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Writer's pictureJamsheed Motafram

Trip Report DL 80 (SEA-CDG)

Updated: Oct 11


A Delta A330-900neo at CDG.
A Delta A330-900neo at CDG (Jamsheed Motafram).

Last month, I was able to take my first round-trip Transatlantic flight on Delta Airlines from Seattle to Paris on Premium Select. Overall, I would like to say that the flight on both legs was really nice. However there were some minor differences between the two trips so I’m going to average out certain scores for certain criteria to provide a fair review. I’ll go over the lounge, the seat, the food, the IFE and the service that was offered when I flew on Delta. Let’s start off with the lounge. 


Lounge

A Delta 737.
A Delta Airlines 737 ( Jamsheed Motafram).

Since we got to fly on Premium Select, we were able to access Delta’s SkyClub lounge in Seattle. While I loved the views of the apron from  the lounge,  overall I found it to be underwhelming. First off, there was no barista so I had to receive my caffeine hit from a machine. And there were no china cups so I had to drink from a paper cup. The food choices were ok with a variety of hot and cold choices. I had a teriyaki beef wrap with cold cuts and it was fine. Hopefully in the future, Delta will introduce their new Delta One Lounge that they have in New York so the quality can improve. 


Flight

Delta Premium Select.
The seat in premium economy (Jamsheed Motafram).

After spending a few hours in the lounge, we went to our gate to board our flight to Paris on an A330-900neo. Let me be the first to say that this new plane is gorgeous and much better than the older variants. My seat in the plane was 12A and we were able to get bottled water and an amenity kit with the usual “potions and lotions” as Dennis Bunnik would say. A nice touch for passengers traveling in Premium Select. Once I settled in, I figured I’d  get an avgeek bucketlist item out of the way and decided to watch Top Gun Maverick on the flight.


Top Gun Maverick
Too predictable I would watch Top Gun Maverick on a flight (Jamsheed Motafram).

However throughout the flight, the IFE was buggy and had continuous problems. Thankfully the cabin crew were understanding and kept trying to reboot the system throughout the flight.


Dinner on Delta.
Dinner on Delta (Jamsheed Motafram).

As the dinner service was about to begin, the attendant gave me a hot towel and then Delta’s savory cheese biscuits. I accompanied this with some red wine. Then dinner arrived and it was a three cheese pesto ravioli accompanied with a salad and a flourless chocolate cake. The salad was very refreshing due to the citrus orange dressing. As for the ravioli main, it was savory and not too cheesy at all. Finally the dessert was decadent and a good way to finish the meal. However I wish it wasn’t all served on one tray.


Breakfast onboard Delta.
Breakfast onboard Delta (Jamsheed Motafram).

As for the seat itself, I felt it was very sturdy and the legroom and recline were generous. I was able to sleep well on the flight. Then about 90 minutes before landing, breakfast was served. I decided to have the french toast and it was divine. Despite the sausage being dry, the French Toast was flavorful and not too sweet at all. And then we landed into Paris and enjoyed every minute of taxiing into our gate. So with that, what’s the final verdict? 


Verdict

An Air France A350.
A beautiful view of the Air France A350 as I land into CDG (Jamsheed Motafram).

So with all of that being said, my experience flying on Delta Airlines was exactly as I expected from a US Carrier. As mentioned earlier, for the entertainment and the food, I’m going to average out the score from my two flights to make my score more objective regarding flying on Delta. So in summary, here is my highly subjective yet scientific “Jamscore” regarding the flight starting with the lounge. 


Lounge

Delta in Seattle
While the views were great at the SkyClub, it had a lot more to be desired (Jamsheed Motafram).

While the lounge wasn’t too crowded and the views of the Seattle apron were impressive, the mediocre food choices, lack of fancy silverware/cups and no barista for the coffee bog down the experience for me. I’m sorry to say this, but the Delta SkyClub in Seattle is mediocre. If you are flying out of Seattle and need to access a lounge, try the Centurion Lounge or the Alaska Lounge instead (2.5/5). 


Seat

Delta amenity kit
The amenity kit offered by Delta with the "usual potions and lotions" as Dennis Bunnik would say (Jamsheed Motafram).

he seat is a good value for your money. With a sturdy tray table, generous legroom and recline, I felt comfortable throughout the flight. (5/5). 


Entertainment

Band of Brothers on Delta.
Nothing like watching Band of Brothers on the flight home (Jamsheed Motafram).

The IFE was intuitive and it has a good selection of movies and TV shows to enjoy. Unfortunately, flying to Paris, the system was buggy and was a pain to operate. However on the voyage home the IFE was working properly and I was able to marathon Band of Brothers after visiting Normandy for the first time. The WIFI was free and I was able to go on IG and update my story while flying both times. (Seattle-Paris (2.5/5); Paris-Seattle (4.5/5); (Official Score (3.5/5). 


Food


Delta inflight meal.
The meal on the return trip. Have to say, Delta's catering is solid on both legs (Jamsheed Motafram).

The food was solid on both flights. The pasta was savory and the salads were refreshing on both legs. As for the dessert, I would give a slight edge to my flight to Paris with the chocolate cake.  However on the voyage home, Delta offered us warmed-up chocolate chip cookies and my nostalgia for Midwest Airlines kicked in. As for the second meal, I also preferred the first flight because the calzone on the flight back to Seattle was a little too salty. (4.75/5)

 

Service 

Window view
Great window views with Delta (Jamsheed Motafram).

Finally, the service on both flights was great. The crew were attentive both times and went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of. I truly appreciated the crew’s patience  on the flight to Paris with the IFE issues. They kept their cool and were persistent in trying to fix it throughout the flight. (5/5) 


In-flight cookie
Nothing like having a warmed up chocolate chip cookie on a flight (Jamsheed Motafram).

That gives Delta’s Premium Select product a 20.75 out of 25 stars. Almost similar to the score flying on British Airways World Traveller. But what do you guys think? Have you guys tried Delta’s Premium Select? Let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky! 



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