best customer IT in the aviation space. Fly an ULCC and you will see the Delta difference. Delta also prides itself on not bumping paxs or canceling flights. What good is the VS Clubhouse lounge, if your flight gets canceled.
And when Delta does lose luggage, they’re good about finding it and getting it back to you in my experience. In my case I think it was the fault of the airport I flew out of. They checked my carry on and then smudged the ink.
I recently flew Delta one and yes while the seating and accommodation is a cut above. Flying United Polaris comes with much better service in my personal opinion. I also prefer the United layout as well. Great video!
Flew Polaris SFO-ZRH two weeks ago and can't confirmed. No smiles, no thank you or please. Found a used toothbrush in the storage below the screen. Gave it to the FA and she looked annoyed. Far from apologizing or anything like that. Requesting the grilled cheese midflight also had the "why are you making me work" attitude.
@@doktorjohnwatsonIt really is a hit or miss with United. You can either get exceptional service with fantastic crew and a clean airplane, or you can have an experience like yours. It would be better if there was more consistency
@@doktorjohnwatsonthat is so weird but not shocking, and I speak from having had some of the best service anywhere on United. On the big 3, I’ve seen service be both great and dismal , depending on the flight. While I love United, They should have absolutely been better on your United flight, no question.
Delta is always good out of all US airlines any day. I have flown with them many times in Economy & my experience has been always great. Looking forward to try out Delta One some day.
0:33 nah that's pretty accurate of Delta fans. And this is coming from an (outgoing) Platinum Medallion 😅 Also, you're welcome for the amenity kit 🤣 Great review!
For business class flights I’ve only flown VA Upper Class in a 787-9 (herringbone seat style) and A350 (newer seats). Since I fly mostly Delta domestically, I’d like to try Delta One. I really appreciate your honest takes and the self awareness that some negatives might just be your preferences and could be fine for others.
Hi Dan, I love flying with Delta. I with them when traveling back to England from Minnesota. Also flew with them to Kauai a few times on their a321neo planes. I think Delta is probably the U.S.' best airline in my opinion. Thanks for sharing
Hey Dan ! I have been following you for years. Just wanted to let you know that you look great these days - I think the beard really suits you and that you seem really happy! Keep enjoying !! 🫂🥰 love your channel
I've flown Delta One twice, once from Detroit to Honolulu and the second from Detroit to Kahului, Maui. Both were more than worth it for such long flights. Great food and service, comfortable seating/bed and privacy.
Was in Delta One round trip CLT to Europe (10 hour flight) in 2017 and it was AMAZING. I’m 5ft and the seat was roomy and comfortable. Food was great, had best steak of my life over Greenland.
Delta One has never disappointed me! I too am vegan, and although as an airline employee traveling on what's called a jumpseat pass, I was unable to pre-order because I was on standby, they always were able to conjure up a meal for me. Delta is the highest paying airline for flight attendants and it shows. I live in Italy but I was based in NYC. I flew Delta One every other week. A few times Delta One was full, but I still got Premium Economy which also impressed me.
I agree with your assessment of UA #1 in bedding, and AA not so good most of the time. In fairness, in my experience, the better flight experiences on US carriers can be had on transpacific flights. NY-Tokyo, especially (lots of finance guys flying back and forth every week - that's twice a week to/from NY), but also SFO or LAX to HKG, SZX, PEK or SIN. I find this to be true of European carriers as well: their best products are the routes to SE and NE Asia, not transatlantic.
I’m going on Virgin’s A350-1000 to JFK and then on Delta’s A330-200 back, so I get to experience both, 1 month ago I also experienced Norse’s 787-9 to JFK from LGW.
Flew Delta in this cabin between BOS-LHR on the 767-400 and the only thing that made it seem like it was an older plane was that it’s a bit nosier in the cabin than newer aircraft. The seat and product overall were great though. Definitely the best business class of all the American legacy carriers. Great Review 👍
Thanks for always sharing your honest reviews. Not surprised FA attitude and comments like that, I always try to fly Asian based carriers for better service
Delta has cut back a bit on service since covid, especially in economy. Before then I'd put them up there with the best European airlines, maybe even some Asian ones. And although they're still awesome, the same can't be said about them anymore
I absolutely hate flying. It’s gives me the worst anxiety. But I absolutely love you. I’m so invested in all your videos. Your so informative, knowledgeable and I can sit and listen to your voice all day everyday. Honestly keep up the great work you’re amazing. Xx
If I can get a refurbished Cabin Delta is beyond great. The service, even in the A330-300 and A330-200 with the old seats, keep Delta Great. What I like best about Delta One is the Chocolate Ice Cream Sunday. 😀 Then only bad thing about the Ice Cream Sunday is when my wife is with me and she points out my health. 😞 I've made sure each time to send a comment to Delta letting them know that I primarily fly them because they are giving good service. I live in Germany so I'm usually either flying out of Frankfurt or Munich. Sad is after spending millions to refurbish their 777s they scrapped them during COVID. What a shame, as I'm one of the few people to get one from Amsterdam, and it was so nice, but......
