Class: Economy

Book it!:

Just minor leg-angling required on the window in this aisle.

The Seat: I’m not sure where in the scheme of things I started to like leather seating. Luckily for me this aircraft sports Delta’s unnaturally shiny blue leather seats complete with pillowy headrest, personal fold-up video entertainment system and in this row, plenty of legroom for a mid-sized guy like me to stretch way out. While the  aisle seat is the king of legroom here, beware toe-smashing beverage carts and lavatory congregators. While neither posed much of a problem on this flight, it’s not unlikely that you could be hurt or annoyed at any given time. The window seat seems like a good option here despite the exit door slide compartment imposing upon some of that extra legroom. You’ve got the wall for leaning, a window to stare out of and fewer people doing the bathroom dance directly in front of you while you’re trying to watch 30 Rock.

Service: Friendly enough flight attendants, but unmemorable. I had to rely on my notes for this one and even then all I seem to have noted was “prompt beverage service”. From that, all I gather is that I was probably half in the bag not long after take-off.

Notes: Seats 30A & B are similar seats on the opposite window side of the 2-3-2 configured aircraft.

Summary: With Delta collecting cash for their Economy Comfort seats a little further toward the front of this plane, it’s nice to see they left  a few plain-ol’ exit row seats alone. Sure, there’s no extra recline, but the added legroom is a nice option for a few lower-level and non-elites to battle for.

Rating: 3 hops (of 5).

Strategy: These seats are available for Delta SkyMiles Medallion members in advance and released for everyone else at check-in. The best bet for non-elites is to arrive early and ask the gate agent if you weren’t able to choose them online or at the kiosk.

How I got it: Purchased outright at Delta.com.

Not much room to stretch out. View of 1D.

The Seat:Like in my review of aisle seat 3C in this first class cabin, the seats are aging and a bit cramped in regards to seat width. But now you’ve got Mr. Bulkhead to deal with (the bulkhead wall, that is). I guess Delta hopes that free booze and snacks will make you forget that you paid a grand (or pledged your loyalty to the airline) for a seat with less legroom than even a typical economy seat (and way less than the exit row).I see no upside to this other than that you’ll be off the airplane first…and you’ll likely want to be.

Service/Food/Drink: I got up  quickly to use the restroom and missed out on the alternate meal choice (a sandwich), so I wound up with the Buffalo chicken salad. I’m thinking it may have been the calorie gods at work. Although I did enjoy the peanut butter brownie. Mmmm…Peanut butter.

Summary: If you’re taller or wider, I say look into another flight using different aircraft if you’re flexible. If you’re stuck here, I’d say opt for a seat in rows 2 or 3. See my review of seat 3C for a closer look.

Rating: 0.5 hops (of 5). Our worst seat rating to date! Congrats Delta MD90! (Please note that our reviews are relative to class of service and this might have scored as much as a 2 in economy.)

Strategy: If you’re not a delta elite member (medallion), your best bet is to arrive at the airport early and check in at the kiosk. If no reduced price upgrade is offered there, they may be offered at the gate. For both elite and non-elite fliers, you’ll stand a better chance of there being room up front if business travelers aren’t present. Travel on weekends and holidays for best results. If this is the only seat left for purchased upgrade, I’d likely go economy…really. (But take it if it’s free…That peanut butter brownie is pretty good.)

How I got it: Delta Medallion Status and weekend travel. Used status to standby for a later flight that wasn’t as full up front.

The Seat:The seats are a little worn, and a bit smallish. While I fit fine here, I noticed more than one slightly larger passenger having difficulty getting situated in these slimmer seats that measure just over 19 inches wide (compared to say first class aboard Delta’s A320, which offers up a full 21 inches.)  Legroom is typical but avoid row 1 on either side as the bulkhead will force-feed you your own knees.

Delta MD90 parked at MSP

Service/Food/Drink: This was a quick trip with no meal service. Unlimited beverage and snacks were served and service was friendly. Nothing extra here.

Summary: If you’re taller or wider and can manage to get a different aircraft flying the same route, you’ll be better off avoiding this cabin altogether. 3C isn’t as unreasonable as anything in row 1, but won’t send you home bragging about your upgrade.

Rating: 1.5 hops (of 5).

Strategy: If you’re not a delta elite member (medallion), your best bet is to arrive at the airport early and check in at the kiosk. If no reduced price upgrade is offered there, they may be offered at the gate. For both elite and non-elite fliers, you’ll stand a better chance of there being room up front if business travelers aren’t present. Travel on weekends and holidays for best results.

