I flew first-class in Delta’s six-month-old A220, the plane Boeing tried to keep out of the US (DAL)

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Airbus A220 is an advanced, efficient, comfortable 109-seat airliner that entered service in the US with Delta in February, 2019.
The plane, which began life as the Bombardier C Series, is designed to fill the market gap between mid-size regional jets and workhorse narrow-body jets like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. It can also be used to replace larger regional jets.
Recently, I flew the A220 for the first time on a short flight from Boston’s Logan Airport to New York LaGuardia, in the first-class cabin.
I was impressed by just about every aspect of the plane, and found it a pleasant upgrade over the regional jets that usually operate that flight. Read on to learn more about what flying on the jet is like.
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The Airbus A220 was one of the most controversial and highly anticipated new planes to launch in recent memory.

The 100-seat jet was originally designed by Canadian plane-and-train maker Bombardier, sold as the C Series jet, and in 2016 Delta placed an order for a number of C Series planes to replace some of its aging regional jets.

However, in 2017 American manufacturer Boeing filed a complaint with the US Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission, claiming that Bombardier was selling the jets for an abnormally low price in order to undercut Boeing, and using Canadian government subsidies to make up for the loss.

The two agencies agreed and imposed a massive penalty tariff on the jets — nearly 300% in total — that would have made the C Series prohibitively expensive, in effect keeping it out of the US market. Boeing claimed that the C Series was a direct competitor for the smaller variants of its 737 — however, the two variations of the C Series only seat 110–130 passengers, while the smaller Boeing 737 NG planes fit 125–150 passengers, arguably serving a different market.

But less than a month later, Bombardier found a way around the tariff, selling 50.01% of the C Series program to France-based Airbus — Boeing’s primary rival in the large commercial aircraft market — with no up-front cash investment. That transfer of majority ownership rendered the ITC ruling on subsidies moot. In summer 2018, the Bombardier C Series was officially rebranded the Airbus A220.

While the A220 — then still the C Series — entered service with Swiss Airlines in 2016, it didn’t start flying in the US until earlier this year with US launch customer Delta.

Business Insider reviewed the very first US A220 flight in February, and a longer flight a little while later.

However, on a recent trip home from a weekend visiting family in Boston, I had the chance to fly on the A220 to see how the plane is holding up six months later, and whether it still impresses. I also got a complimentary upgrade to first class thanks to my Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer status (I flew a lot last year).

While first class may be overkill for the 1-hour flight between Boston and New York, the plane was immediately impressive — and the comfortable first-class seat was obviously a nice treat.

Here’s what the A220 is like after six months of service for Delta.

I got to Boston’s Logan Airport with a bit of time to spare, so I went upstairs to the Sky Club lounge — I have a credit card that comes with Sky Club access as a perk.

David Slotnick/Business Insider

I had a snack from the buffet, and settled down on a couch with my iPad to catch up on some work.

David Slotnick/Business Insider

A few minutes before my boarding time I made my way down to the gate, which was quite crowded — maybe that had something to do with the fact that it was across from Legal’s Test Kitchen, where you can buy a live lobster to bring home with you on your flight?

David Slotnick/Business Insider

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Source: Business Insider – dslotnick@businessinsider.com (David Slotnick)