A Wren Says

Jumping right in. This is my experience flying premium select from Nigeria back to the United States. I splurged to appease my curiosity. I just had to know what it was like.

Shortly after takeoff, we were offered a savory snack. They were Munch Its in sour cream flavor. Because this was a Nigerian snack, my assumption is that is common to serve snacks that correlate somehow with the departing city. Our beverage choices were between sparkling water and wine.

The plane was set up in three rows with seats ordered like this: AB-CDE-HJ. I was in seat C and luckily there was no one in D. I casually slid my things into that underseat area. And that proved to be helpful because I am convinced that the underseat storage in premium select is much shorter than in other classes. I have no data to back it up, other than having to store the exact same backpack in both comfort plus and in premium select. Luckily, there is more storage in the overhead bins for you to use.

Other things I notice about the seat is that it is wider, has an adjustable foot rest, and armrests that can be lowered. Seatback is larger. The tray table is to the side, so you don’t have to worry about losing your drink in front of you leans back. I have to admit, I have no idea what the real seatback lean is because the flight attendant stored a very large, very thick frame behind my seat. This is a likely special case, but I wouldn’t book the last row of premium select again. It is pointless to spend that much extra for a seat only to not be able to get comfortable.

Here are the other things I noticed:

The pillow and blanket were different color from the economy plus, but does that mean they were higher quality? (The website says that it is a memory foam pillow.

They give you real headphones to use. The audio jack had a double prong hole, so you couldn’t even use yours if you wanted to, unless you had an adapter. I have to admit the sound quality is much better than the cheap earbuds.

Unlike first class on domestic flights, this class of seat had no dedicated bathroom. I had to walk all the way to back through the comfort plus section. (And had I kept walking I would have noticed the grab-anytime snacks. I regret not continuing to walk.)

The amenity kit was definitely nicer. The bag is reusable and filled with more premium brands.

Meal service was different and served with real silverware. I received a cold quinoa salad as a starter, and prawns for my entrée, with a pineapple cake for dessert. It was okay.  

I still got bumped by flight attendants. There was a woman who had to constantly get up to mobilize her mother and get her up to stand. While I can have some degree of sympathy for their situation, it meant that I was frequently hip checked and disturbed. Point being, the same travel annoyances are in the premium select cabin. Also, I really need to stop choosing the aisle seat.

Overall, I wasn’t terribly impressed. In the things that really mattered, I honestly think the comfort plus ticket was a better deal. I don’t necessarily need tiny premium toiletries or even better food. On a long haul flight, I just want to sit and sleep comfortably. And I could get just that one fare class lower. To be honest with you, I thought premium select would be equivalent to flying first class stateside. It is not. Maybe it is closer to the idea of paying for economy comfort on a 2 hour flight. Do you need to spend the extra money? On the flipside, I believe the level of attention I received flying first class domestically actually made it worth it.

While I don’t think premium select was worth it for me on this trip, I would still love the option to try it again with a spin.  I imagine some of my experience was due to the flight crew’s decision. My goal is to have another international trip, where I fly premium there and Delta One on the way back. I don’t know who will be paying for this, but I can dream.