Review: Delta A330-900neo Business Class Suite (Amsterdam to Salt Lake City)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Today: Review of Delta’s Airbus A330neo Business Class Suite (Amsterdam to Salt Lake City)

A few weeks ago, I flew Business Class onboard a Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-900neo from Amsterdam (The Netherlands) to Salt Lake City (USA). The onboard Delta experience made the 10-hour flight feel downright luxurious, especially since the aircraft was equipped with Delta’s latest Business Class product (called Delta One). Launched in 2017, the Delta One Suites were first introduced on the Airbus A350-900 (read my review here), followed by the Airbus A330-900neo. At the time, Delta was the first carrier in the world to introduce a Business Class seat with a sliding door for enhanced privacy. The Delta One Suite on the A330-900neo is a great product with stylish finishes and high-end soft touches. The seat feels comfortable albeit it’s not as spacious as the the suite on the A350 (because the A330neo is narrower than the A350). IMHO, the combination of a solid hard and soft product makes Delta the best airline among the USA carriers to fly intercontinental Business Class.

Have you ever flown in Delta One Business Class? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

Trip: Amsterdam (AMS) to Salk Lake City (SLC)
Airline: Delta Air Lines
Aircraft type: Airbus A330-900neo
Aircraft registration number: N420DX (delivered to Delta in 2022)
On time departure: 9:15 am (yes)
On time arrival: 10:50 am (yes)
Miles: 4970 miles (8000 km)
Flight time: 9 hours and 30 minutes
Seat: 6A
Class: Business Class

In this review (more information & photos below my Youtube clip & slideshow):

1. BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE AT AMSTERDAM

Delta doesn’t have its own lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol, its major hub in Europe. Instead, it offers its Business Class passengers as well as elite members of its frequent flyer program access to the lounges of its SkyTeam partner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. KLM’s flagship lounge at Schiphol is located between the E and F piers at Schiphol Amsterdam. The lounge’s official name is the non-Schengen Crown Lounge but the space is often referred to as the KLM House. IMHO, it ranks among the best airline lounges in the world and I have previously reviewed this lounge in detail here.

2. FACTS ABOUT DELTA’S AIRBUS A330-900NEO AIRCRAFT

Delta was the launch customer for the A330-900. With the addition of the A330-900, Delta is now operating both of Airbus’ newest wide-body models. It has 28 A350-900s and 27 A330-900s. Delta operates more than 400 Airbus aircraft, including A321s and A220s.

The A330neo is a true new-generation aircraft, building on the features of the popular A330 features and leveraging technology developed for the A350 XWB technology. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, and featuring a new wing with increased span and A350 XWB-inspired Sharklets, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency – with 25% lower fuel burn per seat than previous generation competitors. Equipped with the Airbus Airspace cabin, the A330neo offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.

2. DELTA A300NEO BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

Delta configured its A330neo for 281 passengers, with 29 Business Class suites, 28 Premium Economy seats, 56 extra-legroom Economy Class seats, and 168 standard Economy Class seats. The 29 Business Class suites are located in one cabin in the plane’s front section, each with an individual door for privacy and a fully flat-bed seat with direct aisle access. The suites are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 layout with single suites along the window sides of the plane and paired suites the middle. There are seven rows of four suites each, plus a single seat in the eighth row along the windows.

The footrest of each seat is located to the side of the seat in front. As a result, the seats – which have a narrow armrest on one side and larger console-style armrest on the other side – alternate in each row: some are closer to the aisle while others are closer to the windows or plane’s center.

The window seats in the even numbered rows are closer to the windows (with their console on the aisle side). They are the best seats since it’s easier to look outside the window and they feel more private, even when the suite’s door is open (though thanks to the sliding doors, all seats feel secluded).
The window seats in the odd numbered rows are closer to the aisle (with their console on the window side). These seats feel a bit less private and it’s a bit tougher to look out the windows, but they’re still an excellent choice of course.
The paired seats in the center section don’t alternate like their window counter parts: there is always one seat closer to the aisle and one seat closer to the plane’s center. There are also privacy shields between center suites, which can be raised for complete privacy or lowered for companions traveling together (however, contrary to Qatar Airways’ QSuites, these Delta One center suites cannot be converted into a double bed).

