For our short connection to Burbank I was pleased that instead of a regional jet we were booked on an Airbus A220-100, which is a spacious and comfortable aircraft that is nicely-sized for lower-volume routes.
Delta Air Lines A220-100 Economy Class Review (SLC-BUR)
Our connection in Salt Lake City could not have been easier…even though we only had 30 minutes, our flights were only a few gates apart, leaving the kids a few moments to check out the LEGO store…
Delta Air Lines 339
Salt Lake City (SLC) – Burbank (BUR)
Saturday, June 13
Depart: 8:50 PM
Arrive: 9:50 PM
Duration: 02hr, 00min
Distance: 574 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A220-100
Seat: 23C (Economy Class)
We boarded fairly late in the process, but the cabin was not full (making me wonder whether Delta will go back to CRJ-700 on this route). We ended up holding for a bit while waiting for some passengers connecting from Mexico and about a dozen more people eventually made it onboard, with some sweating profusely. Even so, the flight went out with many open seats.
Seats
Speaking of seats, the smaller A220-100 has 12 seats in business class and 97 seats in economy class. Reminding me of DC-9 and MD-80, the aircraft has a 2-3 configuration in economy class. Delta uses the Collins Aerospace Pinnacle seats, which are 18.6 inches wide (so noticeably wider than many narrowbody aircraft), with 31 inches of pitch and a recline of three inches (Delta Comfort+ seats in rows 10-12 have 34 inches of pitch).
A/C outlets are located between seats and air vents overhead, with USB-A ports in the setback monitors, but no USB-C ports on this aircraft.
Service
This flight was staffed by a fairly senior, all female SLC-based crew, some of them going back to Western Airlines (which Delta acquired in 1987).
On Delta, I judge a good crew by whether they proactively offer me two (small) cans of club soda instead of just one! 😉
Food + Drink
Speaking of food and drink, a beverage service was performed after takeoff with a choice of snacks including:
- Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers
- Lotus Biscoff Cookies
- MadeGood Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar
- Rold Gold Tiny Twists Original Pretzels
(it was more Biscoffs for the Klint family)
I had club soda while the kids had apple juice…detestable sugar water, but on airplanes they can drink what they want.
Here again, I wish Delta offered meals for purchase because we had a tight connection in SLC with no time to buy any food. But I did come prepared and enjoyed a “protein platter” from Trader Joe’s (Italian dry pepper, Parmesan cheese crisps, roasted almonds) with 33 grams of protein. A very nice treat.
Lavatory
The Delta A220-100 has two lavatories in the rear of the aircraft for economy class passengers. These feel more spacious than the A320 family lavatories and especially the 737 lavatories.
IFE + Wi-Fi
Once again, complimentary onboard Wi-Fi worked flawlessly, though at this point in the day I was tired and just spent the flight relaxing and preparing mentally for church the following morning by reading the lectionary texts and watching the sunset out the window.
An IFE library contained an extensive collection of films, TV programming, games, and music, plus a moving flight map.
CONCLUSION
We landed well-ahead of schedule in Burbank, even with the departure delay waiting for additional passengers, and were soon in a car heading home.
This was a very smooth way to get from Chicago to Burbank…it was an easier connection than via Denver on United and I enjoyed the fast Wi-Fi onboard, which absolutely makes me more likely to choose Delta over United for these sorts of trips.
Finally, I really like the A220…I’ve flown it on a number of carriers now and it always strikes me as a very comfortable aircraft.
That plane might be good for a daytime BOS-LHR flight or, if the route has too much traffic, then BOS-STN. Comfy enough for economy class.
Mathew, you did run into the Lego store instead of grab and go food! I know—kids—priorities. Did you make it into the left lavatory in the rear with the window? Unique to the A220.
3o seconds in the LEGO store!
“I had club soda while the kids had apple juice…detestable sugar water, but on airplanes they can drink what they want.” Father, may I have champagne?
” Only when we ar in Europe, my child ! ” … lol
Wish they didn’t have the engine issues, because otherwise 2-3 seating, newer planes, bigger windows, far superior, especially for couples and families in the back; for first, 2-2, it’s a little narrow, but still nice.
Let’s remember that DL has grounded some of its A220-100s (and the larger A220-300s) due to significant engine issues. The aircraft use Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. These modern engines are great for fuel efficiency, but they have suffered from widespread durability problems. However, DL handles its own maintenance and operates Delta TechOps, which is the authorized repair center for these engines in the Americas. Because of this, DL has been able to keep most of its A220 fleet flying compared to other carriers (some international airlines like LX had to ground their entire A220-100 fleets for extended periods to use their engines as spare parts for other planes).
Why would an FA with 40+ years of tenure work short SLC hops?
Lots of reasons. Some senior FAs feel like they’ve seen the world enough and just want to work short flight and be home. Others might have obligations at home and just want to work day trips. At my airline, some of the high time turns (think ORD-LAX and back) go more senior than some international trips.
In summary, after decades of traveling the world, it can be said that a veteran flight attendant often prioritizes comfort, stability, and control over their schedule over the glamour of long-haul travel.
For aviation enthusiasts → The DL jetliner in the article’s photos is a A220-100 (age: 6.3 years). It is currently en route from SLC to MKE.
For aviation enthusiasts → DL currently has 45 A220-100s (average age: 6.6 years) in its fleet.
A short and pleasant flight home!
A doctor’s humble reminder → Apple juice is essentially a sugar bomb. An 8-ounce glass has about 27 grams of sugar, which is exactly as much sugar as a regular Coke. Because it strips out the fiber of a whole apple, it causes your blood sugar to spike quickly. Even juices labeled as having “No Sugar Added” can cause quick blood sugar spikes. The physical chewing of a whole apple slows down how fast your body absorbs sugar. When you drink juice, you get all the sugar without the slow-down effect.
Se pay close to 34900 usd for us healthcare per Year. If we want Apple juices, se are getting them. We live for today in the usa.
DL’s A220s have, I believe, the widest economy seats on any US airline.
It is a great airplane and the lav w/ a window makes it unmatchable.
But, it’s the most narrow seat on a DL plane in F/J. The RJ fleets have a seat more narrow than the 220 in F, but they do have the window seat with aisle access. I’ve never been on a 220. DL flies larger or RJs into my home airport. AF swapped it out on a recent flight. I suspect I’d love it as a Y pax. And, I suspect the 20.5″ F seats would be just fine. It should be better than the 717, and I always liked it in Y or J.
Recently flew this aircraft economy class aboard Air Baltic,comfortable,quiet and immaculately clean.Special mention to Norwegian economy 737,ditto clean comfortable,on time,no extra charges for printing boarding pass at checkin,given aisle seats at no extra charge.Not all low cost carriers are created equal.Important to remember in Europe where add ones can be staggering for couples or families
Does anybody else dislike DL’s “lettering” system? F is AB-CD whrn it should be AC-DF. Y is AB-CDE when it should be AB-DEF or, better, AC-DEF. On the 350 they could have A be the “true” window seats in J, with B being the others, rather than all left sides seats being A. I could go on, but you’re already bored or have stopped reading.
So true,I’ve noticed most of the interesting long time contributors have gone away,what’s the point contributing to a blog that’s basically on life support.