How I got it: Delta Medallion Status and weekend travel. Used status to standby for a later flight that wasn’t as full up front.

The Seat: With everyone abuzz about Delta Airlines introduction of new Economy Comfort service aboard long-haul flights, I thought it might be a good idea to check out their partner KLM’s version of this slightly “less annoying than coach” offering. What I ended up with was a very normal exit row seat with even more legroom than the others in this section.  In regards to seat width, this is most certainly economy sans comfort as your tray table and personal TV eat up valuable side-body real estate. Keeping yourself entertained is easy with  personal televisions at each seat, but the lack of in-seat power may keep you dependent upon KLM’s selection of movies and a couple of “30 Rock” re-runs that you’ve already seen on other flights.

Service: Eh. Not fantastic. Food was delivered, drinks were served. No one complained.

Notes: I noticed the gentleman in the row behind us had all 3 seats to himself. More than one of us attempted to steal his aisle seat but it turns out that he purchased the entire row. Not something you’re able to do on most airlines (to the best of my knowledge) but a brilliant move if you can.

Summary: Each seat in economy comfort has up to 4 inches of additional legroom, and even more if you can grab 9B, 9C or 11D, 11E. The seats in these rows aren’t the best if you require  extra width, but ideal for stretching out. The normal (non-exit) seats in this elevated economy offer a little of both and provide a good compromise.

Rating: 2.5 hops (of 5).

Strategy: Seats in economy comfort cost between 60 and 150 EUR. SkyTeam Elite Plus members (Delta Airlines Gold & up)  receive 50% off. Members of the Flying Blue Program receive discounts as follows: Silver – 25%, Gold 50%, Platinum- Complimentary.

How I got it: Purchased after reservation was made at KLM.com.

The Seat: The crew at SeatExpert tells us that some might prefer this seat over first class. I just HAD to see for myself. So I quickly got over my lack of status with United Airlines…then bought some (I’ll explain later) and put myself in this allegedly roomy seat. What I found is very similar to the bulkheads in similar short-haul Airbus and Boeing planes (eg: Delta A320 or this Alaska Airlines 737-800) in the bulkhead behind first class with one difference…The wall. While that may sound constricting, it’s really not at all. Because this seat is also in the Economy Plus portion of the main cabin, they’ve given a few more inches than a typical bulkhead row and a good sized cutout that you can stretch your legs under and into first class.

Service: I must have been wearing my nice sweater because the flight attendant in first class leaned into economy and handed me an orange juice after declines from her premium passengers. I loved it but I think I heard my jealous neighbor grumble a little. Service otherwise was standard if not a little friendlier than normal. Service on the phone, on the other hand… was atrocious. I had blundered a date when booking my itinerary online and upon calling was met with unintelligible telephone agents with little or no knowledge of how to handle the situation. I’m sure I’ve had better with United. Perhaps I just got them on a bad night. Lesson learned: Triple check my reservation information before clicking “Buy”.

Notes: No wi-fi? Really United?

Summary: Great row of seats on either side of the aisle. Your tray table will be in the armrest so you have slightly less width but if you’re taller, these are most likely the best seats on the plane. United and JetBlue rule the extra legroom market in the US right now and charge modest amounts for these premium seats (particularly when compared to the seemingly over-hyped, over-priced “Main Cabin Select” option on Virgin America).

Rating: 4.5 hops (of 5).

Strategy: You can either earn elite status with United…or  you can just buy it. United offers their “Premiere Travel” option for individual itineraries that gives you access to premium seating and other perks like early boarding, premiere security lanes (where available) and up to 2 checked bags …or you could just opt to purchase an Economy Plus upgrade (they start at $9 for their shortest flights). Yearly options are also available.

How I got it: Purchased Premiere Status ($80 for our flight from New York to Minneapolis with a connection in Chicago).

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. *Note: This particular aircraft no longer used on Transcon routes (eg.between JFK and SFO or LAX). It’s been replaced by similar 757 aircraft, but with a more spacious Business Class cabin and the personal TVs no longer carry live channels but several movie and recorded TV options. 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). You’ll also find USB power ports beneath each seat for recharging your phone and gadgets.

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 Medallion Status. Alternately you could ask at the gate for exit row seating, or this seat in particular on the day of your flight.