jdrtravel

I noticed on the website that the language has been updated, and that for flights over 1500 miles, there are no longer time parameters given. It simply states that

"For flights over 1,500 miles, you’ll find a fresh, full meal service — featuring a variety of healthy and local options as part of your meal. You’ll have several meal selections to choose from."

Is this true? Are flights over 1500 miles getting meals when they depart between 9pm and 5am? And are there "several" choices for the meal or still just two?

Also note that DL still breaks the domestic F into three categories of distance, but that the middle range is 900-1399 miles and then the long range starts at 1500. Probably a typo.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...rst-class.html

jspira

Good question - I'd be curious to know.

rucksack

That does seem to be a change. Policy or not, they already served mini-meals (e.g. sliders) on long red eye flights, so I'm not surprised to see them expand the meal service to a full meal. I'm sure there will be plenty of folks here on FT who will complain about the light and commotion in response to this.

Regarding the flight distance ranges, I also assume this is a typo. Surely it's not possible Delta doesn't have any flights between 1,399 and 1,500 miles, right?

Update: after some quick trial and error I see that SEA-ANC is 1448 miles and flights departing after 8 only list a "snack" for meal service. Then again, the red eye from SAN-ATL (1891 miles) only lists "refreshments".

UAPremierGuy

As an aside, does DL have "exception markets" like AA or UA do for competitive markets? Thinking like DEN-LAX, for example, which is an exception market for both.

SDQBound

Caribbean redeye flights have full dinner even if they depart close to midnight, instead of having a breakfast service like some domestic flights do.

injera

I like free food and all but on a red eye I'm usually sleeping (or trying to) so yes I would be bothered by a full meal service on a 4 hour flight. Perhaps a set up with fruit/sandwiches/cookies would be a better solution. If you get hungry somewhere over Kansas go grab something. Otherwise please keep the cabin dark.

LBJ

archive.org shows the current web page has been in place since early November. My guess is that there has been no real change in policy and they were just trying to pretty up the page. I wouldn't be expecting meals on red-eye's that depart after 9:00PM.


https://web-beta.archive.org/web/201...rst-class.html

Renes Points

This is Keep Climbing worthy change. Anyone NOT seeing this in practice?

AANYC1981

This is true....reported this a couple weeks ago in the in-flight meal thread.

jrkmsp

That's a big step up!

JesseRohr

Real enhancement for once?

jamesteroh

On a domestic redeye I hope they do a prearrival breakfast service than a dinner service. One way to avoid disturbing passengers that want to sleep is to ask the passengers if they want to eat when doing the PDB order and taking the meal order at that time if there will be a choice.

This is a nice improvement. They have gotten stingy in Delta one on some international redeyes. I flew LIM/ATL recently and it's not a full meal service like on a typical Delta one international flight for dinner. It's a few entrée choices, all the entrees are light like sandwiches and have the same dessert/salad, and it comes out plated at the same with no dessert wine/port available. They used to do a full Delta one meal service on that flight.

jdrtravel

Was trying to figure out a route to search that is over 1500 miles that is not a transcon JFK/LAX/SFO route (since those always got meals all the time). SAN-JFK departing at 9:45PM does indeed list "snack" as the service. Hope to see some reports on the meal thread of what these meals actually are...specifically are they light post departure meals (like a hot sandwich) or are they pre arrival breakfasts)

jamesteroh

LAS and LAX to DTW redeyes are both over 1500 miles and they are still showing refreshment on the redeyes

jdrtravel

Strange. We need reports people who are on these routes to know what is actually being served.