A decent way to get to paradise.
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii — We decided to head to Oahu for a much-needed fall getaway and discovered that Delta flies nonstop between our nearby Atlanta-hub and Honolulu. It was my partner’s first-time visiting Hawaii and I wanted to make this trip a little more special.
Originally this flight was booked in Premium Select class, Delta’s premium economy class, but I was able to score a reasonable upgrade to Delta One business class with Delta Skymiles.
To see other reviews associated with this flight, check out these links below:
– Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa
– HNL to ATL return flight in Delta One business class (coming soon!)
– Delta SkyClub Honolulu lounge review
Date Flown: 2023 September 23
Departure/Arrival Time: 1002 EST – 1358 HST
Flight Time: 9hr 56min
Aircraft Type: Airbus A330-300
Fare Class: Delta One
Elite Status: Silver Medallion
Flight Overview
Delta operated this flight with an Airbus A330-300, flight number DL252, nonstop from Atlanta to Honolulu taking just under 10 hours. While this variant does not have Delta’s newer Delta One Suites, this was our first experience with a lay-flat seat, and we were excited to sample the older Delta One product, nonetheless.
The flight crew was very courteous and efficient. We were greeted by name and thanked for our lowly Silver Medallion status upon boarding. The cabin staff was attentive and responsive to requests throughout the 10 hour flight to Honolulu.
Seat Overview
This particular A330 sports four cabins with 34 Delta One lay-flat seats, 21 Premium Select seats, 24 Comfort Plus seats, and 203 regular economy seats.
Delta advertises its older A330 Delta One seats as having approximately 19.7in (50cm) of width and 80in (203cm) of pitch in lay-flat mode. Suffice it to say, you’ll have plenty of room to stretch out if desired.
For comparison, the Premium Select (premium economy) seats are 18.5in (47cm) wide with 38in (97cm) of pitch. Economy seats are a pretty average 18in (46cm) wide with 31-32in (79-81cm) of pitch, adding a few more inches of pitch if riding in Comfort+.
Note the 2-4-2 seating arrangement in Economy/Comfort+ is relatively comfortable compared to the usual 3-3-3 some airlines cram into their A330s.
Back to the Delta One seat in question, all seats have direct aisle access, but unlike the newer suite version, this pod does not have a door so you’re more exposed to the aisle. Luckily the seats are in reverse herringbone configuration with each seat facing away from the aisle so you still have some relative privacy from wandering eyes.
There is a small ledge directly to your left or right enough for a few drinks and smaller items. Each seat also has a USB-A port and universal power socket for charging electronic devices.
Directly under that ledge is the swing-out tray table which is hinged to allow it to fold. There is a small personal reading light on which headphones were hanging at roughly shoulder level.
Towards the bottom front of each pod is small space housing the safety card and air sickness bag. There is room for small flat items here like phones and tablets as well. Directly opposite this cubby at foot level towards the aisle is another small storage space; I ended up sticking my amenity kit in here for the flight.
The inflight entertainment (IFE) screen at the front of the seat swings-out with a push of an adjacent button; you will also find the seat controls and IFE remote here as well.
As you go towards the front of the pod, the space narrows a bit which was not a problem for me, but taller passengers might find the footwell a little tight in lay-flat configuration.
Each section of the seat is adjustable individually so you can go from the upright take-off/landing default to lounge chair mode to fully lay-flat as you desire. I particularly enjoyed the adjustable leg rest which helped immensely with comfort during this relatively long flight.
Amenities and Amenity Kit
A nice pillow and fairly plush comforter (for an airline anyway) was provided to each seat, supposedly Westin Heavenly brand bedding. There was no seat/mattress cover, but I stayed up for most of this daytime flight doing some work so it did not matter much.
Delta One passengers received handmade cloth amenity kits by Someone Somewhere. Each individual amenity kit is labeled with the maker’s name and location which is interesting.
Inside each bag is a matching eye mask, bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste kit, earplugs, ballpoint pen, and Grown Alchemist lip balm and hand cream.
Meal Services
A bottle of water was waiting for each Delta One passenger at each seat. We were also offered a pre-departure beverage in real glassware (orange juice in my case). The glasses were collected prior to take-off for safety reasons.
Shortly after takeoff, flight attendants came through with another round of drinks and the snack basket (forgot to take a snack picture sorry!). About one hour later, the first meal service kicked off with hot towels and drink top-offs.
Lunch came out on one tray. I went for the Atlanta-local Fox Bros BBQ beef short ribs which were fantastic. The main was accompanied by a smoked salmon starter, fresh salad, and warm bread. A cheesecake with cherry compote rounded out my meal.
My partner opted for the roasted chicken which was also moist and tender. It was served with sauteed spinach and corn polenta, both of which were decent, instead of the menu-listed broccolini and potatoes. Her other sides and dessert were the same as mine.
After the first meal service, at least twice throughout the flight, flight attendants came through the cabin with more snacks and cups of water.
Just over an hour before our arrival into Honolulu, the second lighter meal was served. I went for the Hawaiian-inspired seared tuna and quinoa bowl with sesame dressing which was absolutely delicious. It was accompanied by a soft bread roll and butter as well as some mixed fruits.
My partner went with the Margherita pizza which was reportedly decent. This was served along with a nice Caesar salad.
Lavatory
Delta One passengers on this version of the A330-300 have access to two dedicated lavatories at the front of the cabin. They were sparse with no amenities but relatively spacious for an airplane lavatory.
The cabin crew did their best to keep them clean throughout the flight, though they weren’t spotless when I visited just before landing. Grown Alchemist products, like those in the amenity kits, were available.
How We Booked
This flight was originally booked in February 2023 in Premium Select class for 93,400 Delta Skymiles plus $11.20 roundtrip per person. The award pricing was steep but given Delta’s aggressive devaluation of Skymiles over the years and the fact that I was flush with miles at the time, I figured a trip to Hawaii was worth burning miles on.
Several months leading up to the trip, I found and jumped on an upgrade offer into Delta One business class for $965.35 on the Delta website. For less than $100 per flight hour, I decided it was worth the cash upgrade.
All in, this trip in Delta One business class costed me 93,400 Skymiles plus $976.55 roundtrip per person.
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Bun World Traveler 