Delta One Business Class 767-300ER Review and Seat Report (SEA to ATL)
Either these seats go, or I go...
I'm torn. This was my first ever business class product several years ago, when I redeemed some Amex Membership Rewards that I transferred to Delta for a flight to LHR out of DTW. The first time you fly business class you are changed forever, and over a million first and business class miles later, you will still remember that first flight even if the others start to blur together. But I digress... This flight had me flying from SEA to ATL, and I knowingly took this flight because I saw it was a 767 with Delta One business class on board. Because it was coded as domestic first class and not business class, it was only a 32.5k SkyMiles redemption. That may sound like a lot, but it's only 7.5k above the usual 25,000 minimum for first class, and for lie-flat comfort on a 5 hour flight it's a steal.How I earn Delta points:
As is always the case with Delta, there are several American Express cards which accrue the points needed to book awards on Delta, and it really just depends on your spending patterns which one makes the most sense. The cobranded cards make sense if you buy a lot of airfare on Delta, while the Gold/Platinum are good for general spend, and the Amex EveryDay Preferred makes a lot of sense if you buy a lot of groceries and use your card more than 30x/month, as you get 3x points on groceries up to $6k/year and if you use it more than 30 times in a month you get a whopping 50% bonus on all points earned in that month.How Was The Flight?
What's awesome:
While this is a great way to travel transcon or as a short hop across the Atlantic, I would hesitate to book myself in these seats for anything > 8 hours. Yes, it's lie-flat, and yes everyone has direct aisle access, but with all of the other business class products out there - including Delta's own reverse herringbone seating as found on Delta's A330-200 seat map - why not shop around for something more comfortable? Don't stress if that fails -- these seats are totally adequate, and while the service is decidedly business class, it too will ultimately please you unless you're used to flying Singapore Airlines A380 Business Class everywhere...
- 1-2-1 configuration that is commonly found on domestic routes between major airports
- lots of armrest/console space on one side
- seats next to the window have a private feel to them
- what was once a nice product is starting to look tired and feel cramped compared to the competition
- seats aren't perfectly flat (nitpicking here, I know...)
- in contrast to the window seats, seats next to the aisle feel almost like you're sitting in the aisle
The Cabin:
Here we have a staggered 1-2-1 forward-facing configuration, which you'll find on many other airlines, including Swiss Air, ANA, Garuda Indonesia, American Airlines, and more. Though it may feel like there's a lack of privacy, in the end that equates to an "open" feel in the cabin.
View of the Delta 767-300 Business Class cabin
The Seat:
The same Thompson Vantage lie-flat, forward-facing staggered seats as on their other 767s. I find these seats to be "cozy" -- comfortable for lounging and reclining, and good for sleeping even though the seats are comparatively narrow and pretty well-enclosed (especially the odd row window seats, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9). One advantage of that narrow feel is that the seats feel private, but if you're particularly tall or wide, or like to sleep on your stomach, you will likely find these seats too narrow.Working:
Working was, well, ok. The design of the traytable is one that lends itself to fairly rapid deterioration, so the surface is never level. Generally not an issue with dining, but with a laptop and a mouse (or not) this can be a pain as a hump is created in the center of the traytable. That aside, alignment and height were both good.
767 traytable - the type that can be uneven...
Lounging:
These seats work quite well for lounging, as the ramp in front of you makes a great intermediate footrest until you get to the padded area for your feet in bed mode, and that is also well-positioned.
Sizeable footrest and footwell
Sleeping:
Good, not great. 180 degree lie-flat, yes, but it's not perfectly flat. Also, it is a very tight, enclosed fit, which is good if you like to feel like you're in a cocoon when you sleep, but bad if you like to spread out at all.The Meals:
This was not a true business class flight, so I will save that critique for another flight, but the meal (couscous salad) was perfectly fine.
Standard Delta domestic First Class meal
IFE and Video Screen:
The IFE screen is one spot where this product shows its age. Newer Delta One screens are noticeably larger, and while that isn't critical, it's nice to have a bigger screen for watching movies (bigger is better, right?!). Movie/show selection was surprisingly good, something I think Delta has been working on expanding over the last few years. Check out what's playing with this link: Delta Studio menu. As an alternative to the seatback screen, or on aircraft where there are no seatback screens, it is possible to stream Delta's content to your own device.
The 767 business class seatback screen