Review: Delta One A330 Paris to NYC

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This Review of Delta One A330 Business Class from Paris CDG to New York JFK covers the seat, bedding, flat bed, meal, and service. This was the return flight, following our Air France Business Class outbound to Paris, and our stay at The Peninsula Paris.

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Delta One A330 Business Class Cabin and Seat Selection

Delta One Business Class on the A330 has 34 seats in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration across 9 rows, although row 1 only has couple's seats 1C and 1G. I don't recommend these ones as they feel exposed, and are near the closets and lavatories.

Solo travelers and those who want natural light on daytime flights will want to select one of the window seats (A and J seats). I recommend trying to avoid the last row or two, due to potential galley noise and light, especially during night flights.

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Delta One A330 Seat and Flat Bed

The Delta One A330 seat is based on a Zodiac Aerospace Cirrus design, so the seat and the reverse herringbone seat configuration in the cabin will look familiar to all who have flown Cathay Pacific Business Class, EVA Business Class, and similar products.

The Delta One seat is 20 inches wide, and the armrest by the aisle retracts, just as with Cathay. Delta has partnered with Westin Heavenly Bed, so a pillow and duvet, both wrapped in plastic, were on each seat.

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The seat controls are to the side of the IFE controls and IFE screen:

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On the armrest by the window was a power outlet and USB port. I really like that with the Cirrus design these are easily visible and accessible, and not knee level or otherwise awkwardly placed.

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The seat reclines into a 79 inch flat bed, although note that the foot of the bed angles down a bit, it's not perfectly flat.

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The Westin Heavenly bedding, while encased in plastic, had some stains on it:

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As the seat cushion was very firm, I was glad I had my Thermarest mattress pad with me to make it more comfortable. I opted to rest earlier on in the flight, to help adjust to the time difference.

Here's our Delta One A330 YouTube Video Review:

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Delta One Menu and Dining, Paris CDG-New York JFK

After boarding and settling into our seats, we were offered a choice of champagne or orange juice. It was still late morning, so I chose orange juice.

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Menus were handed out, which included the main meal (lunch), snacks and a light pre-arrival meal.

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Since I wanted to nap initially, I asked one of the flight attendants if a main course of salmon could be saved for me. My husband wasn't so lucky; he requested the salmon or the chicken, but both ran out by the time they got to him, so he was stuck with the beef tenderloin, which he noted was tough and not very good.

Once I finished my nap, I asked if I could have my meal. I started off with the mixed nuts and some tomato juice.

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That was followed by the appetizers, which consisted of a salad with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds (fine but nothing special); Thai coconut soup (good but not spicy in the least); and some crusted beef with pickled cauliflower. The last was ok, but the best part was the smoked red pepper aioli sauce it came with.

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The main course of salmon with potato and leeks was surprisingly good and the salmon was only slightly overcooked, the usual liability with in-flight fish dishes. The port wine sauce was a curious pairing, however; I'd have expected it with duck or a meat dish, but there are other sauces that would have complemented the salmon better.

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For dessert I chose the cheese plate, which was quite good, especially the Pave d'Affinois.

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The Verdict

While Delta One on the A330 is an older product that has since been outshone by Delta One Suites on the A350, A330-900neo and some Delta 777 and 767 aircraft, the hard product is still respectable as it's the Zodiac Aerospace (now Safran) type seat that is also used in Cathay Pacific Business Class and EVA Business Class, among others. The IFE has a number of film options, even if there weren't as many new releases or foreign films as I'd have liked to see. And some of the food was quite decent, for example the salmon main course and the cheese plate.

That said, detractors on this flight, apart from the significant delay and bus ride to the flight (out of Delta's control) were the stained bedding (even though the duvet and pillow were encased in plastic), the fact that my husband didn't get his first or even second choice for his main meal, and didn't get what he requested for the light meal either, even though the flight attendant had offered him a choice and he had chosen. Good thing I had some food with me. We'd fly Delta One again if we had to, but wouldn't look forward to it.

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