FlyerTalk Forums - New Delta LGW-JFK route in J Business Elite

Gatwick to New York is a new route for Delta which started in late November. I haven't seen anything about it on Flyertalk, so thought I'd put it here rather than in the DL forum.

DL were offering a very reasonable £604 for BusinessElite return flights LGW-JFK so I thought a weekend of Christmas shopping might be in order to check out the new route (and a SkyTeam member I haven’t used for years).

Check in: fast at LGW, but trainee staff, which seemed unusual for a business class counter. My miles have STILL not posted, although they appeared on the boarding pass, making me think something fundamental went wrong somewhere…

Lounge: Delta lounge in LGW is perfectly reasonable with a light continental breakfast served and for once, flights called by lounge staff.

Welcome on board: this 767-300ER boards by door 1L so all and sundry go through the business class cabin, unlike many other flights with a ‘left turn’ on boarding if travelling business/first. That said, crew were very welcoming and costs hung and bags stowed with alacrity. Business class had an opportunity to board first, but were slightly stampeded by everyone else wanting to sit for an hour before the scheduled departure time. Some sort of sparkling wine (not the inflight champagne) was served in ridiculous plastic glasses, ridiculous because all of them leaked because of some sort of manufacturing fault. Don’t tell me it’s some sort of regulation – all other airlines I’ve been on (including US-based ones) use real glass at UK airports, or at least something which doesn’t leak everywhere.

Meals – extremely nice: I’ve not seen a business elite menu on flyertalk so here goes. The printed menu offered eat what you want when you want, but in reality they served everyone at the same time and never asked about when you wanted to eat:

Appetiser: grilled zucchini and yellow squash with oven-dried tomato, grilled asparagus tips, marinated olives and goat’s cheese complemented by basil olive oil.

Starters: choice from the following – fresh mesclun salad mix with julienned carrots and almonds with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette or creamy blue cheese dressing OR beef barley soup with potatoes, carrots and mushrooms

Main course: one of – grilled fillet of South American beef tenderloin with garlic demi-glace offered with herb mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley of green beans, yellow bell peppers and tomatoes OR breast of chicken with fontina cheese, enhanced by tomato olive sauce, with pan-roasted potatoes and a medley of snow peas, bell peppers and carrot, OR linguine pasta in brandy and goat’s cheese sauce with tarragon tossed with roasted tomatoes (sautéed shrimp may be added to this entrée), OR beef barley soup with potatoes, carrots and mushrooms.

Fruit or cheese – sliced fresh seasonal fruit or fine cheeses

Desert – premium vanilla ice cream sundae with choice of sauces

AFTERNOON REFRESHMENT was shrimp quesadilla with cheddar cheese, cilantro and red and green bell peppers offered with salsa, sour cream and a marinated tomato and cucumber salad, OR chicken cobb salad with Romaine lettuce, corn and blue cheese and bacon with breadsticks, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and fresh fruit, both served with warmed cookies.

Wines were: SA Prum Riesling, or Grove Mill Sauv Blanc; Feudo Principi di Butera Syrah or Finca la Celia la Consulta Malbec; Champagne Duval-Leroy; Vellosos & Tait port or Piedmonte Moscatel as a dessert wine.

Menus were missing from the meal on the way back, but the Purser went round describing each course well and took orders shortly after take off.

Meals were very nicely presented – plastic cutlery one way out, metal on the way back. A range of proper glass wine glasses were used, including separate champagne glasses, and all wines were offered with a tasting before the full serving.

AVOD – was full start/stop/watch when and what you want, with touch screens on the way out and an older version on the way back.

Seats – were about 60” pitch, neither lie flat nor angled flat, but were comfortable, in a 2+2+2 configuration. 2 loos per business class cabin of 6 rows.

Nice amenity kits with a range of goodies, socks, shades, ear thingies, etc. The bag was sufficiently useful that I'm sure it will be in my briefcase guarding memory sticks, spare pens, etc for some time to come.

Arrivals lounge in LGW was not announced in any way – but there is one in the airport Softitel with showers, irons, etc and a nice continental breakfast.

This was an enjoyable flight – it could really benefit from a sleeper service on the return JFK-LGW leg, and the arrivals lounge could be better advertised, but this was is a nice trip with Delta staff obviously really trying to make it a premium service – and succeeding. I’ve booked again in February…