Greetings from Marrakech, Morocco, where Delta Air Lines just touched down for the first time in history.
Flight 186 departed from Delta's hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and landed at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) as the airline's first nonstop flight to North Africa in over 14 years. Delta flew to Cairo from 2008-2011.
Delta already has a significant presence in Africa with flights to Accra in Ghana (from both New York and, soon, seasonally, from Atlanta); Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa (via Atlanta); Dakar, Senegal (from New York); and Lagos in Nigeria (from both Atlanta and New York).
But this is the Atlanta-based carrier's first flight to Morocco. I was joined by several Delta fans for the inaugural, and I thought it was a hoot.
Here's what it was like and what it's like flying Delta's dated 767-400 in Delta One.
Delta launches Marrakech service
Marrakech is a new dot on Delta's map in central Morocco, about a three-hour drive from Casablanca, home to most of the country's international arrivals.
Delta first announced the route in February and became the second U.S. carrier to offer service to Morocco. United serves Marrakech from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), making its inaugural flight in October 2024.
Marrakech is on the rise as a destination.
The city will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup and its famous Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Majorelle Garden, a garden and villa complex restored by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, is also located there and open to the public.
Marrakech also has a newly opened Park Hyatt, which I'm going to check out during my stay.
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"Delta's new nonstop service to Marrakech marks an exciting milestone in our commitment to connect the U.S. and Africa," Christine Marchand-Pardo, Delta's Managing Director of EMEAI Operations, told TPG.
"This route opens the door to one of the world's most vibrant and culturally rich destinations, making travel more seamless for our customers. With three weekly flights from Atlanta, we're delivering convenience alongside Delta's renowned premium experience."
Inaugural festivities
About two hours before the 5:50 p.m. EDT departure, Delta employees brimmed with excitement as they set up the gate area with Moroccan and U.S. flags.
Also on offer at the gate: Moroccan cookies and sweets.
There were also Morocco stickers and flag pins.
At a separate table, the folks from the airport were handing out Atlanta airport baggage tags along with cookies and other sweets.
Gate agents encouraged the crowd to line up for gifts, and several lucky flyers were called up to receive special prizes.
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Finally, just a few minutes before boarding, Delta and airport employees lined up to do a ribbon-cutting ahead of the route launch.
"An inaugural flight is always exciting," said Delta Diamond and freelance writer Christine Krzyszton. "You feel the excitement with the crew, you feel it at the gate and with the passengers."
"Morocco's been on my bucket list for decades," added Million Miler Larry Kaplan, who helped organize Delta fans to take the inaugural flight. "Our group of frequent Delta travelers loves exploring new places together. I get to explore it with a lot of good friends that I don't see that often."
On board
I ended up booking the flight after the Delta Diamond Facebook group flagged it as available for booking. Several group members booked the flight, adding a sense of camaraderie to the gate festivities.
As well as on board the plane.
There were no commemorative goodies on our seats when we boarded. The flight attendants greeted everyone, with the purser — Jeanette — introducing herself and taking meal orders. We also got a choice of a predeparture beverage.
It was an on-time departure.
Flying on Delta's 767-400
The inaugural flight was on a 25-year-old Boeing 767-400ER with the ship number N831MH, which first flew in 2000. These are pretty old planes for international service, though our ride was comfortable enough.
The interiors of the aging planes have been recently retrofitted, featuring 34 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
On this jet, even-numbered window seats are the better choice since there is a buffer between the aisle and the seat. The odd-numbered seats are nearly flush with the aisle, which can lead to bumps and more exposure to cabin activity.
While the seat does go fully flat at a nice 77 inches in length, it felt tight when I was trying to get some shut-eye. The seat width is roughly 21 inches.
The Missoni bedding is a nice touch. Also waiting at the seat were slippers and a mattress pad.
The Missoni amenity kit is stylish and comes with all the basics. I appreciated the Delta-branded socks.
