Delta A321 Comfort Plus review: first class on a budget!

For medium length flights, Delta A321 Comfort Plus (Comfort +) isn’t a bad choice. It’s a somewhat spacious seat, it looks great, and it comes with all the basic amenities you normally get with Delta economy – plus a few little extras:

Complementary alcoholic drinks
Boarding before regular economy passengers
A big video screen
A few more complementary snacks (which aren’t any better than what you’ll get in economy though)

Is Comfort Plus on the A321 a decent alternative to first class? Believe it or not, with the limited amount of food that Delta is serving on domestic flights these days it just might be.

That’s either a ringing endorsement of Comfort Plus, or a hearty slap in the face to Delta’s domestic first class product. I’ll let you decide…

DL1410
Atlanta, GA (ATL) – West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Aircraft: A321
Registration: N362DN
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes
Seat: 11A (Comfort +)

Delta Air Lines A321 side view illustration by Norebbo.com

DL1410 flight track — Our route from Atlanta to West Palm Beach this afternoon as DL1410

My full review of Delta A321 Comfort Plus from Atlanta to West Palm Beach

Spoiler alert: The most frustrating part about this review is that you can see more food in my Delta A321 economy review than you will in this Comfort Plus review. Things are changing with Delta, and it’s not for the better.

Hanging out in the B concourse before the flight

I love the Atlanta airport. I know it it stresses out a lot of people due to how large and chaotic it is, but once you get to know it, it’s a great place to hang out for a couple hours. FYI, if you’ve ever wondered how long of a layover you need an Atlanta, don’t worry. It’s a lot less than you think.

Having just arrived here at ATL on a Delta 767-300 from San Diego, I had about 2 1/2 hours to kill before my connecting flight down to West Palm Beach.

Central Concourse B Atlanta airport — Ok then. This looks like as good of a spot as any to start this trip report.

Concourse B ATL — Concourse B is where my flight down to West Palm Beach will be departing from, and…how about a shoutout to the guy in yellow? I can only dream of being brave enough to dress so vividly.

SANspotter selfie ATL concourse B — See? This is about as wild as my wardrobe gets (except for the clown shoes, of course).

Gate B12 concourse B ATL — Gate B12. And a not so subtle reminder that I haven’t taken my vitamins today.

The boarding process for flight number 1410 to West Palm Beach

It had been a while since my last visit to the Atlanta airport, and things felt a little different this time. Most of the Delta terminals have been freshened up to be more bright and spacious, and it really helps to make the boarding process seem less stressful and chaotic. Huge props to whoever it was who helped to make that happen.

Delta comfort + mobile boarding pass — Remember when boarding passes used to be printed on heavy card stock? I think I just told you how old I am without telling you how old I am…

Delta comfort plus boarding — Delta Comfort Plus passengers board *after* first class **and** Diamond Medallions. Hence my reasoning for standing back here with the rest of the common folk.

ATL jet bridge posters — Love ‘em or hate ‘em, at least Delta gives you something to look at while walking down the jet bridge here at ATL.

Delta A321 main boarding door — Here we go! This will be the 5th Delta A321 I’ve been on so far – and the first time that I’ve done it in Comfort Plus. Not that I’m keeping track or anything.

Sanitary wipe boarding flight — Is there anything more “2021” than boarding a flight with an antibacterial wipe in your hand? It’s not a condom!

My first impressions of the Delta A321 Comfort Plus seats

Even though this would be my first time sitting in Comfort Plus on this particular aircraft type, this isn’t the first time that I’ve had the opportunity to see it up close. I’ve flown on a handful of different A21s on Delta over the years, and have always had to walk by Comfort Plus on the way back to regular economy. This wasn’t my first rodeo.

Delta A321 comfort plus cabin — The 4 people with their heads buried in their phones knows what’s up (which, if you’re curious, is that Delta doesn’t offer complementary WiFi in Comfort Plus, so it’s wise to get as much internet as you can while still parked at the gate).

Delta a321 comfort plus seats — Delta A321 Comfort Plus seats. I’ve had to walk past these things nearly every other time I’ve been on one of these aircraft, but…not today.