Featuring a modern and fresh design, the Delta A330neo Business Class cabin may feel a bit sterile at first because of the bright lighting and crispy white suite & cabin walls. However, that impressions quickly fades once seated in the luxurious suites, which all feature a warm decor on the inside, with a bright blue-and-black stitched seat, black & white interior walls, and some premium trim and finishes fitted in Delta’s signature red and blue colors.

Overall, the look and layout of Delta’s A330neo Business Class cabin feels very similar to that of the Business Class cabin installed onboard Delta’s flagship A350 aircraft, but there are two differences nonetheless:

The A330neo is narrower than the A350, and as a passenger, you definitely notice that the A330neo suite feels a bit narrower and more compact.
The A350 Business Class cabin feels more spacious compared to the A330neo, not only because the cabin is wider but also since there are no overhead bins in the A350’s center section (the only overhead bin space is over the window seats).

DELTA A330-900NEO BUSINESS CLASS — DELTA A330NEO BUSINESS CLASS CABIN

3. DELTA A330neo BUSINESS CLASS SEAT (+ BEST & WORST SEATS)

Delta has installed a modified version of Vantage XL seats on its A330neo aircraft, which are a form of staggered seats in which the the footrest for each seat is located to the side of the seat in front. The seat is 22.5 inches (57 cm) wide and has a pitch of 80 inches (203 cm). Each seat is equipped with a sliding door: the door is locked open for takeoff and landing (for safety reasons), but when shut once in flight, it measures 43.5 inches (110 cm) in height. The suite is not fully enclosed – since there’s a small gap between the door & the floor and flight attendants (or other passengers) can still look over it – but it feels incredibly private nonetheless.

As already described above, each seat features a narrow armrest on one side and a larger console-style armrest on the other side. The window seats in odd-numbered rows have the narrow armrest on the aisle, which makes them feel a little bit less self-contained compared to the window seats in the even-numbered ones, which are separated from the aisle by their the larger armrest. The paired seats in the odd-numbered rows in the plane’s center have the narrow armrests on their right side, while those in even-numbered rows have them on the left side. But even when you end up in a seat with the narrow armrest on the aisle, there’s nothing to worry about since the sliding door guarantees complete privacy.

The seat’s wide armrest doubles as a large side table and has a surface designed in a triangular gray-shaded pattern reflecting Delta’s logo. Above the large side table is an open cubby with some storage space for smaller personal items like a phone, wallet and/or glasses. The exposed console also features a reading light, a water bottle holder and a hook for the headphones. The armrest and console hold different panels and compartments that control all the features of the suites:

A curving grey fixture is attached to the console’s outer wall, holding a USB outlet, universal power plug and headphones jack on one side and a panel with the seat controls on the other side.
Beneath the console and side table is another control panel to adjust the bed mode and lighting, which is easier to access when the seat is fully reclined.
Right above this panel is another small box that, when opened, holds the controller for the inflight entertainment and small mirror.
A curved tray table (measuring 20 x 10.5 inches or 50 x 27 cm) is stored below the side table; it is released by pushing on a button right by the seat controls.

Right in front of the seat is a 18.5 inches HD touchscreen (more on the inflight entertainment below) with a footrest underneath. The footrest feels a bit tight since since its located to the side of the seat in front. When the seat is fully reclined, the flat bed measures 80 inches (203 cm) in length and feels comfortable thanks to the memory foam cushioning, but again, its downside is the narrow footwell (which makes it not very convenient to move your feet and legs without hitting the footwell’s wall). The only seats that have a wider footrest are the front-row (bulkhead) seats.

What are the best Business Class seats on Delta’s A330neo?

The best seats for solo travelers are the ‘true’ window seats in rows 2, 4, 6 and 8.
The best seats for travel partners are the paired seats in the planes’ center.

What are the worst Business Class seats on Delta’s A330neo?

The seats in rows 1, 7 and 8 are located close to the galley, which may be bothersome to some passengers (because of more noise and light in this area).

Click here for a seat map of Delta’s A330-900neo aircraft.

