Years ago Delta Air Lines stopped providing customers in international economy amenity kits. I can recall back in 2007 traveling to Europe for the first time, I flew Delta from New York JFK to Bucharest. On that flight I was provided with an amenity kit that included a bright red eye mask, cheap headphones, and earplugs. Soon after that flight, Delta discontinued providing customers in the main cabin amenity kit and blamed it on costs and 9/11 (like every other cut back in recent years). Now, a few years later, Delta is reintroducing long haul amenity kits for long-haul international fliers.
The new Delta “sleeper kit” for economy class passengers includes an eye mask and ear plugs to help make sleeping in the painfully small and unpadded seats in the upright position more comfortable. In addition to these new kits, Delta is upgraded their headphones this summer to include new in-ear budded pieces and these new headphones will be offered to both Domestic First and International Economy passengers.
Delta is also boasting about their new upgraded snack and beverage service on long haul flights, which now include individual sized full bottle of water on long-haul flights over 3850 miles (JFK to Germany & further East and all European transoceanic flights from SEA, MSP, DTW, ATL).
“In addition, on all trans-Atlantic flights of 3,850 miles or less from the U.S. to Europe, customers in the Economy cabin will receive a full-size bottle of water following meal service and updated snack offerings for morning and afternoon/evening arrivals. A mid-flight ice cream service will also be offered on these flights returning from Europe to the U.S. These service improvements will expand to longer-haul international flights in early summer”
The individualized bottles of water will be a nice upgrade to the economy class meal service as it will allow customers to stay seated when their thirst rises, but is hardly a true upgrade as water is already provided by flight attendants throughout the flight. I guess the true announcement to get excited about is the midflight ice cream (already available on many long haul flights) and upgraded pre-arrival snacks (yet to be announced).
My thoughts on this announcement: Yeah for upgraded meals and snacks, Who cares about an eye mask and ear plugs. I can unusually get ear plugs already from the FA when flying economy for free and I already have enough eye mask. What are your thoughts?
