What do I think of Delta's main cabin onboard their 757-200 from Orlando to Atlanta? Read along to find out.
Flight: DL2200
Route: Orlando Intl - Atlanta Hartsfield
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200, N671DN
Seat: 21A, Main Cabin
Time: 05:20AM-06:44AM
Date: 11th July 2018
Flight price: Approx. $63.50USD (£49)*
I purchased this flight as a part of an onward connecting ticket, from Orlando to Memphis (connecting in Atlanta) and back. The total ticket cost was $254USD (£193). I first visited Memphis in July 2015, on one of allegiant's MD88's to look at FedEx's very impressive operation there, and to of course see the classic MD10's, MD11's, A300's and A310's! I quickly became hooked and decided that I had to visit again. I had previously flown on Delta - their MD88 from Atlanta to Miami and back in first class - and loved then, and so I was super excited to try out their economy!
Something worth noting from the outset is Delta's customer service; I was originally booked to fly out on 10th July, but missed my flight (entirely my fault), and had to rebook onto the same flight the next day. I was offered two options by delta; to rebook onto a later flight that day (which wouldn't have been ideal) for free, or to rebook the entire itinerary for $75USD (£58). This is what I chose and I even happened to get a free seat in the preferred section with that! Kudos to the check-in agent for her efficient help. Anyway, the next day, July 11th, I made sure to arrive at the airport with plenty of time - waking up at 2:45AM made sure I was on time!
I checked in online and after passing security, I went to the gate where we waited. In terminal B, there was surprisingly a decent selection of places to eat, considering it was 4AM. The boarding was completed in zones, which are decided by your cabin class and mileage programme status. I was put in zone 3, the second to last group to board, and what greeted me onboard was absolutely brilliant; a 27 year old 757 cabin that looked brand new. It was the most impressive economy I have travelled on; and it is far superior to anything we have here in Europe, and an excellent offering for a short haul flight.
Boarding and in-flight service:
We boarded 4:59AM, for an on time departure of 5:31AM. Just after takeoff, the sun began to rise and it was beautiful! The crew came around, smiling and feeling like they actually wanted to be there and engaged with the passengers; something that I have noticeably had on all of my Delta flights. We were offered a complimentary selection of snacks, which included Deltas signature biscoff and a snack selection pack - essentially mini pretzels and breadsticks among other things - as well as a soft drink or coffee. I went for the biscoff and a bottle of water. For a short flight of this nature, this snack offering is standard & acceptable.
IFE, power and Wi-Fi:
The onboard IFE system was exemplary, with a wide variety of movies, live tv, games and music was available on the setback screen in front of you AND available to stream for free to your phone, iPad or laptop! There were power sockets and USB ports at every single seat throughout the whole aircraft and were relatively fast from what I could tell. Delta also offers inflight Wi-Fi onboard the majority of its aircraft, and their 757's are no exception. They offer a speedy Wi-Fi day pass for a reasonable $16, which for someone like me (who was taking four flights in the day) is great value; only $4 per flight. Since my flight, it is worth noting that Delta has started offering free messaging over iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook messenger whilst onboard; however to use websites, Instagram or snapchat you still have to purchase a Wi-Fi package. Nearly all of these amenities, with the exception of Wi-Fi (which Lufthansa and Norwegian mainstream offer) and USB ports (which only Air France seems to offer) do not exist in Europe, and that is the big difference between the two continents
We started to descend soon after the snack service and as this was only a short flight and we landed shortly after, at 6:28AM, 16 minutes ahead of schedule. Another thing to be said about Delta is that all four flights on this day were on-time or early, which is impressive, considering the size of their operation in Atlanta - the worlds busiest airport.
