Is it worth paying extra for Delta's Economy Comfort?

      I like Delta Air Lines. They are one of the few legacy carriers that is making an honest effort to make themselves better and make sure customers come back to fly with them. On a recent flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles and then from Los Angeles to New York, I had a chance to test their "Economy Comfort"seating and this is what I think.

                                                               Delta Airbus A330

      On the outbound leg from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I made sure to book a flight on Delta's A330. If you don't know much about airplanes, the A330 came into the Delta fleet when they merged with Northwest Airlines. The A330 is a wide body aircraft. In coach, they have two seats on each side by the windows and four seats in the middle.

                                    The Economy Comfort seats in the bulkhead of the A330

      This flight was going from Atlanta to Los Angeles and then onto Sydney, Australia. The advantage of booking this flight is you get international amenities. That's something I would say you should try and learn how to do. Look for flights that use larger aircraft like the A330, 777, 767 and 747. These planes are usually configured for international flights, so they have seating layouts for international travelers, which mean more legroom in coach and much nicer business and first class sections.

      On the flight out, I booked a bulkhead seat in the Economy Comfort class. The seat reclines back further compared to the regular coach seats. Whether you get the bulkhead or not, you get much more legroom. The bulkhead has even more leg room since you only have a wall in front of you. You also get to board in Zone 1, which allows you to be one of the first passengers to get on the plane.

     There is no extra service in Economy Comfort. The only differences are the extra legroom, the seat that reclines further back and the early boarding. On the way back, from Los Angeles to New York, I saw why Economy Comfort is still better than economy but not better than the extra legroom seats JetBlue and Virgin America offer.

                 The difference in legroom between economy and the "extra legroom" seats on JetBlue

                         "Main Cabin Select" seats in he bulkhead on a Virgin America flight.

     On the return flight, I took flight 216 from Los Angeles to New York (JFK). We were on a 757 this time. Specifically, were on a 757-200 ER, or extended range aircraft.

Delta 757-200

      I was able to board in Zone 1. That's a plus. But, when I got to my seat, 22A, I was surprised that there is no window. The Delta website never said there wasn't a window and I think, if I'm going to pay $50 dollars extra for an Economy Comfort seat, I should know if there is a window when I select the window seat. I would have chosen the aisle seat if I knew there was no window.

                             

                           A snapshot of Seatguru.com, showing what I should have looked for.


            I didn't do what I tell people to do every time they fly. Use Seatguru.com. Bookmark this web page right now. It allows you to see reviews of seats on almost any airline and you get the real scoop of what you're about to put your ass in.

      Here is a secret. I discovered that the best seats on a Delta 757-200 extended range aircraft are 35 D, E and F. These are often reserved for crew, but if you can get these, they recline much more compared to regular coach seats. They also have a foot rest and extra leg room. The only problem with them is they are very close to the bathroom, so if you are worried about lines forming near those seats, take the window and you shouldn't have an issue. 

      I think if you can get 35 D, E or F, then Economy Comfort is definitely worth it on the 757. If you can get it at all on the A330, it is definitely worth it. Try and get the bulkhead for the more comfort.