Delta 757 Los Angeles International (LAX)-Washington National Airport (DCA) Economy Class Review

By Ramon

Ramon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. ​​

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Delta 757 LAX-DCA Economy Class Review

Flight Overview
A fast tail wind shaved nearly an hour off of this cross-country flight while the strong Delta Comfort+ offering made the experience enjoyable. ​
Pros- Strong Loyalty Recognition, Complimentary Economy Meal, Premium Comfort+ Snacks, Amazing Legroom, Strong In-Flight Entertainment, Early Arrival
​Cons- Exit Row Seat Restricted Width and Immovable Armrest, Poor Ground Experience  

Delta Boeing 757

Check-In
​I checked in a 5:30 am and no one was in the line. I was thanked for my loyalty and annoyingly pitched a Delta credit card. It was so early that no one was in the pre-check line! 

Delta Self-Check In Kiosks

At the time of my flight in February 2020 LAX was a construction zone with an open ceiling and a big mess. This was all a part of the massive, and still undergoing, renovation of Terminal 3 which was very much needed since the terminal at the time of trip looked really old and in need of a major refresh. The circular design and age of the terminal reminded me of the old Terminal A at DCA airport.

Delta Terminal B

I went to the Sky Club which at the time was unimpressive but since has undergone a major renovation. The renovation included adding a Sky Desk and the renovated version opened in April 2022 right on schedule. Overall, the construction and weak Sky Club made for a poor ground experience though I suspect that has significantly improved since my flight. ​

Delta SkyClub Sign

Boarding
​I got an alert that my flight was departing 10 minutes early. Something that also happened to Christina's flight the day before and can be very frustrating for any who left the gate to grab food or explore the terminal.
​
The flight from LAX to DCA on the Boeing 757 is designated as a premium Delta One flight. The means that there is enhanced service including meals in economy and lie flat seats. As a Delta Silver Medallion I was eligible for a same day upgrade to Delta One, however, on this popular route I didn't stand a chance of being upgraded. On the day of departure there were five open Delta One seats and five passengers were upgraded including 3 at the gate. At the gate I was 21 of 28 for an upgrade. 

​However, I did end up getting "upgraded" to Delta Comfort+ which is Delta's extra legroom economy seat and treated as a separate cabin on Delta. I was 3 of 5 on the Comfort+ upgrade list and all but one of us got upgraded to Comfort+. Since there were middle seats remaining, I assumed that the last person asked for only an aisle or window seat. ​

Plane and Seat
My Comfort+ seat was 18E which is one of only two seats in row 18 and located at the very front of the Comfort+cabin. This seat was technically a middle seat but was really an aisle seat since it is in the exit row and there were only two seats.

Comfort + Seats 18 D and E

The seat was really spacious with enough legroom for me to get up and move around which out bumping into anyone. These seats had a great location away from the rest of the economy cabin and the closest to the boarding door. The seats were also the closest to the bathroom which gave the perk of quick access to the bathroom but also came with the downside of a smelly bathroom towards the end of the flight. I also really liked that the seat had a bi-fold and moveable tray. This made it really easy to get up during meal service without having finished all of my food and drinks. 

The biggest downsides of the seat were the lack of under seat storage, an immovable armrest, and smaller width because the in-flight entertainment (IFE) is stored in the armrest. The IFE storage in the seat was annoying and meant that during takeoff and landing I was unable to watch the IFE. ​The two seats shared one power plug and because they were in the exit row only had a tiny exit row window. Despite these downsides I would recommend 18E and 18 D as perfect seats for traveling companions since they are isolated from the rest of economy cabin. 

Boeing 757 Bulkhead

There were two things I really appreciated about this 757. First, the ceiling height was higher than other narrow body planes which was nicer for a longer flight. Second, the plane had a sign that lights up when the Wi-Fi was activated which was a nice touch.

Boeing 757 In-Flight Signs

​The door was closed 10 minutes early and we were told that because of strong tail wind the flight would be 3 hours and 45 minutes. The estimated flight time was lightning fast compared to the scheduled flight time of 4 hours and 55 minutes. ​​

In-Flight Entertainment
As usual Delta's IFE was strong on this flight. While other airlines have removed IFE systems and require steaming on your own device Delta continues to commit to installing IFE systems. The IFE system offers the ability to track your flight, watch movies, television shows, live television through Dish Network, and the ability to listen to music. 

Delta IFE System

During the flight I really enjoyed watching the flight tracker to see how fast we were flying to DCA. I also watched the movie Gemini Man, and used Dish to watch live news on CNN. Delta's IFE system and offering continue to stand out above the competition.  ​

Delta IFE System

Food and Drinks
​About an hour into the flight meal service started. Because of my location at the front of the Comfort+ cabin I was the first person served an economy meal. The choices were either a ham and cheese bagel sandwich or fruit and cheese plate. I chose the ham and cheese bagel sandwich which came with a Cliff bar and grapes. This was solid for a cold meal. I really appreciated Delta offering complimentary meals on this long domestic flight. Because I was in Comfort+ I also could have ordered a complimentary alcoholic drink but decided not to order one this time.  

Ham and Cheese Bagel Sandwich with Snacks

​After meal service was done the crew came through for coffee service, followed by water service, and finally snack service. Because I was seated in Comfort+ the flight attendants offered premium snacks, typically the same one offered in Delta One and first class. These options included cheez-its, cookies, Oreo Thins, almonds, granola bar, and bananas.  I chose the Oreo Thins which were really good. I actually discovered I am a big fan of Oreo Thins from flying with Delta which shows just how effective partnerships which airlines can be for companies promoting products. 

Oreo Thins

Service 
The service at the airport was great and onboard service was solid though not as strong as the flight from DCA-LAX. I was surprised to be thanked for my loyalty at check-in even though I was just a Silver Medallion the lowest level of elite status. During the boarding process the flight attendant was also friendly and offered a warm greeting. However, the crew just wasn't as present throughout the flight as my flight over from DCA though they did complete the meal service quickly.  

Arrival
​We ended up hitting turbulence with about 29 minutes to go but that didn't stop us from arriving 3:13 pm which was 52 minutes ahead of schedule. Not as fast as original estimate but still quick.

Upon arrival I went to claim my bag. There was some confusion in this process since the bag ended up coming out dirty, but not damaged, and at a different DCA baggage claim that listed on the screen. However, I continue to be impressed by the speed of the Delta baggage claim which came out after only a 10-minute wait!

Delta DCA Baggage Claim

​​Take Away
​The Delta difference stood out on this flight. We arrived well ahead of schedule, the ground team demonstrated strong elite recognition, and the onboard experience was head and shoulders above the competition on transcontinental economy flights. Despite my exit row seat limitation, and since significantly upgrade ground experience, I would strongly recommend taking Delta from LAX to DCA.