Delta Airlines to Europe

[gmka]

Has anyone recently flown on Delta Airlines from JFK to Venice? Any good or bad feedback on this airline? Any info would be great!:)

[kdowneymd]

I have not flown to Venice, but have flown JFK to Paris and JFK to Barcelona. We were able to fly business class each time on mileage tickets. The seats were extremely comfortable, the service very good. the coach seats were not as crowded as when we flew Newark to Lisbon last year from what I could see on COntinental. Business class on Continental was not as nice as on Delta. My experience on Delta has been far more enjoyable than on Continental or American (we flew American to Rome).

[Liv4cruzin]

We flew home from VCE, changing in JFK before ending in Ft. Myers a few months ago. We were very comfortable in coach, had good meals. And if you are continuing on out of JFK, the baggage claim/customs/immigration/baggage recheck process was quite painless. It was great flying considering it was in coach!

[gratefulguy]

Although I enjoyed trips to various European cities on all three (DL, CO, and AA), you may want to consider that for some destinations, these lines have only one flight a day, and probably no back-up aircraft on-site. 99 of 100 times it won't make a difference, but if the plane doesn't leave the U.S. gateway on time (or at all), you may have to scramble to get back home! If you fly a carrier based in, or near your departure city, there may be less chance of no back-up. Of course, you have the unknown of the local labor/financial situation--at least with Delta you can probably read of the latest turmoil in your local paper's business pages!

[carlmm]

Last time I went to the States, I used Delta for one long-distance flight and an European airline (Air France) for the other.

Delta in economy was quite an unpleasent experience. For example the food on Delta is served in a dish out of very thin, flattery plastic. Terrible to look at and terrible to eat from. Air France uses at least some sturdy quality that does not bend and real, non-plastic cutlery. Also Delta demands money for some beverages while all beverages, including alcoholic ones are free on normal European airlines.

Just everything a bit cheap. Thus in my view value for money is not really good with Delta.

[doctrd]

I think you may get different opinions on food, service on this flight. I took that flight last summer, and am booking again for next summer. From here in Norfolk VA, it is the only one stop alternative. I choose the flight because there is no second stop and layover with chance of additional problems.

I felt the food was just fine. It's mainly a sleeping flight, leaves late and arrives early morning in Venice.

Seat configuration is 2 on each end, 3 in middle, so easy to get window, isle for a couple.

Tip:sit on the RIGHT side of the plane (facing front), to get view of Venice as you land.

[cola]

DH and I flew coach on Delta from JFK to Venice last May. One of the main reasons I selected Delta was that they offered a nonstop flight, which we thought would be a real advantage time-wise and less opportunity for misdirected luggage.

 

The flight was overbooked and they offered several hundred dollars in travel vouchers and a business class seat on a different flight that went through Paris. Gosh, I wish we'd snapped that up, but we were reluctant since we had a guide meeting us at the Venice airport and had no way to contact him about a schedule change.

 

I booked way in advance to get 2 seats on the side (window and aisle) so that we wouldn't have anyone next to us. I wanted to be able to get up during the night without having to climb over a stranger who might be asleep. The food and leg room were pretty much as I expected - adequate but certainly not amazing.

 

Before our trip, we were sweating out a threatened pilot's strike, but were very relieved when their issues were settled about a week before we departed. Unfortunately, these days it seems like savvy travelers have to check all the airlines financial/union issues prior to booking!!

 

One of the reasons I'll stick with Delta was that we'd booked with them in 2005, only to have to cancel three days before departure due to a death in the family. After sending a copy of the death certificate as proof, Delta refunded our entire non-refundable fare...they are now my friends for life!

 

One last note about Delta; they change their flight schedule periodically, so it is a good idea to go into their website on a regular basis to make sure your flight hasn't changed. Usually the change is just a few minutes switch in departure times, but once when they did this, they reassigned our seats to the middle section of the plane - not what I wanted at all!! I called them right away and, fortunately, they still had two seats on the side available.

 

Since a previous poster recommended sitting on the right side of the plane in order to see Venice, I should mention that we were on the right side and, in the early morning hours as we flew over Europe, I glanced out the window and saw the magnificent Alps. Prior to that, I didn't know exactly where we were, but there was no mistaking those giagantic, snow covered, chiseled mountains...now that was an experience of a lifetime!

 

IMHO, the flight isn't real comfortable unless you can go business class, but it is worth the long hours of boredom to get to amazing Venice. I wrote a review of our Med cruise on the Millennium and it is pretty detailed on our 3 day stay in Venice; you can read it at:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=373011&highlight=cola

 

Have a fabulous time!

