DL281: Delta's New Direct Service SEA-HKG
Jun 21, 2014, 10:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
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DL281: Delta's New Direct Service SEA-HKG
This is my first TR, so bare with me. It is also posted on my blog: http://www.flightwarrior.com/blog/dl...flight-sea-hkg. Any feedback in the comments would be greatly appreciated.
On June 16, 2014 Delta started direct service SEA-HKG. It’s currently the only airline offering SEA-HKG, a route that used to be flown by NW several years ago. The flight departs daily at 2:24pm PST and arrives in HKG at 7:35pm local time the next day. Total gate-to-gate estimated time is 14hr11min and the route is flown on an Airbus A330-200. The flight departs from Terminal S so Delta FFs will have access to the Delta Sky Club that is in the same terminal.
I flew this route on June 18, 2014 so it was not the inaugural flight. However, it was the third day of service and you could tell that the crew was still excited and enthusiastic about the flight. Ten FAs and four pilots, all of whom were Seattle-based, staffed the flight.
A330-200, Tail #N856NW, my home for the next 14 hours.
Boarding began at 1:29pm and was very smooth. This did not seem to be a FF-heavy flight as hardly anyone boarded during the Sky Priority boarding call. The flight wasn’t too full, with 50 empty Y seats and 5 empty J seats. My seat was 10H, the right-side aisle in the first row of EC. The seat had plenty of legroom (see pictures below – I’m 5’8” for reference, and was really trying to stretch out to show the amount of room). I highly recommend the first row of EC if you are not sitting in J. The only downside of sitting in the aisle is that I got bumped by the FAs two or three times, but I hardly noticed and expect this would happen to anyone sitting in an aisle seat for 14 hours. Most people seemed to have checked their bags, so there was plenty of overhead room for belongings.
Good leg room on 10H
Leg room in EC bulkhead, A330-200
Enviously sitting behind the J "mini cabin"
Before takeoff, menus were handed out in J and Y. The flight featured two full meal services and a mid-flight snack. There were three options for dinner and two options for the pre-arrival meal. The options in Y are shown in the picture below. After the menus were handed out, earphones and eye masks/shades were offered.
DL281 Y Menu (Dinner, Mid-Flight Snack, Pre-Arrival Meal)
We ended up pushing back 15 minutes behind schedule as we were waiting for cargo to load. After pushing back, we were in the air within 10 minutes. Takeoff and ascent were smooth as the skies were clear in Seattle with minimal winds (5mph) coming from the southeast.
After reaching cruise altitude (~38,000 ft), the first beverage service began with peanuts and pretzels. Beer, wine, and spirits are complimentary in Y but I chose not to indulge as I find that alcohol accentuates the dehydration/dryness when flying. About 1.5 hours in, the first meal service (dinner) began. It started with a hot towel (hot wipe, to be precise), which was a nice surprise. I opted for the pork dish, which was pretty poor. The pork was very mushy/overcooked, and the vegetables tasted bland. Furthermore, the salad was extremely plain and the bread chips in it seemed very stale. However, the fruit and bread were fine. If I were to fly this route again, I would opt for one of the other two options (probably the chicken).
First beverage service with peanuts and pretzels, served immediately after reaching cruise altitude. I opted for apple juice.
Dinner Option #3: Fried pork with General Tso sauce, baby corn, broccoli, and rice served with oriental salad, fresh fruit, and bread
After the dinner items were collected, full-size Dasani water bottles were handed out and the cabin lights were turned off. Most people stayed awake though, since it was about 5pm Seattle time, a little too early to sleep. Another beverage service was offered about two hours later, and the FAs consistently came through the cabin every hour with glasses of water. I always bring a water bottle on flights, but it was definitely not necessary for this flight.
First section of Y cabin, immediately following dinner service before cabin lights were turned off. Notice the number of empty seats (turned off IFE).
