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Every Australian who enjoys it to travel know that the price we pay for living on this side of the world is achieving many of our favorites destinations can be an absolute mission.
For me, most trips start with long lines at the luggage I drop and fumble through customs, frantically unpacking and repacking my overweight carry-on luggage for any border official interested in inspecting it.
I survive layovers with bad coffee and desperate attempts to freshen up in the airport’s public restrooms — raiding my plastic ziplock bag of toiletries for the sanitizer and deodorant — and dangerously trying to put on clean clothes in the stall without having to deal with the hand on the ground. bare feet.
I hope I can get some sleep on the plane, and that the guy who just started snoring two seats away will find it too uncomfortable to sleep any more himself.
A bit of chaos, stress and exhaustion is usually part of the long-haul flight experience for most of us, but not for all of us…
On a recent trip between Sydney and New York, I had the incredible opportunity to fly business class as a Delta One passenger on Delta Air Lines, with a stopover in Los Angeles.
And my experience on those flights couldn’t have been more different than what I’m used to!
Before you fly
As a Delta One passenger, starting a long-haul trip is incredibly easy.
Flying between Sydney and New York via Los Angeles is a famously chaotic route. You must navigate two of the busiest airports in the world, JFK and LAX, and queue for multiple baggage and security checks alongside thousands of travelers from around the world. As a Delta One passenger, I was able to avoid all that madness.
At JFK, checking in was as simple as going to Delta One’s priority bag drop, with more staff on call to assist me than passengers, before I was quickly led through security checks into a priority queue, ready to board my flight to go.
At LAX, Delta One passengers get the star treatment through a dedicated airport entrance with a private check-in and TSA screening point. You don’t have to drag your luggage through the airport or wait in long lines.
For me, the entire process, from arriving to dropping off my bag and passing through security, should not have taken more than ten minutes. It was insanely easy. Just moments after stepping off the sidewalk, I was chilling in the lounge and ready to fly.
I couldn’t have felt more prioritized knowing that I had just bypassed everything that normally makes long-distance travel stressful.
The flight
The Delta One Suite is the main attraction of flying with Delta One.
It’s not just a seat on an airplane. It’s your own personal bedroom in the sky, complete with privacy dividers and doors to give you your own secluded space.
From the suite, everyone else on board simply disappears. In it you have everything you need for an organized and comfortable flight: a desk with compartments for your wallet, passport and phone, a compartment for drinks and snacks, and so much legroom that you forget you are on an airplane.
But the most impressive feature is clearly the fully reclining seat – which converts into a bed at the click of a button, allowing you to sink into the privacy of your suite and lie completely flat, ready for a great night’s sleep.
When the suite fully reclines, it is even more spacious – with plenty of room to roll around and sit comfortably. There’s something very satisfying about getting dressed in bed while you’re 30,000 feet in the air.
The stopover and lounge
Stopovers and relaxation are not two concepts that usually go together. They’re great for stretching your legs, putting on clean clothes and seeing what interesting foreign snacks you can find – but relaxing, not so much.
My flying experience as a Delta One passenger completely changed that. Go to the Delta One Lounge at LAX.
The best thing about having access to this lounge is the private shower suites. Nothing is nicer than being able to shower and freshen up during a layover between two long flights. The shower suites in the Delta One Lounge are enormous, with attractive furnishings and soothing lighting. It’s the perfect way to unwind halfway through the trip.
If you’re hungry, there’s a lot on offer. There is a fully stocked buffet with everything you can imagine, from pastries and cheese to fresh fruit and salads. Chefs are on hand to prepare freshly prepared meals and there is a cocktail bar. Or you can take a seat on the outdoor terrace.
And if you’re still not relaxed enough, there are also zero gravity sleeping pods and full body massage chairs! I can’t say I tried it either – I was content enough just kicking back on the couch – without any rush to catch my next flight.
The verdict
As Aussies, we know there’s always a price to pay for travel. Often it comes in the form of stress, overwhelm or endless hours on the road waiting for a connecting flight.
With Delta One I would say the only price is the ticket itself. The rest will be taken care of.
Yes, it’s significantly more expensive than a regular economy flight, but if you have the chance to do this just once in your life, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget. And while most flights are a means to an end, the experience I had with Delta One was certainly something I could enjoy in its own right.
The writer traveled as a guest of Delta Air Lines.
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