Delta Questions

[nw6675]

We haven't flown Delta in years - maybe 20? I read somewhere recently that it was the best carrier these days for satisfaction, on time departures, etc. Generally fly AA (no more!) and SW. We live by RIC, but use RDU for more flight options and close to the kiddo drop off point at the grandparents house.

Not necessarily specific to flying into MCO and just in general, do you have any thoughts on:

1. Is it true that Delta is a top tier these days?
2. Is Comfort + worth it? It will be a 4.5 hour flight from RDU to LAS. We have First Class booked, but oh my word it is as much as the whole trip LOL
3. Comfort + seats are not wider, just more leg room, correct? DH and I have expanded over the years!
4. Any other recommendations in general for Delta or even others to consider?

Thanks!

 

[Monykalyn]

I fly delta when I can. I do like their C+ but not sure it’s worth it on shorter trips. Usually I use miles to upgrade but didn’t on this upcoming trip as each flight is only 2 hours or less.
Yeah C+ does have better leg room and dedicated overhead bin space, as well as the complimentary cocktails (if you like that). The better leg room does make the seat overall feel better as my family is very tall (hubs and son over 6’).
I’d always fly first class if I could afford it though lol!
Never had issue with Delta-we used them coming back from Hawaii this summer and on time, great service.

 

[karen4546]

Since you already paid for the first class, I would stick with that.

 

[StageTek]

We haven't flown Delta in years - maybe 20? I read somewhere recently that it was the best carrier these days for satisfaction, on time departures, etc. Generally fly AA (no more!) and SW. We live by RIC, but use RDU for more flight options and close to the kiddo drop off point at the grandparents house.

Not necessarily specific to flying into MCO and just in general, do you have any thoughts on:

1. Is it true that Delta is a top tier these days?

Yes, it's true that Delta is considered top tier these days among domestic carriers.

2. Is Comfort + worth it? It will be a 4.5 hour flight from RDU to LAS. We have First Class booked, but oh my word it is as much as the whole trip LOL
3. Comfort + seats are not wider, just more leg room, correct? DH and I have expanded over the years!

Comfort+ is worth it. But it still does not compare to First Class. You are correct; the seats are not wider but there is more legroom than Main.

 

[Best Aunt]

Delta has had an awful lot of cancellations/delays in the past few months (as have other airlines).

I usually fly JetBlue. I found the Delta aisles to be really narrow in comparison. After I was seated, I felt like the people walking down the aisle were going to smack me in the face with their backpacks as they walked by me.

I'm skeptical about the "dedicated overhead bin space" in Comfort Plus. The website says, "Reserved for you: storage space above your seat to keep carry-ons within easy reach." But it's not like there is a flight attendant monitoring what people put in the overhead bins. If somebody boards earlier than you, they are going to put their luggage wherever they want in the overhead bin space, including the area right over your assigned seat. And, if you even look at the picture on the website, if there are 3 people in each row on your side of the aisle, there's not enough overhead bin space for everyone to have their bag right over their seat.

I wouldn't avoid Delta. I'm just not sure it's any better than other airlines.

 

[_19disnA]

Never had any issues flying Delta. Less concerned about what exactly 'top tier' means then how well organized an airline is and on-time flights. If employees are running around behind the counter and never know what they are doing is usually a bad sign with any airlines. If they don't open the doors for boarding until 30 min before scheduled take-off time, chances are flight will be late. Many of the budget airlines operate like it's their first day in business and seem terribly disorganized.

On longer flights the extra leg room is worth it. Also depends on your budget and what is most important. I check my luggage and don't try to carry it on the airplane like some people.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My husband flew Delta last week from Seattle to KC. A delay that turned into a further delay, they left the gate and then a caution light went off and back to the gate they go, maintenance looked at it and they were able to correct it and left the gate again. He landed something like 3 1/2 hours after he was originally scheduled to.

A lot of it seems to be concentrated on pilot time outs and leaving gate but having to return to the gate again. It's crazy right now.

All airlines are struggling right now so just keep that in mind. I have stories from Alaskan, Delta, United, and SWA all within a month and a half.

 

[nw6675]

Never had any issues flying Delta. Less concerned about what exactly 'top tier' means then how well organized an airline is and on-time flights.

Your description is exactly what I meant by top tier. I had read they were the best for on time departures, but I guess when the bar is so low these days it prob doesn't mean much.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Your description is exactly what I meant by top tier. I had read they were the best for on time departures, but I guess when the bar is so low these days it prob doesn't mean much.

I only fly Delta and I (knock on wood) rarely have any material problems, when they do happen it tends to be weather related. But I’m also flying out of a major hub and most of my destinations have a decent Delta presence/many flights per day, so that can make a difference.