Delta A321 comfort plus leg room — Well, that was a bit anticlimactic. Yeah, the few extra inches of legroom are nice, but I guess I wasn’t really missing out on much all these years. And I’m not sure, but this *feels* like less leg room than what you saw in my review of Comfort Plus on the 757-200.

Delta A321 comfort plus power outlets — A picture showing you the power outlets down between the seats – which could have been a lot better if there was more legroom. Just sayin’.

Because no Delta A321 Comfort Plus review is complete without a pic of the logo embroidered into the headrest. #nailedit

Delta a321 interior — Despite the snarky comments so far, I will admit that these Comfort Plus seats look fantastic. Delta does a really great job on their aircraft interiors, and the A321 is no exception.

How are Comfort Plus seats on the A321 different from regular economy?

Just like you read in my Delta 767-300 Comfort Plus review, these seats aren’t all that much different from the regular economy seats. As a matter fact, other than the few extra inches of legroom, they’re basically the same – except for a few small details in the stitching.

If you were hoping for a wider seat with more recline, you’re going to be disappointed. As I said, it’s exactly the same as you’re going to get in the back of the bus.

Difference between comfort plus seat and regular economy seat — Delta Comfort Plus seats are exactly the same as regular economy seats – except for the “Comfort +” logos and the red stripe on the headrest.

SANspotter selfie Delta a321 comfort plus — That moment when you realize that you paid a lot more money for the exact same economy seat they were selling for $49.

It’s also worth noting that not all Comfort Plus cabins are the same. For example, the interiors of these A321s are far more modern than what you’ll see on some of Delta’s older aircraft (such as the Boeing 757). You won’t see this kind of mood lighting in Delta 757-300 Comfort Plus!

The departure out of Atlanta

For anyone who has never flown in or out of the Atlanta Hartsfield international Airport before, you’re missing out. It’s a pretty neat experience (if you’re into airplanes and airports that is).

ATL has been one of the busiest airport in the United States for nearly my entire adult life, and I’m always fascinated by seeing it in action.

Row 11 window view delta A321 — Pushback! And as you can see, row 11 offers a nearly perfect view of the engines and wing.

Red stripe delta comforter plus headrests — I like the red racing stripes on the headrests. Bigly.

Delta a321 comfort + seat pitch — Speaking of red – props to the lady in 11C with the super-rad phone case.

Delta a321 departing ATL — Even though I didn’t make a full video review for this flight, I did record the full takeoff (which you can watch in the embedded video below). There’s always lots to see when departing ATL!

Are there video screens in Delta A321 Comfort Plus?

Yes! There are indeed video screens at every seat. The best part about flying Delta is that the seats and video screens are virtually identical from one aircraft to the next, so you always know what you’re going to get. That means a large and responsive video screen filled with lots of great TV shows, movies, and audio options.

It’s the same video screen and entertainment system you saw in my Delta A220-300 economy review. And my Delta 737-800 economy review. And my Delta 767-400 economy review. You get the idea…

Delta Studio video screen A321 — This is too short of a flight to watch a full movie, but it ain’t too short to soak up all that nerdy AvGeek data on the flight info screen. I was just *dying* for someone to ask me what the tail number of this aircraft was!

Delta Studio video screen usb power ports A321 — By the way, yes, there are powered USB ports located under the video screen.

Delta Studio map screen a321 — I was prepared to answer any *“how much longer?”* questions as well, but…nobody asked.

What kind of food does Delta serve in Comfort Plus on shorter flights?

Since the flying time down to West Palm Beach this evening time was only 1 hour and 34 minutes, there wasn’t much time for snacking. Which is just as well, because Delta has been cutting back heavily on complementary snacks over the past couple of years.

Today was no exception. We got exactly the same snacks that everyone else on the airplane did (even those in first class).

Delta comfort plus can of soda — **Good news**: they serve full cans of soda in Delta Comfort Plus! **Bad news:** they’re the itty-bitty (7.5 oz) size.

