DL Improving International Main Cabin Starting in Nov 2019
Oct 18, 2017, 6:51 am
#31
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I might rate the Delta long-haul experience as marginally less soul-crushing than AA. The food, in particular, is bad: presentation is poor (echo the comment about all the plastic wrap), quality is indifferent, and portions are small in coach.
Oct 18, 2017, 7:15 am
#32
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Strange. I've had AA J meals considerable less palatable than those in DL Y, presentation aside.
Oct 18, 2017, 8:24 am
#34
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The more I read what Delta released the more it sounds like the quality or even the food itself won't change. Rather, it seems like they want to change the presentation to make the food look more like what you would find in a restaurant.
The food in business-class isn't significantly better than economy-class. Instead, it is plated and looks better. The portions may be bigger, too.
Right now, it looks pretty industrial thanks to all the packaging. That's my biggest complaint with Virgin Atlantic's premium-economy. It is a good product, except the food. The presentation is horrible and the quality is so-so.
The food in business-class isn't significantly better than economy-class. Instead, it is plated and looks better. The portions may be bigger, too.
Right now, it looks pretty industrial thanks to all the packaging. That's my biggest complaint with Virgin Atlantic's premium-economy. It is a good product, except the food. The presentation is horrible and the quality is so-so.
Oct 18, 2017, 8:44 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
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No pills, but I can share my most recent meal as a bit of perspective on why I am actually pretty positive on Delta's Y food. This meal was catered out of AMS and I think is pretty representative:
Main meal:
- Radish, tomato and iceberg salad
- Pesto chicken breast in tomato sauce, with potato gratin and spinach
- Pretzel roll
- Cheese and crackers
- Orange chocolate mousse
- Avissi prosecco
Midflight snack:
- Cheese spread and crackers
- Apple and ginger snack bar
- Small hippo shaped chocolate
Prearrival light meal:
- Warm chicken leek meat pie
- Ice cream with chocolate sauce
Is any of this fancy gourmet food? Of course not. But I appreciate it because it's the kind of food I eat on an everyday basis when I'm not traveling: reasonable portion of simple, well prepared and high quality protein; salad with greens that are still crisp and fresh; an array of small crowd pleasing sides that pair well with the meal.
I also really like that they offer three choices - typically a meat dish, a vegetarian dish, and a cold chicken salad. The salad is a particularly nice option when watching your health - a consideration most airlines don't really account for in any class unless you order a special meal.
Don't get me wrong; I've definitely had bad meals on Delta in coach, just like any airline. (The intra-Asia meals tend to be particularly grim in all classes; they, unsurprisingly, seem to spend less money on 4-6 hour flights than on the longer 10 hour ones.) But this one is pretty representative of the norm, and if I have a good seat I honestly find myself looking forward to the international Y experience for what it is.
Main meal:
- Radish, tomato and iceberg salad
- Pesto chicken breast in tomato sauce, with potato gratin and spinach
- Pretzel roll
- Cheese and crackers
- Orange chocolate mousse
- Avissi prosecco
Midflight snack:
- Cheese spread and crackers
- Apple and ginger snack bar
- Small hippo shaped chocolate
Prearrival light meal:
- Warm chicken leek meat pie
- Ice cream with chocolate sauce
Is any of this fancy gourmet food? Of course not. But I appreciate it because it's the kind of food I eat on an everyday basis when I'm not traveling: reasonable portion of simple, well prepared and high quality protein; salad with greens that are still crisp and fresh; an array of small crowd pleasing sides that pair well with the meal.
I also really like that they offer three choices - typically a meat dish, a vegetarian dish, and a cold chicken salad. The salad is a particularly nice option when watching your health - a consideration most airlines don't really account for in any class unless you order a special meal.
Don't get me wrong; I've definitely had bad meals on Delta in coach, just like any airline. (The intra-Asia meals tend to be particularly grim in all classes; they, unsurprisingly, seem to spend less money on 4-6 hour flights than on the longer 10 hour ones.) But this one is pretty representative of the norm, and if I have a good seat I honestly find myself looking forward to the international Y experience for what it is.
Oct 18, 2017, 9:06 am
#36
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I flew in coach from JFK to Stockholm in August (a route that's being discontinued, btw) and I was very surprised by how good the food was. (And this was after being in the JFK SkyClub and thinking how surprisingly good that lounge was a USA carrier). Like perhaps the best coach dinner I had received in coach on any airline in many years. I can't remember now exactly what I got, but it included things like a shrimp appetizer. I don't fly DL int'l coach very often, but it was light years better than any int'l coach meal I had ever received on AA or UA, and better than the coach meals on the better foreign airlines. My wife and I both thought, "wow -- I can't remember the last time that a US carrier had better service in coach than a foreign airline."
Oddly, the food BACK to JFK from Stockholm wasn't anything special.
IMO, it's great to see the US airlines becoming more competitive with the foreign carriers in int'l economy. For many reasons, I'd prefer to fly the US carriers -- IF their in-flight product is decent. DL seems to be trying.
Oddly, the food BACK to JFK from Stockholm wasn't anything special.
IMO, it's great to see the US airlines becoming more competitive with the foreign carriers in int'l economy. For many reasons, I'd prefer to fly the US carriers -- IF their in-flight product is decent. DL seems to be trying.
