Airline: Delta
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300 (A330-300)
Seat: 10A
Class: Economy

The Seat: The allure of this seat is that it’s in an exit row with tons of legroom and away from odor and foot-traffic prone lavatories. Exit row, check. Legroom, almost. The emergency exit slide encasement extends into your leg space so that you’ll have to angle both legs to the right if you want to extend them. Not comfortable for the long haul. Being away from the lavatory is nice but you’ll be right next to the main galley which seems to be even noisier at times with flight attendants working throughout the flight. Sleep can be difficult here. Personal TVs with a reasonable number of movies and TV options is attached to the seat. With the tray table and personal TV  in the armrests, seat width is slightly sacrificed.

Service: Being the very first row in economy,  you’ll get your meal straight from the warmer. Also, being so close to the galley, you can walk your tray right back when you’re done without having to wait for flight attendants. Standard service for a US carrier. We had no  complaints but there was nothing extraordinary about service from attendants. And like most US carriers, there were no “extras” like eye shades or ear plugs in economy.

Notes: 10B (neighboring seat on the aisle) has tons of legroom but is even closer to the high-traffic galley. Seats 10G (aisle) and 10H (window) are the mirroring seats on the other side of the galley.

Summary: It’s great to be served first but galley noise and protruding exit slide make this a less than perfect seat for long haul comfort.

Rating: 1.5 hops (of 5).

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Airline: Delta
Aircraft:777-200 ER
Seat: 32G
Class: Economy

The Seat:Seat 32G, an aisle seat toward the front of the economy cabin is normally set aside for elite level frequent fliers but offers no advantage other than being at the front of the cabin. While legroom and seat width are typical, the entertainment options provided with their seat-back TVs is enough to keep your mind off of being on a long flight. Delta is also slowly integrating standard power-ports into the first several rows of economy (although we found none on our flight). All seats have adjustable headrests and movable armrests (movable armrests not available in bulhead or exit rows).

Service:Service from the flight attendants was slightly above average for economy, yet short of extraordinary. Meal and beverage service was timely and additional coffee, tea and duty free offerings were plentiful to fill the gaps in between.

Notes:I passed up on the rear exit row seats on both sides (the middle section has a restrictive bulkhead) after doing some research to find many people complained of other passengers congregating and waiting for the lavatories in the immediate area. They weren’t lying. Several inspections revealed a horde of people milling about, stretching and waiting for the rest room. Not good if you want to sleep or not be bothered. The coveted economy seats on this aircraft may be in row 30 on either side (not the middle bulkhead) where sites like seatguru.com claim that you’ll find up to an additional 8 inches of legroom in the window/middle seats and even more in the aisle seats (30C and 30G) as the bulkhead only extends so far into the aisle. Plus you’re nowhere near a galley or lavatory so you should rest easy without odors or annoyances. Good luck getting them though…They’re reserved in advance for elite fliers and tend to go the fastest.

Summary:It’s not saying much, but the experience aboard this particular aircraft is better than you’ll find on most US carriers flying overseas. Entertainment options are plentiful, seats are nothing more (or less) than standard and food options are…well let’s just say they’re available. If you can get your miles and fly a more luxurious partner airline, I say do it. If not, you won’t be too dissatisfied with this aircraft in economy.

Rating:2.5 hops (of 5).

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The Seat:Seat 4A is a window seat in the forward-most section of business class. These are recliner seats with a generous recline but don’t compare to more luxurious seats on many European or Asian carriers . Seat controls are automatic and relatively easy to use once you get the hang of it. Legroom and seat width are more than acceptable. Delta plans to have have most or all of their overseas fleet outfitted with new lie-flat seats by the end of 2013.

Service:Well above average on this flight. Our cabin was pretty empty so flight attendants were able to respond to passengers quickly and even stopped to chat a few times. Very friendly crew.

Notes:There aren’t any notable seats in this cabin that may offer extra space although I highly recommend choosing a seat in the forward most portion of business class (there are 2 sections separated by a galley) to cut down on noise from other parts of the airplane.

Summary:If you can manage your way up to business class, It’s worth the effort if you don’t end up shelling out too much extra money or miles. Despite not quite comparing with other carriers Business Elite is still far and above what you’ll find in economy with regards to roominess and service.

Rating:3 hops (of 5).

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modhop tip: When using clubs in any of Delta’s Hubs (particularly Atlanta), ask at the desk or look to see if the lounge you are trying to access is very crowded. In times of heavy traffic it might be a good idea to use a lounge a little farther from your gate if there are fewer travelers in another part of the airport. It’s possible to regret spending ANY amount of money on squeezing into an overcrowded lounge.

