Schedule changes are really no surprise in the travel game, but they are decidedly not fun. A few days ago I received an automated call from Delta to let me know that there was a schedule change that would make one of my connections in an upcoming trip illegal. Taking a deep breath, I logged in and started poking around to see what had happened.
Alas, it was what I had feared – the flight from JFK to Mexico City had been shifted. While it involved a huge upgrade on the equipment involved (a 787-800 with 2x2x2 seating to a 787-900 with 1x2x1 seating), it led to only an hour and a half to make my way through Immigration and Customs, and then manage to board my next flight. With the flight having a history of 30+ minute delays, this was clearly not going to work.
Thankfully, a Delta agent was happy to get things sorted out and rebook me with legal connections. Unfortunately, I won’t be flying on a Dreamliner this year after all. 🙁
Recently I had the opportunity to fly on what I like to refer to (affectionately, of course) as a narrow wide-body. Delta has a handful of Boeing 767-300 (not ER or LR, mind you) that have their first class in a 2x2x2 configuration. These seats are standard recline only, not angled or lie-flat as other 767s you might encounter, so don’t get too excited when you see what you’ll be flying!
If you get there early enough, you can see the walk-about
As it is a 767, it is configured with two aisles going down the length of the plane, so it is by definition a wide-body. The “narrow” part comes down to the seats in first class. Let’s look at a few different planes, shall we? Pay attention to the seat width and pitch between first class in all of them.
We’ll start with a few smaller planes… the CRJ-900, ERJ-175, and MD-88.
As you can see, all three feature a 37 inch pitch (how far you can recline), with nearly 20 inch wide seats in first class.
Next, we’ll look at a couple of larger planes: B737-900ER and the B757-300. Both of these can be used for transcontinental routes, so it isn’t any surprise that they have wider seats.
Finally, we come to the 767-300 that Delta uses for domestic non-DeltaOne routes.
B767-300: 18.5” width, 37-38” pitch
That’s right – it has narrower seats than the CRJ-900. The pitch is certainly appreciated, but don’t expect as roomy of a seat as any of the planes mentioned above.
The Cabin
First class in a 2x2x2 configuration
When you step onto the plane, your first thought might be “is this from the 80s?” And personally, I don’t think you’d be far off. From the seats…
Tiiiiiiiiiiiiny.
To the in-flight entertainment…
At least it tilts?
To the over-head controls…
To the storage bins.
Don’t expect to fit larger bags up here.
The storage bins on the outsides of the aisles could only fit a standard roll-aboard bag rotated length-wise. Travel light if you find yourself on one of these birds!
Now, I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t enjoy myself on this flight, because in all honesty I did. That is a testament to the attitude and attentiveness of the Delta flight crew, no two ways about it. The crew is 80% of why I fly Delta, and this flight was no exception in that regard.
We were greeted with smiles and the crew made sure everyone was able to get settled in with minimal issues. Once in the air, the captain let us know that thanks to a nice tailwind, we would be arriving early (the other part of why I love flying Delta – I’m always at least on time, and often early) in Atlanta.
Lunch
We were given options between a salmon salad and mushroom lasagna for our lunches, and I opted for the salmon salad.
The entrée
The salmon was served on a bed of baby spinach and accompanied by purple potatoes (which happen to be my favorite) and cabbage “pasta” with small peppers. The balance between acidity and spice was perfect for eating in a pressurized cabin in the sky, and it would have gone perfectly with a nice Chardonnay.
Dessert!
Dessert was a delicious fruit/cheese medley. I opted not for the sweeter dessert that was offered, though, so I can’t comment on that.
The remainder of the flight proved to be uneventful. There was a little turbulence through the northern part of Texas, but we landed early as promised by the pilot! Overall, it was quite an enjoyable trip.
On a recent trip from JFK to San Diego, I had a chance to see Delta’s new menu for their complimentary meals. What I found interesting was that the offerings were different from their Flight Fuel menu. Additionally, in addition to splitting it up into “Eastbound” and “Westbound”, it is further divided into three distinct meals.
I thought it was a nice touch to also have the routes that the menu applied to. Certainly makes it easier to find out exactly what your offerings will be!
I opted for the cheese plate (I can never say no to cheese!), and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cheese, even if it was a little broken. 😉
It’s no secret that I spend a somewhat ridiculous amount of time on the road, so I thought I would share my coping mechanisms for staying sane in the air and on the road. Though my main source of entertainment is my phone (music, movies, podcasts… it does it all!), I also love having my Kindle handy.
Kindle Paperwhite
The device for the bibliophile, the Kindle has saved me from countless hours of boredom. The ability to go from book to book on a whim, and having access to hundreds or thousands of titles is truly mind-blowing when you stop to think about it. I recently finished reading “The Bear and the Nightingale” and “The Winds of Khalakovo“, and have started a few more. After having my Kindle for a few months, I can’t imagine life without my Kindle.
Podcasts
ars PARADOXICA – Secrets. The Cold War. Time Travel. Physics. ars PARADOXICA is a thrilling audio drama for those that enjoy believable science-fiction and being kept on the edge of their seats. Season 3 is coming this year!
Black List Table Reads – Hosted by Franklin Leonard, the Black List Table Reads is all about ear movies. Every season, screenwriters are interviewed, writing processes are discussed, and you get a sneak peek into the way movies are made from the ground up. Mixed in, you will be given stories with professional voice actors. Some of my favorites include “Jody“, “Forever Jaying, 1937“, “Celeritas“, “Chrome Noir“, and “The Other Side“. Definitely worth checking out!