I passed the time by watching movies on the IFE. I hadn’t flown internationally in two years and was impressed by Delta’s selection. There was most of the “hot” TV shows (e.g. Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Dexter, etc.) and tons of movies to choose from. Throughout the duration of the flight, I ended up watching Gravity, Thor II, and Ender’s Game. None of them were particularly good, but they were entertaining and helped pass the time.
About seven hours in (roughly halfway through the flight), the cabin lighting was turned back on and the mid-flight snack was served. It consisted of a banana, turkey & cheese sandwich, and two dark chocolate Milano cookies. I rather enjoyed the mid-flight snack and appreciated the banana since they are pretty nutritious. I chose to eat the Milano cookies last so that the taste would linger in my mouth (as opposed to the taste of banana or turkey/cheese). Beverages were offered along with the mid-flight snack, and then the cabin lights were turned off again.
Mid-Flight snack, packaged, with sparkling water.
Mid-flight snack, unpackaged.
About ten hours into the flight, we were flying through China and hit some turbulence just south of Beijing. It was fairly rough for about 45 minutes (FAs had to be seated), but the A332 handled it with grace. I’ve always been a fan of Airbus’ planes, and this A332 did not disappoint. I haven’t flown a 777 in a long time, so can’t compare the A332’s turbulence sensation to the 777, but I am fairly prone to motion sickness and did not feel nauseous at all.
About 1.5 hours prior to landing, the final meal was served. I opted for the first option (beef) and it was quite tasty. The meat wasn’t overcooked and had a good flavor to it, and the vegetables weren’t mushy at all. The fruit, again, tasted fresh and the bread was fine. I didn’t feel like eating the salad, so I can’t comment on that. This meal was far better than the dinner service offered earlier, and was served quite hot.
Pre-Arrival Meal: Gemelli pasta with porcini mushroom sauce, seared beef tenderloin, and roasted vegetable medley. Served with bread, salad, and fresh fruit.
The descent into HKG was smooth and landing/braking was quick with the reverse thrust of the A332’s engines. We taxied to our gate but had to stay on the tarmac for an additional ~10 minutes as there was some traffic backed up as other planes were waiting to takeoff from the runway near our gate. Overall, we were about 5 minutes behind schedule to our gate: not bad for a 14hr11min itinerary that ended up pushing back 15 minutes late. Deplaning began almost immediately after the seatbelt sign was turned off and the immigration lines were <10 minutes.
Overall, I enjoyed this flight with Delta and would definitely fly it again if I were traveling to HKG. The flight time of 13hrs27mins passed by quicker than I expected, and I partially attribute this to the good, frequent service of the FAs and the great IFE selection. Furthermore, the flight was great for MQM since I’m registered for the Seattle double promo. I believe I racked up ~13k MQM and RDM from the flight.
For those of you that are curious, the return flight (DL282) leaves HKG daily at 10:25am local time and arrives in Seattle at 8:24am the same day. I’m flying through NRT on the way back so won’t be able to comment on that flight, but it’s also flown by an A332 and I expect the flight is very similar to DL281.
On June 16, 2014 Delta started direct service SEA-HKG. It’s currently the only airline offering SEA-HKG, a route that used to be flown by NW several years ago. The flight departs daily at 2:24pm PST and arrives in HKG at 7:35pm local time the next day. Total gate-to-gate estimated time is 14hr11min and the route is flown on an Airbus A330-200. The flight departs from Terminal S so Delta FFs will have access to the Delta Sky Club that is in the same terminal.
I flew this route on June 18, 2014 so it was not the inaugural flight. However, it was the third day of service and you could tell that the crew was still excited and enthusiastic about the flight. Ten FAs and four pilots, all of whom were Seattle-based, staffed the flight.
A330-200, Tail #N856NW, my home for the next 14 hours.
Boarding began at 1:29pm and was very smooth. This did not seem to be a FF-heavy flight as hardly anyone boarded during the Sky Priority boarding call. The flight wasn’t too full, with 50 empty Y seats and 5 empty J seats. My seat was 10H, the right-side aisle in the first row of EC. The seat had plenty of legroom (see pictures below – I’m 5’8” for reference, and was really trying to stretch out to show the amount of room). I highly recommend the first row of EC if you are not sitting in J. The only downside of sitting in the aisle is that I got bumped by the FAs two or three times, but I hardly noticed and expect this would happen to anyone sitting in an aisle seat for 14 hours. Most people seemed to have checked their bags, so there was plenty of overhead room for belongings.