Airline: Delta
Aircraft:757-200 (Transcon)
Seat: 9C
Class: Economy (premium / elite seating)

Notes:Delta has an ever-growing collection of 757 configurations. With at least 4 different seatmaps and more with the addition of Northwest Airlines 757s, picking a seat can be a little confusing. For easier reference, this particular layout is referred to as “transcon – 75X” at seatguru.com. For legroom, 9C  is your best bet in this group of seats (9 A-B-C) as the exit door protrudes into the space of the window seat (9A). However, you’ll have to deal with people loitering in the area in front of you waiting for the lavatory no matter what seat you’re in. Another drawback is that you may find yourself gazing  into the first class cabin longing for free mojitos and a hot meal. On the plus side, you can always just pay for a mojito and buy a sandwich…not such a bad deal. The Delta EATS menu offers a great selection of food items for the trip. Breakfast is available for morning flights while sandwiches, salads and snacks are offered all day. These seats are reported to have less padding in the seat cushion; I didn’t notice at all. Also, because it’s an exit row, seat width is naturally reduced due to the placement of the tray table and video screen within the seat itself. Despite the drawbacks this still rates as a premium seat to me. If you love to be first off the aircraft after the 5+ hour coast to coast hop like me, it’s just about perfect. Deltas inflight entertainment for transcons is great too. Several options are available with their touch screen system including movies and HBO offerings for sale and free live TV, flight map and games. In this particular row of seats, I like having the TV screen IN the seat instead of the seatback in front (less reaching).

Summary:Great seat for legroom junkies or anyone who likes being the first out the door.   Worth paying a little extra for if you’re given the choice. Delta’s transcons in general are a great alternative to the other legacy carriers and rival (at least) some of the coach amenities of Virgin America and Jet Blue.

Rating:4 hops (of 5).

How I got it: Delta Silver Medallion Status. Alternately you could ask at the gate for exit row seating, or this seat in particular on the day of your flight.

Airline/Club Name:Delta SKY Club
Location:LGA (New York. LaGuardia)
Terminal/Concourse:Delta Terminal (Airside) left after security, located just before gates.

Notes:I was pleasantly surprised by this Delta lounge. I’m not sure if it’s now standard to provide members with a more reasonable array of food choices, but on this visit I was greeted by a relatively generous (please note the word “relatively”) food buffet. Bagels, cream cheese, mini-muffins, fruit and more were available at breakfast and after my flight had been cancelled, I came back to find Delta’s standard olive, pretzel, and snack mix upgraded with more choices like cookies, mini-carrots (obviously a cue from NWA) and a few other surprises. The lounge itself is spacious with plenty of comfortable seating in multiple rooms. There are cubicles, some of which are equipt with PCs, free for use and an adjacent business center with copy, fax, shredding and other services. If  you need quiet time, there is also one of Deltas famous “Quiet Areas” that is reserved for those who want to get away from chatty people on their cell phones.

Wi-Fi:Yes/Free. As with all Delta SKY Clubs Wi-fi is now complimentary.

Service:Friendly greeting, quick check-in. Clean-up was quick, entire staff was pleasant. Reservations crew at front made announcements for those of us who’s flight had been delayed and were there to make changes to my reservation if necessary. Check-in was a little backed up upon my initial arrival, but staff was quick to get through the line.

Convenience to gate: This isn’t a large terminal, so even getting to the farthest gate from this lounge shouldn’t take more than 1-3 minutes.

How I got in/Strategy: Priority Pass. [As of September 1st 2009, Delta SKY Clubs no longer accept Priority Pass] Other options for entry are to buy a $50 one-day pass or full yearly membership at Delta.com or at the club itself. American Express Platinum Card holders can also access this lounge for free (Excludes co-branded cards). [*As of 2/1/2010 day passes are available to holders of Delta branded American Express cards for a reduced rate of $25 per guest].
Rating: 4 hops (of 5)

Airline/Club Name:Delta SKY Club (former NWA WorldClub)
Location:LGA (New York. LaGuardia)
Terminal/Concourse:Delta Terminal (Airside) immediately after security.

Notes:This Delta Sky Club is minimally appointed and lacks the roominess an ammenities of the larger, legacy Delta Club just steps away. If there is an advantage to this lounge, it’s that fewer people frequent it so it’s relatively quiet. The 90s-style cafeteria decor could use an update (that is, if they even decide to keep this location open beyond NWA’s full transition to Delta). Decent beverage service and friendly agents make up for some of it’s drawbacks, but this smaller and somewhat dated lounge has me walking about 10 extra steps to the sister SKY Club just before the gates.

