Review Delta Air Lines
USA

Review: flight with Delta Air Lines to the United States from Amsterdam

Two weeks ago I returned home from an amazing three-week trip through the northwestern part of the United States of America. I started my roadtrip in Salt Lake City and ended in Seattle and for this I used the direct flights between Amsterdam and both cities from Delta Air Lines. In this article I will share my review of the flight with Delta Air Lines and will tell you more about this airline.

The main reason for me to choose a flight with Delta is that they have direct flights to both Salt Lake City and Seattle from Amsterdam. A long-distance journey obviously has an impact on the environment and by limiting your number of flight movements you contribute to less emissions and a better world. Where possible, I always choose a direct flight.

Delta currently flies from Schiphol directly to Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis/St Paul, New York (JFK), Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tampa. All other major airports in America can be reached via these airports. As an “open jaw” (out to one location and back from another) is allowed without extra costs, you can easily combine different destinations within the United States.

Personal experience: I really liked having a direct flight to Salt Lake City. This is not a very big airport and on board were mainly Americans. This ensured that I could go through customs quickly and without problems upon arrival. No hours of waiting and also a very nice customs officer.

Delta and sustainability

“Delta is working towards a sustainable future of travel by making better use of existing solutions and technologies, investing in the future of sustainable aviation fuel and actively working on next-generation solutions.” This I found in a recent news item and that sounds good, but what do you actually notice as a traveler?

A few things I noticed while on board. First, the free headphones were only handed out upon request instead of being ready in the bag in the seat in front of you. Delta uses wooden cutlery with the meals and meals are served in as little plastic as possible. The food was tasty and quite simple. The second meal I had just before arriving in Salt Lake City consisted of a pizza and a cookie/chocolate bar. I bet that because they serve food that almost everyone likes, they have little to no food waste. Also, there was a vegetarian option at every meal offer that was made.

I also tested their plastic cup policy. Every time I offered my cup to be refilled (initially with wine, later with water) it was accepted without question and refilled by the flight attendant. On the way back I was even able to have my refillable water bottle filled with water. That saved probably about five plastic cups. A small number but where else to start than with yourself, right?

De maaltijd bij Delta
The meals with Delta

Also good to know

Delta is the most awarded airline in America. They have been recognized as the Best U.S. Airline by the Wall Street Journal; one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies; Fortune’s Most Admired Airline in the World; and importantly, one of Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work and a Top Employer for Diversity, Veterans, and Best Workplaces for Women by Forbes.

Of course, I had to figure this out for myself. How exactly? I have a friend who lives in Portland and I went out to dinner with him during the trip. He has worked for Delta for many years at Portland Airport with the incoming planes and the fact that he has been doing this for many years and plans to do this for many more years, shows that Delta is in fact an excellent employer.

Aankomst in Salt Lake City
Arrival in Salt Lake City

My experience with Delta Air Lines

It has been eleven years since I last flew with Delta. Traveling is my profession (even when I was not yet a blogger/writer) and I regularly traveled with them for my work. The difference between Delta then and now is enormous. Back then I thought it was just average and very American, this time I noticed how incredibly friendly and helpful the staff on board was. I enjoyed the meals very much and I could regularly get snacks and water at the back of the plane during the flight. There were a lot of good movies on the entertainment system to keep me busy during the whole flight.

Was there anything that disappointed me? Yes, of course, because nothing is perfect. I had a delay on both the outward and return journey, both times due to a technical issue. Fortunately, the delay was limited and was mostly made up for in the air. The plane was repaired at Amsterdam, a replacement plane was deployed in Seattle. My travel companion Marjolein had no delay on the return journey and I think it was just bad luck on my part. This did not detract from my experience with Delta as it was resolved quickly and adequately and they kept travelers continuously informed of progress and expected departure times.

More about Delta

Want to know more about Delta? Or book a flight? Then check the Delta website for availability and rates.

My flight to America was offered by Delta Air Lines in exchange for an honest review, which you have now read. All given opinions are of course entirely my own.

If you want to read more about America and this trip, visit my America page or one of the following articles:

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