Good leg room on 10H
Leg room in EC bulkhead, A330-200
Enviously sitting behind the J "mini cabin"
Before takeoff, menus were handed out in J and Y. The flight featured two full meal services and a mid-flight snack. There were three options for dinner and two options for the pre-arrival meal. The options in Y are shown in the picture below. After the menus were handed out, earphones and eye masks/shades were offered.
DL281 Y Menu (Dinner, Mid-Flight Snack, Pre-Arrival Meal)
We ended up pushing back 15 minutes behind schedule as we were waiting for cargo to load. After pushing back, we were in the air within 10 minutes. Takeoff and ascent were smooth as the skies were clear in Seattle with minimal winds (5mph) coming from the southeast.
After reaching cruise altitude (~38,000 ft), the first beverage service began with peanuts and pretzels. Beer, wine, and spirits are complimentary in Y but I chose not to indulge as I find that alcohol accentuates the dehydration/dryness when flying. About 1.5 hours in, the first meal service (dinner) began. It started with a hot towel (hot wipe, to be precise), which was a nice surprise. I opted for the pork dish, which was pretty poor. The pork was very mushy/overcooked, and the vegetables tasted bland. Furthermore, the salad was extremely plain and the bread chips in it seemed very stale. However, the fruit and bread were fine. If I were to fly this route again, I would opt for one of the other two options (probably the chicken).
First beverage service with peanuts and pretzels, served immediately after reaching cruise altitude. I opted for apple juice.
Dinner Option #3: Fried pork with General Tso sauce, baby corn, broccoli, and rice served with oriental salad, fresh fruit, and bread
After the dinner items were collected, full-size Dasani water bottles were handed out and the cabin lights were turned off. Most people stayed awake though, since it was about 5pm Seattle time, a little too early to sleep. Another beverage service was offered about two hours later, and the FAs consistently came through the cabin every hour with glasses of water. I always bring a water bottle on flights, but it was definitely not necessary for this flight.
First section of Y cabin, immediately following dinner service before cabin lights were turned off. Notice the number of empty seats (turned off IFE).
I passed the time by watching movies on the IFE. I hadn’t flown internationally in two years and was impressed by Delta’s selection. There was most of the “hot” TV shows (e.g. Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Dexter, etc.) and tons of movies to choose from. Throughout the duration of the flight, I ended up watching Gravity, Thor II, and Ender’s Game. None of them were particularly good, but they were entertaining and helped pass the time.
About seven hours in (roughly halfway through the flight), the cabin lighting was turned back on and the mid-flight snack was served. It consisted of a banana, turkey & cheese sandwich, and two dark chocolate Milano cookies. I rather enjoyed the mid-flight snack and appreciated the banana since they are pretty nutritious. I chose to eat the Milano cookies last so that the taste would linger in my mouth (as opposed to the taste of banana or turkey/cheese). Beverages were offered along with the mid-flight snack, and then the cabin lights were turned off again.
Mid-Flight snack, packaged, with sparkling water.
Mid-flight snack, unpackaged.
About ten hours into the flight, we were flying through China and hit some turbulence just south of Beijing. It was fairly rough for about 45 minutes (FAs had to be seated), but the A332 handled it with grace. I’ve always been a fan of Airbus’ planes, and this A332 did not disappoint. I haven’t flown a 777 in a long time, so can’t compare the A332’s turbulence sensation to the 777, but I am fairly prone to motion sickness and did not feel nauseous at all.
About 1.5 hours prior to landing, the final meal was served. I opted for the first option (beef) and it was quite tasty. The meat wasn’t overcooked and had a good flavor to it, and the vegetables weren’t mushy at all. The fruit, again, tasted fresh and the bread was fine. I didn’t feel like eating the salad, so I can’t comment on that. This meal was far better than the dinner service offered earlier, and was served quite hot.
