By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
Our first experience with Delta domestic First Class meal service had average food but impressive service. The Delta 737-800 was a bucket of bolts and really needed a refresh. Pros- Impressive Service, Strong Amenities Cons- Old and Loud Plane, Ancient In-Flight Entertainment System 
Boeing 737-800
After matching to Delta status in November 2019 Christina and I had our first upgrade to Delta First Class that included meal service due to empty Friday after Thanksgiving flights. I am going to focus this review on the flight. While we visited the Delta Sky Club at Salt Lake City (SLC) before this flight Delta has since opened a new Sky Club. Therefore, I am going to skip a review of the lounge and look forward to checking out on my next time through SLC.
Boarding As we headed to the gate it was a very snowy day at SLC, however, I was impressed by how the airport was able to handle the snow and I barely noticed any impact to airport operations. Christina and I were upgraded 24 hours out from the flight based on our Delta SkyMiles Silver status. At that time there were still nine free First Class seats because of very light after Thanksgiving loads. 
Snowy SLC
We really appreciated receiving the upgrade in advance since it gave us access to these Sky Priority Benefits including priority check-in and priority baggage handling. Delta doesn’t give Silver elite access to Sky Priority benefits so as Delta Silver’s our best way to get access to these was to get upgraded in advance or purchase and upgrade. Because the upgrade we were among the first people on the flight.
Departure Gate C6
Plane and Seats
The plane was literally a bucket of bolts with a screw falling from above when I went to put my bag into an overhead bin. Delta is known for keeping planes longer than other airlines and fixing up the interiors but this plane was not yet refreshed. 
Boeing 737-800 Interior
On the flight we were originally seated in 3B and 3D across from each other. After all elites and one employee were upgraded there was one open seat left in First Class and the flight still had 23 free seats in economy. The First Class seat was like a throwback to 1990s and didn’t include Delta’s modern look. Because I was seated across from Christina a friendly flight attendant who ended up working economy said we’re okay to switch seats and if someone else showed up we should ask them to take my original seat.
First Class Seat
The seat I switched to, 3C, had a broken arm rest. The flight attendant was very apologetic about the broken seat. Another negative aspect of these old seats was that they had no headrest. The positive aspect of these old seats was that they contained far more padding than the modern slimline seats. This padding made the seat more comfortable but the material made the seat hold in more heat. This Boeing 737-800 was loud and I was very glad that I had noise canceling headphones or the sound would have driven me crazy. Right before take-off the captain let us know that the flight time was a little over three hours with a strong tail wind.
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
When we boarded at our seats were a thin pillow and a blanket. The blanket was thin but comfortable. I appreciated that Delta had bottled water, though it is not environmentally friendly, at the seat when we arrived because I am often dehydrated in flight. I hope Delta is able to find a more environmentally friendly container to provide passengers with water prior to departure. 
Seat Amenities
While I don’t typically comment on airplane bathrooms, I have to commend Delta on the high-quality bathroom amenities on this flight. The amenities included Malin+Goetz hand soap and lotion. While cost doesn’t always equate to quality just one 8.5 fluid ounce bottle of the Malin+Goetz lotion retails at $36 as of October 2022. I thought these were strong amenities since many airlines don’t even include any lotion on most domestic First Class flights yet alone a high-quality variety like Malin+Goetz.
Malin+Goetz Lotion
The in-flight entertainment screens on this flight were tiny (about the size of an iPhone Plus), old, and slow. The seats still had manual dials for overhead IFE showing you just how old the plane was. As I clicked through the IFE it was not responsive and needed significant updates.
IFE Monitor
Food and Drinks
After we got settled into our seats one of the flight attendants working First Class offered us a pre-departure beverage. Christina declined while I ordered a Sprite.Afterwards she confirmed our pre-orders then went to take the passengers orders. 
Pre-Departure Beverage
After some turbulence subsided, the dinner meal service started with a hot towel service which was warm and had refreshing scents. The dinner came on one tray with broccoli, side salad (parmesan, baby tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce), white bread butter, and steak with potatoes. My salad was boring but at least came out fresh. I found the bread was soft but below average. The steak and potatoes were well cooked and seasoned and the broccoli was good. Christina found her salad to be plain and the bread stale. Christina’s ravioli was lukewarm but overall good and she thought light years above American Airline’s First Class meals.
