With my Scotland trip report finally done, it’s time to move on to other things. I still have several trips to report on, but also a few “random” items in between. One such random trip was a spin in Delta One Suite A330-900neo on its premium transcontinental service from JFK to LA. Short take – it’s a big step-up over the outdated product on the 767-400. But would it match the Delta-inspired hype? I paid (way too much) cash for these tickets, to the tune of $1,548 each.
See also: my review of Premium Select on the A330-900neo from Minneapolis to Paris in 2023.
Delta Air Lines (DL) Flight 738
- Saturday, April 19, 2025
- Depart: New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 4, Gate B37, 14:54, 6m early
- Arrive: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Terminal 3, Gate 30A, 18:04, 11m early
- Duration: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Seats: 2C, 2G
- Equipment: Airbus A330-900neo
Check-In and Boarding
Delta really does provide a fully seamless experience starting at check-in at JFK. After arriving via the subway and AirTrain, my son and I headed for the dedicated Delta One check-in area at Terminal 4.
An agent quickly greeted us and checked our boarding passes. After verifying we had no bags to check, she pointed the way to the dedicated Delta One security check. Before heading down, I snapped a few photos of the check-in area. There are numerous check-in desks, meaning you should never have a meaningful wait.
If you need more substantial assistance, there are additional agents available at separate desks. Or you can just relax in the sitting area for a few minutes before heading to security.
Once you’re ready, you head down a private corridor to a separate security area.
Pre-check took all of two minutes, and then you arrive directly to the entrance of the Delta One Lounge. I’ll have a separate post about the lounge later (spoiler: it’s very good).
This is really an exceptional offering, comparable to what I found at Abu Dhabi when flying Etihad First. I haven’t had a chance to try American’s Flagship check-in at JFK. My son and I have a joyride in transcontinental Business scheduled in a couple of weeks. Hopefully we’ll have time to check it out. But it certainly has a high bar to clear compared to what Delta offers.
Anyway, we arrived at the gate a few minutes before scheduled boarding. Boarding began right on time, and the gate agent welcomed Delta One passengers on board in short order.
Delta One Suites A330-900neo – Seating and Interior
Delta One on the A330-900neo consists of 29 Thompson Aero Vantage suites in a 1-2-1 configuration. (The 29th seat is an orphaned window seat in Row 8, Seat 8A.) These are similar to the Delta One suites on the A350-900, though those are Thompson Vantage XL seats. On the A330-900neo, Delta One seats measure 22″ wide, and fold into a 76″ flat bed. For those keeping score at home, that’s actually 1.5″ wider than the seat on the A350-900.
The seats themselves look quite similar to those on the A350, and include the same staggered configuration. In odd rows, the seat is closer to the aisle, with a large storage shelf by the window. Meanwhile, in even rows, the seat is against the window, with the shelf on the aisle side. Since my son and I were traveling together, I selected a pair of center seats.
If you value privacy, the odd-numbered window seats are the way to go. But unlike modern reverse herringbone designs, you do have decent options if you want to talk to your neighbor. Since they face forward without an angle, the center seats actually allow you to talk to your seatmate without too much effort. (If you don’t want to socialize, you can raise the partition between seats.)
My son certainly approved of the seat…
One of the major issues with Delta’s 767 Business Class seats is the narrow footwells. The A330-900neo is much better in this regard; I found foot space adequate in both upright and bed mode.
Delta provides a pretty good pillow and fair blanket to transcontinental Delta One passengers. The bedding in particular isn’t world-beating, but good enough for a daytime flight. I found the seat itself comfortable in bed mode.
And of course, there’s the suite door. While in lie-flat mode, it does provide a modicum of privacy from the aisle. But like most Business Class suites, you’re not exactly invisible from those walking down the aisle. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you’re in a seat immediately adjacent to the aisle, the bed is right up against the door. That may feel confining to some. And I’ll concede that it’s a little awkward to have to swing out your feet directly into the aisle if in flat bed mode.
As for seat storage, this consists of the oversized shelf at each seat, along with a small cubby under the armrest, by the seat controls. One thing I did notice – despite this plane being fairly new, there’s quite a bit of dust and wear already starting to build up.
