Just stepped off the first ever Delta A350 flight! I was live blogging it on my website, so I'm going to essentially copy and paste the post from there. Sorry it's not in the traditional TR format...
I booked the ticket when it was first announced, and fares were much cheaper out of Chicago (and onward to Manila). And I'm heading home in Coach...to further drop the ticket price.
920a – Just arrived in Detroit from Chicago Midway. I made sure to leave plenty of time to connect to ensure I wouldn’t have any trouble catching the flight. Looks like Delta’s set up a First Flyer’s Club Lounge for the occasion, complete with a model A350 and photo area.
Delta also made sure to park their new Flagship at A40, directly in front of the famous Detroit Fountains. Makes for some great photos.
One of the only things I dislike about DTW is the dots on the windows, which makes it tough to get a good photo. Nonetheless, here’s the beautiful bird in all its glory.
1030a – They’re still setting up the area for the celebration later. Should be done in about 45 minutes.
1230p – Enjoying the festivities here! They have champagne for folks, and a nice travel wallet as a gift from Tumi.
Plenty of media here as well, was interviewed by some local news stations.
Boarding should begin soon. Stay tuned for updates on board!
130p – WOW. Where to start? Just got on board about 10 minutes ago. I’m blown away. The Suite is incredible. There’s also free WiFi throughout this flight which should be fun. Hope it’s not too slow.
The seat itself was something I was initially a bit concerned about, as it’s of a similar style to the 767 seat.
However, the seat is much wider and there’s tons of personal space.
Lots of storage space as well.
Most importantly, the footwell space is much, much bigger than on the 767, and should be comfortable when sleeping. More on that later.
The screen is massive.
At the seat were a full set of amenities including duvet, two pillows, a Tumi amenity kit, and slippers.
There was also a gift box containing some inaugural flight goodies.
More to come once in the air!
230p – We’ve leveled off at cruise altitude.
The Suite Doors stay locked until after takeoff, so naturally the first thing I did was try it out.
I also checked out the lavatory. It’s a good size and looks great.
Flight attendants came by with hot towels, drinks and warm nuts.
There’s a HUGE library of content, it’s hard to fugue out what to watch. I settled on Rogue One.
Starters coming soon.
430p – Just finished eating lunch. The food was excellent and cooked perfectly. It was nice to see duck confit for the starter instead of seafood.
500p – Meal tray just cleared away. Now it’s time for some sleep.
As expected, footwell space is much bigger than the 767. More akin to the A330 and much less of a coffin feel. I can raise my knees and roll over on my side without much trouble.
The seat padding is memory foam, which is very comfortable.
I also really appreciate the storage space. There’s plenty of room for my headphones, amenity kit, phone, external battery, etc.
With the Suite Door closed it’s pretty private. While it’s not tall, it helps block out the aisle foot traffic.
Naptime!
Wi-Fi Speeds have really slowed… Hopefully they’ll be quicker when I wake up!
100a – Just woke up. I had gotten up earlier to update, but the Wi-Fi had gotten so overloaded that it stopped working.
The bed is quite comfortable and I had a very refreshing sleep.
Enjoying yakisoba noodles with chicken for the pre-arrival meal.
Hoping to visit the Flight Deck after landing.
430a (530p Tokyo) – Just got to my hotel in Narita! What an amazing trip that was. The A350 is a remarkable aircraft, and a great new flagship for Delta.
I kept marveling during descent how large the windows were.
We landed on time and were met with a traditional water cannon salute. Plenty of ground workers were taking photos of the aircraft as well.
After arriving at the gate, I waited a little bit so that I could get a quick peek inside the Flight Deck.
The Suite product is excellent, and a huge step up from the 767 product. There is a huge amount of space in the Suite itself, and the seat is very comfortable. I didn’t have a hard time falling asleep (or staying asleep), but some may find the armrest cumbersome.
It’s tough to give a truly objective ranking at the moment, as I just got off a remarkable flight and it’s fresh in my mind. But I still think this is Delta’s best Business Class product, just edging out the 747 and A330.
I had a few minor gripes, the biggest of which was the fact that the lavatory doors in Delta One were a little difficult to close and latch. My guess is it’s just growing pains with the new aircraft.
The seatbelt is a little short, so when reclined fully flat, it’s a bit tight.
Overall though, Delta and Airbus have done a remarkable job with this airplane, and I think it’s going to be extremely popular with customers. I can’t wait to fly it again.
