What to expect? Delta Int'l Flight J Class

[Aulia Harun]

Hello everyone,

On Aug. 19 I will be moving to the US in order to attend flight school. My repatriation takes me through three flights:

CAI - JFK
Delta Airlines DL85
B767-200/-300
Class: J

JFK - MSP
Compass Airlines by Delta Airlines DL5735
E175
Class: F

MSP - GFK
Pinnacle Airlines by Delta Airlines DL3989
CRJ
Class: Y

I am really concerned about my long haul flight CAI - JFK. For the past several years, I have flown "international" carriers such as SQ, MH, and EK. What is to expect with Delta's Int'l J Class? Seats? Food? This will be my first time flying J with an American carrier. I believe I will be flying Delta's Businesselite...

[jhm]

I am really concerned about my long haul flight CAI - JFK. For the past several years, I have flown "international" carriers such as SQ, MH, and EK. What is to expect with Delta's Int'l J Class? Seats? Food? This will be my first time flying J with an American carrier. I believe I will be flying Delta's Businesselite...

Listening to some people on here and elsewhere, you'd think J on SQ vs an American carrier is like heaven vs hell but in reality (in my experience at least), the difference is not great. If I were you, I would have no hesitation whatsoever taking J on any American carrier. J is J.

It's good to try other airlines - you may find that there may be things you actually prefer about them (or it may make you appreciate some aspects of SQ etc even more). Relax. Enjoy.

Why are you starting from CAI BTW ? For the J fare or you have a connection there ?

[soarbeyond]

Why are you starting from CAI BTW ? For the J fare or you have a connection there ?

He currently resides in Egypt

[Kyo]

J is J.

Even CA J?

[Aulia Harun]

It's good to try other airlines - you may find that there may be things you actually prefer about them (or it may make you appreciate some aspects of SQ etc even more). Relax. Enjoy.

I guess you're right.. it's good to explore other airlines once in a while. In fact, I initially asked my dad to book with KLM. I heard from many business travelers that the service is reasonably good. It's just that my dad dislikes layovers and tries to find the fastest, direct, non-stop route possible...

I have a feeling that I will find things with Delta that will make me appreciate SQ even more..

He currently resides in Egypt

Bingo

[phaleesy]

jhm likes to think that there is a special fare ex-CAI.

I have only flown DL in J twice and I enjoyed both flights immensely. Both flights were a LOT better than all the SQ (Y,J, F) flights I have taken.

When one of the FAs found out that I liked cookies, she brought me more (twice!) and gave me a wink.

On the other flight, one of the FAs moved the gentleman who was sitting next to me to the cabin behind (where his friends were sat) before we took off. When I chatted with her in the galley later, she told me she did that so that the forward cabin would be quieter and I could be more rested after the flight. I thought it was really nice and considerate of her - I don't like sitting beside men in J/F because they seem to snore and fart (louder) than those in Y! In fact, I have not observed such behaviour in Y!

Food ex MXP and LAX were good. Ex-LAX was especially delicious.

The seats for my routes were slopey ones. Not so good compared to most SQ seats.

[jhm]

Even CA J?

Haven't flown CA J but I did take CA domestic F SHA-PEK in 2006. Food not the best in the world but the seat was excellent (identical to the AA F flagship suite so a fully flat bed) and the service was good. Plenty of eye candy too!

[Aulia Harun]

I have only flown DL in J twice and I enjoyed both flights immensely. Both flights were a LOT better than all the SQ (Y,J, F) flights I have taken.

I really hope you are being sarcastic!!

[phaleesy]

I really hope you are being sarcastic!!

No, I was not being sarcastic at all. I meant what I said.

[Kyo]

Haven't flown CA J but I did take CA domestic F SHA-PEK in 2006. Food not the best in the world but the seat was excellent (identical to the AA F flagship suite so a fully flat bed) and the service was good. Plenty of eye candy too!

Methinks you need to try PEK/PVG-SIN sometime with them

[MSPeconomist]

Unfortunately you're on a 767, IMO the worst of the DL aircraft (assuming the old interiors). BE, which is marketed as between business and FC and is better than, for example, United's international business class, is 2-2-2 seating on the 767. The recliner seats have reasonaby good space and recline with footrests, although are not even angled lie-flat. A few planes have blue cloth seats--really horrid, worn and dirty looking--but most are gray leather and all have AVOD/IFE with a small screen attached to the center armrest of one's seat. There's a pretty big selection (but not as good as Krisflyer and don't expect any non-US/non-European movies). I find the motorized seat movements jerky compared to the DL (former NW) A330 and 747 seats.