Can’t compare other airlines as I haven’t been on anything else in like 15 years, but overall I’m a very happy Delta customer.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Also on the first class part… in my experience pre-COVID Delta had a pretty decent consistent level of service in first class. By ‘service’ I mean everything from employee care/enthusiasm, decent food/beverage options, you always were offered a pre-takeoff beverage, multiple refills in the air, etc. These days it feels like the experience is a little more mixed. Sometimes you get crews that seem like they are straight out of the ‘golden age of flying’ and you have fun chats, good service, they are proactive with info on any connections, etc. And other times you get crews just going through the motions with a more indifferent attitude, they never offer headphones or come by asking for a second beverage - small things like that. I try not to judge as I have no idea what it’s like to walk in their shoes and I can only imagine the difficulties that come with the job, especially these days. But just a general observation.

(I would still vote first class over Comfort+ any day for anything over 1.5 hours or so)

 

[disneywlf]

Hi eksmama01 and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! As someone who has flown Delta a lot, as I used to live on Long Island, NY and frequently used JFK and LGA, where Delta has hubs and now living in FL for the past five years, I have a lot of experience with DL. Actually, I will be flying to LAS too in a week from today G-d willing and via ATL although from PBI instead of RDU. You're not wrong DL is generally the best U.S. carrier these days (although this wasn't a flash in the pan as DL improved over time after 2007, when they exited bankruptcy). I generally find their staff to be friendly, the planes clean and in good shape, and that they are pretty reliable (but not perfect). As far as your questions...

1. Yes see above, although from what I heard, they are not as good as the best foreign carriers. But among U.S. carriers absolutely yes!
2. C+ would be worth for your flight if coming from Economy but from First, stay where you are as First is even better. I think you even get a meal on the ATL-LAS legs.
3. Depends on the aircraft but I don't think so.
4. Have an amazing time in Vegas!

 

[DeeBee3]

I think Delta is fine, but it is not immune. We had major delay in April leaving JFK. Delayed and then when we did get on board, we waiting a full hour because of maintenance issues. No cool airflow. Maybe they should have kept us in the terminal? It was terrible for me. Very stuffy and uncomfortable. If you were something with COPD or any sort of breathing issue, I would have been outta there.

Now, I have also had plenty of good experiences.

The last year has been terrible for all airlines and I do believe Delta has been at the top of the news stories lately.

 

[_19disnA]

Unless you live in a hub city for one of the major airlines, you choice of who to fly with is also related to where you are going. Every airline doesn't service every city, so choices can be limited depending on your destination. I usually shop based on non-stop flights, reasonable travel times and cost. There are some budget airlines (like Spirit) I will NEVER use since there were constantly in the local news where I used to live with irate passengers when a flight was delayed and the next plane was DAYS away (this was before covid). Many of the airlines have had issues coming out of covid so I don't really think that is specific to any one airline.

Some advance planning also makes sense. I see a lot of threads for people who book a flight to depart at 6 am then suddenly realize they will have issues getting to the airport on time. If you live 2 hrs away from the airport, that needs to be considered when deciding your travel options. Or they book a flight into Sanford since it is a few dollars cheaper and only later realize Disney is quite a bit further away with limited and costly transportation options. Regardless of your destination, I think you have to consider several factors when making your reservations and price alone isn't necessarily the only factor.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Unless you live in a hub city for one of the major airlines, you choice of who to fly with is also related to where you are going. Every airline doesn't service every city, so choices can be limited depending on your destination. I usually shop based on non-stop flights, reasonable travel times and cost. There are some budget airlines (like Spirit) I will NEVER use since there were constantly in the local news where I used to live with irate passengers when a flight was delayed and the next plane was DAYS away (this was before covid). Many of the airlines have had issues coming out of covid so I don't really think that is specific to any one airline.

Some advance planning also makes sense. I see a lot of threads for people who book a flight to depart at 6 am then suddenly realize they will have issues getting to the airport on time. If you live 2 hrs away from the airport, that needs to be considered when deciding your travel options. Or they book a flight into Sanford since it is a few dollars cheaper and only later realize Disney is quite a bit further away with limited and costly transportation options. Regardless of your destination, I think you have to consider several factors when making your reservations and price alone isn't necessarily the only factor.

This is generic advice but really isn't pertinent to right now. All you have to do is search and you'll find so many issues. A lot of airlines are cancelling or delaying flights. Delta for one has been hit hard last year and this year by pilot shortages.

Not being a hub, not picking the right time, not researching ahead, trying to pay as little as possible sounds great to tell someone but really right now is just not what is happening to people. It's been in the news a lot..