[cusyl]

We flew JFK to Venice in June. The flight was ontime and in business class it was very comfortable and the food was good. No complaints at all. :D

[meselibibob]

We flew Delta from BWI to Atlanta and then on to Venice in August. It was a great flight. Even though we were in coach, the seats were comfortable and the leg room was ok. We were so suprised how much they fed us!!! In addition to a snack and dinner, with a free alcholic beverage, we were served a mid-flight snack and a breakfast. On the return flight from Rome to Atlanta, same experience. Lots of food and very comfortable seats. Luggage arrived on time. It was great. Enjoy your cruise.

[cabo de hornos]

Yes indeed, do check your itinerary from time to time. We're on DL in 9 days from ATL to Milan (MXP) to start our Cruisetour on Millie out of Venice. Over the last 6 months they've changed the flight departure/arrival times by just a few minutes....so far so good. I'll be checking daily now.

 

I won't dwell on the original flight plan changes, but checking the web after a couple of months is how I found out that the "layover, bent leg" that DL had "confirmed" for me from BCN to MAD to ATL was no longer flying. I think it had something to do with that reciprocal privilege deal that the European carriers want so they can fly domestically in the USA. No problem, as I caught it early.

 

While DL was unable to accommodate me on a partner airline, I was able to book a domestic Iberia flight from BCN to MAD for relatively low cost, and we'll stay over in Madrid and see the Prado, before returning home. I just could not see connecting in JFK and getting home much later, with another opportunity to lose luggage. We'll have to pack lighter than otherwise, because IB nails you for any excess over 44 lbs on domestic flights(vs. much more because of our Medallion status). We're using miles, so the cost of the IB flight and Madrid stop is de minimis for us.

 

Enjoy your flights and cruise.

 

Cabo

[MavisMarie]

Delta paid my mortgage, so to speak, for 32 years. Most of those years, I felt Delta offered an excellent product. The meals were more than decent, too. Delta is no longer the same airline, in many respects, but she's still trying! With the price of fuel and wages, pension problems and pilot unions, most of the major carriers have had to cut back on product, whether that be dinnerware, food, freebies, etc. And it shows!

It's no secret that airline employees and retirees fly for free or for small service charges when there are available seats. However, there are some cities like Barcelona and Venice that are so fully booked with full-fare passengers that a "Non-Revenue" passenger isn't going to have a seat available. For those (and other) cities, we purchase full-fare tickets. We could choose any carrier, but we always choose Delta. WHY? Because we trust Delta. We know the regulations and restrictions for maintenance of the aircraft. We know Delta takes extra efforts to do the background checks on all employess. We know there is random drug testing. When I step onto a Delta aircraft, I know it's in tip-top condition.

Frankly, I don't know how well other countries maintain their aircraft. One could argue that any aircraft flying into USA cities is subject to the same regulations. I just can't prove they follow them like Delta does. In this day and time, I want to feel as secure as possible, particulary when I'm flying to Europe. I've flown an Italian carrier into Venice and Milan a few times, but I didn't feel comfortable.

For our next trip, we've accumulated enough frequent flyer miles that we were able to get business class tickets into BCN. Looking forward to those cushy seats, upgraded food service....not standing by worrying if my name will be called to board.... :D

I'll continue to fly Delta over other airlines until I'm given a good reason to change. :)

[cabo de hornos]

How's the weather in Mobile...heard it was a little damp today. Was just down at Perdido Beach Resort in early October for a conference - fantastic weather (tough going in the windowed conference room). We were underwhelmed by the reality of wether today, things kind of fizzled up here in the Magic City after all kinds of doomsaying. True, it's a little early in that "second season".

 

Flying out of BHM, I don't have that many choices, and more often than not I'm checking progress on construction at ATL, if you know what I mean. But I have to say, DL has been pretty good to me over the years, so if that was you on one of my flights or under one of my flights, thanks for looking out for us.

 

Cabo

[MavisMarie]

How's the weather in Mobile...heard it was a little damp today. Was just down at Perdido Beach Resort in early October for a conference - fantastic weather (tough going in the windowed conference room). We were underwhelmed by the reality of wether today, things kind of fizzled up here in the Magic City after all kinds of doomsaying. True, it's a little early in that "second season".

 

Flying out of BHM, I don't have that many choices, and more often than not I'm checking progress on construction at ATL, if you know what I mean. But I have to say, DL has been pretty good to me over the years, so if that was you on one of my flights or under one of my flights, thanks for looking out for us.

 

Cabo

 

Lots of rain. Turning colder. Kinda nasty. Perdido is the same. Not good beach weather right now. Snow birds arriving in droves, which is always great for the economy!

I was up in BHM two weeks ago and had a splendid time in a beautiful city...love BHM. Keep flying Delta so they don't go under...I need my pension checks! :D

[cabo de hornos]

We'll do our part, as long as DL can.