There is one lavatory in front of the Delta One cabin and another at the back of the cabin.
Unfortunately, the front lav was cordoned off for large chunks of the flight when the pilots needed to use it. The one in back was also used by folks in the Premium Select cabin. That meant lines for the restroom for much of the flight.
I was in seat 7D (closer to the aisle).
As usual, on Delta, I was able to pre-select my meal. I chose the Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q beef short rib, which turned out to be pretty good if a bit fatty.
A first course of cauliflower soup was served with a choice of bread and a side of fresh greens and salmon. The soup was delicious. I'm not a big fish-eater, but I did try a bit of the salmon, and it went down smoothly. The salad was actually my favorite appetizer.
The main course of short rib came with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. I found it to be a filling meal and couldn't finish it all.
The best part of the meal service? The dessert cart that came through with a choice of chocolate mousse, cheesecake or made-to-order sundaes. I had a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream. Yum!
I managed to get a few hours of sleep before a prearrival meal was served about an hour and a half before landing.
I ordered the bread pudding with a side of yogurt fruit parfait and a croissant, but it had been just a few hours since we last ate, so I didn't have much of an appetite. The bread pudding was delicious, though it felt more like dessert than breakfast.
The flgiht attendant working my aisle, Hassan, was friendly and efficient. He told me that he's the most senior flight attendant at Delta who speaks both Arabic and French, which helped when they were assigning crew for the inaugural. It was a friendly and the service was top-notch for the most part.
A big welcome in Morocco
We landed a few minutes early. There was no water cannon salute, but we did get the red-carpet treatment.
Dozens of Delta and Morocco tourism officials were on hand to welcome the inaugural flight.
Officials had laid out quite a welcome spread, including Moroccan tea, coffee, cookies and other sweets.
There was even a large cake emblazoned with the Delta logo.
A news conference by local leaders followed the flight, touting the benefits they believed the route would bring.
"This flight is like building a bridge between two people, the American people and the Moroccan people," said Oussama Elaamyla, who works with the Marrakech Airport.
Booking the inaugural
When I initially booked the flight, Premium Select (Delta's premium economy seats) wasn't listed for sale. Instead, I booked a Comfort Plus seat for a total of $1,316.61.
I used my American Express Platinum card to earn 5x Membership Rewards points. When you use your Amex Platinum card, you earn 5x points on all airfare purchased directly with the airline. I earned a total of 6,585 Membership Rewards points for the booking.
Since Premium Select wasn't yet available, I was able to select a seat in the premium economy cabin. Unfortunately, that didn't stick. I ended up getting pushed back down to Comfort Plus. But Delta saved the day. A few calls to customer service by one of my travel companions got all of us who had been downgraded upgraded back to the Premium Select cabin.
I then used one of my last Global Upgrade Certificates to confirm into Delta One. I'd call that a pretty sweet deal and a fond farewell to my years-long run as a Delta Diamond (I won't requalify this year, sadly).
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Part of a larger international strategy
Marrakech is just the beginning for Delta Air Lines. Next month, the Atlanta-based airline is launching a new seasonal service to Accra, Ghana.
It will also soon have a new winter-only service from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to Cancun International Airport (CUN).
Europe is getting a big boost in Delta service next summer with new frequencies, new routes and several brand-new destinations — Malta and the Italian island of Sardinia, among them. Delta will also fly to Porto, Portugal (from JFK) for the first time.
That means there are lots of exciting potential new dots for this AvGeek (and his friends).
Bottom line
The inaugural was a fun way to travel back to Africa. Delta is making some interesting choices when it comes to its long-haul route network. I also love that there are several options for direct service to Africa, and it's exciting to see Delta (and United, too) pushing the boundaries both figuratively and materially when it comes to route planning.
While I'd quibble with the age of the aircraft and the narrow lie-flat seats, it was a great way to fly to Morocco, and I'd happily take the flight again. I'm looking forward to exploring all Morocco has to offer this week.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
