I took 3 flights on Delta this year and it's still my favorite airline to fly during the pandemic, but there are some improvements it should make to keep up with competitors

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.Thomas Pallini/Insider

• Delta Air Lines leads competitors in social distancing by blocking middle seats on aircraft.
• But the airline is too conservative when it comes to the onboard service, offering too few amenities.
• In first class, meals are replaced with snack boxes that normally sell between $7 and $10.

Delta Air Lines is a far sight ahead of competitors during the pandemic when it comes to social distancing.

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A321.      Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com

The country's second-largest airline continues to outshine competitors by blocking middle seats through April 30. Most airlines had abandoned the practice in 2020 or shortly into the new year, guided by scientific studies proving the efficacy of mask-wearing and the high-efficiency particulate air filters, or HEPA filters, onboard aircraft.

Onboard a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read more: Airline workers have lower rates of COVID-19 than the general population — and airline CEOs say it's proof that flying is safe

That said, one aspect in which the airline is starting to fall behind competitors is service. Delta was one of the few airlines that still bothered to offer passengers snacks and drinks in the early days of the pandemic but its offering has since become stale and somewhat inconsistent.

Flying Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I recently took three flights on Delta, flying from Houston, Texas to New York via Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. My journey was spread across the airline's economy and first class cabins on some of its oldest and newest airplanes. Here's what flying Delta Air Lines is like in 2021.

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A220.      Nicolas Economou/Shutterstock.com

I started my 12-hour Delta journey at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, a small city in the airline's network. But even for a non-hub airport, Delta went all out with the social distancing protocols.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I was impressed to see the same safety features in Houston that I'd seen at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, a major Delta hub, just a few months prior. Some notable features included face mask reminders…

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: I went behind the scenes at JFK airport to see how Delta is overhauling its airport experience to try to convince flyers air travel is safe

Social distancing reminders on the floor…

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And plexiglass partitions at check-in desks.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The only thing missing was spacing the check-in kiosks. Other airlines I've seen are either blocking every other kiosk or putting up partitions.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Ticket in hand, I made my way to the gate and found the same variety of social distancing measures.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Even seats were blocked off to promote social distancing in the gate area.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The gate agent reminded passengers before boarding that masks are required in every step of the air travel journey as part of the new federal mandate. More than 800 flyers have been banned from Detla for non-compliance as of mid-January.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: Airlines will now allow passengers to fly without masks after Biden's mandate allows for medical exemptions

Delta boards back to front, a policy that some airlines are starting to abandon. First class and elite status holders, however, can board at their leisure regardless of which row they're sat, a common theme with airlines adopting this new protocol.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I was also impressed to see that Delta has installed social distancing reminders in the jetway. These are widely ignored but still a good look on the airline's part for taking the time to install the placards.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I stepped on board and was immediately greeted with a Purell wipe from the flight attendant waiting at the boarding door.

Onboard a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My first flight of the day was on Delta's latest narrow-body jet, the Airbus A220-300. On first look, it looked as clean as the day it was delivered, just a few months prior.

Onboard a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: I flew on Delta's newest jet, the controversial Airbus A220-300, and it's my new favorite airliner in the US

My seat was completely spotless and I had no concerns about its cleanliness whatsoever. Like most airlines, Delta has updated its cleaning procedures for more thorough cleanings that include the use of electrostatic sprayers.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I chose a window seat for the flight in a three-seat row. I would normally hope for an empty middle seat but Delta's seat-blocking policy meant I didn't have to worry about that at all.

Flying Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

While we settled in for the three-hour flight to Salt Lake City, flight attendants continuously reminded passengers of the mask rules. Masks must be worn at all times on Delta flights, except when actively eating or drinking.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

A video also played ahead of the safety demonstration showing the specific measures being taken by the airline to ensure a safe flight, which I thought was a clever use of the in-flight entertainment system.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Soon enough, we were airborne, and gloved flight attendants promptly distributed the snack bags that Delta has offered since the beginning of the pandemic.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

It includes snacks like Goldfish and Biscoff cookies, as well as a bottle of water and a single-serve Purell sanitary wipe. And if you were seated in economy, that's all you would've gotten for the three-hour flight.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

There'd be no choice of soft drink or hot beverages, unfortunately. Some US carriers like United Airlines have resumed the drink service on these longer flights.

