When flying with domestic carriers, we usually find ourselves seated in the economy section. This allows us to compare the standard-level seats of various airlines and even the different types of seats on planes operated by the same airline. For instance, your seat on a JetBlue flight can differ from an adequately cushioned chair with an outdated IFE system to a cutting-edge television with an uncomfortable seat.
Recently, we had the opportunity to compare the experience of flying on an A321 plane with two of the largest US airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. It was surprising to see how different the experience could be between the two airlines. However, it’s not that one airline was superior to the other in every aspect. Each airline had its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of how the planes were configured and the in-flight experience.
Delta Air Lines A321
Our first flight was with Delta from Orlando to Minneapolis-St Paul. The flight clocked in at around 3 & 1/2 hours, and I’ve already written about how we experienced the flight from the back of the plane. Delta’s A321s have 20 first class, 29 Comfort+, and 142 main cabin seats.
The seats in the main cabin are 18 inches wide and offer a pitch of 30-31 inches. Although this is considered average for US mainline carriers, it provides me with just enough space to be comfortable without feeling cramped. One major advantage of Delta’s seats is their superior padding. While newer seats on other airlines have less padding, which may help save on weight, it often results in getting a backache after sitting for 90 minutes or more. To avoid this, I carry a travel pillow to use as a backrest during long flights.
However, I had no problems at all flying for 3+ hours in this Delta seat.
Another advantage of Delta compared to American is the entertainment system. To be more specific, Delta has an in-flight entertainment system and American doesn’t offer any seatback IFE.
One of the advantages of flying with Delta is that I can work on board, which is not always possible when flying with American Airlines. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, Delta offers reliable Wi-Fi which is now free on many flights if you’re a SkyMiles member. Secondly, Delta’s seat design allows me to place my laptop on the tray table even when seated in the Main Cabin.
When flying on American Airlines, I have to pay for Main Cabin Extra seats if I want to have enough room to be able to work, if the Wi-Fi is operating.
Here’s our experience on our American flights.
American Airlines A321
Our flights between Charlotte and Orlando were on A321 planes that each had 20 first class, 35 Main Cabin Extra and 135 Main Cabin seats. American has more Main Cabin Extra seats on its A321 which comes at the expense of the Main Cabin passengers. Seats in the back of the plane are 17.5 inches wide (slightly narrower than Delta) and have 30 inches of pitch (also slightly less than Delta.)
That might not seem like a lot, but when you’re already cramped, every inch, or 1/2 inch, counts.
American’s A321’s all have the “Oasis” interior which are Collins Meridian slimline seats. I find these seats rather uncomfortable and even though our flights were less than 2 hours, my back started to bother me about 1/2 way into each flight.
In addition, these seats do not have an in-flight entertainment system (IFE). Instead, there’s a flip-up tablet holder, the idea being that passengers would rather watch their own devices than those on the plane.
When it comes to working, I find it difficult to work on American planes with my laptop unless I pay for a seat with extra space.
This is an older picture but you get the idea. And forget working if the person in front of you reclines their seat.
In addition, I have found the Wi-Fi on American planes to be unreliable. It’s great when it works if you’re on a plane with the newer Viasat systems, but that’s not on every plane.
While the experience on Delta was almost universally better than our flight on American, there was one area where American outperformed Delta. The overhead bins.
American has installed Airbus XL overhead bins on many planes, allowing passengers to load carry-on bags vertically.
I cannot emphasize enough how much of a difference this makes in terms of the number of bags that can be stored in the overhead compartments. While we were only able to fit two full-size rollaboard bags in the Delta bins, three bags can be easily accommodated in the overhead compartments of American’s planes.
Final Thought
After flying on two different airline versions of the same plane model, I was surprised to see how different they were from each other even though they were built only a few years apart. Delta’s seating was more comfortable, with an in-flight entertainment system and reliable Wi-Fi, which made it easier for passengers to work on board. However, American Airlines had better overhead bins that allowed passengers to store more carry-on bags. If I had to choose, I would always go with Delta, even though their overhead bins are smaller.
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