Speaking of seat controls, you can find basic seat and lighting controls on the armrest.
At the top of the storage shelf is a more comprehensive control panel. The visuals make it reasonably easy to use, with the seat position fully customizable. You should have no trouble getting comfortable.
As far as the cabin itself, something feels just a bit off about everything. While it’s bright and airy, it feel a bit…cold, maybe? The bright white finishes just don’t give a particularly warm and premium vibe. My guess is the finishes will also get scuffed up pretty quickly. I do like the suite lighting, though, and the A339 is noticeably quieter at cruise than a standard A330.
When it comes to amenities, Delta One passengers receive a small “Missoni” amenity kit. It’s a fairly basic kit, with socks, eyeshades, lip balm, face cream, and a dental kit.
Overall, I give high marks to the seat on the A330-900. The seat itself is comfortable, and the layout does provide choices depending on what you value most. There are a few quirks, and if it’s privacy you want, you do need to choose wisely. But overall, it’s a very solid hard product.
In-Flight Entertainment
Front and center in the A330-900neo is an 18.5″ touch screen display. I found the resolution quite sharp, much better than older products like the 767.
Passengers receive the same Delta Studio entertainment as any other Delta flight. If you want, you can also access the same content on a personal device via WiFi. There is an extensive selection of movies, TVs, games, and kids programming. You’ll have plenty to keep you occupied, whether it’s a transcon or a flight to Asia. (Now if only somebody would bring back the Golf Simulator…)
There is also a selection of live TV programming, along with a few streaming services like Hulu and Showtime.
The flight map, meanwhile, is the usual system Delta offers, which is quite good. (Assuming, of course, you’re a map-obsessed avgeek like me.)
Each passenger receives a set of over-the-ear headphones. While these are significantly better than the old LSTN headphones, they’re just OK overall.
Each suite comes equipped with a combination 110v/USB-A outlet at each seat next to the seat controller. There’s also an additional USB right next to the power port.
Like all other Delta aircraft, all passengers receive free WiFi, as long as you’re a SkyMiles member. Before you get too excited, though, it is still the same old GoGo. It’s free, and certainly better than it used to be, but don’t expect lightning fast speeds or anything. Still, good enough for basic social media and for my son to watch Super Mario videos on YouTube, though with occasional buffering.
Delta One Suites A330-900neo – Food, Beverage, and Service
Service began shortly after boarding with an offer of a pre-departure beverage. On international Delta One flights, Delta serves Taittinger Brut La Française, a pretty good mid-range offering. On transcontinental flights, though, it’s just generic sparkling wine. I took one anyway for the obligatory champagne selfie.
While I don’t recall seeing printed menus on this flight, I did pull them up on the app later and took screenshots. During boarding, the FAs came by and confirmed pre-orders, or took orders for those who didn’t. For what it’s worth, the wine list actually wasn’t terrible on this flight. There were some interesting selections, most of which rate pretty decently.
I must say, it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time for food service to start after takeoff. In fact, it took a good 55 minutes to receive our beverage and mixed nuts. With beef coming up for the main course, I ordered the Spanish Rioja to drink. I took a liking to Riojas after a trip to Sevilla back in 2023. This one is “quaffable” as the wine connoisseur might say. Perfectly acceptable for a < $20 bottle, with some nice dark fruit and vanilla flavors. Also bonus points to Delta for including pistachios and pecans in the ramekin of nuts.
Very quickly thereafter, the FAs brought the main course. Both my son and I pre-ordered the pastrami short rib.
I did find it a little off-putting that the FAs decided to serve everything on one tray. I totally get the desire for efficiency. But it took nearly an hour to bring the food out, and this was a daytime westbound flight. That just doesn’t feel very premium to me. Anyway, the beef wasn’t as good as the short rib I enjoyed on my A321neo flight from Boston to San Diego, but it was perfectly fine. I seem to strike out frequently with beef in the air, but this was cooked acceptably. And as a bonus, it was a decent cut, without any hints of freezer burn. For the rest of the meal, I enjoyed the shrimp and the salad, though the cornbread was dry.
I ate a bit in the lounge before the flight, so I passed entirely on dessert. A couple of hours after lunch, I asked for a Woodford to sip on and cap things off. (Notice the nut ramekin from before lunch still sitting there – not cool.)
