DL / VS to ATL
I'm a long time regular on MAN-ATL with DL and last week I had the chance to sample the difference now it's operated by VS.
I use the route to get to my final destination in South America so it's an international transfer at ATL. Always buy a pointy end ticket due to the distance.
I have to preface my observations by owning up to being a DL fan - by far the best carrier across the pond.
Check in: the girl at the desk was surly and didn't seem to understand that it was possible to make an international connection in ATL. DL check your bag through to final destination on an I to I. This girl couldn't / wouldn't do that and said it was all to do with 'first point of entry in to the US'. I could see it wasn't worth arguing when she said 'take it up with the gate staff' - that old chestnut.
Lounge: Basically the nasty old Escape lounge as used by Delta (and around 15 years past its sell-by date). Same old problems: gloomy, dated, cramped, almost no phone signal. After biting in to a stale (as in at least a day old) Danish, I left to hang around the terminal instead.
Boarding: Almost everybody seemed to have 'Priority Boarding' not sure how that is - becomes almost a contradiction in terms.
Business Class cabin: that awful herringbone seating arrangement so recently beloved by some of the TATL carriers. Delta's refurbed 767s are inspired by the semi-enclosed modules of Emirates A380 upper deck - therefore obviously better. The main problem of the herringbone layout is you end up kind of awkwardly looking at the side of the stranger in the aisle opposite, then when you try not to look, get the feeling that they are looking at you. Of course the possibility of looking out the window is severely curtailed unless you enjoy a sore neck. The so-called privacy screen is not all that private as it's only semi-transparent, I could more or less make out the text that the woman in front was writing out prior to departure.
Food / drink / service: all pretty good as expected. Manchester based crew.
Transit process at ATL: same as Delta but with the very serious exception of having to reclaim and re-deposit my hold baggage.
By the way for those of you not used to regular TATL trips from the regions, one of the big disadvantages of connecting to your final destination in the US as opposed to (say) LHR is the hassle of reclaiming your bag at first US point of entry.
Overall, this is the big disadvantage plus the Business Cabin is not a patch on Delta's older but refurbished 767s - unless you like sitting at the bar. However if you prefer a sleep on the way home, having a bar a few meters away is not ideal.
Was chatting to the 'Purser' (or whatever he called himself) said the MAN base was 'excited' about this new development and said there were internal rumours of them doing a MAN-JFK as well. Could they end up running the shortly to start DL service to JFK? Running against a soon to be 6 a week TCX and the others on this route, could they survive?
Oh, and I now how many on Pprune love to hear about loadings - the crew actually announced how many on board - can't remember exact numbers but the outbound was quite low (170 ish) but over 200 on the return. The Business Class cabin was 100% full both ways but not sure how many paid for that or got upgrades.