Review: Delta One Suites A350 Detroit To Beijing (2024)

Both Delta and Qatar Airways introduced business class suites with doors last year. I had flown Qatar Airways Qsuites just weeks before this trip and was blown away by the experience, and was wondering how the new Delta One Suites compared.

Delta 189
Detroit (DTW) – Beijing (PEK)
Tuesday, February 13
Depart: 12:50PM
Arrive: 3:10PM (+1 day)
Duration: 13hr20min
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Seat: 5A (Business Class)

I boarded through door L1, and then turned right into the business class cabin — WOW! Delta’s A350-900s have a total of 32 business class suites in a 1-2-1 configuration. All of the seats are in a single cabin, with a total of nine rows (rows one and nine each have just two center seats and no window seats, due to the locations of the lavatories and galleys).

Delta A350 business class cabin

My initial impression was extremely favorable, though perhaps that’s thanks largely to the A350 itself. Since there are no overhead bins in the center section, the cabin feels especially spacious, much more so than other planes.

While I thought the cabin overall was impressive, I didn’t think it felt especially elegant. Instead the finishes strike me as being sterile and cheap-looking, though I’ve always felt that way about Delta’s international business class cabin finishes.

Delta A350 business class cabin

The new Delta One Suites are modified Vantage XL seats (you’ll find Vantage XL seats in SAS business class, for example), which is one of the best staggered configurations out there. In this configuration, the seats in each row alternate, so that you place your feet to the side of the seat of the person in front of you.

Delta One Suite A350

The seats in each row alternate. In the window seats in even numbered rows, the window seats are closer to the aisle, which is to say that the big console is on the window-side of the seat. Generally speaking this would be my less preferred seat choice, since it’s tougher to look out the windows, and you also don’t feel like you have as much privacy.

Delta One Suite A350 — seat closer to the aisle

Delta One Suite A350 — seat closer to the aisle

In the window seats in odd numbered rows, the seats are closest to the windows, which would be my first picks. In these seats it’s easiest to look out the window, and you also have the most privacy.

Delta One Suite A350 — seat closer to the window

Delta One Suite A350 — seat closer to the window

The seats in the center section alternate in a similar fashion, with a privacy partition between seats that could easily be lowered if traveling with someone. It’s great how customizable the center seats are in that regard, since even these aren’t “bad” seats. However, unlike on Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, there’s no option to create a double bed in the center seats.

Center Delta One Suites

I had assigned myself seat 5A, a “true” window seat around the middle of the cabin. Tiffany was seated right behind me.

Delta One Suite A350

Delta One Suite A350

Now let’s take a look at the actual features at my seat. At my seat the console was on the aisle-side. I’m not sure why Delta chose to install the console the way they did, but I found it to be fairly impractical. All the surfaced were curved in such a way that I couldn’t even place my laptop on the console without it either being “wobbly,” blocking the seat controls, or hanging over an edge. It just seems like an odd design to me.

Delta business class seat storage & controls

Underneath the part of the console that stuck up was a 110v outlet, USB outlet, and the headphone jack.

Delta business class power outlet & headphone jack

The seat controls were in a logical place, though I didn’t find them to be responsive at all. You had to push really hard to get anything to move.

Delta business class seat controls

Beneath that was another set of controls, which you could just use to place the seat into bed or upright mode, as well as adjust the lighting. Presumably these are intended to be easier to access when the seat is reclined.

Delta One Suite controls

The entertainment controller is in a panel next to the seat controls, and there’s even a mirror there.

Delta One Suite entertainment controller

The tray table could be released using a button right by the seat controls. The tray was a single, big, curved table.

Delta One Suite tray table

Then at the back of the seat was an exposed storage compartment that was quite small, and it’s where they placed the headphones during boarding, thanks to the hook there.

Delta business class seat storage

Along the interior wall of the suite was both a cool-looking light fixture and the button for releasing the suite door.

