I flew Delta first class for the first time since the airline brought back real snacks and drinks but I was still unimpressed

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.Thomas Pallini/Insider

• Delta Air Lines is slowly but surely restoring its onboard services including snacks and drinks.
• It's still a far cry from the traditional hot meals served in first class but it's a start for Delta.

Snacks are back on Delta Air Lines.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

After a year of austerity onboard its aircraft, Delta is finally catching up with competitors to offer customers a proper in-flight service onboard its aircraft.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Economy class now receives a full selection of soft drinks and snacks while first class has the added benefit of complimentary alcoholic beverages and snack boxes.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

It's still a far cry from the traditional hot meals served in first class but it's a start for Delta.

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I was upgraded to first class on a recent trip from Phoenix to New York via Minneapolis on Delta and got to experience the new offering for myself. Here's what it was like.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The first flight of the day was on a Boeing 767-400ER. It's my favorite aircraft on Delta, in part because it features some of the airline's newest seat products.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Case in point, my seat, 9F, was a fully lie-flat seat. These seats are typically reserved for long-haul flights to Europe, Hawaii, or South America, but the pandemic has forced larger aircraft onto domestic routes.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

First class on this aircraft was comprised of 34 seats, all seemingly brand-new and offering great amounts of privacy.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I was in seat 9D, an aisle seat along the cabin wall. These seats are less desirable to me as I wouldn't have direct access to the window and I'd be more exposed to the aisle.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But I was happy enough just being in first class.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Besides its fully lie-flat capabilities, the seat's amenities included a high-definition television screen…

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

In-seat power through 110v AC power outlets and USB charging ports…

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Recline functionality...

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Noise-canceling headphones...

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And a good amount of personal storage space.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

All in all, the seat was more than enough for the barely three-hour flight to Minneapolis. The privacy dividers also made it seem like I was the only one in the cabin, apart from my seat neighbor across the aisle.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Delta hasn't yet brought back any of the pre-departure amenities in first class so no hot towels or pre-departure beverages were given. The only item we received at boarding was a Purell sanitary wipe.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But it didn't take long for the in-flight service to begin as quickly got airborne and headed straight for Minneapolis.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Flight attendants went from seat to seat taking individual orders, just like in pre-pandemic times.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I was shown a menu with Delta's updated offering. Nearly all the normal drinks were available ranging from Coca-Cola products to Starbucks coffee.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

A greater selection of alcoholic beverages was also on offer. I could choose from beers, wines, liquors, and even canned mixed drinks.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And to eat, a choice of snack boxes were also available, each with its own theme. For the purposes of this story, I ordered both.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

It was too early to imbibe so I stuck with club soda. I received a miniature can with a plastic cup, and it was the first time I'd had a proper soft drink on Delta since February 2020.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Back then, first class drinks were served in proper glassware.

First class drink on Delta Air Lines.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Read More: I flew first class on Delta from Orlando to New York and found it wasn't anywhere close to worth the extra cost

I first tried the bistro snack box, filled with goodies like gummy bears, potatoes chips, a meat stick, Tic Tacs, a cheese spread, Oreo cookies, a Kind bar, and crackers. This one was my favorite.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Next came the market snack box, which included popped chips, almonds, beef jerky, a protein bar, a Ghirardelli chocolate,

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Snack boxes are not impressive for first class as passengers can usually buy them in economy for around $10. But, they were tasty and better than nothing while the service helped pass the time on the journey.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

This aircraft comes with pretty swanky mood lighting systems but they weren't really used during the flight. It was still a perfect ambiance, though, and one of the reasons why I'm a big fan of this plane.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The only downside was that the in-flight entertainment system was completely inoperable. Neither the seat-back screens nor the in-flight WiFi was working.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But it wasn't before long that the Twin Cities came into view and we prepared to land at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I went straight to the Delta Sky Club after the flight to endure a four-hour layover.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

In an interesting twist, Delta has been leading its competitors in its lounge offering compared to its onboard product.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: I visited airport lounges of the 3 major US airlines and saw how the pandemic has changed the once-extravagant experience – here's what it's like to lounge during the pandemic

Face masks are required in the lounge, and signage won't let you forget it.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Seating didn't appear to be spread out but the lounge wasn't too full to require seat blocking. Coincidentally, this was the same day that Delta removed its middle-seat blocking policy.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Hand sanitizer stations were also scattered throughout the lounge.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And a UV device sterilizer was available for complimentary use. Devices can be completely "cleaned" in 30 seconds.

Flying Delta Air Lines after it ended a policy of blocking middle seats.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

A full spread of food was available to choose from, all self-serve.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

It was mostly cold choices like sandwiches, salads, and wraps.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But there was an Asian-style noodle and broth station.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The bar was also open with Delta plastering its menu on the plexiglass partitions it has installed. Well drinks were complimentary but more sophisticated cocktails came at a premium.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Overall, it was a great place to spend four hours.

Delta Air Lines' Sky Club in Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Then it was time to head to New York and an Airbus A320 narrow-body aircraft was operating the flight. I was also upgraded to first class on this leg but wasn't expecting anything special as the flight is under two hours.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Narrow-body aircraft were the hardest on which to get an upgrade when Delta was blocking seats as half of the seats in the cabin were blocked off. A 16-seat cabin became an eight-seat cabin. But now, all seats are up for grabs.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Standard recliner seats replaced the lie-flat seats and they were just as comfortable as they looked.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Less than half of the cabin was full and my upgrade cleared almost instantly once I checked in for the flight.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Just like my first flight, there was nothing in the way of pre-departure services besides a Purell wipe. Flight attendants didn't come around to take drink orders until we were airborne.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

A minor maintenance issue forced us to return to the gate, where we spent around a half-hour waiting for a fix. I didn't mind it much as I could wait it out in my comfy recliner seat.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to Minneapolis.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The issue was soon remedied and we quickly took to the skies into a beautiful Minnesota sunset.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The in-flight entertainment system was, thankfully, working perfectly on this flight.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The drink menu was identical to my last flight so I tried one of the pre-mixed canned alcoholic drinks and opted for the old fashioned. It came pre-poured in a plastic cup and was quite delicious.

Flying Delta Air Lines in first class from Phoenix to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The same snack boxes were also on offer and I once again ordered both so I could create my own snack box with just my favorites.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Tom's snack box includes Oreo cookies, gummy bears, almonds, potato chips, a meat stick, a cheese spread, crackers, beef jerky, and Mentos. My scale at home was not happy when I got back.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Standard earbuds were also handed out instead of the noise-canceling headphones offered on the previous flight. These came in handy as I once again forgot to bring my non-iPhone headphones.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

This flight continued rather uneventfully but I wasn't expected much from it, to begin with. I was just glad I could sip on something more enjoyable than bottled water.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And just like all great flights in first class, this one came to an end too soon.

Flying Delta Air Lines first class from Minneapolis to New York.      Thomas Pallini/Insider