Today we’re flying to Austin and the first leg of the trip is a Delta 737-900 in Comfort Plus. I’ve reviewed the Delta 737 lots of times, but this plane is a little unique. In 2021-2022 Delta acquired some second hand 737s from Lion Air. In order to get them into service quickly, Delta didn’t outfit them the same way as the rest of the 737-900 fleet. The interiors are different and it’s easy to tell from the outside of the plane too. The behind the wing exit rows are not blocked off on these planes.
Delta has said they will only use these planes on short flights to and from Atlanta. Greenville definitely qualifies in that group. Today’s flight is one of those planes. These planes are labeled as 73R on the Delta website, so you’ll know if you are booking a flight on one of these ex-Lion Air 737-900s.
Bottom Line: The differences on these planes are not super critical, but it’s enough that it makes me like the Delta 737-900 even less. There’s fewer first class seats, fewer comfort plus seats, no in seat entertainment (apart from first class), and no power available. One good thing is that there is free WiFi on these planes for Delta Skymiles members.
In This Review
Delta 737-900 Boarding
Our Delta 737-900 (73R) at the gate. From the outside you can see that the rear behind the wing exit is not blocked off. On the other Delta 739s, this door is plugged as it’s not needed for the seating capacity that Delta installed. Because Lion Air is a low cost carrier, they needed the door to accommodate the number of passengers.
We arrived at the gate just as our zone was being called. We spent our time waiting in the GSP Escape Lounge instead of at the gate.
We headed down the jet bridge and onto the plane.
Delta 73R Cabin First Impressions
The First Class seats on the Delta 73R are the exact same as what you’d find on the regular 739. The only difference is there are only 3 rows instead of the usual 5. There’s also no hard or soft bulkhead between First Class and Comfort Plus.
We found our Comfort Plus seats on the right hand side of the Delta 737. The seats here on the 73R are a different design than the 739, they are definitely reminiscent of a low cost carrier.
The seats are very slim and the seats bottoms are not very deep. I will say, the seats and cabin were very clean. Much cleaner than most Delta planes.
These Delta 737s also don’t have in seat entertainment in Comfort Plus or Economy. They are only used on short flights near Atlanta so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s a little annoying. At least there is free wifi for Skymiles members.
The leg room here in Comfort Plus is very good, plenty of space here for a Disney Frozen gift bag. Unlike the normal Delta 737-900, these newly acquired planes have 4 rows of Comfort Plus. There is no in seat power on this plane either.
Delta 737 Departure
Boarding the 737-900 takes forever. It’s just a slow loading aircraft due to the long single aisle and single forward boarding door. It was really hot on the plane, this hot summer has really taken it’s toll.
The door was shut and we pushed back from the gate. Once away, the pilot came on and told us we’d have a 20 minute wait here before heading to the runway. This is very common here at GSP when heading to ATL. It’s a short flight and we cannot takeoff if we don’t have a landing slot. It doesn’t usually effect landing time, but it does suck to sit here in a really hot plane. The 737 has really crap over head vents.
About 20 minutes later we headed to the runway and took off to the South West. Before takeoff the pilots told us that it would be a little bumpy for this whole trip and that the flight attendants would have to stay seated the whole time.
Forgot my headphones in the overhead bin… I was planning on just stuffing my backpack under the seat but then I ended up putting my bag overhead as I’m carrying a gift.
Delta 737 In Flight
Once I’m the air we got a great view of downtown Greenville and passed through some clouds, but no huge bumps, just enough that you wouldn’t want to be walking around.
Inside the cabin it was still pretty hot, but had started to cool off a little bit. As promised, the seat belt sign was left on for the whole flight.
Outside it was a really nice clear day, but the flight was a little bumpy. We got a great view of the lakes to the west of Greenville.
Almost as soon as we leveled off, the pilot came on and told us that we’re going to start our decent soon. Also that it might continue to be bumpy as we approach Atlanta.
No service on this short Delta 737 flight, but we did get some great views from the window. I apologize for the view of my legs.
While it was a little rough as we descended into ATL, the clouds and sun outside were beautiful. We did hit a few good bumps as we passed through the clouds, nothing too alarming through.
The weather was just perfect for pictures, not so much for smooth flying. The flight attendants didn’t get up once during this flight, too rough.
Delta 737 Approach and Landing ATL
The landing announcement was made by the flight attendant but due to the turbulence, “we’re using the honor system today” so please keep your seatbelts fastened, tray tables up, and seat backs forward.
Just 28 minutes later we’re on the ground here in ATL. Even with the delay in takeoff from GSP, we’re right on-time here on arrival.
Delta 737-900 Ex-Lion Air (73R) Final Thoughts
The 737-900 is not my favorite plane, I’ve been pretty clear about that. The new to Delta 73R doesn’t make me like the aircraft any more. These Lion Air planes have all of the downsides of the regular 737-900 and less amenities. They lack of in seat entertainment is a bummer, but the lack of power to charge devices is a real downside. I’m very glad these planes will only be used on short routes.
The leg room in Delta Comfort Plus appears to be the same as you’d find on any other Delta flight. This particular flight had great views but that’s about it. Bottom line, if I can avoid this particular 737-900 model, I will.