Delta One Suites lighting

I love the stitching on the seat itself. These seats also have shoulder harnesses. I’m not sure what exactly causes a seat to require them. I know it comes down to the certification process, but if anyone has more info on the exact details (because some airlines have very similar seats, with some requiring harnesses and others not requiring them), I’d love to hear them.

Delta business class seat shoulder harness

The A350 has the coolest looking overhead panels, in my opinion. The seatbelt and no smoking sign are on a little screen. Fortunately Delta also has individual air nozzles at each seat, which I consider to be the most underrated business class amenity out there.

Delta One Suites individual air nozzles

I was worried that the footwell at this seat would be tight when in bed mode, though I didn’t find that to be an issue at all.

Delta One Suites legroom

Since the unique feature of this seat is the door, let’s briefly look at that. First of all, the door doesn’t actually close all the way. There’s maybe a half inch gap when you close it. I’m not sure why exactly they chose to design it that way, and it’s not a big deal, I just found it to be strange. The door also doesn’t go all the way down to the floor.

Delta One Suite door gap

My real issue with the door was how difficult it was to operate. After takeoff I tried out the door and couldn’t open it, at least not without applying so much force that I was scared I’d break something. I called over a flight attendant, and he couldn’t figure it out either, even though he tried to pull hard. He then called over the purser, and she just pointed out that we weren’t applying enough pressure.

They really need to adjust the amount of pressure required to open this door, because it was a pain to do so every time. I also feel like it’s a potential safety issue, either in an emergency, or just generally for kids, seniors, and those who have mobility challenges. Meanwhile the Qatar Airways Qsuites door just easily slides open and closed, and you can even leave it half open if you want.

Delta One Suite door

So, what are my overall thoughts on the hard product? The Delta One Suite is a good product overall, though I’m disappointed about aspects of the design. I feel like they didn’t spend enough time testing the seat in a way that would be useful to someone actually on a plane, including how difficult the suite door is to open, how difficult it is to push the seat controls, the lack of flat surfaces to store things, and more.

Also, while the window seats that are closer to the aisle have a storage compartment underneath the console, the window seats closest to the windows don’t, so the seats are badly lacking storage.

After exploring the seat itself, I took a look at some of the amenities at the seat. At the seat was Westin Heavenly Bedding, including two pillows and a blanket. I remember that eons ago when this was introduced it was cutting edge, though at this point I feel like the bedding has seen better days, and the competition has also caught up and surpassed them. So the bedding is perfectly fine, but is no longer industry leading.

Delta Westin Heavenly bedding

Also waiting at my seat were a pair of LSTN headphones and a bottle of water. It’s rare I have this strong of an opinion on something, but these LSTN headphones are absolute garbage. Delta only recently introduced them and even heavily promoted them, and it blows my mind they did so, because they’re uncomfortable and don’t have great sound quality. Talk about style over substance.

Delta LSTN headphones

There were also slippers waiting at my seat.

Delta business class slippers

Then there was a Tumi amenity kit, which is industry-leading. You can even get the kits monogrammed for free at a Tumi store.

Delta Tumi amenity kit

Not only is the kit worth keeping, but it has a good selection of toiletries.

Delta Tumi amenity kit contents

Once settled in, one of the flight attendants came through the cabin to distribute menus for the flight.

Delta One menu

A few minutes later pre-departure beverages were served, with the choice between champagne, orange juice, water, and beer. Unlike American and United, Delta serves pre-departure beverages in glassware.

Delta business class pre-departure champagne

About 10 minutes later pajamas were distributed, which Delta offers on select longhaul flights.

Delta business class pajamas

The pajamas were pretty good quality.

Delta business class pajamas

The boarding process was on the hectic side. Even though they had both jet bridges attached to the plane, a vast majority of passengers boarded through the forward door.

Initially business class was only supposed to be half full (two hours before the flight there were 16 of the 32 seats occupied, with no one on the upgrade list), but then after operational upgrades and non-revs, the plane ended up going out with six empty seats in business class.

At 1:15PM the main cabin door closed, and then a few minutes later the captain added his welcome onboard, informing us of our flight time of 13 hours. He said our route of flight would take us over Canada, Northern Alaska, Russia, and then China, and apologized for the delay in departure, which he said was due to a “TSA audit” of the plane.