 

Cabo

[cruzcat]

Hi Mavis, this is Mary from the Roll Call for the Brilliance 4/29/07 cruise. I was glad to read about your history with Delta. My sister, Teresa and I are booked out of CID through JFK to BCN. I read so many horror stories about other airlines that I thought Delta would be the best choice for us as we had less opportunity for schedule changes and lost luggage. You just validated my feeling and I'll happily contribute to your pension! We did get a very good fare which went up $300 a week after we booked it. What seats do you recommend on the overnight flight to BCN? Thanks!

Mary

[rwdtgb]

We Fly Delta and only Delta to Italy once or twice a year and have been very pleased with the service on the ground and in the air. We always fly business class and will be doing the some in 4 days going from ATL to Rome.

 

Tom

[MavisMarie]

Hi Mavis, this is Mary from the Roll Call for the Brilliance 4/29/07 cruise. I was glad to read about your history with Delta. My sister, Teresa and I are booked out of CID through JFK to BCN. I read so many horror stories about other airlines that I thought Delta would be the best choice for us as we had less opportunity for schedule changes and lost luggage. You just validated my feeling and I'll happily contribute to your pension! We did get a very good fare which went up $300 a week after we booked it. What seats do you recommend on the overnight flight to BCN? Thanks!

Mary

 

Hi Mary. For Business Class, I love the 2/2/2 configuration and I always choose the middle 2 seats because my travel companion and I each have an aisle but we get to sit together...so no stepping over anyone when you need to get out of your seat. For Coach, the configuration will either be 2/3/2 or 2/5/2. I would definitely choose one side or the other with the 2 seat configuation. If you're tall, you might want to choose an exit row. If not, I'd get as close to the front as possible. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of the plane with either 3 or 5 seats there. That's misery. Just curious, but are you flying home BCN to JFK? We'll chat on the roll call thread!:)

[MavisMarie]

We Fly Delta and only Delta to Italy once or twice a year and have been very pleased with the service on the ground and in the air. We always fly business class and will be doing the some in 4 days going from ATL to Rome.

 

Tom

 

Tom, have a lovely trip! And enjoy your BC seats...and service! Hope you have a great flight crew. We laugh about it, but you know all of the "senior" flight attendants grab up those great European flights instead of puddle jumping in the USA. So, naturally, you'll be seeing a lot of the older women....and they're having a ball, too! :)

[ZZROX]

Mavis,

Thanks to your help, we booked the Continental Palacete.

I once again need to ask your advise. We are also flying Delta JFK-BCN next summer. I have been trying to upgrade using FF points. Only the outbound flight is available to upgrade. There have been no other seats sold on the inbound flight..however, I keep getting the same answer...sorry no seats are available for an upgrade.

Your help and knowledge are once again needed..are there any tricks to getting those seats..

Thank you..

ZZ

[MavisMarie]

Mavis,

Thanks to your help, we booked the Continental Palacete.

I once again need to ask your advise. We are also flying Delta JFK-BCN next summer. I have been trying to upgrade using FF points. Only the outbound flight is available to upgrade. There have been no other seats sold on the inbound flight..however, I keep getting the same answer...sorry no seats are available for an upgrade.

Your help and knowledge are once again needed..are there any tricks to getting those seats..

Thank you..

ZZ

 

Yea, it's a problem, and it's beyond frustrating. Anything in or out of BCN is a problem! Cruise ports are a nightmare because the flights are always full to the brim and the ghost that lives inside airline computers knows the flights are going to fill up...so they don't see the need to make upgrades or FF tickets available.

 

Additionally, talking with someone in reservations is not that helpful. Historically, Delta agents were allowed to "upgrade" and do little favors for passengers. No more. The computers are programmed now in a way that doesn't allow for it.

 

Can you get confirmed on the outbound flight and be put on the waitlist for the other one? It could open up for you.

 

I did get to use FF miles (Business Class...seems what you are trying to do) but it wasn't easy. I live in Mobile, AL...not what you'd call a hub! I tried for days and days to get direct to BCN from JFK. No can do for my dates. I am flying to ATL/JFK/MAD (Madrid). Then I'm taking a local airline MAD/BCN. However, I was able to get confirmed direct BCN/ATL coming home. Delta is not flying out of ATL to BCN in April, but they do begin that route in May. I was so frustrated, I just took what I could get.

