Three courses of plant-based dining, lie-flat seats and free access to the Oscar nominees I’d forgotten I wanted to see is exactly what the doctor ordered when stuck in the air for 6+ hours.
Flying between JFK and west coast hubs LAX and SFO is no longer an opportunity for an easy comp upgrade to Biz Elite for medallions. Diamonds and platinums can use a regional upgrade certificate for the bump, but it’s no longer an automatic move, even if space is available. Based on the last-minute popularity of business class with the NY-based, black card-booking jetset, JFK no longer feels the need to give them away to coach-paying frequent fliers. That said, the new-ish Delta One cabin seats, amenities and meals that come with them are totally worth the 12.5k miles for a one way upgrade.
The set up is lovely - Westin’s Heavenly comforter and pillow set and the bottomless bubbles are a welcome touch on nighttime flights. Aside from privacy when applying face sheet masks, at least for adventurous and dietary restriction-free among us, dining can be the most important part of any in-flight experience. So, how did Delta do working a vegan meal into their Michael Chiarello-designed BusinessElite menu?
Aside from not having a printed card of what was actually served, pretty great.
The Meal:
Mini salad with cucumbers and tomatoes
sliced oranges, honeydew and grapefruit
Vegetable platter with chickpea salad, curried lentils, roasted yellow squash and asparagus
falafel patties, steamed green squash, sauteed spinach and roasted sweet potato slices
No vegan dessert so I went for a glass of wine instead
All in all, I returned home not starving, rested and with zero back pain. Delta One is a lovely way to unload a few miles in exchange for comfortable travel between coasts.