Steak Dinner
Overall, I found the dinner to be the perfect serving size and I really liked the silverware by Alessi. Christina was also impressed by the silverware and thought it was strong and classy. Moreover, she was impressed that the tray was well made, had a Delta pattern, and a strong grip. Both of us agreed that the highlight of the meal service was the Ben & Jerry’s Americone Dream ice cream served for dessert.
Prior to landing the flight attendants came around with the snack basket which included the following choices: 1) Kind Bars, 2) El Augustin, 3) Oreo Thins, and 4) Cheez It. Christina got Augustin and Oreo Thins and I had Oreo Thins. We both liked our choices and the wide Delta snack selection.
Service
On this flight there ended up being two flight attendants working the 16 seats in First Class much better than American Airlines which typically only has one flight attendant for domestic First Class on narrow-body planes. Having two flight attendants made service really fast as these flight attendants divided and conquered service. For example, even with strong turbulence the flight attendants came by with more bottles of water, continual refills, and were quick to clear our dishes. The only minor hiccup was that towards the end of the flight the flight attendants brought our coats from the closet but forgot my suit bag. Later I reminded the flight attendant and she brought my suit bag before departing the plane. Overall, the flight attendant service was professional, kind, and accommodating.
Take Away
On our first Delta First Class flight with meal service Delta delivered impressive service, strong amenities, average food and drinks, but the bucket of bolts plane and IFE left a lot to be desired. Despite being only average Delta’s food and drinks were still miles ahead American Airlines First Class and its service was in a different category all together. I hope Delta upgrades all of its domestic narrow body planes with the new look and feel. In particular the IFE systems really held back our otherwise good experience on this flight and are sorely in need of an upgrade. Despite these drawbacks I would likely choose to take Delta on domestic First Class on this route again.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
The lounge experience for business class passengers at Changi Terminal 3 was disappointing, the plane was old and in need of a refresh but the selection of amenities and onboard food blew U.S. domestic First Class out of the water. Pros- Delicious Onboard Food, Wide Array of Amenities, Business Class Privacy, Attentive Service Cons- Strict Enforcement of Rules, Disappointing Business Class Airport Lounge, Old Plane, Weak In-Flight Entertainment , Mediocre Drink Selection
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Check-In
Changi Terminal 2
Our flight to Male, Maldives on Singapore Airline's regional affiliate Silk Air took off from Changi Terminal 2 which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was the home for the vast majority of Singapore Airline's regional flights. During the pandemic all Singapore Airlines flights have been consolidated in Changi Terminal 3 which allowed for the closure of Terminal 2 for 18 months. This move was done in response to very-low passenger volume and allowed Changi to shave approximately one year off of the time for the renovation of Terminal 2. I found this work was sorely needed. Since our flight in May 2019, Silk Air has ceased operations and had its planes completely folded into Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines is still operating these 737-800 planes on regional flights I am going to share our experience since I think it could be helpful for those looking to fly on Singapore Airlines.
Changi Self-Check Baggage
Our check-in experience for Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) was awkward since it was completely automated including the baggage check. In the United States typically passengers with bags to check have to see the gate agent, however, at Changi the entire process was automated including weighing and scanning baggage. While I found this to be impressive it was also somewhat frustrating since it took us a while to figure out how to work the machine.
Changi Terminal 2
As we headed to the SilverKris lounge, which was used for business class and first class Singapore Airlines passengers leaving out of Terminal 2, we noticed that this terminal was much more dated than Terminal 3, where we arrived on our flight from Frankfurt. However, we really appreciated the lovely flower displays throughout the terminal and it showed us that Singapore takes seriously its nickname the Garden City.
Signs to Terminal 2 Lounges
It took us a while to find the SilverKris lounge since the signage in the terminal was not clear.
SilverKris Lounge Entrance
However, we finally realized that the lounge was on the second level and we headed left to the business class portion of the lounge. The lounge had an array of seating with a small business area, an array of black seats around the television, and seating in the dining room. The lounge was large but nearly completely empty. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, conversations happened only at a whisper, and it felt more like a library than an airport lounge.