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We had major delay in April leaving JFK. Delayed

I was reading the FAA allowed Delta to go below minimum required operations for Delta at JFK, LaGuardia, and Ronald Regan from June thru Labor Day due to "issues including New York airport construction, significant crew sick time, severe weather and air traffic control delays and cancellations." But I guess under the approval Delta is supposed to arrange for passengers to fly on different flights with Delta or rebook them with other airlines. And that's after Delta had said from July-a few weeks ago they would cut 100 flights per day for the US and Latin America

Here's what I found really interesting from the article I was reading " in May that Delta pilots missed 19,985 days due to sickness, up 45% from 13,786 days in May 2019. In June, pilot sick days rose 50% from June 2019. Delta also reported in May its flight attendants missed 43,908 days due to sickness, up 23%, the FAA said."

 

[nw6675]

Unless you live in a hub city for one of the major airlines, you choice of who to fly with is also related to where you are going. Every airline doesn't service every city, so choices can be limited depending on your destination. I usually shop based on non-stop flights, reasonable travel times and cost. There are some budget airlines (like Spirit) I will NEVER use since there were constantly in the local news where I used to live with irate passengers when a flight was delayed and the next plane was DAYS away (this was before covid). Many of the airlines have had issues coming out of covid so I don't really think that is specific to any one airline.

Some advance planning also makes sense. I see a lot of threads for people who book a flight to depart at 6 am then suddenly realize they will have issues getting to the airport on time. If you live 2 hrs away from the airport, that needs to be considered when deciding your travel options. Or they book a flight into Sanford since it is a few dollars cheaper and only later realize Disney is quite a bit further away with limited and costly transportation options. Regardless of your destination, I think you have to consider several factors when making your reservations and price alone isn't necessarily the only factor.

I agree. Richmond is closest to me, but Raleigh has better and more options. We love the early non-stop flights, but we stay the night prior at RDU to not worry about traffic. Bonus: the Hampton Inn offers park and ride so we save $$$ on parking fees helping offset the extra hotel night.

I am one of those people who will pay extra for first class flights to have the comfort on a long flight, but will penny pinch in other ways to cut down on extra costs.

 

[nw6675]

Well, OP here - just looked at Orbitz with slightly altered travel dates. First class tickets (RDU - LAS on Delta and LAS - CLT - RDU on AA) were included in the hotel package. Changed hotel from a suite at the Cromwell to one at Caesars. Total savings: $2,000 WOOOOTTT!

We will miss the Cromwell as we've been staying there since it was Barbary Coast, Bill's, and now Cromwell. However, we stayed at Caesar's on our very first trip to Vegas 25 years ago plus countless times since. But, our "suite" that trip had pink walls, a jacuzzi, and lots of mirrors...with the old $20 trick that is now RIP

Thanks for the feedback! I can always count on most of my Dis peeps to look out for each other and give good advice.

 

[FreeTime]

Delta has had an awful lot of cancellations/delays in the past few months (as have other airlines).

I usually fly JetBlue. I found the Delta aisles to be really narrow in comparison. After I was seated, I felt like the people walking down the aisle were going to smack me in the face with their backpacks as they walked by me.

I'm skeptical about the "dedicated overhead bin space" in Comfort Plus. The website says, "Reserved for you: storage space above your seat to keep carry-ons within easy reach." But it's not like there is a flight attendant monitoring what people put in the overhead bins. If somebody boards earlier than you, they are going to put their luggage wherever they want in the overhead bin space, including the area right over your assigned seat. And, if you even look at the picture on the website, if there are 3 people in each row on your side of the aisle, there's not enough overhead bin space for everyone to have their bag right over their seat.

I wouldn't avoid Delta. I'm just not sure it's any better than other airlines.

When flying with C+ the bins in the flights I have been on are labeled reserved and I have seen flight attendants move items out and gate check them when the space is needed for C+.

 

[Best Aunt]

When flying with C+ the bins in the flights I have been on are labeled reserved and I have seen flight attendants move items out and gate check them when the space is needed for C+.

Interesting. I flew Comfort Plus on 4 Delta flights in July/August. The bins were not labelled and the flight attendants were not nearby.

 

[sam_gordon]

Well, OP here - just looked at Orbitz with slightly altered travel dates. First class tickets (RDU - LAS on Delta and LAS - CLT - RDU on AA) were included in the hotel package. Changed hotel from a suite at the Cromwell to one at Caesars. Total savings: $2,000 WOOOOTTT!

We will miss the Cromwell as we've been staying there since it was Barbary Coast, Bill's, and now Cromwell. However, we stayed at Caesar's on our very first trip to Vegas 25 years ago plus countless times since. But, our "suite" that trip had pink walls, a jacuzzi, and lots of mirrors...with the old $20 trick that is now RIP

Thanks for the feedback! I can always count on most of my Dis peeps to look out for each other and give good advice.

I personally would not book an air ticket through a 3rd party. IF there is an issue (schedule change, delay, etc) you could have problems getting it rectified.