Pre-Arrival Meal: Gemelli pasta with porcini mushroom sauce, seared beef tenderloin, and roasted vegetable medley. Served with bread, salad, and fresh fruit.
The descent into HKG was smooth and landing/braking was quick with the reverse thrust of the A332’s engines. We taxied to our gate but had to stay on the tarmac for an additional ~10 minutes as there was some traffic backed up as other planes were waiting to takeoff from the runway near our gate. Overall, we were about 5 minutes behind schedule to our gate: not bad for a 14hr11min itinerary that ended up pushing back 15 minutes late. Deplaning began almost immediately after the seatbelt sign was turned off and the immigration lines were <10 minutes.
Overall, I enjoyed this flight with Delta and would definitely fly it again if I were traveling to HKG. The flight time of 13hrs27mins passed by quicker than I expected, and I partially attribute this to the good, frequent service of the FAs and the great IFE selection. Furthermore, the flight was great for MQM since I’m registered for the Seattle double promo. I believe I racked up ~13k MQM and RDM from the flight.
For those of you that are curious, the return flight (DL282) leaves HKG daily at 10:25am local time and arrives in Seattle at 8:24am the same day. I’m flying through NRT on the way back so won’t be able to comment on that flight, but it’s also flown by an A332 and I expect the flight is very similar to DL281.
Last edited by nabilm92; Jul 7, 2014 at 2:16 am
Jun 22, 2014, 8:00 am
#4
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,444
Thanks for the great trip report and especially pictures of row 10 in EC as it's confirmed paying the small supplement to book into these seats is definitely worth it. Can't wait until my Feb. escape to HKG over Chinese New Year.
Jun 22, 2014, 9:13 am
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
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Posts: 20,629
Agreed this intl Y service is actually quite impressive. Im doing a DL status challenge later this year and much of it could end up being intl Y so this is good to see.
Jun 22, 2014, 4:16 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,345
Delta has 2-4-2 eight abreast arrangement on its A330s.
I have to say that Delta has really stepped up its international economy offering, and the foods are comparable to most Asian airlines, and I am happy to see a real mid-flight snack pack with substantial contents.
Thanks for sharing!
Carfield
PS. I just wish Sky Miles is a bit more useful, or else I will have stayed with Delta.
I have to say that Delta has really stepped up its international economy offering, and the foods are comparable to most Asian airlines, and I am happy to see a real mid-flight snack pack with substantial contents.
Thanks for sharing!
Carfield
PS. I just wish Sky Miles is a bit more useful, or else I will have stayed with Delta.
Jun 22, 2014, 4:44 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ats-on-397207/
Jun 22, 2014, 7:39 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,771
Eight abreast is a nice arrangement, considering the horrible eleven abreast (3-5-3) some other airlines have installed or are considering.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ats-on-397207/
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ats-on-397207/
Jun 23, 2014, 4:57 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Marriott Gold
Posts: 952
Thanks for this report! I'm flying YVR-SEA-ICN and I should hope that my flight experience is similar to yours. Delta seems the least bad of the big 3 USA carriers to fly overseas with in Y.
I'm still debating whether it's worth getting EC+, as I do not have ST status and thus would have to pay $140/leg to get it.
I'm still debating whether it's worth getting EC+, as I do not have ST status and thus would have to pay $140/leg to get it.
Jun 23, 2014, 8:58 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP75K, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Plat, UA Silver, Amex Plat
Posts: 23
Thanks for this report! I'm flying YVR-SEA-ICN and I should hope that my flight experience is similar to yours. Delta seems the least bad of the big 3 USA carriers to fly overseas with in Y.
I'm still debating whether it's worth getting EC+, as I do not have ST status and thus would have to pay $140/leg to get it.
I'm still debating whether it's worth getting EC+, as I do not have ST status and thus would have to pay $140/leg to get it.