You will get a modest unisex amenity kit in a pouch with eyeshades, socks with nonslip rubber bumps on the sole, toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste, etc. plus good headphones to use (not keep). There will be a large pillow and a wrapped blanket, a very nice large tan quilt (improperly referred to as a duvet) which is being replaced just now by red blankets.

Food includes pre-departure beverage choice of rather bad sparkling wine (not champagne), orange juice, beer, or water, a cocktail service with nuts, award-winning French champagne similar to what in served in SQ J, two white wines (one a chardonnay, usually from California), two red wines (usually including a decent bordeaux), and a multi-course dinner served in courses at your seat: first an appetizer (recently a smoked salmon and artichoke combo that I found interesting and tasty), large creative salad (not just greens) with choice of dressing, and soup (a consistent problem is serving it hot), then a choice of four main courses of which one is frequently a vegetarian pasta (and an Asian choice on TPAC flights), then choice of as many as you want of cheese, fruit, ice cream, perhaps a cake/torte of some sort, port, dessert wine (sweet white from Australia, but you have to ask for it) served from a cart, and coffee/tea. There will be hot towels, a white linen tablecloth, and a glossy printed menu including wine descriptions.

Snacks and all sorts of beverages will be available throughout the flight. Before landing, a breakfast will be served, probably with a choice of two hot items, plus juice, fruit, and breads; again, hot towels and white linen tablecloths.

Special meals can be ordered IIRC 48 hours in advance, including Asian and vegetarian/vegan selections. I've never tried them, but I know opinions vary.

Expect a bad experience with customs and immigration at JFK. You must wait for checked luggage, walk it through customs, and then drop it off there at the recheck baggage station (even though it will be "checked through" and tagged to your final destination from CAI). Then you will change terminals, from 4 (mostly SkyTeam international) to 2/3 (DL domestic), which IIRC requires use of a landside small train and additional security screening, although there might be an airside shuttle bus if you can get access to the right gate area in terminal 4. Your BE boarding pass (not the FC domestic one) gets you access to several DL SkyClub lounges in JFK and MSP with snacks, beverages (including free alcohol), wifi, etc. One of the JFK SkyClubs has showers, while the MSP C lounge has changing rooms with no water only (and nice lavatories located within the lounge). There is probably a DL BE lounge arrrangement in CAI as well as special (show your FC boarding pass) elite security lines at JFK and MSP (i.e., if you go landside to smoke); I don't know about the situation in CAI, but there should at least be elite check in lines for DL if not for passport control and security.

Your domestic flights are operated by DL commuter affiliates. The first is a large RJ with 1-2 seating in FC and might have a meal, while the second is a smaller RJ with no FC, although it should board using a jetway bridge at MSP. Be aware that DL flights tend to leave the gate about ten minutes before the scheduled departure time; to be safe, you should be at the gate at least twenty minutes before departure time.

You should be able to pick your seats for all flights in advance. The easist way is to go to delta.com knowing your ticket number and record locator code if you don't have a DL FF number attached to the reservation. If you don't already have a DL FF number, it might be better not to get one in advance as the purser in BE is likely to offer you a sign up form on the flight which not only gets you credit for your entire trip but also immediate sliver status (not worth a lot, but perhaps enough for something on your return journey in addition to the 25% bonus miles). Alternatively, you might want to credit the flights to a SkyTeam partner like AF/KL.

[Aulia Harun]

Even though I'm posting this as a response to MSPeconomist's previous post, I'm not going to quote it for obvious reasons!

Thanks for the very detailed insight you gave there. I flew with them last week, and WOW I experienced exactly what you said. The J class was awesome and I took a few pics of my seat + the oversized meals. I might write up a TR here if my college free time allows it.. I'm too busy studying material for my pilot training program, but hopefully I will get my TR soon or later.

[Aulia Harun]

My TR is up, but I only wrote up on the CAI - JFK flight DL85 only since that's the only one worth writing about (and the only one where I took pictures). If you're interested head on over to the TR section of SQTalk.