Cabin Pressure – Originally radio series produced by the BBC, Cabin Pressure was created by John Finnemore, and stars him as well. Other members of the cast include Roger Allam (yes, from Game of Thrones), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, Sherlock, and oh so many other productions), and Stephanie Cole. As someone who loves flying, Cabin Pressure is a hilarious take on the lives on the lives of the employees of a small charter company.
NPR’s Invisibilia – Taken from the NPR program’s page: Invisibilia (Latin for invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.
NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me – Taken from NPR’s program page: Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! is NPR’s weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what’s real news and what’s made up. On the Web, you can play along too.
The Adventure Zone – Dungeons & Dragons. So many memories! The Adventure Zone follows the McElroy family (Justin, Travis, Griffin, and Clint) as they make their way through a campaign. Though a little rough at the start, the personality of the characters really comes through.
The Strange Case of Starship Iris – Though another science fiction radio drama, The Strange Case of Starship Iris follows the life of Violet Liu, a biologist, as she struggles to make sense of life after humanity’s war against an extraterrestrial species. And that is all I can say without spoilers.
Google Play Subscription
Much like Pandora or Spotify, Google offers a subscription service for Google Play Music. Pricing varies from $9.99 for an individual or $14.99 for a family plan, where up go 6 individuals can share a membership. This allows for unlimited (ad-free) listening, downloading, and YouTube RED.
Netflix / Amazon Prime Downloadable Content
Amazon introduced offline viewing of content for the primary member of a Prime family (or individual, for individual memberships) in 2015. In November 2016, Netflix followed with offering offline viewing of content. Since then, their offline library has grown considerably, though it should be noted that it doesn’t encompass their entire streaming library. Also, Netflix has a hidden limit on how many times you can download a given title. This is a little frustrating as you don’t know you’re reaching the limit until you’re almost there. Both services have limits on how much content you can have downloaded, and you should only ever delete content when you are connected to a network (cellular or WiFi) to ensure that it properly cleans up the licensing behind the scenes, allowing you to download a new title.
I’m really looking forward to being able to take a ride on Aeromexico’s 787 service from New York-JFK to Mexico City, on my way to Cabo San Lucas. Thanks to stockpiled Citi ThankYou and Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I was able to book two business class tickets for half the price I would spend, otherwise.
The -800 variant is arranged in a 2x2x2 configuration in business class, which means there’s limited aisle access, so getting in and out might get a little tricky. Shouldn’t be any more awkward than the Club World seating on British Airways 777s! 😉 Note that the -900 variant, also flown by Aeromexico, has a 1x2x1 configuration with aisle access for all! Aeromexico is also known for having an excellent in-flight experience, so I’m quite looking forward to seeing just how it stacks up, in person!
For those not aware, the 787’s cabinis pressurized to 6,000 feet as opposed to the standard 8,000 feet on most aircraft. This means the body is able to absorb oxygen more easily. What’s not to love about that? The Dreamliner also has an advanced air filtration system that also increases cabin humidity – moist tissues are happy tissues! As someone who spends (what some might consider) an obscene amount of time in the air, I am really looking forward to this experience. Check out all the tech that goes into this amazing plane!
For those that follow me, you know that Delta hassurprisedme in the past with Porsche rides. Between the operational record, excellent customer service, and surprises like this, it should come as no surprise why I pick Delta consistently!
This weekend I had flown to Cedar Rapids, IA to attend a memorial service for a good friend and coworker of mine (James West). After two days of waking up at 4 AM for flights, I was running on fumes when I landed in Atlanta on my way to Raleigh (especially after arriving at the gate just in time to board the flight to Atlanta). My girlfriend and I were very pleasantly surprised to see Kevin of Delta Elite Services waiting for me at the door. He was an incredibly engaging and kept everyone in the car laughing for our drive… no small task given we had all been awake from far too early!
He walked us to the SkyClub in our next concourse and provided us with these brochures as well as his business card (not pictured for privacy reasons). I’ve actually never seen these brochures before, so it was twice as cool for me in that regard. Though the reason for the trip was somber, this was definitely a very welcome surprise. Thanks, Kevin!
Though I’ve lived in Raleigh a fair amount of time, I haven’t explored nearly as many of the restaurants as I would have liked to. Thankfully, my girlfriend is more than happy to help me do that!
Margaux’s has an interesting offering with heavy French influences, and it goes well beyond its name. The menu is divided into appetizers, salads & soups, permanent entrees, rotational entrees, village dining, and a prix fixe menu. Because of the sheer number of options, it can be a little overwhelming to make a decision!
My girlfriend can’t resist an authentic French onion soup, and Margaux’s did not disappoint! The Gruyere was perfectly crusted onto the bowl, and the onion was delicious in the broth. I went with the Choucroute Garnie, which was both very well presented as well as delicious.
Housemade Tasso, Chorizo, Andouille Sausage
For entrees, my girlfriend opted for lamb, while I went with triggerfish. I had actually never heard of triggerfish before, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect going in, but found it to be quite light.
Rosemary grilled lamb loin with gratin potatoes, apple-mint jelly & red wine reductionGrilled triggerfish on a bed of braised green lentils, artichokes & cipollini onions
The lamb was spectacular. If you have the opportunity – give it a shot before it is rotated out of season! I am definitely going to be coming back!