Flying United Airlines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: I flew on United again during the pandemic and found it to be a leading contender for best US airline to fly in 2021 — here's why

Comfort+ passengers, including myself, were also offered complimentary beer and wine. I passed, as it was still only 8 a.m., but thought it odd that the airline had prioritized alcohol over soft drinks like Coca-Cola or seltzer.

The alcohol menu on a Delta flight from Raleigh to Orlando.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

The snack bag also included another reminder of Delta's health and safety efforts.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I took a walk around the plane after the service and noticed some passengers not following the mask rule, unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the flight attendants.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Hygiene placards were also installed in the lavatory to remind passengers of proper handwashing procedures. It was the first of its kind I'd seen on any airline.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The rest of the flight continued uneventfully until we landed in Salt Lake City. Having the middle seat open was definitely a great reprieve from the flights I'd taken on other airlines and I was glad I'd have that perk on my next two flights.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

After landing, flight attendants asked passengers to wait until the row ahead of them had deplaned before getting up but not everybody followed those instructions.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Salt Lake City Airport just began operations with its brand-new terminal, in which Delta is the primary tenant, and the same array of social distancing measures could be found here as well.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The main difference from Houston was that Delta was using the digital signage here to convey social distancing messaging and inform passengers on what the airline was doing to keep flyers safe. Delta also hadn't opted for social distancing floor placards.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My next flight was from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles on a slightly larger Boeing 737-900. We similarly boarded back to front while social distancing placards lined the jetway and flight attendants greeted us with Purell wipes.

Flying Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

This flight was pretty full but the aisle seat managed to stay open in my row, giving me the entire row to myself.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The only issue was that there were some crumbs left on the seat and as I've said before, even the slightest crumb can make passengers question how well an aircraft was cleaned.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Other than my seat, the aircraft appeared immaculate. Flight attendants once more gave the warning on mask-wearing and were proactive in spotting scofflaws and asking them to correctly wear their masks.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Their warnings seemed to work as I didn't find any people disobeying when I journeyed to the back of the aircraft.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The in-flight service was identical to the flight prior and soft drinks were still not on offer so I opted for the complimentary beer, in addition to the standard snack bag.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

After landing, flight attendants once more asked passengers to stand up only when the row ahead of them had deplaned. Again, not everybody followed those rules.

Flying on Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My final flight was from Los Angeles to New York on Delta's newly-updated Boeing 767-400 aircraft, and I was seated in first class, known as "Delta One," for this one.

Flying Delta Air Lines during the pandemic.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

That meant boarding first and sitting in one of the airline's newest business class suites. Once more, everything at the gate was near-identical to what I saw in Salt Lake City and Houston, an impressive feat for the airline.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

After boarding, I turned left into the impressive cabin. Delta only began flying the Boeing 767-400 on this route due to the pandemic as it normally flies to Europe, South America, and Hawaii.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But it was immediately clear that this wouldn't be a normal first class flight as we didn't receive any of the standard pre-departure amenities like a hot towel or beverage.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

After takeoff, flight attendants distributed the same snack bags but also offered a selection of snack boxes. These could be brought before the pandemic for between $7 and $10., hardly living up to first class expectations.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Complimentary beer and wine were also on offer but, once again, no soft drinks or hot beverages were available, which confused even the flight attendants.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Delta's two main competitors for premium flyers, American Airlines and United Airlines, have both brought back the in-flight service for its premium cabins, albeit modified. American Airlines, by contrast, is offering fresh sandwiches and cheese plates on flights of a similar duration.

Flying on an American Airlines Boeing 737 Max.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Source: American Airlines

United Airlines is also offering full meals for transcontinental flights in premium cabins.

Flying on a United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Source: United Airlines

I made the most of it, neatly arranging the assortment of meat, cheese, and other snacks in the style of a charcuterie board. But this wasn't worth the $800 price tag for transcontinental business class.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Read More: I flew in one of Delta's swankiest business class seats from LA to NYC and it wasn't anywhere near worth the $800 price tag during the pandemic

The seat was impressive enough to make the flight enjoyable but a lot of the staples of first class were missing.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Overall, Delta still ranks the best of any US airline when it comes to social distancing in the skies, in my book. Blocking middle seats alone sets the airline above the rest but the effort to be consistent across its network and onboard its aircraft.

Onboard a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The airline is being a little too conservative in some airlines while other airlines are pressing forward, specifically in the service area. If that's the price for a free middle seat, I'll gladly pay it, but Delta should join its competitors in that field.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider