Vacations are a time for relaxing and choosing the right airline can help take some stress away during your trip. Recently, I traveled to Ecuador with Delta Airlines. The journey consisted of four day flights and two overnight flights. No airline is perfect and there will always be some downsides; however, there were very few with Delta Airlines.

To start, the check in process is automated with multiple kiosks available.  This feature helps save time and gets more people checked in simultaneously. I have to admit, some steps were unclear. For example, it was difficult to understand whether or not the passport number should be scanned or typed in from the diagram provided.  It was possible to figure it out, but it would have been nice to have at least one staff member to oversee the kiosks and answer questions.

Additionally, the boarding process was unorganized and slow.  Every passenger has an assigned seat but everyone was boarded at the same time. Because of the unorganization, many passengers had to scramble to store away their carry-ons and late take-offs were not uncommon.  In the end, these downsides did not majorly affect my experience but, shows that there is some room for improvement.

I chose to have a layover in flights. It was much cheaper than the nonstop.  Also, there were no nonstop flights offered out of Milwaukee. The layover was a very small inconvenience. Fortunately, it gave me time to get lunch at American restaurants one last time before traveling abroad.

Next, there was an obvious difference in quality between the day and overnight flights.  The day flights were on a smaller plane and had less to offer. There was little space in the overhead compartments to store carry-on luggage. Only water was offered and no snacks.  The loudspeakers in the plane were not the best quality. It was hard to understand the safety instructions and other information.

On the other hand, I had an excellent experience on the overnight flight.  The flight started with a very clear and informative safety video. The service was great with the delivery of food, drinks, pillows, and heated blankets.  There is a touch screen entertainment center for every seat containing a huge selection of the latest movies, television shows, and games. Delta offers many meal options including choices for vegans and vegetarians.  Beforehand, it was easy to identify allergies and dietary concerns on the Delta Airlines website. Even though there were differences between the flights, the cost must be taken into account.  The overnight flights were more expensive which could explain dome of the differences.

If you do take a day flight with Delta, I recommend to pack a small carry-on due to the lack of space.  Also, have some patience when boarding all the flights and expect to take off a few minutes late. When flying with Delta overnight be prepared to sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Overall, my travelling experience with Delta Airlines gets 4 out of 5 stars. The friendly, helpful flight crew help all flights go smoothly. Of the 6 planes I was on, all of them were very clean and sanitary.  The minor downsides are the only obstacles in the way of a 5 star rating.  Delta may not be the best for day flights but is definitely a great option to choose for overnight flights.