By Shawn Gallagher
Good morning from Boston Logan Airport’s terminal A! I recently flew First Class on Delta’s Airbus A220 on a flight from Boston to New York JFK. It was early in the morning, but I’ll never complain when it’s for a flight.
The Airbus A220 is a fairly new aircraft, debuting about 5 years ago. I’ve reviewed Comfort Plus on this plane previously, so be sure to check that out as well.
Let’s get to the review!
At the Airport
My flight was scheduled to depart at 6:05. I got to the airport at around 4:30am.
Yes, I made sure to head to the airport with enough time today. I tend to cut it close with these flights between New York and Boston, but not today!
I checked in online as usual, so I headed straight to TSA. First Class and Medallion members get Sky Priority, which allows you the priority lane at security. It’s useful when the airport is busy or if you don’t have TSA PreCheck. Otherwise, I don’t think it makes much of a difference.
The airport was already pretty busy when I arrived. Delta has several 5am flights out of Boston, so there was a good amount of traffic.
I headed to my gate, A4.
My aircraft for the day was N136DQ, a 4 year old Airbus A220-100.
Boarding began at around 5:30.
First Class passengers board in Zone 1. I was on the plane in no time.
Related: Delta Boarding Zones, Explained (2024)
On Board
First Class is laid out in a 2-2 configuration, just like the other narrowbodies. The seats are also the same type as most other aircraft. I was in seat 2A, on the window.
Since the A220 is narrower compared to other narrowbodies like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, First Class might feel a little crammed if you’re used to those other aircraft. However, seat dimensions are pretty much the same, with seat width being half an inch tighter on the A220. They were also nice and comfy.
The Airbus A220 on Delta has IFE screens, like most of their other aircraft. I always appreciate Delta for keeping them around, since some other airlines have chose to get rid of them (cough cough, American Airlines).
Legroom in First is plentiful; the 37 inches of pitch makes a comfortable flight.
Universal power outlets for both passengers are located between the seats.
The control for the seat recline and a small cubby were to my right.
A space for water bottles was also between the seats.
Always love these mini-sized bottles!
Despite the short 1 hour flight, the IFE system had a lot of content. If you’ve read my previous posts, you can probably tell that I like Delta’s entertainment system.
The flight attendants came around asking for drinks. I just asked for a half cup of orange juice.
The sun began to rise as we began our taxi.
As usual, the flight attendants dimmed the cabin lights for takeoff.
In the Air
The sunrise was perfect as we left Boston. I had booked a window seat on the left side on purpose, knowing that the sun would rise on this side. I’d say it worked out pretty well.
Like I said in the post above: How can you not love flying?
The vibe inside the plane was nice. Dark inside, some sleeping, some sipping coffee, some reading the morning news. All in all, marking the beginning of a new day combined with the sunrise.
It’s a great way to start the day.
The flight was pretty turbulent throughout, and flight attendants had to stay seated for the whole duration of the flight. It wasn’t a long flight though, so it wasn’t really bothersome.
Related: Is Turbulence Becoming More Common? Research Suggests So
We soon began our decent and approach into JFK.
We ended up arriving early. Just like that, I’m back in New York City!
Bottom Line
This was a very pleasant flight, which also ended up being one of my favorite flights this year thanks to the impressive sunrise. The First Class seat was also more than enough, and they’ll definitely be comfortable on a longer flight as well. As always, the priority benefits to First Class are particularly nice, especially if you don’t have status.
All photos taken by the author.