Shortly thereafter the purser, Karen, made her welcome aboard announcement, on behalf of the 12 flight attendants, and then screened the safety video.

After the safety video the crew came around to take meal orders. Delta only lets you pre-order the Chinese option, which it seems you have to do, since they ran out of those very quickly.

At 1:30PM we began our pushback.

Pushing back Detroit Airport

Delta A330 Detroit Airport

Five minutes later we were taxiing towards runway 22R.

Delta planes Detroit Airport

Taxiing Detroit Airport

Snow sure is beautiful to look at, though as someone who likes warm climates, I was happy to view it from inside the plane. By 1:50PM we were cleared for takeoff.

Taking off Detroit Airport

Ah, the beautiful A350 wing!

View after takeoff from Detroit

View after takeoff from Detroit

As we climbed out, I played around with the entertainment selection, starting with the airshow.

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Delta’s entertainment choices are very good, with plenty of movies and TV shows to choose from.

Delta entertainment selection

Delta entertainment selection

Delta entertainment selection

Delta entertainment selection

Delta also offers Wi-Fi on their A350, which costs $28.95 for the entire flight with no data caps. I think that pricing is fair, though unfortunately I had many issues with Wi-Fi usability — the Wi-Fi briefly worked after takeoff, then stopped working for about half the flight, then a few hours before landing it worked again but wanted me to buy another pass. The speeds weren’t good either. Overall I was very disappointed by the inflight Wi-Fi experience, especially since this is supposed to be Gogo 2Ku.

Delta A350 Wi-Fi

Delta A350 Wi-Fi

About 15 minutes after takeoff the crew manually unlocked the seats so the doors could be opened and closed.

I was impressed by how quickly after takeoff the meal service began.The menu read as follows:

The drink list read as follows:

Just 20 minutes after takeoff I was offered a warm towel.

Delta business class meal service — warm towel

I was served a drink 25 minutes after takeoff. I ordered some champagne (Lanson Black Label), sparkling water, and warm, mixed nuts.

Delta business class meal service — mixed nuts, champagne, and water

Then about an hour after takeoff a cart was rolled down the aisle with the first course, including an appetizer, salad, and soup. This included an appetizer of pickled shrimp with vadouvan sauce and cashews, a salad of butter lettuce with poached pears, pecans, and goat cheese, and a soup of porcini mushroom with croutons. I was also offered a selection from the breadbasket, and chose a pretzel stick.

The food was fairly good, I thought. It wasn’t amazing, but I do appreciate that Delta offers an appetizer, soup, and salad in business class, which not many airlines do.

Delta business class meal service — appetizer, salad, and soup

While appetizers were served from a cart, the main courses were brought out on a tray as each person finished their starter. I ordered thecrab cakes with winter vegetable slaw and meyer lemon remoulade, which I enjoyed. The dish was small, but I appreciated that, since the meal was already plenty filling.

Delta business class meal service — main course

Tiffany had the lacquered roast chicken breast served over black truffle risotto and herb butter glazed winter vegetables.

Delta business class meal service — main course

There was a bit of a break after the main course, and then at 3:50PM the dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle, with the choice between a vanilla ice cream sundae, chocolate lava cake, and a cheese plate. I ordered the chocolate lava cake, which consisted of the cake in one bowl, and then a scoop of ice cream in another.

Delta business class meal service — dessert

Tiffany had the cheese plate.

Delta business class meal service — cheese plate

The meal service was done a bit over two hours into the flight, at which point we had 10hr40min remaining to Beijing. Overall the service was unremarkable. The crew was perfectly fine, they went through the motions, but nothing more. They weren’t any better or worse than a crew you’d find on any other US airline, in my opinion. On average I find Delta has better flight attendants than American and United, though I find that difference is most noticeable on domestic flights, rather than international flights.

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Shortly after the meal service the cabin lights were turned down. With the mood lighting on, that sure is one pretty cabin.

