Delta Airlines A321neo Comfort+
Hello humans! And welcome back to another blog post. My name is Dylan, and today, I will show you what it is like to fly on Delta’s A321neo in Comfort+. This exciting flight changed my opinions on Delta, so I’d love it if you could keep reading and learn more!
Flight Information:
Date: October 13th 2023
Flight Number: DL652 MCO-LAX
Aircraft: A321neo
Seat/Class: 16F in Comfort+
Registration: N501DA
Flight Time: 5hr 16min
So, everyone, welcome back to October 2023, when my long journey began at Orlando International Airport! Delta uses Terminal B here at MCO, meaning I only had to walk 5 minutes from my car to check in. This is where my opinions on Delta began to change slowly. At the check-in counter, a rude agent screamed at me while waiting to get to the desk. This is supposedly because I was standing in the wrong spot. As an unaccompanied minor, you must go to the particular service desk at MCO. She may have had a rough day, but there is no reason to scream at a kid before they fly alone. Once at the counter, this lady checked me in; this is where she began the paperwork needed for Minors, and she did not like it. During the 10 minutes I was standing with her, she complained, groaned, and yelled at me for absolutely nothing. Once again, there is no reason to take your problems out on a kid. Ultimately, I overcame this rough patch and continued to security via the central atrium.
A look at Orlando MCO Airport prior to security
After the painful check-in experience, my troubles continued. The security line at MCO for gates 70-129 is insane. At 3 p.m., I had to wait 45 minutes in the TSA line. This was not what I needed because this trip was already having a rough start. But finally, after 30 minutes, I got through the line. Thanks to an excellent employee who allowed me to use the reserve lane. After that, I took a short but sweet ride on the Blue Line APM to Airside 4.
My Blue Line APM ride from the Main Terminal to Airside 4
After a speedy APM ride, I arrived at Airside 4. This is where I got lunch before the flight in the central node of the concourse. After that, I walked over to my gate, where more trouble began. Once at the entrance, I had the agents sign my paperwork. Once this was finished, though, I asked for an upgrade to Business Class using miles. My request was met with one of the rudest responses I have ever received from an airline employee. The main agent responded, “Can you believe this kid is already asking for upgrades?” Then Agent 2 said, “Yeah! I’m sure he’ll become a pain in the ass like the other ones. “After that, they all laughed at me. Now, never in my life have I ever seen such unprofessional employees. One, a response like that is entirely unnecessary for a genuine question. And two cursing at a minor is unbelievable, especially since he is flying alone. No behavior should trigger someone to make bad, significant choices such as that. Once they were finished laughing at me, boarding finally began.
Some photos of Airside 4 at MCO
After a quick walk down the jetbridge, I finally stepped on board, where I was greeted by my first good thing today. The Delta A321 cabin! So yeah, welcome on board. The mood lighting is super cool, and the seat design complements that perfectly. Since I was a minor, I could get on first, so enjoy these cabin shots as I make my way to seat 16F in the Comfort+ Cabin.
The boarding process for Delta Flight 652
After walking to row 16, I took my seat! At the seat, I found a super comfy headrest, a big IFE screen, and plenty of legroom, all you would expect on a cross-country flight in the US. I guess American Airlines hasn’t gotten the memo. In my opinion, though, the seat was just okay. Yeah, it’s more than other carriers offer. Still, Delta tickets aren't cheap, so the inflight experience has got to compensate for the whole debacle on the ground at MCO and the okay seat. Not to sound like a slob, but I was expecting more.
A look at the Delta A321neo seat
Our pushback from gate 72 and taxi at MCO to runway 36R - The exterior shot is courtesy of my Grandma!
After a speedy takeoff around MCO, we reached runway 36R, where we had an incredible takeoff out to LA. Our route had us going over the Gulf of Mexico instead of Northern Florida and the panhandle by Talahasse, which, in short turn, meant good views!
The departure from runway 36R heading west
After takeoff during our Gulf of Mexico crossing, the Flight Attendants began the inflight Snack and Beverage service. The options for food today were a $10 Sandwich and a $12 cheese plate. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I bought the cheese plate only because it wouldn’t be a Dylan’s Travel Review without one. Overall, it was pretty good, but I was disappointed with how much it cost me; I was happy to have this though, because the only free food option was bags of chips and Biscoff cookies. Although the service wasn’t too bad, it still left a bad taste in my mouth. Not literally, though; the cheese plate tasted pretty good.
Delta’s so called meal service on a 5+ hour flight
Once the meal service was wrapped up, the flight moved pretty slowly. There was no scenery out the window except clouds, so I decided to watch a movie and sleep for the rest of the flight. But after getting a quick nap, I can 100 percent say these seats are super uncomfortable. After sitting in them for long periods, you feel a metal rod touching your back. Delta was cheap with the padding, meaning that these seats get nasty on long flights. By hour 4, everyone began standing up!
The very boring flight out to LA
After flying for a little while, we encountered some turbulence. Unfortunately, the streak of encountering unfriendly Delta employees continued. During the rough patch of air, the captain, who was a woman, came on the PA and began her rant at the passengers who were standing up in the aisle. She did this because she was, quote, "fed up with people not listening to her directions on a previous flight." Once again, Delta employees are taking out their problems on passengers, which is unfair, especially considering how much these tickets cost. During her rant, passengers recorded her and said, "Is she out of her mind?" and "What is wrong with this lady?" Just WOW!
Some random photos during the rest of the flight
After listening to the captain's full life story, we finally reached the best part of the flight - the sunset over ABQ, which is short for Albuquerque, New Mexico. I jokingly wondered if Walter White from "Breaking Bad" was down there! Regardless, it was really enjoyable to spend a good 2 hours gazing out the window and watching the sunset.
After witnessing a breathtaking sunset, we descended into Los Angeles International Airport, landing on runway 25L and then taxiing to terminal 3. Finally this horrible Delta experience finally came to an end.
The arrival onto LAX’s runway 25L
The egress process for Delta flight 652
After enduring a lengthy flight delay on the ground and finally disembarking from the plane, I feel compelled to express my thoughts about Delta. While I understand that my comments may be controversial, I believe it’s vital to address the need for Delta to enhance its hiring process. It’s important to note that my criticism is not aimed at all Delta employees but rather at the unprofessional, rude, and unpleasant behavior displayed by those I encountered today. This may be attributed to Delta’s DEI hiring requirements, which fail to mention anything regarding merit, talent, and customer interactions. The employees I interacted with lacked these crucial qualities, and I hope Delta will take steps to improve. However, given how I was treated, it will be some time before I consider flying with them again. On a different note, I found their A321neo to be decent. I appreciate the new cabin design and see it as a positive step for the fleet. Nonetheless, I still struggle to justify the cost of flying with Delta, as this aircraft doesn’t seem significantly superior to its American counterparts. So yeah! That was a handful, and lucky for you, this is the end of my Delta rant. I appreciate you reading this article, and I will see you all in the next Travel Review. Bye, everyone! BTW Delta is receiving a 3/10 on today’s flight for obvious reasons :) This is also the lowest score I have ever given, so congrats Delta!