Has anyone here flown both at DL and which do you like better? I've only flown the 73 and enjoyed the trips and the approach capabilities. Obviously flight deck small and loud.

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I flew both and I agree with your 73N assessment. I was fairly senior on both in NYC and, at that time, the 73N trips were far better than the 320 trips. However, the 320 is wayyyy more comfortable. Now, with the new 320 cabins and the addition of the 321s, I suspect the 320 category trips have improved a lot.

 

I've flown the 73 at Delta and the 320 in a previous life.

No doubt the Airbus flight deck is far superior -- but some of the trips in the bid package look like the 717!

The 737 flight deck, meh. The trips are amazing, out of NYC anyway.

I gave the bus a slight edge on my AE preferences last summer and wound up with the 737.

Looking forward to it.

 

What makes the trips so much better for the 73? And why is it less comfortable other than the famed tray table?

 

Do you have access to the bid packages?

The 737 is our medium-haul domestic machine. Lots of 1 leg/day trans-cons (unfortunately lots of red-eyes as well.)

Lots of Caribbean/Central America.

Now, it does do 3 even 4 legs/day but that is the exception.

Whatever I wrote up there ^^ is the opposite on the 320. UAL and Jetblue use their 320's for the same trips we use the 737. For some reason, Delta likes to keep the 320's on a shorter leash.

 

For a long time, the bus didn’t have IFE so it did more shorter legs and fewer long ones. That makes for more legs on a rotation.

That is changing with retrofits and the 321.......I suspect the trip mix will be consistently improving on the bus.

 

Ok, that's why.

 

No I dont have access, im hoping to get a chance to choose between the two soon though, so thanks for the info

 

With more 321/320's on the way I think you'll see a better mix in trips. At one time the smallest plane on the property was the 319 and almost every base had 320's. With the 220 and 717 doing some of the smaller lifting and more buses on the way will help restore longer legs and fewer per day.


For the OP, Another thing to think about 737 vs 320. If you're thinking about widebody flying someday, 330 would be an easy transition from the 320. Having said all that and having flown the 737 and 320, I would go with QOL. Had one guy in the jumpseat from LAX to MSP. He was on the 320 and didn't want to fly the 737 in LAX. The captain and I looked at each other thinking, Yikes! In base 73 or commute to msp for the 320. To each their.

 

As for the comfort, the bus cockpit is larger allowing for two jumpseats. More space allows both pilots and a jumpseater to take all their bags into the cockpit. The overhead panel is taller so less head bumps. Panel is also cleaner with a lot more push buttons and automation (like cabin air conditioning).

The 73 cockpit is smaller so only the Capt gets to bring his large suitcase up front. The FO’s suitcase goes in a closet in the main cabin and if there is a jumpseater, his bag goes into an overhead bin or gets gate checked. Overhead panel is lower...I’ve lost a few chunks of skin from the top of my cranium. Overhead panel is all rotatary knobs and toggle switches...looks cluttered. The nose is actually a 727 nose...loud...lots of wind noise.

Having said all that, I agree that curerently the 73 trip mix is better than the bus....I’ve been on the 737 for 15 months and I’ve only flown a 3 leg day once...everything else has been 1 or 2 legs per day.