4. AMENITIES & BEDDING

Passengers traveling in Business Class onboard one of Delta’s long-haul flights receive the following amenities:

A Delta One amenity kit, which comes in five different designs that Mexican apparel brand Someone Somewhere artisans created especially for Delta. The colorful pouches are created on traditional hand looms by artisans in five of Mexico’s most vulnerable states, ceating jobs for more than 250 people. The kit includes sustainable products such as a Someone Somewhere eye mask, Humble Co. bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste, and Grown Alchemist lip balm and lotion.
A premium “CoZ-z-z” bedding set, which includes a soft pillow and lightweight blanket and which is made from more than 100 recycled plastic bottles. In 2021, when the bedding was first introduced, the airline was among the first to use 100% recycled polyester (rPET) bedding, which reduces single-use plastic use by up to 260,000 pounds per year.
A pair of slippers
A noise-cancelling headset

While the bedding is eco-conscious, it does not feel as luxurious and comfortable as Delta’s former Westin Heavenly bedding. Also, I did miss a seat cover or mattress (which would definitely have enhanced the sleeping comfort and seat hygiene).

5. MEALS

During this flight, a breakfast was served right after takeoff as well as a lunch two hours prior to arrival. Snacks were also available throughout the flight in the galley.

I had the following selection from the breakfast menu:

Starter: dilled cured salmon, pickled vegebles, dill aioila
Main course: egg omelet, chicken sauge, herb roasted potaties, portabella mushroom, tomato
Dessert (rolled out on a trolley): lemon tartlet

Breakfast was served on one tray with seasonal fresh fruit and a butter croissant. While everything tasted great, I was a little disappointed as I was expecting a three course lunch instead of a rather basic breakfast served on one tray. Also, the breakfast wasn’t very filling, so I was hungry for a good portion of the flight as the next meal was only served 7 hours later (except for a warm chocolate chip cookie which was offered mid-flight).

For the pre-arrival meal, I choose the beemster cheeseburger on brioche, caramelized onions and mustard aioli. The burger was served with coleslaw and mini pastries.

6. ENTERTAINMENT

Each seat is equipped with a 18.5 inches high resolution TV screen, which is the largest display offered by any USA airline. The screen is not only large and sharp, it’s also responsive and easy to use, too. Delta calls its inflight entertainment Delta Studio. There’s more than 1,000 hours of onboard entertainment, including a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music, live satellite TV, and podcasts. Delta also has a partnership with Paramount+, offering the best movies, TV series and originals of the streaming channel.

7. ONBOARD INTERNET

Delta’s A330-900neo aircraft are equipped with WiFi. During this flight, three WiFi packages were available:

Complimentary messaging (through iMessage, Facebook chat and Whatsapp) was offered to all passengers (limited to text and emojis).
A browse package (for the duration of the flight) could be purchased for $21.95 USD.
A stream package (high speed WiFi that could be used for browsing and streaming) could be purchased for 39.95 USD.

Delta is planning to offer free Wi-Fi on all of its domestic and international flights by the end of 2024.

8. OTHER INFLIGHT EXPERIENCES

# CREW: The Delta cabin crew on this flight was courteous, friendly and efficient. The service was warm and personal, attentive but not intrusive.

# LAVATORY: Delta’s A330-900neo aircraft are equipped with two lavatories for the Business Class passengers: one in the front of the cabin (behind the cockpit) and one behind the cabin (in the galley between the Business and Economy Class cabin).

# VIEWS: we enjoyed clear skies for most of the flight, affording phenomenal views of Greenland, Arctic Canada and the Rocky Mountains (you can watch some spectacular aerial footage in my YouTube video).

9. DELTA BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE AT SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT

After my arrival in Salt Lake City, I spent a few hours in the Delta Business Class Lounge (called Delta Sky Club) while waiting for my connecting flight.

The entrance to the lounge is located in concourse A, Level 2 east of the Airport Plaza, with the main lounge area located one floor above the concourse. The lounge features a modern decor with several design highlights, including pieces of art, two marble-clad bars with backlit lighting, and a 360-degree fireplace. The space is comprised of several areas dedicated to relaxing, working and eating. There are two buffet stations, both offering a decent selection of hot and cold snacks.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows maximize the amount of daylight entering the lounge and offer great views of the tarmax (and the Wasatch mountain range in the distance). One of the lounge’s best feature is an outdoor covered terrace, offering great views of the airport.