Oct 18, 2017, 9:26 am
#38
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I've flown a whole lot of Y long-haul on AA over the past decade, and now quite a bit of DL Y long-haul over the past 18-24 months. I don't find vast differences in Y food quality between them, with an edge to DL I think, but I am one of the few who finds the Y meals, for what they are, perfectly fine. Edible, filling enough before I go to sleep, etc. I'm all for DL improving them if they go that route, but I actually find them fine today. I realize that's likely not a common opinion 
The one part that has me scratching my head is the 'introduction' of menu cards. Don't those exist already, at least on some Asia routes? I'm sure I've had them many times. Perhaps this announcement indicates they are expanding usage of the cards?
The one part that has me scratching my head is the 'introduction' of menu cards. Don't those exist already, at least on some Asia routes? I'm sure I've had them many times. Perhaps this announcement indicates they are expanding usage of the cards?
Oct 18, 2017, 10:01 am
#39
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I flew in coach from JFK to Stockholm in August (a route that's being discontinued, btw) and I was very surprised by how good the food was. ... Like perhaps the best coach dinner I had received in coach on any airline in many years. I can't remember now exactly what I got
Oct 18, 2017, 10:03 am
#40
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I would be perfectly content with one of the new Wendy's gourmet salads or a grilled chicken breast, double side salad and yogurt parfait from McDonald's.
Oct 18, 2017, 10:04 am
#41
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Yes, they do. Maybe two years ago they were introduced.
I wish Delta would have also enhanced its business-class offerings to be consistent across the board. Unfortunately, some long-haul business-class flights have slippers, a second pillow, and pajamas. Others just have a second pillow and pajamas. Others have slippers but no pajamas and no second pillow.
I wish Delta would have also enhanced its business-class offerings to be consistent across the board. Unfortunately, some long-haul business-class flights have slippers, a second pillow, and pajamas. Others just have a second pillow and pajamas. Others have slippers but no pajamas and no second pillow.
Oct 18, 2017, 11:52 am
#42
Join Date: Dec 2005
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I like it when any airline acts like it actually wants and appreciates the business of economy class passengers. I understand that the big money is in business class seats, even when business class seats represent less than 15% of the seats in a typical long haul configuration. And, for the record, I am fortunate enough to fly international business class once or twice a year either for work or when I can manage an upgrade for personal travel.
But I grow tired of ad after ad after ad featuring "beautiful people" sipping wine in their business class seat while a flight attendant with a plastered smile straight out of a teeth whitening ad (or perhaps a shampoo ad) helps a passenger put a pillow behind his or her head.
I am a big fan of that Delta ad that started running maybe 6 months ago with the "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go" song, showing the way most people experience air travel: getting up in the middle of the night to catch a 6:00 AM flight to Wichita to make a sales pitch to a prospective customer who has perhaps a 10% chance of actually buying something. Or perhaps it's Uncle Louie crammed into a middle seat on the red eye from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It's only a minority of passengers who make a living flying international business class to fashion shows in Paris or Hong Kong.
But I grow tired of ad after ad after ad featuring "beautiful people" sipping wine in their business class seat while a flight attendant with a plastered smile straight out of a teeth whitening ad (or perhaps a shampoo ad) helps a passenger put a pillow behind his or her head.
I am a big fan of that Delta ad that started running maybe 6 months ago with the "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go" song, showing the way most people experience air travel: getting up in the middle of the night to catch a 6:00 AM flight to Wichita to make a sales pitch to a prospective customer who has perhaps a 10% chance of actually buying something. Or perhaps it's Uncle Louie crammed into a middle seat on the red eye from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It's only a minority of passengers who make a living flying international business class to fashion shows in Paris or Hong Kong.
Oct 18, 2017, 12:24 pm
#43
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I like it when any airline acts like it actually wants and appreciates the business of economy class passengers. I understand that the big money is in business class seats, even when business class seats represent less than 15% of the seats in a typical long haul configuration. And, for the record, I am fortunate enough to fly international business class once or twice a year either for work or when I can manage an upgrade for personal travel.
But I grow tired of ad after ad after ad featuring "beautiful people" sipping wine in their business class seat while a flight attendant with a plastered smile straight out of a teeth whitening ad (or perhaps a shampoo ad) helps a passenger put a pillow behind his or her head.
I am a big fan of that Delta ad that started running maybe 6 months ago with the "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go" song, showing the way most people experience air travel: getting up in the middle of the night to catch a 6:00 AM flight to Wichita to make a sales pitch to a prospective customer who has perhaps a 10% chance of actually buying something. Or perhaps it's Uncle Louie crammed into a middle seat on the red eye from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It's only a minority of passengers who make a living flying international business class to fashion shows in Paris or Hong Kong.
But I grow tired of ad after ad after ad featuring "beautiful people" sipping wine in their business class seat while a flight attendant with a plastered smile straight out of a teeth whitening ad (or perhaps a shampoo ad) helps a passenger put a pillow behind his or her head.
I am a big fan of that Delta ad that started running maybe 6 months ago with the "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go" song, showing the way most people experience air travel: getting up in the middle of the night to catch a 6:00 AM flight to Wichita to make a sales pitch to a prospective customer who has perhaps a 10% chance of actually buying something. Or perhaps it's Uncle Louie crammed into a middle seat on the red eye from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It's only a minority of passengers who make a living flying international business class to fashion shows in Paris or Hong Kong.
going with higher quality meals in Y just matches the better hard product that DL is in the process of rolling out.
Expect Delta to push more and more how they are the comfortable, good service airline vs. say UA.
Oct 18, 2017, 1:17 pm
#44
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Posts: 1,360
I just hope they don't try being too fancy with the food and bite off more than they can chew.
If this improvement allows them to decrease in-flight waste, I'm all for it ^
