I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write this Delta B717 Main Cabin review. Any airport, airline, lounge, hotel, and loyalty program policies may have changed since then.
Trip: MFE-AUS, Delta Sky Club Austin, AUS-DTW, DTW-BWI
A rare bird flying around the United States nowadays is the Boeing 717. Initially a McDonnell Douglas airframe dubbed the MD-95, the B717 became a reality after Boeing acquired its competitor. Still a workhorse in Delta’s fleet, the Boeing 717 fleet was inherited from AirTran and averages over 20 years old. The B717 shows its age but is still a cool airframe to fly in the age of 737 MAXs and A320neos.
Quick Take: Delta B717 Main Cabin Review
| Category | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Seat Comfort | ✅ 8/10 |
| Dining & Beverages | ✅ 7/10 |
| Service & Crew | ✅ 8/10 |
| Lounge Access | ❌ N/A |
| Value for Points/Cash | ✅ 8/10 |
This regional workhorse doesn’t aim to provide comfort, but the novelty of the experience is more than enough for these shorter hops.
Flight Details
Airline: Delta Air Lines
Flight: DL 2715
Route: Detroit (DTW) – Baltimore (BWI)
Cabin Class: Main Cabin
Aircraft: Boeing B717
Seat: 19A
Booking Method: Cash
Cost: $289 USD (one-way)
Date: June 23, 2025
Flight Time: 1h 25m
Preflight
During my layover in Detroit, I failed to make it to any of the Delta Sky Clubs before they closed, which was quite frustrating. Instead, I had the great luck of taking the indoor tram that spans the McNamara terminal.
As a SkyTeam Elite Plus member with Vietnam Airlines, thanks to my LotusMiles Platinum membership, I boarded with other SkyTeam Sky Priority passengers.
After settling in I saw yet another B717 parked right next door.
Seat & Cabin
Today’s seat was 19A, an emergency exit window seat located on the left side of the plane.
The cabin features a 2-3 layout, with a seat width of 18.1 inches and a seat pitch of approximately 30 to 31 inches.
The legroom in the emergency exit row was ample. For reference, I am 6’1″. Also included is an outlet to charge your devices.
The cabin felt modern and fresh, with plenty of cold air circulating throughout the cabin as people were boarding.
However, after settling into my seat, you could see that the cabin was old and felt a little neglected.
You could also see that some of the ambient light covers were being held in place by zipties.
Dining & Beverages
On this flight today, we had a choice of a bottle of water and Biscoff. Plenty refreshments for me!
In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity
Delta offers in-flight WiFi and entertainment onboard. I didn’t connect on board this flight, though.
Final Verdict: Delta B717 Main Cabin Review
On this hour-and-a-half flight to Baltimore, it was a good end to my Delta travels. The crew was great, and the overall service was fine, but nothing spectacular. In other words, this was a mid flight. I got to see the good with my Delta Connection upgrade, the tight with the limited legroom on my flight from Austin to Detroit, and the mid with this flight. Overall, I can’t complain too much about the Delta experience, but I am glad I didn’t choose to be loyal to them. After all, I do think they have blown up any argument for being loyal to a single airline.
Would I fly Delta again? So long as I still have my SkyTeam Elite Plus status. But after that? It’s hard to say unless the price is that much cheaper compared to United.
Overall Rating: 7.75/10
What are your thoughts? Have you flown Delta Main Cabin? Let me know in the comments!
As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!
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