My previous 2 DL journeys were both domestic and relatively short, so this was the first long-haul trip with DL.
Boarding was efficient, with no issues at all, and nobody was late this time
The plane was a 767-400, and on first inspection it looked fine. The blanket isn't as nice as VS's, but I got over that reasonably quickly. The IFE was decent, too, and indeed the whole season 6 of Mad Men turned out to be very useful for the journey.
I should add that this was a red eye flight, and soon after take-off we were served dinner. Not sure if this is normal, but I cannot stand cheese, especially melted ones on a plane -- even the smell makes me quite ill
. Perhaps because this is a US-based airline, all menu options included cheese... I had a chicken dish (the least cheesy sounding one), which included what I would describe as a melted cheese lid, that I was able to sort of "lift off" (or push apart) to access the processed chicken underneath. The side green salad (or starter) was quite sorry-looking, too. I didn't manage a lot, but after eating a lot in the US for a week, and being mindful of my expanding waistline, I wasn't too upset about it. The trays were promptly cleared away, with a hot beverage offered. As I was going to attempt to sleep, I opted for some water instead. From then on, it was some shut-eye time. Unfortunately for most of us in EC, and I presume for the rest of the plane, there was a baby that cried intermittently every half an hour or so throughout the journey. Even with my ear plugs in, the cry was far-reaching and probably the most soul-piercing sound that I've ever heard in my life. I did feel really sorry for his poor mum, who did her very best to calm him down, and walked up and down the cabin.
The thing is, the more I couldn't sleep, the more uncomfortable the seats felt. I don't know whether the seats were actually that uncomfortable, but I felt that I struggled to stay fully on it without slipping off ever so slightly
So this was the first red eye flight on which I was unable to sleep at all, as usually I sleep surprisingly well on planes (even in EC) without any issues. But hey, such is life. I was lucky enough to be arriving in the weekend, giving me time to recharge before the working week
Thank goodness for Mad Men (my favourite show!), which kept me entertained for the entire trip without fail
A few episodes later, it was breakfast time. An egg (English) muffin was served, and yes, there was another cheese layer in between. I managed a couple of bites, but that's about it.
Throughout the trip the CC was brilliant. Every time the baby started crying, the crew came out with water/squash/juice up and down the isle. God knows how many beverage trips they did on this flight. After each trip they then went up and down to collect the rubbish without delay. Also they kept the toilets clean and topped up with soap, tissues and all the supplies, which I don't often see on long-haul flights. Perhaps they weren't as "pally" as the VS crew normally are, but I thought they were spot on in terms of attentiveness and service.
So this is the 4th TR which concludes my NYC/Houston trip in June, which combined business with leisure. One of the best things about this trip was how many miles and tier points that I've earned with VS! I got 8 tier points, including the Sky High Rewards bonus on the VS45, and all the DL connections
With FC miles, I collected my normal ones, and in addition received 10k for a dodgy IFE, and over 8K of SPG points (now converted to FC miles) from the hotel as part of the Earn Away promotion 
With this boost I have reached silver in a mere 2 months (though with no chance of reaching gold), which was a pleasant surprise. All in all, a very pleasant trip to the US, and on balance, based on my 3 flights with DL, I would be happy to fly with them again, but will probably add a dietary requirement of "no cheese" in the future. 
