On paper, Delta 757-300 Comfort Plus sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Not only do you get 5 more inches of legroom compared to basic economy, you’ll get additional perks such as priority boarding, dedicated overhead bin space, premium snacks, and complementary alcohol.
The reality is that none of that really matters when you realize that they stretch the truth a little. Of course they provide all that stuff. However, on a recent flight from San Diego to Atlanta, I realized that they do an excellent job of half-assing it.
DL990
San Diego, CA (SAN) – Atlanta, GA (ATL)
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Aircraft: 757-351
Registration: N581NW
Duration: 3 hours 26 minutes
Seat: 17A (Comfort Plus)
Delta Air Lines 757-300 (N581NW) side view illustration by NorebboStock.comOur route from San Diego to Atlanta today as DL990.
My full review of Delta 757-300 Comfort Plus from San Diego to Atlanta
As a reminder, Comfort Plus is Delta’s domestic premium economy offering. It’s literally (and figuratively) the product that fits between first class and economy class.
Flying time between San Diego and Atlanta is just a tick under 4 hours (on average), which is the perfect amount of time to give it a proper go IMHO.
Arrival at SAN
First things first: shoutout to the Delta scheduling team for putting the 757-300 in the 7:30 AM timeslot to ATL. That’s early enough to make convenient connections in Atlanta without having to wake up at an ungodly hour here on the West Coast. I was up at 5 AM, and at the airport by 6. Easy.
Y’all should know by now what it’s like to walk into Terminal 2 West here at the San Diego International Airport. I’m only including these pics to help tell the story of my journey today.Perhaps the most important part of this Delta 757-300 Comfort Plus story is the fact that there will be no food served on today’s flight to Atlanta (other than a small snack). I highly advise bringing your own grub. The more well-endowed it is the better.Because I know there’s at least one person who’s going to ask, Camden Food Co has the girthiest bananas here at SAN. Tell them SANspotter sent you.Speaking of girthy cylindrical objects, the 757-300 taking me to Atlanta today is looking as menacing as ever (in an oddly pleasurable way).Why is nobody here at gate 37 amused by my colorful commentary?Oh well. Ain’t nothing like a Delta Comfort Plus boarding pass to get an airline review marred by stupid d**k jokes back on track.
The boarding process for flight number 990 to Atlanta
Although boarding a Boeing 757-300 takes a while, having a Comfort Plus boarding pass comes with the added benefit of getting to be one of the first passengers on the plane. Behind first class and Diamond Medallions of course. Given how many seats there are on a DL 757-300 (234), you’re still going to have to wait a while.
Please stand by. Delta boards Comfort Plus passengers after first class and the Diamond Medallion elite.“I can’t believe they still haven’t done anything about this baby s**t brown paint!”This the 105th time that I’ve stepped onboard a Boeing 757. Damn my flight log (and my insistent need to document everything) for reminding me that I am old.You’ll be smack dab in downtown Comfort Plus upon turning right when boarding the aircraft. Fun fact: the Comfort Plus seats feature red accents. The regular economy seats are solid blue.This is row 17. I’ve got the window seat (and a strong feeling of déjà vu considering that I’ve seen these seats before).
It’s also worth noting that these Delta 757-300s haven’t been fully updated with the newest interiors. Yes, the seats at the latest and greatest, but the sidewalls and ceilings are old school Boeing 757. Do be sure to check out my Delta 757-200 Comfort Plus review to see just how sweet the 757 looks with modern interior features.
Seat overview
The main benefit of the Comfort Plus seats is extra legroom (at least compared to economy class). If you read my Delta 757-300 economy review, you’ll know that the extra legroom is very much appreciated.
You honestly didn’t think this would be more spacious than Delta A321 Comfort Plus, did you?Crap. It’s only been five minutes and I’ve already lost the battle for the armrest.
It should be noted that legroom is similar to what you saw in my review of Delta 757-300 first class. Seat width is exactly the same as economy class though, so these seats are more beneficial for the tall (not wide).
See? From certain angles, this looks exactly like the economy seats just a few rows back. These Comfort Plus seats are maybe not as hoity-toity as you thought!Ain’t nothing hoity-toity about having to bend down between your legs (past the saggy bag) to reach the electrical outlets.I do like the adjustable headrests though. Never mind the fact that I’ve spelled “Comfort +” wrong everywhere in this review so far.Homeboy isn’t going to give up that armrest.Perhaps a blast of ice cold air from the overhead air vent will persuade him to lean the other way?In all seriousness, I’ve always been a firm believer that the middle seat passenger deserves both armrests. It was a very easy thing for me to concede today thanks to all this legroom in these seats.