About an hour or so before landing, the FAs served a warm cookie. Certainly nothing wrong with that, but sorry, I forgot to take a photo.
So overall, the food and beverage was fine, but service is what I thought missed the mark here. On the plus side, as I’ve come to expect on Delta, the crew was kind. And the FA on my son’s side of the aisle took really nice care of him. He kind of picked at his food, and she asked a couple of times if we could bring him something else. But there just seemed to be a real lack of urgency and efficiency.
I don’t care about a drawn-out meal service, especially on a westbound daytime flight. But not starting service for nearly an hour, and then trying to “express dine” the whole thing, just doesn’t provide a premium experience. Nor do misses like not clearing the nut ramekin for more than 3 hours. It’s little things, yes, but little things make the difference when deciding where to plunk down big bucks or miles on Business Class.
With a pair of middle seats, I had to forego flightseeing on this leg.
Final Thoughts
Delta really likes to hype up its Delta One Suites, but does it meet the mark? I’d say, not quite. If we’re talking purely the seat, it’s a great product. American’s new A321XLR will probably match it, but it’s a solid Business Class product regardless. And there’s no question, the Delta One check-in and lounge experience blows away what American and United offer. What disappointed on this flight was service, which didn’t feel very premium at all. Maybe what I experienced was an aberration, but that drops it to a 4-star experience instead of world beating in my opinion.
Airbus A330-900neo: Key Specs at a Glance
The Airbus A330-900neo, commonly shortened to A339, is a re-engined widebody built on the decades-proven A330 airframe. The “neo” (new engine option) generation swaps in Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans that deliver a meaningful jump in fuel efficiency and a noticeably quieter cabin versus the older A330ceo. For passengers, the practical result is a comfortable, long-range widebody that many carriers have deployed on transatlantic and transcontinental routes where a full A350 would be more capacity than the market needs.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aircraft designation | Airbus A330-900neo (A339) |
| Engines | 2x Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 |
| Maximum range | Approximately 7,350 nautical miles |
| Typical three-class capacity | Around 260 to 300 passengers, configuration-dependent |
| Entry into service | December 2018 (launch customer: TAP Air Portugal) |
| Delta total seats | 281 (29 Delta One, 28 Premium Select, 56 Comfort+, 168 Main Cabin) |
| Delta One seat | Thompson Vantage XL, 22.5 in wide, 79 to 80 in flat bed, 1-2-1 staggered |
| Delta One IFE | 18.5 in touchscreen, Delta Studio, live TV, Paramount+ and YouTube |
| Power and WiFi | 110v + USB-A at every seat; free Delta Sync WiFi (presented by T-Mobile) for SkyMiles members |
Which Airlines Fly the Airbus A330-900neo?
TAP Air Portugal put the A330-900neo into revenue service in December 2018 and remains one of the type’s most visible operators on transatlantic routes out of Lisbon. Delta Air Lines is the most significant US operator, deploying the aircraft on premium transcontinental routes such as JFK to LAX as well as transatlantic flying. Other carriers that have taken delivery of the A339 include Condor, ITA Airways, and Cebu Pacific, and the operator list continues to grow as airlines look for a fuel-efficient widebody for mid-range international routes. For travelers based in North America, Delta is by far the most common encounter with the type, which is why the airline’s Delta One configuration has become something of a reference point for how the A339 performs as a premium product.
A330-900neo vs A350: Which Delta Widebody Should You Prefer?
This is the question that comes up most often among travelers who have a choice between the two aircraft, and the answer depends on what you are optimizing for. Both types fly Delta One suites built on the Thompson Vantage XL platform, so the two seats share a common lineage. Counterintuitively, the A339 seat measures 22.5 inches wide compared to 20.5 inches on the A350-900, making it the wider of the two despite flying on the smaller jet. The flat-bed length on the A339 runs 79 to 80 inches, slightly longer than the roughly 76 to 77 inches on the A350-900, so the A330-900neo actually has the edge on both width and bed length.
