Despite Delta being one of the big three domestic airlines in America (next to United or American Airlines) they find themselves under siege from popular newcomers. Startup JetBlue has come to find its own against the rivals in the airline industry and now is a worthy choice when booking tickets. But does JetBlue leave the rest in the dust when it comes to flying transcontinental?

If we start with price, both of them fly the Los Angeles to New York route for the same price. This can make it harder to choose between them simply for the better value for money.

So it is up to their actual service model to determine which is the better airline to fly with.

Fleet type and size

This is the biggest difference between the two airlines. Delta, of course, has a much bigger fleet of 881 jets but their fleet is also highly varied. With Delta, you don't know for sure what you are going to get when you board. They have some pretty old planes in their fleet, such as Boeing 757s and Boeing 767s, but some more modern Airbus A330s that feature some pretty exciting premium concepts.

JetBlue, however, has a very consistent fleet. They have 251 aircraft, with just under half being Airbus A320s. Their Airbus A321 aircraft feature an upgraded first class section (better than just extra legroom seats). However, JetBlue has limited international routes and it is unlikely they will be top of your list when it comes to picking a flight abroad.

Economy experience

Let us look at the two different economy sections, Delta and JetBlue.

Delta

The Delta economy is robust and typical that you would find on board a main carrier. Seats are 18 inches across and 32 inches of pitch. Food and baggage is extra (Baggage around $30 per case) and entertainment is included (Depending on the jet, you might have seat back entertainment or provide your own device)

JetBlue

JetBlue has a main cabin of economy on their A320s.

All the seats come with seatback entertainment screens and have a seat width of 17.8 inches and a pitch of 34 inches. This seat pitch might be a deal breaker for those looking for a little extra leg room for the same cost. Food and baggage are the same as Delta.

Simply the fact that JetBlue has the bigger legroom and a guarantee of in-flight entertainment is a bonus for us.

Premium experience

But the real difference in experience can be found when flying in a premium class.

Delta

Delta's premium cabin is called Delta One, found on board their Airbus A330 aircraft.

Delta One is rather excellent. You have direct aisle access on all seats, lie-flat seats, privacy screen and plenty of space to put your personal items. However, there is little privacy as there are no walls to hide you away from fellow passengers.

The seat width and pitch is 21 by 80 inches, the same as JetBlue.

JetBlue

The premium section of JetBlue is called Mint.

It is very similar to what you would expect on Delta, apart from two very significant factors. The first is that there is no direct aisle access for every second row. This is because they are blocked by their duo seat in a 2x2 configuration. Other rows might be 1x1 in the same cabin.

The 2nd consideration is that these seats are far more private. Each of the seats has a large privacy screen and hides the passenger away from prying eyes.

Whilst there is a multitude of different features that may or may break your experience with one of these carriers, we are confident that JetBlue just edges out Delta airways when it comes to flying transcontiential.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.