Flight Review: Delta ONE Business Class 767-400 ATL-CDG

This past March I experienced roundtrip Delta long-haul business (aka Delta ONE) for the very first time. While I wish I could say I hurled through the sky in the brand spanking new Delta ONE A350 Suites… I instead was tucked in nice and tight (aka super cramped) into the Delta 767-400 seat 5B for the 9.5 hour flight from Atlanta to Paris… but hey! At least it was booked with Skymiles, and at least I was headed to Paris!

This flight was just the beginning of my trip to Paris and Dublin, which ended with a similar (yet different) Delta ONE 767-400 experience from CDG-ATL.

Pre-Flight –

The pre-flight process was smooth… connecting through ATL on an easy and uneventful 1.5hr flight from TPA arriving about 8:30PM. We made our way through the ATL airport from our arrival gate to the International Terminal (F) and headed straight up to the Delta Skyclub to spend the next few hours getting nice and tired for our midnight flight to Paris!

And… mission accomplished! By the time the 11:15PM boarding call came, I was dead tired with just enough energy to make it to the gate for boarding!

The Business Class Cabin –

After making a quick left at the 767 door, we made our way to a couple middle seats (5B, 5C) in the center of the of the 1-2-1 business class configuration and settled in for the flight.

I originally booked seats 1A and 2A in for my wife and I in order to experience seat 1A and a bit more privacy and footwell space, but was informed a month before my flight that a seating error occurred and Delta double-booked those seats. I’m not sure 1) how this happened and 2) why we were the ones kicked out of our seats, considering I booked these tickets back in August, probably before anyone else?

Oh well… row 5 it is! This actually ended up working out as the middle two seats in this configuration are perfect for travel companions!

The Seat – 5B –

Overall the leather seat (which I prefer to cloth) was comfortable, but I have definitely experienced a better business class seat. These Delta 767s are definitely showing signs of wear and tear, and seats felt dated and beat up.

This is an odd row seat, meaning the narrow armrest faces the aisle, whereas the even row seats have the large armrest that provides a bit more privacy from the aisle traffic.

Space was limited in all directions, but since this trip back was an overnight flight, it made for some tight sleeping quarters.

The biggest complaint on this business class is the footwell, and I cannot disagree. The footwell felt super tight, and when in fully lie-flat position, I was barely able to fit my 10.5 shoe size feet upright. I may be larger than the average passenger at 6’, but this is the most cramped I have felt in any business class seat… On a related note, my 5’ tall wife did not have any issue with the seat or footwell, so good news for all you tiny flyers out there!

Despite the small footwell and narrow seat, I was able to have one great night sleep (as far as airplane sleeps go), to the tune of 6 or so hours! Probably because the midnight departure had me in zombie mode!

The Entertainment –

IFE Monitor – Business class baby monitors – dented, tiny, and grainy screens. Not to mention a below average movie selection. I watched Murder on the Orient Express, which was just OK, but that was the extent of my interest in the movie selection. It’s weird, but I always look forward to these flights to binge watch movies, and this was a bit disappointing.

Headphones – LSTN noise cancelling – very solid audio quality, and aesthetically pleasing with the wood grain!

The Food and Drank –

Pre-departure champagne… which was followed by a warm towel and some spicy mixed nut assortment – the only thing that kept me awake for dinner!

Once airborne, the crew began the dinner service. While Delta offers a “Dine and Rest” option for your meal service to be delivered all at once, this option was not available on our flight. It seems that some of the ovens onboard were not operational, meaning the working ovens were needed just to keep the typical meal cadence going.

Dinner –

To start… Butterbean and English pea hummus, served with pickled carrots, radishes, English cucumber and puffed rice chips. Caesars aviator salad with baby romaine and parmesan croutons, served with Caesar dressing. Creamy Vidalia onion soup topped with black pepper croutons. Selection of Eugene Kitchen bakery rolls.

 

For the Main… I requested the skillet roasted chicken breast stuffed with artichoke and fromage blanc, served with spoonbread puree, roasted maitake mushrooms, broccolini, and herbed chicken jus.

Dessert… I fell asleep… so we will never know what I would have eaten, but the menu supposedly provided a selection of ice cream, strawberry bar or cheese!

Almost There aka Breakfast – 

Seasonal fruit, plus… Anson Mills grit breakfast casserole with leeks and white cheddar, served with chicken sausage links and sautéed asparagus.

The Amenities –

Amenity Kit – The Delta ONE amenity kits are TUMI branded, complete with some of the usual suspects: toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, tissues, earplugs, socks, hand sanitizer… PLUS the real stars of the show – a TUMI branded eye-mask and Kiehl’s branded lip balm and hand and body lotion.

Westin Heavenly Bedding – Perhaps another reason I was able to sleep so well! This stuff is fantastic and is a step above the usual business class offering. Solid move by Delta to leverage the SPG partnership to have this onboard.

The Ride & Views from the Wing –

Overall a smooth flight – no complaints. I didn’t get a look out the window but that’s ok since I am pretty familiar with what the Atlantic Ocean looks like.

Arrival –

We arrived right on schedule around 1:30PM local Paris time.

Final Thought –

My Delta ONE Business Class experience on the 767-400 was good. The seat was OK, the meal was OK, the entertainment was OK, the service just OK, but that sleep experience brought the experience up a level! A good night of sleep is just what I needed to hit the ground running in Paris!

Have you ever flown Delta ONE Business on the 767-400? What did you think!?

Happy Travels!

DW