We flew on a 33-year-old Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200: Here’s how it went...

Delta Air Lines is the largest operator of the Boeing 757 . While other passenger airlines decided to ditch the aircraft type years ago, the legacy carrier has clearly taken a different approach – with over 100 examples currently in service.

The bulk of Delta’s 757 fleet comprises the original -200 variant. These aircraft are older than the airline’s 757-300 fleet, inherited from Northwest Airlines.

Several thousand people traveling through Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) have likely flown on the 757-200, as Delta has deployed the aircraft from the hub for many years.

More than 90 examples are currently in service, with an average age of just over 27 years. However, we hitched a ride upon an airframe about six years older than the fleet's shared age.

On September 9th, N668DN operated six flights, beginning the day in Fort Lauderdale and visiting Atlanta, Miami, Norfolk, and Orlando. According to ch-aviation, the aircraft first flew in 1991, making it 33.5 years old.

It is also among the few 757s that Delta never retrofitted with winglets. DL1332 – its second and third flights of the day – was a turn at Miami International Airport (MIA). I was onboard the second leg, returning to Atlanta at the scheduled departure time of 14:09.

Before the flight, I visited the Delta Sky Club , which was an elevated (literally) and pleasant experience. It was the third Sky Club I’ve visited after Los Angeles and Atlanta.

The food and beverage selection was vast, and the staff were friendly. When I arrived, they were still serving breakfast, but the menu switched around noon, allowing me to also have a taste of lunch.

Three hours in the lounge went by quickly, and I found myself at gate H9 around 13:30, ready to board.

My first class ticket had me boarding in group one and seated in 5D – the right window seat in the last row of the cabin. Once onboard, the flight attendant offered a pre-departure beverage and earbuds.

The first impressions onboard exceeded my expectations as the aircraft was remarkably clean, showing no signs that it had transported passengers for over three decades.

Additionally, this aircraft had already been equipped with Delta Sync – a smart TV-like update on seatback screens that allows passengers to stay entertained and access day-of travel information right at their fingertips.

Delta initially rolled out the update in 2023, but said in September that 330 aircraft had received it .

We pushed back early at 14:00 and taxied to runway 8R. 13 minutes later, N668DN was rocketing down the runway and ascended from the ground.

My seat provided a scenic view, overlooking downtown Miami and the cruise port as the aircraft assumed its departure path and turned north over Biscayne Bay.

There was also a nice view of Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

As we continued northwest, the aircraft quickly gained altitude, reaching 27,000 feet over Lake Okeechobee by 14:27.

My eyes were glued to the window as the aircraft soared through thick, puffy, white clouds. There were some minor bumps along the way, but nothing concerning.

Just eight minutes later, at 14:35, the captain announced that we reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet.

Since the flight was under 900 miles, no meal was offered. Instead, beverages and a basket with a variety of snacks to choose from were offered.

Thankfully, WiFi was fast, free, and easy to connect. While I had some work to complete, I carved out some time for fun and checked out the wide selection of movies on the seatback screen.

I then tracked the flight’s progress on the screen and found myself booking my next trip to Walt Disney World Resort as we simultaneously passed just west of the resort, about six and a half miles above.

Before I knew it, we were over central Georgia by 15:13 and had begun our descent. By 15:30, we entered the typical approach path to Hartsfield–Jackson from the southeast. We passed the airport to its south and then circled back around for final approach on runway 9R.

There were some slight breezes, but the crew managed to gracefully touch down the aircraft on Georgia soil at approximately 15:38. We exited the runway, and taxied to gate A26, where we arrived at 15:48 – about 23 minutes ahead of the flight’s scheduled arrival time.

Despite N668DN’s age, Delta will likely operate the aircraft for its entire projected lifespan. ch-aviation data shows its minimum retirement date is set for December 2027.

Nonetheless, other younger examples have since been retired. Earlier this month, my reported that the airline recently parted ways with a pair of 757-200s that were 28 years old , although their minimum retirement year is also 2027.

Delta has doubled down on keeping its beloved 757s for as long as possible. Earlier this month, the carrier shared progress on the new interior that will be installed on select examples.

Surprisingly, N668DN is not Delta’s oldest 757. According to planespotters.net, there are 16 older examples. Among them are 35.6-year-old N649DL and N650DL – the two eldest 757-200s currently in the Atlanta-based airline's fleet.