Flight: Delta Air Lines flight DL40, Sydney to Los Angeles
Frequency and duration: Seven times a week, about 13 hours
Class and price: Delta Premium Select return (refundable) from $4415
I am getting ready to take my first long-haul flight, onboard an Airbus A350-900 operated by US airline Delta. I am not really sure what to expect, but telling more experienced travellers I will be flying a more comfortable version of economy they assure me I won't have a worry in the world.
CHECKING IN: I checked in via the Delta Fly app overnight and after arriving more than three hours before departure, dropping off my luggage is a breeze with no line at the well-staffed and friendly Delta desk. Check-in baggage allowance is 23 kilograms with one carry-on and a personal item (like a laptop bag) allowed on board.
THE FLIGHT: Premium Select passengers board just after those sitting at the very pointy end. The plane taxis from the gate at 10.15am on the dot, our scheduled departure time. And we're in the air by 10.30am with smooth air all the way to LA. We touch down at 5.10am local time which poses a problem. US customs at LAX does not open until 6am which means we have to stay seated on the tarmac for 50 minutes before they can let us off the plane.
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THE CLASS: I'm in the aisle seat in a 2-4-2 cabin layout in the 48-seat Premium Select class. The seat width is 47 centimetres, which is three centimetres wider than the main cabin, but the pitch at 97 centimetres is a full 16-18 centimetres more. I have a pillow, blanket and a small goodie bag, including an eye mask, toothbrush and paste, lip balm, socks and earplugs. The warm towels are doled out about 20 minutes in. So bougie, but actually quite refreshing.
FOOD & DRINKS: I departed Sydney late morning and I will land in LA around sunrise on the same day. Despite this, the crew are determined to make us journey through a perpetual night. After a round of drinks when we hit cruising altitude, dinner is wheeled out an hour after take-off. I have a flavourful beetroot ravioli with creamy mushroom sauce. The alternative is chicken cacciatore with polenta. Drinks are readily available through the flight, though I am keen to stick to water through the trip. The next substantial snack is a delightful veggie and cheese pide, served about seven hours into the flight. Breakfast arrives at what would be 10pm Sydney time. I opt for the bircher muesli, a seemingly mysterious and novel dish for a number of the Americans seated around me.
ENTERTAINMENT: Life is so busy, so I am determined to use this time to do something I have so little time for these days. Read from a physical page. My plans are scuttled when I return from the bathroom about three hours into the flight to find the cabin lights have been completely dimmed. Breaking my screen sobriety, I dive in to find a decent range of newly released and classic movies. I opt for Priscilla, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Labyrinth. It's a fairly easy-to-navigate touch-screen affair, though I have to ask my neighbour where I plug in my headphones.
THE SERVICE: The flight attendants are friendly, relaxed and easy to find. Staff serving food wear gloves and face masks through the flight, which seems arduous, but it is appreciated.
IN A NUTSHELL: For a pretty nervous flier, this smooth flight is boring in the best possible way.
EXPLORE MORE: delta.com
The writer was a guest of Delta Air Lines.