The food was set up near the entrance to the lounge and included a special station for Laska which is a spicy Singaporean soup. During our time in the lounge I tried the majority of the hot food and it was a huge disappointment. The Dim Sum lacked in both presentation and taste, the Laska was average, while the apple juice was cheap and not good. The food in the lounge paled in comparison to the culinary adventure we had during the rest of our stay in Singapore.
To add to the disappointing experience at this lounge the business class bathrooms were out of order so I needed to go to the first class lounge to use the bathroom. I found the first class bathrooms to be in good shape, the service in first class lounge to be more attentive, and the first class lounge overall to be much nicer. For example, the bathroom had two bathroom attendants along with complimentary toothbrushes and shaving kits. It is clear that Singapore Airlines needs to renovate the business class lounge and that that they put significantly more resources into the first class ground experience.
Gate Area
Boarding
We headed to the gate about five minutes before boarding. As we approached the gate area I remembered that security checks are performed at the gate area and I got nervous that we would miss the initial boarding call. The gate area was packed and it was clear this was a full flight. We got through the gate quickly and boarding started five minutes late so we ended up being the first people on board. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Plane and Seats
As we entered the plane I was impressed by the color palette of pale yellow and brown along with the light blues and reds on the flight attendants' uniforms. The business class had 12 seats arraigned in a 2-2 configuration with 38 inches of pitch and 22 inches of width. The seats had substantial recline which meant that when the passengers in front of us reclined it was difficult getting in and out of our seats. The seat also had a foot rest which is very rare in US domestic first class. 
737-800 Business Class Seats
Another positive feature of this plane is that it had a hard bulkhead and a thick curtain which really made the business class cabin feel private. One big downside of the plane was its age which showed in the seats. The seats were very difficult to recline because the levers to recline the seat were old and manual. At one point Christina's seat was completely stuck in recline and she had to yank at the lever to move it up or down.
Business Class Curtain
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
Waiting at each business class seat was a pillow and a blanket. I found the pillow to be comfortable and much more substantial than the pillows offered on U.S. domestic first class. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendant came by with slippers, various newspapers and magazines, and an iPad pre-loaded with in-flight entertainment (IFE) since there were no seat back screens. I selected the local newspaper and a Time magazine to read. I really appreciated having a pillow, slippers, and footrest on this four-and half-hour flight.
The IFE on the iPad was weak. While the iPads had a ton of content most of it was very old. Initially, the iPad was very annoying to watch because I had to hold it up to see any of the movies. However, I noticed that another passenger had an iPad stand so I asked and received one from the flight attendant. It was frustrating that these were not proactively offered the iPad stand since it would be very annoying to watch the iPad on this long of a flight without one. Another problem about receiving this array of amenities is that the seats did not have sufficient storage space to hold them all when they weren't in use. For example, when we were eating we had to find somewhere to put away the iPad and this is another downside to not having seat back IFE. There were also several additional amenities offered on the flight in the bathroom but these were not at all impressive. The amenities included lotion, mouthwash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. However, these were not at all at the caliber of our Singapore Airlines Suites experience. I utilized the toothpaste and it looked like whiteout and tasted disgusting.
IPAD Inflight Entertainment
Dining
The in-flight dining experience began before takeoff when the flight attendant came by to confirm our food orders, take our in-flight drink order, and offer us pre-departure drinks. The pre-departure drink choices were apple juice or orange juice. I took the apple juice while Christina took the orange juice. The apple juice was bad so I sent it back and instead asked for orange juice which was good. 
Pre-Departure Drinks
Once we were in air the flight attendant brought our drink order of champagne which was really bad. I don't know if the champagne was really that bad or we were spoiled from drinking so much Krug on our Singapore Airlines Suites flight. We were also given hot towel service which included a steaming towel. I wish that airlines would adjust from a hot to a cold towel in climates that are already warm. It was strange that the towel was steaming hot because the cabin was already warm. After this I was served mixed nuts as a starter while Christina had the snack mix both of which were good. Next, we were served a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken which also good. After we were served the salad we were offered bread and I chose the garlic bread and Christina chose a cracker. My garlic bread was good and Christina liked her cracker and said it had Indian flavors.
