bendrumin

Hi there, Wife and I booked first class seats on DL162 in May for MSP-AMS. Previous flights were on a a333 (still shows that on Delta.com) but ive been noticing on flightaware that its now a b773. Does delta switch equipment based off of seasons or is it just a fluke.

audidudi

Did you even read your message before posting it? From an A333 to an A333?

MSPeconomist

What equipment downgrade??? A333 to A333?

Yes, DL does make seasonal equipment (capacity) changes, but May for this route is shoulder season.

bendrumin

Sorry, it was a typo. Its currently a 773 and on delta its an a333.

BenA

Delta doesn't have 777-300s; I think you actually mean 777-200.

Unfortunately, Delta has started using 777s more often to Europe, as they've aged and become less desirable for longer premium routes. SEA-CDG moves to 777 this year, as well.

Eventually, the 777s will get the new Delta One suites and Premium Select, and we'll probably see them rotate out onto other, longer routes once that happens. Until then, they'll be used interchangeably with A330s as capacity and scheduling needs warrant; they have almost identical capacity to an A333, so they make for an easy swap on Delta's side. (And an awful swap on the customer side, as a pleasant 2-4-2 economy layout is scrambled into a much less desirable 3-3-3 configuration on the 777.)

MSPeconomist

Note that DL doesn't offer FC on any TATL flight operated by DL (although AF does do IFC on some of its TATL flights and they can be purchased as DL codeshares).

I'm guessing that you're in business class, abbreviated as D1 but this is NOT FIRST CLASS. In D1, the big difference between the 777 and a A330 is herringbone versus the reverse herringbone seating configuration--i.e., whether window seats face toward the window and whether the pairs of center seats are angled toward each other for easy conversation during the flight.

audidudi

But at least the economy config. on the B772s is staying at 3-3-3 after the mods, unlike most other airlines who have gone to 3-4-3!

RaflW

As long as I don't have to fly coach in a KL 787 (JV flights, some of which are at flight times that have been DL metal before MSP-AMS/return), I don't really care that much in Y whether I'm in an A330 or a 772. Apparently others have preferences!

pgh234

You and your wife don't prefer the private two seat side of an A333 over the mandatory seat-row buddy on the 3-3-3 seated 777? I guess I am not very social. Lol. We love the 767 and 330's in Y.

RaflW

My longtime boyfriend and I do like the 2 seat pairs, if we're in C+. But he accompanies me maybe 1 out of every 4 or 5 of my Europe flights. And when we were on a 777 in the exit row last year, he ended up liking 44H (I was in 44J) over 27H on the A333 since the rando in 44G got to have all the shoulder bumps of people going to the lav.
763 service out of MSP is down to just LHR now, where as it was common AMS equip a few years ago. And the frequency of 763 layout swaps has made picking on the 763 more anxiety-provoking, really. I do like that the A333 and the 777 have just the one layout.

MSPeconomist

Doesn't one A330 type have the D1 minicabin while the other doesn't? Or has this been reconfigured away?

IIRC MSP-LHR uses the 764 (767-400), not a 763 (767-300 series variants), at least during high season. It's still 1-2-1 with the same seats in D1 and 2-3-2 in coach, but the number of rows of D1 is greater on the 767-400 and the position of lavatories is different too.

RaflW

The A332 has the J minicabin, but I have personally not seen DL last-minute substitute a -200 for a -300 (but I suppose it could happen in some markets).
I flew MSP-LHR in shoulder season (October) in a 763. At least on a high-J route, a swap between a 76T and a 76L isn't too disruptive to C+ seat assignments/preferences.

jrkmsp