Delta Air Lines promotes itself as a more premium airline than competitors, and they used to be. Their operational performance has fallen, demonstrating the same reliability problems as their competitors, and they’ve cut back their premium product and try to claim it’s better for the environment.
The summer before the global pandemic, Delta Air Lines revamped its long haul economy product. In a sign that they had forgotten they were an airline they introduced amenity kits, welcome drinks and hot towels, and course-based dining in economy class.
To show just how different of an airline Delta is now, compare course-based dining in economy with this:
So… @Delta.. 9 hours on a plane and I’ve seen dog food look more appetizing pic.twitter.com/DaRZ9cdzQt
— Bailey Liedel (@BaileyLiedel) July 20, 2022
A passenger describes it as less appetizing than dog food. I looked and it and couldn’t tell what it was. I thought it might be Indian food? According to the customer sharing to social media, though, it’s actually… pasta?
“Pasta with sauce”
— Bailey Liedel (@BaileyLiedel) July 20, 2022
This is why you fly an Asian or Mid-East carrier on long-haul. We flew Delta to OZ in 2019 & it wasn’t much better. I have flown over a million miles on Delta, and they are OK for USA trips under 4 hours, but they have lost the magic on Long-haul.
I’m disapointed because my first flight was on Northwest Orient Airlines in 1968. I flew North Central Airlines, Republic & NWA too. And the Delta AMEX is good.
BUT THE MAGIC IS GONE.
An important point is that Delta Premium Select gets the same slop for a much higher fare.
Who cares how it looked? How did the taste compare with dog food?
Nasty. Delta has lost its touch in Business Class (Delta One) also. The food is not nearly what is what like prior to Covid.
Somebody call the food police!
Can we get the FDA to outlaw serving it ?
Seriously I just canceled my delta business class ticket from Europe home after seeing
this vomit.Pasta ? really?
The Delta Dumpster Fire continues to burn.
@ Gary — Most importantly, how does Bastian’s bonus compare to dog food?
Yep, Delta must have accepted defeat and is just another airline. I hope they added lavs to their planes after serving that slop. Embarrassing.
Two months after submitting my complaint, I just received the most non customer-centric response ever from @delta.
I expressed my disappointment that there was no difference in the service offered in Premium Select and the economy cabin on a recent international flight.
“Thank you for taking the time to write us. I’m sorry about the travel experience you described. I too would be frustrated if this happened to me. On behalf of Delta Air Lines please accept our sincere apologies. This is not the experience we want you to have when flying with us. After reviewing your feedback, I have forwarded your email to our Airport Customer Service leadership team for internal review. We will use your feedback to improve our service”
Considering the price difference between the two classes, I expected a far better product and a more proactive apology than what was delivered.
Sad to see Delta fall to this level and I fear the once superior service the carrier once offered may never return.
It’s funny how articles about some aspect of some other airline will yield glowing praise of Delta. Hmmm.
I’m not defending the dog food. It is what it is. But, I do sense that readers are a giddy thing.
Did Delta Airlines upset a Master Sommelier who passed a CMS IV Certified Sommelier Examination and earned their diploma when their job description was changed? The good news is that passengers who demand more can use the sommelier’s refined palate to enjoy high-class dog food prepared for the exclusive benefit and enjoyment of Delta One passengers.
Flew DL to Paris (Economy) and Barcelona (Premium Select), and you can expect the same overcooked blob of food on those routes. DL definitely has lowered their standards.
Oh, and I highly recommend you bring your own utensils. The wooden ones they give you get stuck to your tongue and begs for a splinter situation to happen.
Eeew. Just eeeeew.
In regards to airplane food (quite a contradiction in terms), keep your expectations low and you’ll never be disappointed. Save yourself the aggravation and get something in the airport to take with you.
The “Covid excuse” is lowering the quality of everything.
Got snakebit on PS when an upgrade certificate didn’t clear- food was absolutely disgusting. Poor overall experience- Wrote in to DL and congratulated them on being my go-to domestic airline. NO WAY am I going to Europe or Asia with them after this summer. They have gone to crap after covid. This is from a DM/MM…
Was that for the passenger or his emotional support animal?
This is why I get wasted in the club before flights. Plus having covid I can’t taste anything anyway!
I give it two years before the airlines are selling food fulltime airside….. why not package the club food and sell it to economy passengers at $25 a pop….
In contrary, flew several times TPA-JFK (domestic First) recently and despite the flight being < 3 hours, a hot breakfast/dinner was served (3 choices) and the food was quite good. I was surprised to see, because this route in the First there was only a snack basket. Does Delta invest just in domestic flights?
(1) It’s economy you are lucky to get food at all.
(2) Eat before the flight, bring food onboard, never rely on airline to feed you.
(3) If it is TATL or TPAC you should not be eating anyway as you need to adjust your stomach to the new time zone.
I am surprised Tim Dunn hasn’t commented yet
People complaining about airplane food — how novel! I’m shocked, shocked, I tell you, to hear that someone didn’t like their food on a plane. Everyone knows that airlines serve economy passengers only the finest food. Didn’t Delta recently get awarded a Michelin star?
I knew sooner or later my misplaced stool sample would show up.
A new low. Jeez.
From one comment, it looks like their cabin cleaning has gone to pot also.
Regurgitated dog food ! Way to go DL !
We have flown AA, Delta, Aer Lingus, BA, Iberia, Level, and the now defunct XL Airlines to Europe or back in economy. Iberia and Level, beat all the others. Decent edible food. Aer Lingus comes in 3rd. Delta and AA are terrible, barely edible.
The fact remains that our dog’s food does in fact look more appetizing than that Delta slop, and apologies we don’t know how to post a photo on Gary’s blog page to prove it.
Gary is correct. When flying economy class with Delta Airlines, here is visual proof that dog food looks more appetizing.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/justfoodfordogs-daily-diets-beef-and-russet-potato-frozen-dog-food-18-oz-2936540?
pix won’t come up