A Look Inside Delta’s New Flagship A350 Business Suites!

Note:  This is a guest post from my brother and his review of the Delta’s New Flagship A350 Business Suites!  The suites look amazing and it has a noticeably different look and feel from my first Delta One experience. 

A Look Inside Delta’s New Flagship A350 Business Suites

About six months ago, Delta’s flagship aircraft – the Boeing 747 double-decker airliner that has earned itself the famous moniker as “Queen of the Skies” – completed its final flight. For passengers who have flown Delta One, Delta’s premium offering business class cabin, they can make the case that the Delta One experience on the Boeing 747 was superior to other Delta passenger jets. Given the large size of the Boeing 747 aircraft and a seating configuration that offers direct aisle access for every seat, the journey simply felt spacious and comfortable.

With the retirement of the Boeing 747 airliner, the Airbus A350 has taken over as Delta’s newest flagship aircraft. I recently had the opportunity to experience Delta One on the Airbus A350 for the first time on a 13-hour journey from Seoul to Detroit. After having flown that same route on the Boeing 747 countless of times, I had my doubts as to whether the Airbus A350 would be able to match the experience.

Not only did it match it, it exceeded my expectations.  Let’s check out what the Delta One seats look like, and what you need to know the next time you book on Delta’s flagship aircraft.

Delta One Airbus A350 Suites

The most amazing new feature introduced to the Delta One Airbus A350 is the award-winning Delta One Suites.

Unlike other Delta aircrafts, each of the 32 Delta One suites contains a full-height sliding door, offering passengers enhanced privacy and comfort. For those passengers who are able to secure a window suite, they get the benefit of being enclosed between the window view on one side and the sliding door on the other. For those passengers who are unable to secure a window suite, there is a partition that one can slide across to separate the two center seats if privacy is desired. Given the cabin’s staggered 1-2-1 seating configuration, each of the two center seats for each row also offers direct aisle access to ensure that convenience is preserved.

Each flagship suite contains serene ambient lighting, power outlet with USB ports, adequate stowage space for personal items, as well as an oversized 18-inch television monitor accompanied by a noise-cancelling headset that can display Delta Studio’s hundreds of free movies and other entertainment options.

Most importantly, each suite is equipped with a fully lie-flat and well-cushioned bed that comes with Westin Heavenly In-Flight Bedding and a TUMI amenity kit that can help make a long overseas flight feel short.

Delta One Airbus A350 Seating Configuration

While every Delta One suite on the Airbus A350 is good, as far as booking is concerned, there are some seats that I would select over others. Since I prefer window seats, I would select the “A” and “D” suites first. I would also select the odd-numbered “A” and “D” suites (3A, 3D, 5A, 5D, 7A, 7D) over the even-numbered “A” and “D” suites (2A, 2D, 4A, 4D, 6A, 6D, 8A, 8D) mainly because those seats offer greater distance between you and the aisle.

If window seats are not available, then I would opt for the center seats that offer the greatest distance between you and the aisle. For this reason alone, the odd-numbered “B” suites (1B, 3B, 5B, 7B, 9B) and the even-numbered “C” suites (2C, 4C, 6C, 8C) would be preferable over the even-numbered “B” suites (2B, 4B, 6B, 8B) and the odd-numbered “C” suites (1C, 3C, 5C, 7C, 9C).

However, for some people who may want to avoid the Row 1 and Row 9 suites because they are closest to the galley and lavatories, it might be a worthwhile trade-off to select any of the suites closer to the middle of the Delta One cabin, even if those suites may not necessarily offer the greatest distance between you and the aisle. Refer to the seat map below:

Again, with the sliding door on the Airbus A350 for every Delta One suite to provide enhanced privacy, the difference between the suites is very modest. You really cannot go wrong with any of the Delta One suites.

Delta One Experience

The overall Delta One experience is certainly more enjoyable on the Airbus A350 than on other aircraft simply because it’s a newer aircraft that is well designed with better cabin ambience and space. As for the flight journey, you can expect the same quality service and food selection available as you would any other Delta One flights.

As soon as you board the airplane and get settled into your suite, you are offered sparkling wine or orange juice to start. Shortly after takeoff, a chef-curated meal with a wide selection of beverage will be served, followed by a dessert cart that will come around where you can select from a variety of options. My personal favorite is the ice cream sundae, topped off with chocolate fudge and nuts for toppings, so make sure you give that a try!

Once the meal service is complete, there are plenty of snack selections throughout the rest of the flight, so you can really indulge on the food.

After the meal service, I would usually spend a few hours doing some work on the laptop, watch one (or more) of the newly released movies available on Delta Studio, before hitting the “Bed” button on the suite control panel to catch a few hours of sleep.

Ironically, despite what would be considered a long 13-hour flight, the Delta One experience is comfortable to a point where I sometimes even wish the flight was a bit longer just so I can finish catching up on the “ZZZs” or squeeze in another movie. Depending on the length of the flight, there may even be a second meal option to greet you shortly right before you land at your destination, as it was the case for me.

With all that said, the Delta One experience on the Airbus A350 certainly did not disappoint. While the Airbus A350 are currently available only on certain routes, if you ever get the chance to fly Delta One, you are certainly in for a treat.

Just remember to start with the champagne and Bon Voyage!