 

In any event, I don't see the JFK/BCN opening up but if you can get on the waitlist, you could get lucky. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, and hope you have a wonderful vacation.:)

 

Hope you like the Continental Palacete. You can't beat the location for the price. Which room did you book? I ended up booking the Versailles suite with the large sitting room attached to the bedroom. I have not seen that room but I hear it's very nice. We shall see.:D

[deniuh]

I have not flown to Venice, but have flown JFK to Paris and JFK to Barcelona. We were able to fly business class each time on mileage tickets. The seats were extremely comfortable, the service very good. the coach seats were not as crowded as when we flew Newark to Lisbon last year from what I could see on COntinental. Business class on Continental was not as nice as on Delta. My experience on Delta has been far more enjoyable than on Continental or American (we flew American to Rome).

 

We flew Delta a few weeks ago direct from Atlanta to Barcelona and it was wonderful. We flew coach and the food was surprisingly excellent. We were given actual menus for the flight and was served a myriad of things from, pasta, chicken, haagen daz icecream to pizza. They also gave one complimentary alcholic beverage. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. Good Luck!

[SkiCruiser44]

Does anyone know what the exit row seats are on the ATL-BCN flight - it's a 767-400ER? Currently I'm holding 30B with FF miles going over (was able to get SuperSaver) I'm waiting for the return flight to open - hopefully it'll be a SuperSaver flight. Any other tips on good coach seats would be appreciated. I'm glad Delta is still flying. I was with Eastern Airlines years ago and it was sad to see it's demise - so glad the employees of Delta are much smarter!!

 

 

Kathy

[cabo de hornos]

Cabo here again. My tale of "woe", but it's not really that bad. DL wanted double miles for BC on our flights next week and the weekend after Thanksgiving to/from MXP and MAD, so I begged off, and settled for coach, but I'm hearing it's not too bad - we're in 16F/G and 17F/G for those legs. Now those aren't exactly cruise ports last time I looked, but maybe there was an earthquake. We flew DL back in '04 to Santiago, but the leg room was not that great..hope it's better this time. My recollection was that it's supposed to be a 6-300ER, but maybe that's changed.

 

Our "unique" situation is that we are "shuttling" on Iberia from Barca to Madrid post cruise, completely separate from our DL direct flights each way from/to the States. We did not intend to do this, but since we're using miles with DL, it was not prudent for us to start all over again once DL deleted their, what I call, "layover, bent leg" between BCN-MAD-ATL. They originally allowed me to do that on Liftoff Day minus 330 (or whatever is the first day seats are posted), because after the cancellation their resulting BCN-JFK-ATL connection had only 45 mins at JFK to clear customs; otherwise a 3-hr layover and arrival to ATL at 11 pm. They cancellled the bent leg (like the one they do from ATL-SaoPaolo-Rio) in February (this is why you should check your itnerary on the airline web site every so often). Then, since they could not "partner" me with the miles and we really wanted the direct flights, we opted for the Spanish "Shuttle del Este" version of the old Eastern Shuttle (anyone remember that? - My first flight was $8.41 one-way between BOS and LGA on a Connie coming home from school - and the stewardess misspoke and said we were going to DCA - an audible gasp could be heard from 100 or so people before she corrected herself. But I digress......

 

Sooooo...Iberia's domestic policy is 44 lbs max per checked piece, one checked piece per person, plus one carry-on each at 22 lbs (total dimensions max 115 cm - I think my 22-in carry-on will be ok), plus a laptop bag or other personal item each (we're trying to limit it to a max of 3 routine items -the rolling carryon, another smaller roller bag, a laptop bag. plus maybe a shopping bag). The allowance is 66 lbs in business service, and 88 lbs in Business Plus, but I wasn't going to opt for that...the highest economy fare was twice as much as the internet rate that we booked (total 142 E), and I don't even know if there is a business class on the "Shuttle del Este".

 

I believe they do offer higher allowances if you fly with IB internationally to countries that operate on the "piece system", such as the US. If we had been able to go DL all the way, our allowance would have been higher, probably higher than 50 lbs because of our Medallion status.

 

Have a good trip - and I'll watch out for those special "Mavis Knows DL Deals"

 

Cabo

[MavisMarie]

DL wanted double miles for BC on our flights next week and the weekend after Thanksgiving to/from MXP and MAD, so I begged off, and settled for coach, but I'm hearing it's not too bad - we're in 16F/G and 17F/G for those legs. Now those aren't exactly cruise ports last time I looked, but maybe there was an earthquake.

Cabo

 

Thanks for getting me in trouble. I let out a HOOT of a laugh and woke my husband up!! :D

[Poohb]

deniuh or anyone else that might be knowledgeable: We're flying Delta next Sunday PM to BCN. You said the food was acceptable and there was a menu. I am guessing this is a pay for meal type thing as it shows on the flight schedules. Do you remember how much $ it cost and did it seem reasonable. We only have 1 hour between connecting flights in JFK and may not have time to buy food in the airport. Thanks for your help.