Delta Air Lines is the largest operator of the Airbus A220 family in the United States. The aircraft flies a number of routes from major hubs such as New York, Detroit and Salt Lake City and moves on more routes. Recently, Delta began flying the Airbus A220-100 between San Antonio and Detroit, where Simple Flying was given the opportunity to review the aircraft.
The seat
Delta’s A220-100s are set at 109 passengers. There are twelve first class seats in the cabin. These seats are different from the older generation of Delta’s premium products found on other seats, such as the Boeing 757.
The seat itself is similar to that of Delta’s international premium economy product called Premium Select. With the first-class in a 2-2 setup, the configuration is pretty standard for a premium narrow vehicle product, though these seats are an improvement.
Delta advertises 37 inches of first-class pitch, which is generous and feels good for this nearly three-hour flight.
As you can see, there was enough seating for backrest. The safety card and movement bag are located in a separate bag so that passengers can put smaller objects in the lower backpack bag. Delta has removed physical flight magazines due to the ongoing pandemic.
The seat has a simple operation in the middle armrest that controls the backrest. Here is another narrow storage space, which is about big enough for a tablet or smaller laptop when not in use.
The one downside of the seat was the airbag belt. Not all narrow products contain the seat belt, although it was probably needed for safety reasons. The belt itself is slightly bulky, but it goes unnoticed after a while.
The tray table is located in the outer armrest and is easy to use and very large. Delta’s seat provides a bottle holder in the middle armrest, which extends to ensure that both passengers can store a drink.
Delta is blocking seats in the cabin until the end of April. In first class, this means that passengers traveling alone can find both a corridor and a window seat for themselves.
Flight entertainment and power
The entertainment system for flying was one of the highlights of the product. With the largest screens of any Delta first-class product, the size of the screen did not result in a sacrifice of quality or content.
The typical Delta Studio entertainment choice was available aboard this flight. For avgeeks, however, the moving map system will be the highlight with different viewing options.
Delta offered two systems for power. There was first the USB connection in the seat rear monitor. Between the two seats there are two outlets that are easily accessible. Unlike some other products, it was much easier to have the power available at the back of the armrest of the seats in front of this row.
Food and drink
As a result of the pandemic, Delta Air Lines significantly changed its meals. On a route like this, pre-pandemic, Delta passengers would be offered a full meal with full liquor service. Since last year, however, the airline has been offering passengers a well-rounded meal and beverage service.
Delta offers a limited alcohol choice for first class passengers. According to the air hostess, the airline apparently plans to bring back soft drinks later in March or April. If you do not want alcohol, bottled water is the only other option.
On this flight, Delta offered a snack box that I had not seen before. There were two options that differed from the options I had on other Delta flights with a “meal” service.
The box was filled with the following:
The offer was pretty standard for a snack box. While not exactly premium, it’s better than nothing. However, such an offer serves as a strong reminder of the impact of the pandemic on the airline industry. Hopefully Delta will bring a full meal service back at some point in a post-pandemic world.
The contents of the box contained a granola bar, potato chips, biscuits, gummy bears, an oreo, a meat stick, spread of cheese and mint coins. There was also a towel and some napkins and accessories in the box. The box itself is also designed to be a stand-alone junk option, limiting touchpoints and crew interaction with items handled by passengers.
Special features of the aircraft
The Airbus A220 has a long history, first as a Bombardier aircraft called the CSeries before Airbus took over and renamed the jet line. On the plane, however, passengers can still see the CSeries brand.
At the back of the plane there is a large toilet with a window. It made the toilet feel much bigger. Some toilets can traditionally feel very claustrophobic.
The Airbus A220 is a special small aircraft. The plane quickly had WiFi, although Delta did not yet have to make the facility free for all passengers. Messaging on certain platforms is allowed for free on Delta. Passengers only need to connect to the WiFi and select the option.
Eventually I will do my best to fly on the Airbus A220. It felt more comfortable, modern and was quieter than other jets. As Delta takes more of the A220s, as well as the A220-100s and A220-300s, these aircraft will become more prominent, and more passengers will have to rejoice in the experience of the aircraft.
Delta currently flies with the A220s, mostly from its hubs in New York, Detroit, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. The A220s can currently be easily found on routes to some of these hubs from Texas, including Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Additional destinations from Salt Lake City include places like Orange County and Denver.
Did you fly a Delta Airbus A220? How was your experience? Do you want to fly on a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220? Let us know in the comments!