The departure out of San Diego
I hate to say it (because I’ve got a major crush on the Boeing 757), but I was kind of shocked that we pushed off the gate right on time. These aircraft are getting on in years, and reliability has been trending downhill. Hence the reason the reason why Delta doesn’t send these aircraft out to the West Coast very much anymore.
So long, gate 37. It’s been real.Are we there yet?I was so shocked as you are to find out that row 17 offers an excellent view of the engine and wing here on the 757-300. I thought for sure I’d be directly over the wing.On the other hand, the windows were every bit as smudgy (and a slimy) as I anticipated.‘later dudes (and dudettes)!I’d like to think there were there was at least one person over there at North island NAS giving us a celebratory fist pump as we blasted off.I can almost guarantee there was no one down there at Sunset Cliffs who gave a crap though. Stunning California coastline > Delta 757-300 (any day of the week).For the record, no, I’m not yet feeling the benefits of Comfort Plus as we climb east over downtown San Diego. My back already hurts!
In-flight entertainment
Of course there are video screens at every seat. This is Delta, So why wouldn’t there be? Just as you’ll find on nearly any other Delta aircraft these days, the 757-300 Comfort Plus seats feature large video screens (crammed full of really good content).
I’m going to warn you right now. What you’re about to see is exactly the same as what I showed you in my Delta 767-300 Comfort Plus review. It’s the same s**t.Perhaps ‘s**t’ was the wrong word to describe the Delta Studio in-flight entertainment system. Y’all know that I’ve always been a really big fan of the extensive catalog of TV shows and movies.There’s even Spotify playlists too! How concerned should I be that ’90s country’ sounds appealing?Just try to imagine how awesome some classic Garth Brooks would sound through these complementary earbuds.“Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots… “ (Don’t mind me. I’m just scrubbing through the aircraft information and map screens while humming along was Garth).By the way, connecting wireless headphones via Bluetooth still isn’t possible with Delta Studio here on the 757-300. You’re gonna have to rock out to your favorite jams via an old school 3.5 mm audio jack.
The food
This is the part that really ticks me off about Comfort Plus. Delta advertises “premium snacks” as part of the Comfort Plus experience, but (in my opinion) they are anything but. The snack offerings on today’s flight weren’t even as good as what I was offered in JetBlue A321neo economy recently.
Delta calls this the Flight Fuel Menu. I call it a neat idea which is pretty much useless here in Comfort Plus on the 757-300. Not only could I not get it to work, it would’ve provided very little information anyway considering how limited the menu is.That’s it. That’s the Comfort Plus “premium snack” they promised me at the time of booking. At least they were kind enough to include a beverage. Free alcohol is included in Comfort Plus on flights over 500 miles, but (unfortunately) I don’t have enough hair on my chest to be drinking whiskey at 7:30 AM.
Complementary alcohol is a nice perk IMHO. Even though I didn’t take advantage of it, I suppose that’s all the reasoning some would need to pay extra for one of these seats.
How much testosterone do you suppose one pistachio contains?Cheers to the prospect of drinking something a little more manly in my next Delta Comfort Plus review!Nope. I’m just not a fan of Delta Comfort Plus onboard service.For anyone curious, the tray table is lightly weighted (but firm), and would have benefited from softer dampening to absorb turbulence. The locking mechanism offers a satisfyingly poppy “clack” sound when released. Cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Rating: 6/10 (would use again).
Seat comfort
If it wasn’t for the extra legroom, this would’ve been a fairly miserable experience. Four hours on a 757-300 in economy class is rough enough, but being able to stretch out a bit does help to dull the pain. At least a little. Being able to cross my legs (without dislodging anything) was nice too.
The seats are comfortable enough (to enjoy those 90s country classics without feeling overwhelmed a lack of legroom).
As you might imagine, seat recline isn’t any better than what you would get in basic economy class. At least that’s what you should be imagining. Going into your next Comfort Plus flight thinking that the recline is going to be excellent would be foolish of you.
The descent (and arrival) into Atlanta
Remember what I said earlier about being shocked that we departed San Diego right on time? Well, I was even more shocked to realize that we were going to end up at ATL 23 minutes ahead of schedule. See? The Boeing 757 can do anything! #greatestairplaneever
Beginning the descent so soon? I haven’t even started the second course of my in-flight meal! (Yes, that was condescending sarcasm).Hotlanta. The Big A. The ATL. A-Town. Nothing says “I’m just passing through” more than calling a city by anything but it’s actual name.As long as you try not to think about the millions of things that go wrong at this very moment (and how horrible it would be to be burned alive), landing is fun, isn’t it?Welcome to Atlanta Hotlanta / The Big A / The ATL / A-Town!Don’t be so quick to judge me. $20 says that there’s at least one bro on that 737-900 over there who’s texting a friend about the fact that he’s about to take the f**k off out of Hotlanta.Pulling up to Concourse A. It’s always Concourse A when flying in from San Diego.We’ve arrived! Other than the lack of proper food, this wasn’t all that bad actually.At the very least, the lack of food keeps the aisle (and floor) squeaky clean. I wonder if they ever found that one pistachio that I dropped just West of Dallas?Dang it, this was my last chance to ask for some Biscoff cookies to go. I blew it!I love how it looks like I’m mad about the cookies lol.