For our main courses we pre-ordered from the expanded All Time Favorites Menu which offered meals beyond those listed in the onboard menu. The All Time Favorites Menu offered a massive selection for relatively short flight. I choose the beef brisket noodles and Christina chose the Nasi Goreng. My meal came out piping hot and was delicious. The beef was very tender and the noodles were cooked excellently. The broth was also flavored very well but was really messy so I ended up having to use napkins as a bib. Christina's meal had a chicken satay (kabob) with rice, pickles, and zucchini. While Christina thought the chicken was on the sweet side and the rice was somewhat spicy overall she thought the meal was great though still not at the Singapore Airlines Suites level.
Once the main course was done we were offered a choice between Merlot or Chardonnay wine. I chose the Merlo while Christina selected the Chardonnay. I liked the Merlot while Christina thought the Chardonnay was too sweet.
Maldives Airports Fast Track Passes
At the end of the meal service the flight attendant came by with Maldives Airports Fast Track passes for the business class passengers to clear immigration on an expedited basis. However, they ended up not being necessary as there was no line when we landed in Male.
Pre-Arrival Dessert
As we got closer to the end of the flight the flight attendants brought by a pre-arrival dessert of Double Chocolate ice cream which was really good. Christina had hers with coffee which she said was surprisingly very good for airline coffee. Overall, I found the onboard drink selection, with the exception fo the coffee, to be mediocre on par with American Airlines. This was surprising for a Singapore Airlines affiliate. Finally, as we entered our final decent we got our first glimpse of the beautiful Maldivan water which we had traveled half way around the world to experience.
View of The Maldives
Service
I would say that the service on this flight was a mixed bag. The flight attendants were clearly well trained by Singapore Airlines. They executed on the service very well and they were very attentive constantly looking to see if we needed refills and quickly clearing plates. For example, they were able to complete extensive multi-course meal service in about one hour. However, they were far too strict at enforcing rules. Our flight had a long taxi of about 30 minutes and while we were taxing several people tried to get up to get something from the overhead bins or to use the bathroom and the flight attendants on several occasions got up to reprimand tell these passengers off. While I thought their tone may have been too harsh I didn't think too much of this since this is something that is usually enforced in the U.S. as well. Once we took off and were climbing I tried to use the bathroom and the flight attendant gave me a nasty look and shook her head no. Once again I had an incident relating to flight attendants enforcing the rules about using the bathroom and I felt like this was now a trend after the incidents on our CLT-LHR and LGW-BCN flights. This wasn't the only rule which the flight attendants vigorously enforced. While we were landing the flight attendants came around and asked Christina and I to remove our headphones for landing which is the first time I had ever heard of this rule on any airline. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Take Away
Our experience flying on Singapore Airlines' 737-800 with its regional affiliate Silk Air was a mixed bag. We really enjoyed the privacy of the business class cabin, the wide-array of amenities, and attentive service. Moreover, the onboard food was significantly better than U.S. domestic airlines. However, the plane and seats were old, the flight attendants vigorously enforced the rules, the IFE was weak, and the KrisFlyer business class lounge was very disappointing. I hope that the full integration into Singapore Airlines and renovations at Changi Terminal 2 improves on these weakness and leads to a more consistently positive experience. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Flight Overview This non-stop Delta flight from the Washington D.C. area which has now moved from IAD to BWI provided a comfortable and convenient ride to Cancun, Mexico. Pros-Non-Stop Service to Cancun, Newly Upholstered and Comfortable Seat, Friendly Crew Cons-Slow Boarding Process, Old IFE System, Limited IFE Selection, No USB Power Relaxing in Cancun Report Relaxing in Cancun Overview Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Washington Dulles Review Delta 737-800 IAD-CUN Flight Review Hyatt Zilara Cancun Review Boarding After a visit to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse my traveling companions and I took a long walk from the lounge down to our departure gate B78 at the far end of the B terminal. As we walked I was happy to be traveling with two friends even though it was strange to be traveling without Christina. We were traveling during the federal government shutdown and there had been reports of long lines at security around the country but all of us made it quickly through security. On the way to our gate I ran into an alumnus of my college who was headed with her family to vacation in the Cancun area. It was nice to randomly run into someone I knew at the airport.  