The A350-900 is the longer-range aircraft, built for routes that can push past 8,000 nautical miles, while the A330-900neo is optimized for routes up to roughly 7,350 nautical miles. On transatlantic routes Delta commonly flies both types, so the practical difference at the cabin level is modest. If you are choosing between the two purely on seat comfort, the slightly wider A339 suite is an underappreciated advantage, as the review above notes. Those flying a New York to Los Angeles transcon will almost certainly be on the A330-900neo rather than the A350, and the hard product holds up well even on a sub-seven-hour day flight. See how the A350-900 Delta One suite compares on a transatlantic segment for a side-by-side sense of the differences in practice.
For travelers considering the other cabins on the same aircraft, Premium Select on the same A330-900neo is a meaningfully different value proposition at a fraction of the Delta One fare.
Is Delta One on the A330-900neo Worth It?
The hard product and the ground experience make a strong case. The Thompson Vantage XL suite is spacious, private, and more generous in seat width than the A350 equivalent. The JFK Delta One check-in, private security corridor, and lounge access are genuinely premium, competitive with the best domestic ground experiences at any US carrier. Free Delta Sync WiFi for SkyMiles members is a practical bonus on a daytime transcon where most passengers want to stay connected rather than sleep.
Where the calculus gets harder is the soft product and the fare. On a daytime transcontinental segment, the service pacing that many passengers notice, including a long gap before initial service begins, does not always match the premium positioning. The bedding is adequate but not exceptional for a daytime flight. At full cash fares, the return on investment depends heavily on whether you specifically value the JFK lounge access and the suite door, or whether you are primarily trying to work and arrive reasonably comfortable. Travelers who can book with SkyMiles at a reasonable redemption rate will find the hard product easy to recommend. Those paying full cash for a sub-seven-hour daytime flight should at minimum weigh whether Premium Select at a fraction of the price meets their actual needs for the segment.
The sweet spot: couples or travel companions who want to sit together and can take the center pair (even rows), and solo travelers willing to select an odd-row window for maximum privacy. The Delta One suite on a long-haul to Shanghai is a different calculation entirely, where the hard product’s strengths have more time to show and the fare premium over economy is easier to justify.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Seats Does the Airbus A330-900neo Have?
It varies by airline and configuration. Delta configures its A330-900neo with 281 seats total: 29 Delta One suites, 28 Premium Select, 56 Comfort+, and 168 Main Cabin. Other operators configure the aircraft differently, so the total passenger count can range from roughly 260 to 300 depending on the cabin mix a carrier chooses.
Which Airlines Fly the Airbus A330-900neo?
TAP Air Portugal was the launch customer when the type entered service in December 2018. Delta Air Lines is the largest US operator. Other airlines flying the A339 include Condor, ITA Airways, and Cebu Pacific, among a growing list of carriers deploying the type on transatlantic and medium-to-long-haul international routes.
What Is the Difference Between the A330-900neo and the A350?
Both are Airbus widebodies, but the A350 is built for longer routes and typically carries more passengers, while the A330-900neo targets routes up to about 7,350 nautical miles. On Delta, both types use Thompson Vantage XL suites in the Delta One cabin, but the A330-900neo seat is actually about 2 inches wider than the A350-900 seat (22.5 inches versus 20.5 inches), making the smaller aircraft the roomier choice at the seat level.
What Engines Power the A330-900neo?
Two Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans. They are the key change from the older A330ceo, delivering better fuel efficiency and a quieter cabin at cruise altitude, which is noticeable compared to earlier A330 variants.
What Is the Range of the Airbus A330-900neo?
Up to approximately 7,350 nautical miles in a typical airline configuration, which covers most transatlantic routes and many transpacific segments. It is not a true ultra-long-haul aircraft in the way the A350-900ULR or 777X would be, but it comfortably handles the routes most carriers deploy it on.
Is Delta One on the A330-900neo Worth It?
The seat and the ground experience are genuinely excellent, especially the JFK Delta One Lounge and private check-in corridor. Service pacing and soft product quality on transcontinental segments can be inconsistent, which makes the value case strongest when booking with SkyMiles at a favorable rate rather than at full cash fares. Travelers who specifically want the JFK lounge access and a private suite on a daytime transcon will find it a strong product; those primarily trying to sleep across the Pacific will find even more to like on a longer routing.
