Irresistible alternates between all cabins in pursuit of reviewing absolutely everything for our readers, but this time Business Class called, and so we could only heed. We took the flight after a full two weeks in Los Angeles and Costa Rica which was so exhausting we were desperate to get on the flight. Delta, you did not disappoint.
Pre-boarding and Pre-lounging
Firstly, there is a private entrance to the new Delta One Check-in at Terminal 3 in LAX, which was smug- inducing enough to take the edge off the fact that we’d arrived from Costa Rica with 5.5 hours to kill till the flight home. Fortunately there was a pre check-in lounge, with the usual beverages and snacks and comfortable sofas to relax in; a lounge before the lounge. Staff took care of the luggage until the obligatory three hours before check-in and we took that time to catch up on the news and do some work. Irresistible had only hours earlier been barred from entering a lounge in Costa Rica for reasons that at the time escaped us, in English and mixed- up Spanish, but on reflection, may have had something to do with the fact that we were with a different airline. No such confusions with Delta at LAX. Our pride was in tact.
Fast-track boarding
The Actual Lounge: Delta Sky Club
Once your jaw is no longer dropped by the scale and size of the LAX Delta Sky Club, you can book a shower and enjoy freshly made tacos, among other delectable morsels, including a French brie with sourdough bread. The lounge appears to go on forever, like a mini village with plenty of places to rest, relax and munch. It includes a cool bar that could be anywhere in the fashionable neighbourhoods of downtown L.A. rather than the airport.
The open-air all-weather Sky Deck with its retractable roof and relaxed seating across the whole deck, made this the most popular spot to hang out. A fully stocked bar helped too.
Pre-boarding experience 9/10
Only a helicopter pick up from the hotel would bring this score to 10!
On-board Experience 9/10
an adults-only cabin would have been nice!
DL41 leaves LAX at 10:30PM and arrives at Sydney International at 6:35AM
Remember you’ll land two days later when planning your trip.
Don’t panic you’ll miraculously get all that time back when you go the other way.
Flight time is approximately 15 hours
Delta’s Sustainability Journey
-Currently 25% of ground services equipment is electrified
-Delta’s Carbon Council is optimizing routing and speed, reducing the weight on flights, and working with air traffic control to find more efficient flight paths.
-they Have taken delivery of 13 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel
-delta has 43 next-generation aircraft, achieving on average 28% greater fuel efficiency
-The Implementation of amenity kits from Mexican apparel brand someone somewhere which empowers artisans (75% women) eliminated five single-use items on board, reducing plastic waste by up to 41, OOO Kgs
Perfect for heading home
to Australia after visiting Festivals
on the west coast, or having connected from other cities in the U.S.A. or Central America and the Caribbean.
A great option for coming to Australia
to visit festivals in Sydney or to connect to other Australian cities or regions.
You could try Sydney Film Festival, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Adelaide Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Darwin Festival, The Australian Open, Sydney Mardi Gras, or just come down and get lost.
On-board experience
Overhead bins are spacious enough for two-decent sized pieces of luggage, essential for carry-on only travellers, as the Irresistible team usually is. The window seat of the business class configuration is our favourite, as it feels very private and (almost) first class, with its sliding door and decent space.
Food and drink
White linen over the tray makes the food taste better, as does actual cutlery and glass, and in these respects Delta One is ahead of the game. Warm bread and champagne always wins. Jon & Vinny’s Braised Meatballs were recommended and they did not disappoint, they were succulent and tasty, and definitely restaurant quality.
Entertain me
A 16-inch screen feels like a cinema compared to using a phone for Netflix. The noise-cancelling headphones are top-notch, making sure the only interruptions were the flight attendant offering another round of snacks.
Sleep baby sleep
That was until the toddler a few rows down decided business class simply wasn’t good enough. Sleeping on a plane has never been our superpower, but the cosy doona and pillows felt like slumber heaven and we’d been sleeping like babies, until the actual baby voiced their discontent. Despite their best efforts, the extreme comfort onboard let the child’s squawks fall into the background of consciousness, and the team woke Irresistibly refreshed.
