It started when we decided to fly to Europe to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Four glorious days in Rome, pasta, tiramisu and gelato, and getting an up close and personal look at the sites that made me want to be an archeologist when I read about them when I was in middle school. The Roman Forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill and all things sixth grade social studies. We then jumped aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that took us from Italy, to the Greek Isles and Turkey for more of the same.
Now, of course this dream trip is supposed to be exciting, but, we decided to ramp things up by booking our vacation through Delta Vacations with a Delta One flight experience. Yes, no seat yoga trying to find a comfortable position for eight hours for us. We decided on a life-changing flight in Delta One.
That Pre-Flight Glow-Up
We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare in order to truly enjoy our experience. Our bags were whisked away, adorned with the “priority” tag after we had made our way through the Sky Priority lane and we were directed to enjoy our time prior to boarding, in the Delta lounge. We scanned our boarding passes at the lounge entrance and rode the escalator up into relaxation bliss. After choosing an area to park our carry-ons, we got some snacks a glass of wine to toast with and smiled as we knew our dream vacation had begun. They have a coffee machine that makes drinks better than your corner barista and a cart where you could curate your own seasonal cup of hot cider with flavored syrup and cinnamon sticks. And did I say this was just the lounge?
Getting to the gate, we walked up to the “priority” lane and bypassed the line of people waiting for their zone to be called. We had waited until the last minute to leave the lounge so there would be no boarding area wait for us. Once you get to the plane, taking that left turn into Delta One is like arriving on another planet.
Seat or Space Pod?
There are more buttons in a Delta One seat than the cockpit. Do you want to sit upright? Lie flat? Feet elevated? NO PROBLEM! I barely got my bag put away before I was offered something to drink. Champagne? OF COURSE! Each pod is equipped with noise cancelling headphones, a comfy blanket and pillow, slippers, an exclusive Missoni amenity kit with Grown Alchemist skincare products, a toothbrush, eye mask, a pair of socks and other items meant to make your journey comfortable. There is also lighting for whatever mood you may be in.
The meal menu is extensive, with a variety of dishes to choose from and there is great selection of premium wine as well as top shelf spirits. Before dinner service, we had been served a dish of warm nuts, smoked salmon, and soup and salad. We received an email approximately one week prior to our flight allowing us to choose a dinner entree and both my beef short ribs and my husbands fish entree were delicious. Then came the dessert cart where you could even have an ice cream sundae prepared to your liking. IS THIS HEAVEN??? Naw, but 36,000 feet above the earth will do just fine. About ninety minutes before landing in Rome we were served breakfast, a ricotta omelette and of course, a mimosa. One flight segment on the way home found us on a KLM flight and the food came in an adorable box that was itself worthy of the souvenir collection. Our final Delta One meal was a small pizza, Caesar salad and cream puffs that I was too full to finish. First flying world problems for sure!
We have always found Delta entertainment to be far superior to most other airlines regardless of where you sit with movies, tv shows and music selections for all tastes so I had to eventually just shut the system off after watching a movie (one of my all time favorites, Grease, with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) then listening to music such as Hits of the 70’s, 80’s and the “This is Lizzo” playlists in order to get some shut eye because, well, lie flat seats!!!!! While it was still 2:15 AM in Detroit, it was 8:15 AM in Rome when we landed, though we almost didn’t want to get off of the airplane, Rome was waiting!
Back to Life: Back to Reality
As our plane touched down in Detroit after the most magical 15 days imaginable, we looked at each other and wondered if it had all been a dream. As John Travolta’s character, Danny, sang in Grease, “I got chills, they’re multiplying”. Our Delta One experience was certainly one for the books but our only thought was HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN? As we collected our carry-ons and passed the flight attendants, they seemed to give us an all-knowing smile that said, “We’ll miss you, but not as much as you’ll miss us.”
Our Delta One vacation, that concluded with one evening in Amsterdam, was not just a plane flight. It was a taste of a lifestyle that we may not be able to repeat every time we travel on a long haul, but one that we will think about fondly every time we see that snack cart wobble down the aisle in the main cabin…….. Yeah, Delta One, you’re the one that I want!
Julie's Adventures In Wanderland 