D1 Elevated Experience
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2021
Programs: DL PM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 146
D1 Elevated Experience
No menus, no addressing pax by name, 3 beverages on a 10 hour flight (and nearly five minutes to bring the beverage once ordered), single tray meal service. inconsistent timing between left aisle and right aisle (person in my row on left aisle got food nearly 10 minutes before I did).
also there appeared to be someone on the crew that wasn't a FA. I think they said a customer experience person, but he was helping with service. and he was terrible. he was also wearing a pink dri-fit polo and not a standard uniform. it was NOT a good look for a premium cabin
I'm normally pretty picky about my in flight experience so I obviously had some gripes. my husband is far less picky about service on a plane and even he said it was garbage.
is this the new normal, or is this another case of "every flight gets a different level of service so just roll the dice and hope for the best"
also, kind of an elitist sounding complaint, but why doesnt DL hold the main cabin people from exiting the plane until all of D1 is out? VS does this for UC and it makes complete sense as just one more tiny. perk for dropping a few grand. would be really nice to see DL provide the service they are marketing
also there appeared to be someone on the crew that wasn't a FA. I think they said a customer experience person, but he was helping with service. and he was terrible. he was also wearing a pink dri-fit polo and not a standard uniform. it was NOT a good look for a premium cabin
I'm normally pretty picky about my in flight experience so I obviously had some gripes. my husband is far less picky about service on a plane and even he said it was garbage.
is this the new normal, or is this another case of "every flight gets a different level of service so just roll the dice and hope for the best"
also, kind of an elitist sounding complaint, but why doesnt DL hold the main cabin people from exiting the plane until all of D1 is out? VS does this for UC and it makes complete sense as just one more tiny. perk for dropping a few grand. would be really nice to see DL provide the service they are marketing
#3




Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL DM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 9,803
also, kind of an elitist sounding complaint, but why doesnt DL hold the main cabin people from exiting the plane until all of D1 is out? VS does this for UC and it makes complete sense as just one more tiny. perk for dropping a few grand. would be really nice to see DL provide the service they are marketing
#5




Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM/MM; Hilton Diamond; National Exec
Posts: 276
#6




Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: CVG
Programs: DL 3MM, AA 0.0 (US .975), Marriott Lifetime Plat, Nurburgring in 8:29
Posts: 2,304
No menus, no addressing pax by name, 3 beverages on a 10 hour flight (and nearly five minutes to bring the beverage once ordered), single tray meal service. inconsistent timing between left aisle and right aisle (person in my row on left aisle got food nearly 10 minutes before I did).
Nevermind, same flight as the one with no drinks they actually did this during deboarding at ATL.
#7
Moderator: Hyatt, American Express; FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, AA EXP, UA Silver, Hyatt Glob, Mlife Noir (=> Marriott Amb), invol FT beta tester
Posts: 21,645
I've been on 757 flights on DL where crew blocked Y from departing until D1/F had deplaned.
#8


Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 5,116
I think it just varies by flight / station, and Delta is still bringing back some aspects. I was on a D1 flight today, eight hours, and the meal service was three courses, multiple pass throughs for drinks, cookie and pre arrival meal both offered, etc. Eight hours. No pre-printed menu though - passengers were addressed by name and when asked about their dinner order (most passengers ordered meals before the flight).
D1, however, has never been an elevated experience like some foreign carriers - it is a comfortable way to fly long distances while also earning MQM / burning SkyPesos. It is what it is.
D1, however, has never been an elevated experience like some foreign carriers - it is a comfortable way to fly long distances while also earning MQM / burning SkyPesos. It is what it is.
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 102,617
No menus, no addressing pax by name, 3 beverages on a 10 hour flight (and nearly five minutes to bring the beverage once ordered), single tray meal service. inconsistent timing between left aisle and right aisle (person in my row on left aisle got food nearly 10 minutes before I did).
also there appeared to be someone on the crew that wasn't a FA. I think they said a customer experience person, but he was helping with service. and he was terrible. he was also wearing a pink dri-fit polo and not a standard uniform. it was NOT a good look for a premium cabin
I'm normally pretty picky about my in flight experience so I obviously had some gripes. my husband is far less picky about service on a plane and even he said it was garbage.
is this the new normal, or is this another case of "every flight gets a different level of service so just roll the dice and hope for the best"
also, kind of an elitist sounding complaint, but why doesnt DL hold the main cabin people from exiting the plane until all of D1 is out? VS does this for UC and it makes complete sense as just one more tiny. perk for dropping a few grand. would be really nice to see DL provide the service they are marketing
also there appeared to be someone on the crew that wasn't a FA. I think they said a customer experience person, but he was helping with service. and he was terrible. he was also wearing a pink dri-fit polo and not a standard uniform. it was NOT a good look for a premium cabin
I'm normally pretty picky about my in flight experience so I obviously had some gripes. my husband is far less picky about service on a plane and even he said it was garbage.
is this the new normal, or is this another case of "every flight gets a different level of service so just roll the dice and hope for the best"
also, kind of an elitist sounding complaint, but why doesnt DL hold the main cabin people from exiting the plane until all of D1 is out? VS does this for UC and it makes complete sense as just one more tiny. perk for dropping a few grand. would be really nice to see DL provide the service they are marketing
OP mentions a ten hour flight, but doesn't say anything about a second meal service (aka pre-arrival snack or breakfast).
If it was a ten hour flight, could it have been marketed as FC rather than D1, but flown on an aircraft having a D1 cabin with flat beds?
Ten hours is making me guess ATL-HNL, which is marketed as domestic D1.
#10




Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 839
Anyway, on my last TATL flight (mid-August) my meal was served in one course, even though I had requested through the pre-order to have multiple courses. There was also no printed menu. They really just dont seem to care anymore.
#11


Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 5,116
This is a weak excuse. Simple matters of service shouldnt require any sort of phased approach they should just be put in place.
Anyway, on my last TATL flight (mid-August) my meal was served in one course, even though I had requested through the pre-order to have multiple courses. There was also no printed menu. They really just dont seem to care anymore.
Anyway, on my last TATL flight (mid-August) my meal was served in one course, even though I had requested through the pre-order to have multiple courses. There was also no printed menu. They really just dont seem to care anymore.
Its not super refined service but its not something that would make me book away from D1 when the price/route is right.
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA the REAL Washington; occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: AS MVPG 100K (Atmos Titanium) / 0.5MM; DL fallen PM (1.58MM = Complimentary Annual GM); AA Gold
Posts: 24,444
had this happen yesterday (Sun 2 Oct) on DL452 JFK-SEA
if I had to guess, around half of the pax on 452 had actually pre-ordered
selecting “Food and Drink” on the IFE menu brought up a QR code and a message to scan the code when connected to the wifi; the QR in turn brought up the full menu (this is how I learned about the “salad”)
selecting “Food and Drink” on the IFE menu brought up a QR code and a message to scan the code when connected to the wifi; the QR in turn brought up the full menu (this is how I learned about the “salad”)
#14



Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Platinum, Delta SM, Atmos Silver, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 8,165
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA the REAL Washington; occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: AS MVPG 100K (Atmos Titanium) / 0.5MM; DL fallen PM (1.58MM = Complimentary Annual GM); AA Gold
Posts: 24,444


