Delta A350-900 Premium Select review Seoul to Detroit (food overload lol)

I arrived at ICN the morning of this flight to Detroit well-rested and ready to create the best Delta A350-900 Premium Select review ever.

10 hours of deep sleep and a strong desire to test the s*** out of what is arguably one of the best long haul premium economy seats on any US airline would be enough to put newly anyone in a good mood – let alone a hard-core AvGeek such as myself. 

DL158
Seoul, South Korea (ICN) – Detroit, MI (DTW)
Monday, February 6, 2019
Aircraft: A350-941
Registration: N502DN
Duration: 12 hours 9 minutes
Seat: 22J (Premium Select / premium economy)

 

My full review of Delta A350-900 Premium Select from Seoul to Detroit

I love everything about Incheon Airport in Seoul. It’s massive, beautiful, and a really fun place to walk around and people-watch. I basically walked into the departures hall of Terminal 2 feeling an irresistible urge to high-five someone.

I was even wearing a different shirt for the first time since my QANTAS 737-800 business class review. How could this not end up being a really good day?

The preflight experience

Once finished with a quick (and extremely delicious) meal of steaming hot pork dumplings, I headed out into the main terminal to walk around and burn some calories before the long fight to Detroit.

The boarding process for flight number 158 to Detroit

Just as boarding was getting underway here at gate 253, it occurred to me that I was no less excited about getting on this A350 than I was when Flew from Bangkok to Singapore in Thai Airways A350-900 business class four days ago. The A350 is an amazing aircraft, and the fact that I’d get to experience this one while draped in Delta premium economy was just the icing on the cake.

Seat overview

Delta A350-900 premium select is legitimate premium economy. Unlike, say, Delta 767-300 Comfort Plus, the seats are wide and offer generous amount of legroom. To prevent the spread of cooties (I assume), each seat is separated by a center console/armrest. It’s essentially a slightly fancier version of Delta A321 first class IMHO.

One of the first things I noticed about the Delta A350-900 Premium Select seat is that it’s not as wide as the QANTAS premium economy seat on the 787-9. However, that’s the only main difference, and everything else about these seats (materials, leg room / seat pitch, design) seemed to be on par.

Amenities

A full-size amenity kit, slippers, and an enhanced menu are included (as are thicker blankets and larger pillows compared to what you’d get in economy).

The departure out of ICN

The forward boarding door was closed with the seat next to me vacant. As a matter of fact, the entire cabin was maybe 20% full (80% empty for the haters) so we all had plenty of room to spread out and relax. The hell?

Departure out of ICN this morning was beautiful, though not exactly uneventful. Skies were generally clear, but there were very strong winds aloft causing turbulence strong enough to keep the flight attendants seated for the first hour of flight.

I didn’t mind at all having to wait for the service to begin. My belly was busy processing all those pork dumplings anyway, so there was no temptation on my part to begin this Delta Premium Select review with a snarky comment about flight attendants unwilling to risk life and limb for my selfish needs.

The first meal service

Once we little laugh at cruising altitude, service started with mixed nuts in little bags and beverages (of any kind) to go with them. I could easily tell that the flight attendants were very much enjoying the light load this morning, as they were very cheerful and extremely generous with the snacks.

I ended up with three bags of nuts and three drinks (water, Diet Coke, and red wine) not because I asked for it – but because she kept pushing me to ask for anything I wanted. I guess that’s one good way to get me to write a glowing Delta Premium Select review!

There were two meal options on today’s flight (Western or Korean), each having several variations to choose from. I went with the Spinach and Artichoke Cannonelli after the flight attendant sensed my inability to make a decision.

“It’s really good” she proclaimed in a confident tone of voice I couldn’t help but to trust, and followed it up with “I’ll be right back with more wine” even before I had the chance to tell her it was a bad idea since I was a lightweight who was already flying 20,000ft higher than this A350 was. The wine was flowing like water up here in Delta premium economy today, that’s for dang sure.

The long slog

Thanks to one too many sips of wine and a tray of really good food, it was all too easy to recline the seat after the meal service and sleep off my sins. And thanks to the fact that there wasn’t anybody sitting next to me, it was easy to get up every now and then and walk to the back of the plane to get the blood flowing when needed.

Interestingly enough, the load factor back in economy looked only slightly higher than it was up in the Premium Select cabin. I sure hope that Delta has higher loads on this flight on a regular basis, because it was looking a bit bleak today.

Mid flight snack

Several hours later, just as I was sobering up and not feeling uncomfortably stuffed, it was time for the mid flight snack. And just so you know, the Delta Premium Select mid flight snack is more like an actual (artery clogging) meal compared to what is served back in economy. Whether that’s good or bad is entirely up to you.

As the flight attendant handed me a squishy wad of tin foil that was as hot as molten lava, I couldn’t help but to think that this Delta Premium Select review was going to be all about the food. I may have even been giggling about how I was going to write about the mass quantities of food that was being served, but when the ice cream came, it wasn’t funny anymore.

It was then that I had to wonder if this flight attendant wanted me dead or something – because the ice cream would have done it for sure. Thankfully I passed on it and lived to write this review.

The pre-landing meal

Just two short hours later, it was time for breakfast. If this were any other day at home, I would have stopped eating hours ago with no plans to do so for the next 48 hours. But this is premium economy after all, and I need to write the best possible Delta Premium Select review that I can, so…bring it. With a glass of orange juice as well please!

I think it’s also important to add that both the quantity and quality of the food served on this flight far exceeded what I experienced in ANA 777-300ER premium economy. Hard to believe, I know, but them’s the facts. 

If there was one really good thing about the amount of food that was served on this flight, it was the fact that it would save me a ton of money once on the ground at DTW. I had a 7.5 hour layover before my connection to San Diego, and I was confident about surviving it without spending a dime on expensive airport food.

The descent and arrival into Detroit

Honestly? I spent the entirety of the descent hoping and praying that the rumors of DTW being closed due to weather wouldn’t be true. Nothing would ruin a great long-haul premium economy experience faster than being diverted to Gary, Indiana.

As we made the approach and descent into Detroit, the gray skies and dead brown landscape was a stark reminder of what the month of January had been like (every year) for the first 21 years of my life. I grew up just 45 minutes north of DTW, and I was feeling a wave of flashbacks come over me as the near-freezing raindrops streamed across my window. This is January in southeast lower Michigan, and it’s the gloomiest time of year here. By far.

Final thoughts

The gloomy skies and freezing rain didn’t phase me any, for I had just experienced the best long haul premium economy product Delta offers. It ended up being a very comfortable (and delicious) way to fly between Seoul and Detroit, and I’m of the opinion that these Premium Select seats are getting so good that I may not mind not being in business class on future flights.