Delta A350 cabin

I visited the lavatory, of which there are two at the front of the cabin. Both lavatories were tiny.

Delta A350 lavatory

I then closed the door to my suite and got some rest.

Delta One Suite with door closed

The bed was comfortable (despite the lack of a mattress pad), though I wasn’t actually that tired, so I only managed to sleep for about two hours. Fortunately the inflight entertainment had Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is one show where I could watch reruns all day long.

Delta entertainment selection

As we reached the halfway point of the flight, the crew came through the cabin to offer the midflight snack to those who were awake. The snack menu read as follows:

As you can see, the midflight snack consisted of teriyaki beef tenderloin with edamame puree, shiitake mushrooms, and sriracha aioli, and was served with a side of vegetable slaw, fresh fruit, and a Ghirardelli chocolate square.

Delta midflight snack

I tried to go back to sleep after the meal, but just couldn’t. It’s always frustrating when you know you still have a long day ahead of you but can’t actually get any sleep. Fortunately the Wi-Fi eventually started working again, so I spent a few hours online.

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Airshow enroute to Beijing

Airshow enroute to Beijing

The pre-landing snack was served about 75 minutes before arrival. The menu read as follows:

I ordered the ginger miso chicken with rice pilaf and sautéed spinach, which was served with a side of fresh fruit.

Delta business class pre-landing meal

The chicken itself was bland, though the sauce it was served with helped give it a bit of flavor.

Delta business class pre-landing meal

Tiffany selected the other option, which waspork with steamed rice, bamboo shoots, and Chinese pickles.

Delta business class pre-landing meal

After the meal the purser came through the cabin to distribute chocolate mints.

Delta business class pre-landing chocolate

As is often the case in Chinese airspace, we started our descent way early, about an hour out. It just felt like we were descending forever. At around 3:20PM the captain announced that we’d be landing in about 35 minutes.

Airshow approaching Beijing

The views on our initial descent were beautiful.

View approaching Beijing

View approaching Beijing

View approaching Beijing

About 20 minutes before landing the seatbelt sign was turned on, and as is often the case when approaching Beijing, there wasn’t much in the way of views as we approached due to the smog. On our final approach the views got better once again.

Final approach to Beijing Capital Airport

Final approach to Beijing Capital Airport

We touched down at Beijing’s Capital Airport at around 4PM.

Final approach to Beijing Capital Airport

Final approach to Beijing Capital Airport

Beijing Capital Airport control tower

From there we had a long 20 minute taxi to our arrival gate at Terminal 2, where we parked next to an American 787 at around 4:20PM.

American 787 Beijing Airport

Delta A350 Beijing Airport

From there we had a layover of a few hours before continuing to Bangkok on China Eastern. Unfortunately the transit process in this terminal isn’t quite as easy as when flying Air China, so that whole process ended up taking quite a while.

Delta A350 business class bottom line

Overall I have mixed feelings about the new Delta One Suites. On one hand, I commend Delta for introducing a suite with doors in business class. I found the seat to be comfortable for the most part, and in bed mode was impressed by how spacious it was. Because of that, I rank this as one of the world’s best business class seats.

But the seat also has some shortcomings, and some areas where I feel like they should have done better. For one, I don’t love Delta’s sterile cabin finishes. Qatar’s new cabins feel so elegant, while the same can’t be said for Delta’s cabins. However, that’s purely cosmetic.

My bigger issue is with the design of the suite, and in particular how tough it is to open the door, the lack of storage in the “true” window seats, and how difficult some of the seat controls are to use. When I flew Qsuites I felt like an incredible amount of thought went into the design, while in this case I couldn’t help but wonder to what extent they had tested the seats, rather than just slapping a door on a Vantage XL seat without much thought.

Then I also had issues with the Wi-Fi, as it didn’t work for much of the flight, and even when it did work, it was painfully slow.

I thought the soft product was reasonably good — the crew went through the motions and nothing more, and some aspects of the meal (the appetizer, soup, and salad with the first meal) were good, while the rest of the food was just okay.

So for a US airline this was pretty good, but I was hoping for better.