Dulles Gate B78 At check-in the flight was full in economy but ended up having two empty First Class seats even after all upgrades were processed. This was not surprising because neither Dulles or Cancun are Delta hubs and Cancun is primarily a leisure destination making this a rare non-hub to hub flight for Delta. Since I flew this flight in the winter of 2019 Delta moved the flight from IAD to Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) which makes sense since BWI is a more leisure focused airport. I was annoyed that I did not have Delta status since I could have easily ended up with a First Class upgrade. Because of the empty First Class cabin I was offered a $169 First Class upgrade at check-in which I would have gladly accepted if I was flying with Christina. However, I declined it since I was flying without her and my friends were flying in economy. Despite the 7:50 am boarding time boarding did not begin until 8:10 am because of large number of passport checks and gate-checked bags. Despite the late start boarding was completed in 25 minutes and economy ended up going out with empty seats which I assumed was due to passengers missing the flight.  Boeing 737-800 Plane and Seats On this flight I was flying a Boeing 737-800 arranged in a standard 3-3 economy configuration with approximately 17 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch. As I headed to my seat 20C, a standard economy aisle seat on the left hand side, I noticed the fresh and stylish blue upholstery on the economy seats. Delta clearly had recently replaced the upholstery and I appreciated the updated look. The seat was nicely padded and comfortable but did not have a headrest which would be annoying on a late night or early morning flight when a passenger is trying to rest.  737-800 Economy Seats Once passengers completed boarding the captain announced that we could not depart because of a maintenance issue. Once the issue was fixed we still didn't move because we needed a driver to move us back from the gate since there was a ton of ice and snow on the ground. We ended up departing at 9:05 am about 20 minutes late for our approximately 3-and-a-half-hour flight. As we took off we saw the ice and snow and I was very happy to be escaping the Washington D.C. winter for Cancun, Mexico.  Delta 737-800 Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment After boarding was completed the flight attendants came through the economy cabin with complimentary headphones. This is a staple on Delta's international flights. The headphones Delta offers are cheap headphones so I always bring my own noise cancelling headphones, but they are still better than nothing in the era of cost cutting and fees. The area where Delta was really weak on this flight was in-flight entertainment (IFE). This 737-800 featured an old Delta IFE system with a small screen and poor resolution. The IFE also did not have USB power and economy passengers had to rely on the two shared AC power outlets for every three seats. Finally, the IFE selection on this flight was not strong and it had relatively few new releases. I ended up watching Mission Impossible Fallout.  737-800 IFE Food and Drinks
The start of the flight was quite bumpy and the captain asked that the flight attendants and passengers remained seated. This delayed the start of the flight food and drink service. Despite the turbulence passengers continued to walk about the cabin and flight attendants continually asked passengers to remain seated for their safety. After about 30 minutes food and drink service commenced. There was no complimentary food served in economy on this flight. However, there was a buy on board menu which included a choice between a Protein Box and a Turkey Maple Sandwich. Since I had already eaten in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and I was headed to an all-inclusive resort I decided to pass on buying a meal. However, the flight did include Delta's standard complementary snacks including Biscoff cookies, Kind bars, snack mix, and peanuts. Service Service on this flight overall was friendly. There were a total of four flight attendants working economy. The flight attendants were firm but not mean making sure that passengers sat down during turbulence. When they came by for snack service the flight attendants offered two snacks and chatted in a friendly manner with passengers. The flight attendants made several announcements to keep passengers informed and were friendly each time. While the cabin was kept dark for most of the time during this morning flight the flight attendants did come by with a water service with about 20 minutes left in the flight. Take Away My flight on Delta's 737-800 non-stop from Washington Dulles to Cancun provided a newly upholstered and comfortable seat coupled with friendly service. However, the boarding process was slow, the IFE system needed to be refreshed, there was no USB power, and the IFE selection was limited. Despite several drawbacks including the age of the plane I would choose to take this flight because of the convience of taking a non-stop versus a connecting flight. |
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