Pros and cons of the Delta 757-300 Comfort Plus experience
Honestly, there are only 2 reasons why you’d want to choose Comfort Plus over basic economy. The first is the extra legroom. The second is free alcohol (if you’re into that sort of thing). The rest is meh.
Pros
The extra legroom is enough to make you completely forget about how hard (and narrow) the seat is.
Free alcohol. Drunkards rejoice!
Being seated near the front is especially nice on the 757-300 (the longest domestic aircraft in Delta’s fleet).
Cons
The snacks they serve are barely any better than what you would get in regular economy class. Quantity is exactly the same.
Because of how narrow they are, the seats won’t be beneficial to anyone who prefers width over added legroom.
Extras such as blankets, pillows, and noise canceling headphones are not provided on domestic flights. It’s not that premium.
That’s pretty shabby. My brother is flying to Orlando in January and he was very proud that he and his friend managed to get Comfort + tickets on Delta for a reasonable price. He did it for the legroom but I think he’s going to be disappointed at the lack of snacks. If you had booked first class, would a meal have been served? You mentioned above about a lack of meals on the flight but I wasn’t sure if that was just economy (as usual) or the entire plane. You’ve had other reviews on Delta where first class gets fed flying from SAN to ATL, but nowadays who knows!
Make sure to tell them to bring snacks! I think it’s criminal that they describe the little snacks they serve as “premium.” I don’t know – maybe those pistachios would’ve tasted better with a shot of whiskey? lol
Yes, they did serve a full meal up in first class. And although I didn’t mention it, they did offer food for purchase in Comfort Plus. I should probably go back and add that in…
I know sometimes the airlines (if they have first class seats available) will offer upgrades to first for less than what it would have cost to buy the seat originally. I’m not sure if they still do that post-Covid, but I wonder the cost would have been to do so from Comfort +. In 2019 I was flying a full-fare coach ticket from Philadelphia to LAX and I upgraded on the Philly to Dallas segment to first class and I think it was maybe $100 to do so.
So, basically, this product is a good option if you’re tall, but not if you’re hungry. It’s also great for Avgeeks given the fantastic view of the engine (from row 17 at least).
Also, sorry to be *that* guy, but the 737 you passed at ATL was actually a -900, not an -800.
JCC
That’s pretty shabby. My brother is flying to Orlando in January and he was very proud that he and his friend managed to get Comfort + tickets on Delta for a reasonable price. He did it for the legroom but I think he’s going to be disappointed at the lack of snacks. If you had booked first class, would a meal have been served? You mentioned above about a lack of meals on the flight but I wasn’t sure if that was just economy (as usual) or the entire plane. You’ve had other reviews on Delta where first class gets fed flying from SAN to ATL, but nowadays who knows!
Scott (SANspotter)
Make sure to tell them to bring snacks! I think it’s criminal that they describe the little snacks they serve as “premium.” I don’t know – maybe those pistachios would’ve tasted better with a shot of whiskey? lol
Yes, they did serve a full meal up in first class. And although I didn’t mention it, they did offer food for purchase in Comfort Plus. I should probably go back and add that in…
JCC
I know sometimes the airlines (if they have first class seats available) will offer upgrades to first for less than what it would have cost to buy the seat originally. I’m not sure if they still do that post-Covid, but I wonder the cost would have been to do so from Comfort +. In 2019 I was flying a full-fare coach ticket from Philadelphia to LAX and I upgraded on the Philly to Dallas segment to first class and I think it was maybe $100 to do so.
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, it’s still a thing but they didn’t offer it on this particular flight. It’s typically a really good deal when it happens though!
Peter
So, basically, this product is a good option if you’re tall, but not if you’re hungry. It’s also great for Avgeeks given the fantastic view of the engine (from row 17 at least).
Also, sorry to be *that* guy, but the 737 you passed at ATL was actually a -900, not an -800.
Scott (SANspotter)
Exactly! I should add that in as a TLDR at the very top of the post lol.
And you’re right! That is indeed a -900. Can’t believe I missed that…