I appreciate your videos because your diet and travel style really tests airlines services all around. That being said, I think because most people don't have the same needs as you, we get to enjoy a lot of other aspects of airlines that you won't and probably enhances our experiences vs yours. Thank you for another great video.
I liked the post-flight 2-cents on DL/UA/AA and you’re totally right. If you can get from A to B safe and mostly satisfied, that’s as good as it gets. Above and beyond will come few and far between.
13:37 You complained about drink selection on board. The Menu had : Grey Goose Vodka Dewar's Blended Scotch Glenfarclas 12 Single Malt Scotch Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whistlepig Rye Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select Plus to that they had a Brut Champagne, a Tawny Port and a Rose wine. Now this selection on an American airline in Business Class seems above average.
Love your work, Dan. Any chance you may create a matrix of all the elements for the airlines & classes? I reckon a lot of people would like to know, so they can help to choose based on their priorities (seat, food, service, etc).
Check the type of plane before opting for even rather than odd. I have D1 tickets on an Airbus and the odd numbered seats are closer to the window. It really differs depending on the type of plane.
American has slippers in both Premium Economy and Business (and First) for Transatlantic flights. Delta has some transatlantic routes in business that are awful where they use even older planes (RDU-CDG). As someone else said, it depends in part where you're flying. American RDU-HRW is miles and miles better than Delta.
In the past several year, I’ve done one domestic and one international delta flight. I didn’t recognize the food on the international flight. Didn’t see the FA very often. BUT, for me, I travel using points the most. I always compare AA, United and Delta. Delta, always wants the most points for the same flights by a lot. This is especially for business class. On the average, it’s at twice to three times more. AND, no the difference in service, the seats or anything else is the worth using the points.
Great content 1 the underground would have been faster and cheaper than heathrow express. I also order special meal..but never rely on it...i have a back up..ie i bring with me food and snacks from home.
I’m glad you went through the trouble blurring peoples faces, many people like being on camera, but there are some who don’t and if you don’t have a choice then I’m glad you blurred them.
I flew delta one because I got upgraded from Shanghai to Detroit, the seat was amazing and the flight attendant was super nice. The food was surprisingly good but that was probably because the flight was catered by china southern
I think I agree with most Americans when you fly domestically, and we know domestic first class/business class sucks for a country where a domestic flight can be five hours long, they are the best! They actually use the same product they would use internationally quite often. You don’t get that from other legacy carriers. However, with that said, I do not fly them internationally. Because I know there is better product and service out there for international flights.
You got lucky. I fly Delta all the time from London to Detroit. On that plane, we get the old Delta One offering and it is terrible. So old, uncomfortable and well past its sell by date. And my experience of the food has never been that good. The best part is the Virgin lounge.
Thanks Dan for your great review! I agree with your conclusion as well. I usually fly from JFK to LHR or CDG and always pick Virgin or AF over Delta: seat comfort, service and food are consistently better on these two airlines versus Delta. I can somewhat understand how some people get so excited about Delta since they were the first US airline to drastically revamp their product and experience 15 years ago. But others like United have now caught up and are doing even better, especially in terms of seat comfort and cabin consistency. That said if they can command higher fares with a rather average product and get away with their subpar Skymiles program, they're probably the smart ones! I'm just wondering for how long they can maintain that premium reputation in the US market. Time will tell...
I'm not a Delta fan, and don't fly them much, but that's mainly because I'm near a United hub (Dulles airport), which of course offers more nonstops than any other airline. I do like United Polaris, its a pretty good product.
Dan- I was just talking to my wife about the Delta cabins vs American and some others. THe Delta cabin even on an older 737 I flew this week was very well put together. The fit and finish. I could see new carpeting , the screens for customers in first and coach etc. Its a feeling I get on the majority of my Delta flights, domestic or international. I have not flown them much international in a long time. I do fly Virgin but only on the NEO flights in Upper Class. The old seats on the other VIrgin planes suck in Upper class. When Virgin got the 787 I could not believe they installed the old crummy Upper class seats on that plane.I got slippers on American going to Sydney First lass two weeks ago. Free WIFI is on all domestic flights also. I fin the speed to me ok overall. Delta free WIFI not American or United.
That's why I always choose any juice but Orange. Apple, is always consistent but as you said Orange Juice can be extremely hit and miss. Mostly it's a miss.
Personally I think United has the best customer service out of the big 3 us airlines and they have the most international routes. Delta always has great refreshed cabins with consistent service. American has the most domestic routes but service could be hit or miss.
Although I have moved to OneWorld carriers, but I found Delta to have really amazing cabin crew on Delta business class. They had a nice option to get them to serve all the food at once.
I live in Atlanta, so Delta is by far the best bet for a huge number of daily flights. They are generally on-time with pleasant staff. It’s not perfect, but I’ll take it over some of the nightmares I’ve had on American.
If you fly any business or first class flight from the states or Heathrow the catering will be bad but if you do it from any other airport the food is good to great
I want to hear your thoughts on Air Canada. It’s the only airline i’ve flown, and I’ve had a good experience. I’m not sure if it’s just been me getting lucky and having genuinely good AC experiences, or if my standards are just that low that it makes Air Canada look good.