Wi-Fi:Yes/Free. As with all Delta SKY Clubs Wi-fi is now complimentary.

Service: Friendly greeting, quick check-in. Snack/beverage was tidy, but lacking in content. Clean-up seemed slower than normal, but lounge was clean and well kept.

Convenience to gate: This isn’t a large terminal, so even getting to the farthest gate from this lounge shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes.

How I got in/Strategy: Priority Pass. [As of September 1st 2009, Delta SKY Clubs no longer accept Priority Pass] Other options for entry are to buy a $50 one-day pass or full yearly membership at Delta.com or at the club itself. American Express Platinum Card  holders can also access this lounge for free (Excludes co-branded cards). [*As of 2/1/2010 day passes are available to holders of Delta branded American Express cards for a reduced rate of $25 per guest].

Rating: 2 hops (of 5)

Airline: Delta
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 18D (Exit Row)
Class: Economy

Notes: As long as you’re not in a war with someone for the right armrest, 18D on this 737-800 is a good place to be on a transcon flight if you’re in economy. There are minimal drawbacks, in that the seats in this row are slightly narrower due to the tray table in the armrest (normal for exit seating); also the touch-control video screen is a little harder to reach as row 17 is a few extra inches away because of the exit. The video system comes with 22 channels of Dish Network satellite TV, several choices from HBO (for purchase), flight view, games and more. On transcon flights, selections from Delta’s “Eats” menu are available (The Turkey/Brie Sandwich is a favorite of mine) with either breakfast or lunch/dinner offerings depending on the time of day. Typical meal price is $8. (*Note that in the video I mention that Delta has many or most of these planes equipt with the seatback video, yet there are still many without.)

Summary: I personally prefer being closer to the front of the cabin but I won’t hold that against this seat. The seat pitch is great and the full recline makes this an above average seat for economy. Take note that the non-aisle seats in row 18 (A,B,E&F) suffer from other drawbacks according to other sites so beware. As for 18D, you’ll be just fine.

Rating: 4.5 hops (of 5).

How I got it: Used medallion (elite) status to choose seat at booking. May also be available to non-elites within 24 hours of flight or at the gate.

Airline: Delta
Aircraft: A320
Seat: 1C
Class: First

Notes:If you’re buying into first class solely for the legroom, this might not be the seat for you. In fact, you’d be better off in the first row of coach (row 5) if you don’t mind the skinnier seats or absence of free drinks and a “meal”. For a cheap or free upgrade it’s not bad though. The cut-out at your feet allows for a little bit of leg-extension…but you’ll still have to store your carry-ons overhead. You’re also missing the foot rest that you’ll find elsewhere in first. But it’s still first class (albeit domestic first).

Summary: Okay seat for anything under 3 hours if you’re under 6 feet or don’t need a lot of legroom. The seats themselves are otherwise comfy and the service is typically friendly. *Note: Thanks to upgraded cabin interiors and the addition of in-flight wi-fi (for purchase) my rating of this seat is up slightly from previous reviews.

Rating:2.5 hops (of 5).

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Earlier video reviews of this seat:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Airline: Delta
Aircraft: 757-200
Seat: 19F
Class: Economy (premium / elite seat)

Notes: Delta has an ever-growing collection of 757 configurations. With at least 4 different seatmaps and more with the addition of NWAs 75′s, picking a seat can be a little confusing. For easier reference, this particular layout is referred to as “version 2″ at seatguru.com and can be identified by it’s missing A thru C seats in row 19.

The aisle and middle seats D and E are the best choices for legroom. Seat F (my seat for this trip) is acceptable but the exit door protrudes into the space in front of you so you have to navigate your legs around it to get comfortable. As with any exit row seat it’s important to either dress warm or grab a blanket or two from the flight attendant as it can get cold by the door. There’s a lavatory directly in front of you but there’s so much space in between that congregating passangers don’t pose much of a problem.

Summary: If you’re taller and think the exit slide might make it an uncomfortable ride, then chose seats D or E. Boarding and deplaning are a snap as the boarding door is just opposite this row. Worth paying a little extra for if you’re given the choice.

Rating:3 hops (of 5).

How I got it: Delta Silver Medallion Status. Also may be available for purchase as a “Coach Choice” seat for a small fee 24 hours before your flight (if available).

Click here to view the embedded video.