Review of Delta Air Lines Premium Select and Accessibility

It’s been several years since I’ve been on a long-haul flight and in the lead up to travelling to the US, I was super busy organising everything to make life as smooth as possible for the family at home. Knowing this, I was keen to have the most comfortable trip possible. As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, I used a travel agent to book my trip and early on I asked her about premium economy options. She came back to me with only one option and that was Delta Air Lines Premium Select. I asked why only one choice and she said it was by far the most competitive airline when it came to premium economy. I will admit to being a little unsure but that was only because I’d never flown Delta before. So, I turned to YouTube to see what the good people of the virtual world had to say. Generally, they seemed to give Delta’s Premium Select a thumbs up and after my flight I can add another vote of confidence to the airline’s premium economy offering.

Review of Delta Air Lines Premium Economy and Accessibility

The main features of Delta’s Premium Select which appealed to me were the reduced number of passengers in the cabin, the two, four, two seat configuration and the additional leg room afforded to the Premium Select seats. I long for space to stretch out and Premium Select delivered.

I also utilized the footrest throughout the flight. It was good to have some support and I found it stopped me from crossing my legs (it’s not good to cross your legs due to deep vein thrombosis risks). I didn’t see many people using their footrests, leading me to wonder if they realised it was even there.

Delta’s Premium Select seats are wider and recline a little further too. All invaluable on a long-haul flight. The free added bonus of Sky Priority provided me with priority check-in, boarding and my luggage was one of the first off the carousel. All these small elements made for a seamless travel experience.

Premium Select passengers receive noise cancelling headphones, an amenities kit and a comfy blanket to enhance their experience.

Mostly I find airline food is just a way of passing the time but I did find the food on Delta to be a step up from the usual offerings. I ate everything that was offered because it really was tasty.

The entertainment selection and the large seat back screen kept me entertained with new release movies I hadn’t had a chance to see at the cinema and old favourites like Gilmore Girls.

 

Delta Premium Select accessibility

I was enjoying my flight so much I was hopeful I’d find the access on the aircraft would live up to the rest of my experience. While I was happy with my Premium Select seating I was concerned about how someone with a disability would be able to transfer from an aisle wheelchair to the seat as the arm rests seemed fixed. When I asked a flight attendant if any of the Premium Select seating offered a different option she quickly flicked a switch and the arm rest disappeared, enabling a seamless transfer.

The flight I was on from Sydney to Los Angeles had an aisle chair onboard for assisting a passenger to the bathroom. The accessible bathroom is located in the economy cabin of the aircraft and has a partition which enables the crew to enlarge the bathroom to double the size of an average airline toilet cubicle. The flight attendant told me they have been able to accommodate a person and the aisle wheelchair within the cubicle. As I was travelling solo I was unable to see this in action. It sounds like it is a bit of a process so I recommend chatting to the crew when you board the aircraft so they understand your needs.

The Delta Air Lines website offers extensive information regarding the various disability services they offer so prior to booking I suggest taking a look to see they can meet your needs.

 

Connecting Delta domestic flights

My itinerary with Delta was Sydney to Los Angeles and then onto Orlando. I needed to clear immigration in Los Angeles collect my luggage and recheck it for the flight to Orlando. My bags were tagged through to Orlando by the check-in staff in Sydney so it was a seamless process of collecting them and then handing them over to baggage handlers in the arrival terminal. I then walked to the terminal nearby for my domestic flight to Orlando. The process from landing to arriving at the other terminal was just over one hour, so very smooth. There I was lucky enough to have access to the Delta Sky Club lounge which was the ideal spot to spend the three hours I had between flights.

Access to this lounge is available to passengers with Delta Sky Club membership or those with a Delta American Express credit card. The newly opened lounge offers a double bar, extensive food and beverage choices and facilities suitable for business travellers and leisure travellers. There are plenty of places to charge devices, work in privacy and meet with others.

I had researched the lounge before I departed Australia so I had a change of clothes, a pair of thongs (flip flops) for the shower and toiletries to freshen up in my hand luggage. I emerged feeling fresh and ready for the final five hours of travel. The bathrooms are spotless, towels fluffy and amenities mean you really don’t need to pack anything other than a change of clothes (that’s if you want to change). I’d left a wintery Sydney and was arriving into a hot and humid Orlando so a change was wise.

Access to a lounge definitely makes international travel more comfortable.

Delta One passengers travelling internationally and/or connecting off an international flight have access to the Sydney lounge (Plaza Premium temporarily and the Sky Team lounge when it reopens) and Sky Club lounges in the US.

If my return travel with Delta Premium Select is as comfortable as my first flight I’ll be a very happy traveller. As I mentioned at the start of this review, the airfare was highly competitive and none of the other airlines offered anything even close to the same airfare for a premium economy flight. I should also say that the Delta staff, from check-in to flight attendants, were friendly and helpful.

I paid for my flight and was under no obligation to write a review but as always, I love sharing my experiences in the hope of assisting others to travel. I did receive complimentary access to Delta’s Sky Club lounge in Los Angeles which was a lovely bonus.

You can read more about Delta Air Line’s Premium Select on their website.