Airline review: Delta Airlines, Airbus A350-900, Premium Select, Los Angeles to Sydney

14 hours 50 minutes

CARBON EMISSIONS

Delta suspended its carbon calculator recently.

FREQUENCY

Delta flies daily from Los Angeles to Sydney.

HEALTH

Passengers are not required to wear a mask. About 50 per cent of passengers in my cabin wear one throughout the flight. Approaching Sydney, it's announced that masks must be worn on approach and within the Sydney terminal and crew come through to provide masks if required.

CHECKING IN & BOARDING

So many of the formalities are completed online at DeltaFlyReady that check in is a breeze. Indeed, despite having everything printed out, I only need to show the boarding pass on my phone throughout. Checking my bag in Memphis for my two connecting flights takes less than five minutes from taxi drop to security. Changing terminals in LAX staying airside is stress free. Delta has strict boarding protocols: Premium Select is high on the list so I've boarded while others are still lining up to do so.

SEAT

The small Premium Select cabin forward of the wings has 48 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. My seat is 18.5 inches (47cm) wide with a pitch of 38 inches (96.5cm). The armrests are fixed. The three seat controls adjust recline, leg rest extension and a foot platform so your thighs don't feel as if circulation is being cut by the front edge of the seat. A universal power point (110 volts) with two USB ports is conveniently located between the seats in front.

AMENITIES

The blanket and substantial pillow on my seat are welcome. The amenities kit comes in a Tumi pouch that you'll want to keep. The mauve socks and compact pen match the pouch and there's Le Labo lip balm as well as earplugs and eyeshades, toothbrush, paste and mouthwash.

BAGGAGE

The checked baggage allowance is two bags of 23kg each. Cabin luggage is one carry-on bag and one personal item that will fit in the seat in front of you – there's no maximum weight. A brilliant feature is that the FlyDelta app lets you track your bag in real time on and off your aircraft – including during stopovers.

ENTERTAINMENT

The hardware is good – a 13.3 inch screen and substantial active noise cancelling headphones. The viewing options are daunting with 197 pages of movies from Titanic and Reds to new releases and a range of ways to sort them. There's also about 180 television series, other language offerings that include Chinese and Hindi, Spotify playlists and a range of games. Likewise, there's several WiFi options provided by Gogoair.com: you can browse for the whole flight for $US21.95 ($30) or take a monthly subscription for $US69.95. If you want streaming, that's $US39.95 for the flight or $US12.95 an hour. However, messaging (iMessage, Messenger and What's App) is free.

SERVICE

From the initial welcome to farewells, the cabin crew's service is friendly and efficient. It's a long overnight flight departing at 10.45pm so after dinner service concludes, the lights are dimmed and most passengers sleep for much of the flight. Crew regularly come around with water and juice for the few endeavouring to get through the 800 movie offerings.

FOOD

Unless my tastebuds were overexcited by my first international inflight meal in more than two years, the dinner supplied out of LAX is not as rewarding as the main cabin meal ex Sydney. I opt for the chicken that is filling if unadventurous. There are pre dinner snacks and the wine servings (and refillings) are very generous. A light meal is offered mid-flight and snacks and drinks are available throughout.

VERDICT

Clever pre-flight procedures, a comfortable seat, proper pillow and expansive entertainment make the trans-Pacific haul quite pleasant.

RATING

4-stars

David McGonigal travelled courtesy of Delta Air Lines and Memphis Travel.