Flight Review: Delta Boeing 767-300ER Delta One® – JFK-MLA

Delta announced several new destinations for this summer and I was lucky enough to fly to one last night. Last year, Delta let employees and passengers vote on where to fly next. Both Malta International Airport (MLA) and Sardinia’s Olbia-Costa Smeralda-Prince Karim Aga Khan IV Airport (OLB) were added 3x weekly for the summer. We had not been in Malta since 2015 and were looking to go back.

Anthony’s Take: Delta has the best ground operation with the Delta One® Lounges of any US carrier. That said, what you get on board in Delta One® varies greatly. Flights to/from Malta International Airport (MLA) are operated by Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. These are incredibly dated, offer no privacy, and are showing signs of wear (big time). The crew was excellent and the food was a mixed bag. It was a pleasant way to get to Malta, overall. The app made check-in easy and we had boarding passes on our phones.

Booking

When a rare award sale came around in April for tickets in all cabins, I jumped at the opportunity and snagged two seats in Delta Premium Select for 56,100 and upgraded these immediately using Global Upgrade Certificates. I could have booked these in Delta One® for 83,300 (including the 15% discount for having the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card), but I saved almost 60,000 miles for two tickets and used upgrades that I might not have otherwise used.

New York John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

We arrived on a Delta flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and went right to the Delta One® Lounge. I love this space and have reviewed it before. It just feels so much more luxe than anything American or United are offering.

The Dark Chocolate Soufflé in the sit-down restaurant is worth the trip alone.

Boarding

Boarding was on time, but a bit disorganized. Everyone started pushing forward and lining up. A mix of people (us included) boarded as they were not following any real order. We were on the aircraft quickly and settled in within a few minutes of boarding.

On-Board

On Delta’s Boeing 767-300ER, Delta One® contains 26 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Rows one through six each have four reverse herringbone-style seats with row seven having just two center seats. I selected seat 1C (with my husband in 1B). I always go for the bulkhead seats as the footwells are larger. These are the older seats and they are showing their age. They feel dated. These cabins need to be updated to the new product found on the Airbus A330-900 with fully enclosed seats with doors, but they’ll be retired before that happens.

At the seat was a large pillow, a duvet, a mattress pad, and Missoni slippers.. Polaris® bedding by Saks Fifth Avenue is far superior to what Delta offers, but I like the Missoni design and it does lend itself to feeling premium.

There was also a Missoni amenity kit, a water bottle, and headphones placed on the side table. These are the new amenity kits that come in five limited-edition seasonal colors. I think the one I received is called Malta Coast (aqua).

Seat Features

These Delta One® seats are good if you’re traveling with someone, but don’t provide much privacy when a stranger was seated next to you. The seat features standard controls for converting it into a lie-flat bed as well as controls for the entertainment system. The entertainment system offers a huge selection of movies and TV shows.

The screen itself was small and looked so old.

The controls feel old and clunky.

Each seat has a light, USB-A and standard power outlets, as well as a headphone jack. They also oddly had a phone jack (I’m not sure what that is used for these days).

Air vents and reading lights were overhead.

Pre-departure beverages were offered with a choice of orange juice or prosecco. I selected orange juice.

Food

Menus were already at each seat when we boarded. They detailed both meals as well as wine and other beverages. I had pre-ordered the Seared Salmon, which was not a choice on board. This was a big mistake as it was awful.

The meal started with warm mixed nuts and a choice of beverage. I had half cranberry juice and half club soda.

The meal started out well with a tray that contained Poached Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Soup, a Mixed Green salad, and a bread roll.

The main was disgusting. It smelled bad, was overcooked, and the flavors were just off. The rice was rock hard and the fish had so much on it that it was hard to tell it was salmon (it was also grey and not pink). I took a few bites and was done.

Dessert was served next and I had an ice cream sundae. This was perfect. The ice cream was soft and I loved the cherries, whipped cream, and cookie crumbles.

For breakfast, I opted for the Roasted Tomato and Cremini Mushroom Quiche. It was delicious and huge. It also came with sausage, a yogurt parfait, and a croissant.

A chocolate was passed out close to landing.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi on this flight was free for SkyMiles members and worked well throughout the entire flight.

Lavatory

There are two lavatories at the front of the plane. They were both standard and functional. The senior crew did what they could to spruce it up with flowers and some creative napkin tying.

The bathroom was kept pretty clean throughout the flight.

Service

The crew was excellent. These were super senior mamas in the best possible way. I enjoyed talking to all of them. Throughout the flight they offered refills and were constantly checking on passengers. They were funny, warm, and made the flight so enjoyable.

Overall Impression:

These aircraft need updating. The Delta One® Lounge is incredible and this is so sub-par. While I liked that I did not feel closed in the way I do in some seats, these are really dated and Delta needs to refresh them now.