Delta comfort + drinks — They do serve complimentary alcohol in Comfort Plus though, so turning this into a Jack and Coke (and being lit for the rest of this review) wouldn’t have been all that difficult.

SANspotter delta comfort plus snack — Can you imagine how much more entertaining this review would be if I was 1). Wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit 2). Using a bright red phone case, and 3). Feeling saucy enough to order a Jack Daniels to accompany the Diet Coke? God I’m boring.

By the way, the Delta logo on the hat of of this almond is a fun little detail that I surely would have missed if I was inebriated.

How comfortable are the Comfort Plus seats on the Delta A321?

As I said earlier in this review, these Comfort Plus seats are perfectly fine for flights under five hours in length (I think my back would start having serious issues after our number five). Which is fine I guess, considering that there are very few flights in the Delta A321 network that are over 5 hours in length.

Since the seats don’t recline any further than regular economy seats, it’s not all that special of an experience. However, the extra bit of legroom certainly helps.

Delta a321 comfort plus seat recline — Here you can see what it’s like when the person in front of you reclines their seat. If you’re feeling annoyed, a few firm “touches” on the display ought to send the right message.

SANspotter delta a321 comfort plus seat — Thankfully, the person in front of me didn’t recline all the way, and I was pretty comfortable for the entire flight.

The arrival into West Palm Beach

Not only had this been the first time in a long time that I had been to the Atlanta airport, it had been even longer since I have been to the West Palm Beach airport.

My parents recently moved a bit farther north out of West Palm Beach, so it opened up the Orlando airport as an option for my usual trips to Florida. I’ve been taking advantage of that thanks to lower fares out of MCO.

Anyway, it was nice to see South Florida from the air again as we made the approach and descent into West Palm Beach.

Window seat at sunset — Allllmoooosst there…

Sunset over south Florida — That sky! Quite a contrast to the angry south Florida skies you saw in my American Airlines 777-200 business class review. My butt still hasn’t fully unclenched from that wild ride.

Lake okeechobee from the air — If you’ve ever wondered how big Lake Okeechobee is (and how close it is to West Palm Beach)…there you go.

Delta a321 landing at PBI airport — Touchdown at PBI! Nice to see this place again.

Arrival at PBI airport — Our arrival was perfectly timed with the sunset, something I haven’t been lucky enough to experience in a while. Oh, and I’ve also included a pic of a gas truck for everyone who says I don’t post enough pics of “airport ops” stuff. You’re welcome.

Delta a321 forward bulkhead — And that pretty much concludes my review Comfort Plus on the A321. Those stripes tho.

delta a321 first class preview — Do be sure to read my Delta A321 first class review, if you want to know what *these* seats are like.

SANspotter PBI jet bridge — *“Just wait ’til everyone sees those sunset pics!”*

Pros and cons of Delta A321 Comfort Plus

As a domestic airline product, Comfort Plus on the A321 isn’t all that bad actually. It’s nowhere near being up to the levels of quality and standards one might expect for a true premium economy experience, but it is a fairly decent option if all you’re looking for is a little extra legroom. Here’s everything that I liked and didn’t like about it:

Pros

Even on shorter segments (such as Atlanta to West Palm Beach), the few extra inches of leg room were very noticeable and appreciated.
Being able to board before a regular economy passengers was a nice little perk. This also meant being one of the first off the aircraft upon arrival.
Being seated at the front of the aircraft means being one of the first to be served snacks as well.
Complimentary alcohol is very much a thing in Delta Comfort Plus.

Cons

These Comfort Plus seats are the exact same seats that are used for basic economy.
N0, these seats don’t recline any further than the basic economy seats do.
These seats are also the exact same width as the basic economy seats, so they may be an uncomfortable option for anyone with wider hips.
You’ll get the exact same snacks that you’d get in basic economy (and first class, depending on the length of the flight).
People will roll your eyes at you if you tell them that you flew “premium economy.” FYI, Comfort plus is not premium economy. Premium Select is Delta’s premium economy product (which you can learn more about in my Delta A350-900 Premium Select review).