Traveling with the airlines. A form of wide-span transportation that can either provide the exemplary flights to your personalized vacation, say on a tropical destination to Cancun, or slate the departure into absolute misery. Ultimately however, now and again those two versions run seemingly parallel and can oddly cross at any point with your experience with an airline. Recently I traveled Delta Air Lines on my trip from Austin (AUS), to yes, Cancun, Mexico (CUN) and experienced an airline determined to maintain its appeal to modern travelers needs. Usually traveling with a major airline such as Delta, one has to expect the unexpected. Nowadays the general consensus is that airline travel has molded into a cheap and despicable industry that could care less about you, the traveler, but rather concerned with taking your money. Delta Air Lines might very well prove to you they mean game, and they confidently provide an overall product that will be hard to bargain with.

Checking in at Austin Bergstrom airport at 5:00am is respectively quiet, with very few flights leaving at the lucky 6:00am departure time. Since you're not wide awake and running, it's always a question if the employees at the airlines check-in will assist you with respect in a professional manner. This however, was not any problem with Delta Air Lines lively smiling employees at check-in. I flew first class, which has a separate line for faster and more efficient check-in and was assisted with professional and friendly employees. The lines for coach passengers seemed to be running smoothly as well ,with multiple employees check-in areas open. The great impression of the airline was like a cup of coffee, literally, pumping my spirits up for a tropical vacation.

Boarding was very quick and efficient. Delta boards by row numbers, which made for a very organized method of smoothly getting passengers on Delta's MD-80 aircraft. The employees at the gate were very friendly and assisted passengers with courtesy. There is nothing worse than getting to a gate and have the employees look aloof, and rather work as mechanical robots than conduct themselves with any form of spirit. Delta however, consistently provides an energetic working force of unlimited proportions, and ones that truly understand their affect on the airline's success.

The most crucial attribute to an airline it seems is their flight attendants. The way they conduct themselves. Their attention to passengers and service throughout the flight, and their efficient method of professionalism. They truly dot the I's and cross the T's, and I am always surprised when traveling with certain airlines how many of them don't. Delta Air Lines steps it up with a consistent friendly staff, and probably the leading unit of flight attendants I have had in a long time. I did however fly first class, so this indeed increased the attention of the flight attendants, and their friendly demeanors. However, I have flown coach with Delta and they truly standout as a leading unit of flight attendants. Throughout this experience, the flight attendants greeted and welcomed passengers during boarding and assisted with many, "Where are the pillows?" I noticed that the flight attendants on all my flights were spaced out throughout the cabin during boarding. This was really a warm welcoming for passengers, and it gave you a sense of what Delta is all about. Impressing you. Maintaining you as their modern traveler.

Throughout all my flights, on my trip to and from Cancun the flight attendants did an excellent job of checking up on passengers in first class. From beginning to end, they tended to drink orders for a pre-departure beverages, and kept the exemplary momentum exceeding. Even though I flew first class I still made sure to peer behind and see if this was happening through Delta's spacious cabin. And it seemed to be running just as efficiently, and this came to no surprise considering my past experiences in coach with Delta.

Since I was flying out of the country, you have to fill out forms on your arrival to the destination. Usually however, airlines will wait until your approaching the runway before giving you the forms, and it becomes a stressful event. However, Delta gave the needed forms to fill out at the beginning, giving you the entire flight to look through your carry on for all the specific information. A very efficient way of conducting the needed forms.

In-flight meals are just non-existent on shorter flights, even in first class. The connecting flight in Atlanta to Cancun was approximately three hours, and doesn't qualify, even for first class, as "meal appropriate." So I died of starvation! Not quite, however it was a bit disappointing considering the possible meal perks of flying first class. In suggestion, both first and coach classes got to choose a snack from the "ultimate snack basket," not a name given by Delta, in substitution of a meal. The basket had, Ruffles potato chips, Fisher Peanuts, Cheese and crackers, Biscoft cookies, and granola bars. A true wide variety, and considering other airlines make coach passengers buy snack boxes, it was great that they were made free for coach as well.. So, for a three hour flight I found myself asking for potato chip bag after potato chip bag, however it wasn't ultimately a dud. The snack service in first class happened throughout the flight, with many "ultimate snack basket" passes, and I began to get a familiar liking to the delicious Biscoft cookies. On some of the flights in first they served your beverage in a glass cup, and other flights it was just plastic. But I do have to say, it was quite fun getting your beverage served in a glass cup, and have the flight attendant remember your drink, notice you need more, and bring you another. It was quite an experience, considering coach class doesn't quite get that same treatment.

The airplanes interior condition was very clean, and always had pillows and blankets lined out in first class. However even in first class, sometimes the in-flight magazines weren't replenished, so I had to politely ask the passenger across the aisle if they wanted theirs. The appearance of the aircraft was always superb, with an all leather interior, on both the MD-80, and Boeing 757 aircrafts. The tray tables were clean, and their wasn't any annoying trash in the seat compartments in front of me from the passenger before me. Delta truly has a very sleek fleet of airplanes, and the both airplanes I flew on were in great shape, inside and out.

As much as the flight attendants are to the success of an airline, the modern traveler wants to be comfortable on their flights, and definitely wants some luxury from an airline. On both aircraft types I flew on, their first class seats were very spacious, providing plenty of legroom, and leather seats that weren't worn or prehistoric. Both aircraft types provided tiny bottles of Dasani water on your middle compartment space, and allows for a truly comfortable experience. The overall product of the seats were better however, on the larger aircraft, Boeing 757. This spacious seating allows for maximum seat luxury, and this aircraft, unlike the smaller MD-80, has In-Flight entertainment featuring comedy sit-coms. The coach cabins were also leather, and although obviously smaller than the seats in first, didn't look cramming or uncomfortable. Delta truly scores high with their domestic first class, and they have equipped their overall product with revamped comfortable seating.

Another attribute that can contribute to a successful affair with an airline is the pilot's communication. I was impressed again by Delta Air Lines in this department as well. On most of the flights the pilot was very informative, and it was a lot of fun to hear his comments as we would pass by land marks and so forth. The pilots always warned us before take-off of the specifics of our flight layout, and warning us if their was any possible indication of turbulence. The communication occurred throughout the flight, making frequent weather check-up's considering the tropical destination.

Overall I'm extremely pleased with how Delta Air Lines is treating passengers, and maintaining an efficient method of running a busy section of business. Delta, as a major airline, is consistent in showing courtesy to their passengers, and proving to the modern traveler they have game to compete with its competitors. The flights were mostly on-time, with the only exception due to weather. The luggage arrived without any torn edges or missing items. Booking flights are made easy on Delta's website, which is very easy to navigate through www.delta.com, or over the phone.

It's very hard to find a domestic airline who marks out with a high overall product score, but Delta Air Lines has proven it understands what the modern traveler wants, and gives it to us without any hesitation.

Recommended: Yes