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Review: Delta LA to Sydney in Economy with Kids

ByLanie van der Horst Updated on

Are you flying Delta Airlines from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, in economy and want to know what to expect?

As an American living in Australia, this long-haul flight is one I know well. Living in Brisbane, I prefer direct, but it isn’t always an option as we need to be as budget-friendly as possible.

When I fly with my kids, I want to know what to expect, especially regarding meals, snacks, and entertainment. While these things change, for the most part, they are consistent. You can figure out what time meals are served, the type of food that is available, and how to prepare for your long-haul flight with kids by reading this review.

My kids and I flew this route in October 2024 when they were 9 and 10 years old.

Keep reading to find out what to expect when flying Delta Airlines with kids from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, on a 14+ hour-long flight.

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For this trip, we used Cover-More travel insurance.  We get the middle tier option.

Delta Economy Seating

Two kids with headphones on watching the TV on the back of the seat in front of them. This is a Deltra flight, in Economy, from Los Angeles to Sydney.

As someone who always flies economy, Delta’s economy seats were better than average. The seatbelt had a lot of room, and the seats are the best you can get in economy.

There were 3 of us on this flight, so we opted for 3 in a row, window-middle-aisle. The plane set up was 3-3-3, just like on the way to LA from Sydney. Though I prefer an aisle seat and the middle row has 2 aisles, my kids are young, so I prefer them contained (even if that means I get up every time they need to go to the bathroom).

Each chair had a blanket and a pillow wrapped in plastic. The kids kept theirs for later, and I put mine above in the overhead compartment so it was out of my way, but available if I wanted it. I used the floor space under the seat in front of me to store my backpack. It took up just about the entire space.

There was plenty of space in the overhead compartment above us, and we checked our bags for this trip, so we didn’t use it at all.

Entertainment Options

Two kids playing the game 2048 on the TV on the seat in front of them. They are wearing headphones. This is a fligt from Los Angeles to Sydney on Delta in the economy section.

TV screens are on the back of each seat in the economy section. The TVs are touch screens.

Soon after we boarded, the flight attendants came around with headphones. We had our own, so we didn’t take any this time.

While you can check out Delta’s entertainment options online before your flight, it isn’t a comprehensive list. Luckily, there are many more choices on board.

For kids, you can opt for the kid menu, and then they are only offered kid-appropriate programming. Having the kids’ programming on was helpful for them to easily choose what to watch without the need to scroll through all the options.

Delta offers a variety of older movies as well as some new releases. There are movies and TV shows, though the TV shows rarely show the 1st season. Music and podcasts are also available, as are games.

On our flight to LA from Sydney, my son found the game 2048, and we all quickly became addicted to it. You start with a 2 and add it to another 2 to make 4. You can add a 4 and a 4 to make 8, and so on. The goal is to get all the way to 2048. We all played again on the way back to Sydney.

Dinner Meal Service from LA to Sydney in Delta Economy

A child's meal on a Delta economy flight from LA to Sydney. On this tray is cheesy pasta, 2 fruit cups, a ranch packet, Lays chips, and a cup of water.
An adult meal on a Delta flight from LA to Sydney in economy. This is the pasta option. Manicotti, cous cous salad, and a brownie are shown.

Our flight was scheduled to leave Los Angeles at 11 pm, and it was delayed about 30 minutes. We had a layover in LA, after a short layover in Denver, flying from Tampa. Though we knew there would be a meal shortly after takeoff, we ate at the airport. We did not want to wait until midnight to eat.

About 50 minutes after take-off, drinks were served. Shortly after that, around 12:25 am, the kids’ meals were served. Clearly, the lights were out when this meal was served.

I always order my kids a special meal. That way, they have more options and are more likely to be able to eat something during the flight.

This time, the kids got cheesy pasta. My daughter’s tray included 2 fruit cups, a ranch packet, a bag of chips, and water. I was a little confused until I saw my son’s tray, which was the same except he only got 1 fruit cup, and he also got veggie sticks, including carrots and cucumbers.

Adults had the option of chicken or pasta. The chicken was served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Each adult meal tray included cheese and crackers, quinoa salad, and a brownie.

I got the manicotti, but it was far too salty, so I ate the kids’ pasta instead. One kid ate chips, fruit, and veggies while the other tried the pasta and ate the fruit.

One thing to note is the tray was way too close to my body. It was misleading to me as I fit in the seat and had plenty of room in the seatbelt. I could put the tray down, but just barely.

Mid-Flight Snack

A light's out view of the mid-flight meal on Delta from LA to Sydney in economy. The kid's got a ham and cheese croissant, fruit, chips, and a water.
A light's out view of the mid-flight meal on Delta from LA to Sydney in economy. The adults got a Mediterranean Pizza Twist.
The pizza twist served mid flight on Delta's LA to Sydney flight in the economy section. It is dark as the lights are dimmed for sleeping.

At 6:30 am LA time, about 7 hours into our flight to Sydney, a snack was served. The lights remained off during snack time.

The kid’s snack was served first, with the adult snack served about 10 minutes later.

Usually, the snack is just a mini sandwich on these long-haul flights, so we were happy to see that Delta Airlines offered a more substantial snack.

The kid’s snack included a hot ham and cheese croissant, mustard and mayo packets, chips, fruit, and water.

The adult snack was a pizza twist. I would have swapped with a kid, but I do not eat ham.

At this point, the flight attendant let me know there were plenty of snacks, like cheese and crackers, in the back for the kids if they needed more food. We did not end up getting anything because I had packed snacks, but I have never had a flight attendant let me know that before, and it is so helpful.

Breakfast Meal Service from LA to Sydney on Delta Economy

The kid's meal on Delta's flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in econmy. Pancakes and scrambled eggs, yogurt, a blueberry muffin, a fruit cup, and a packet of syrup along wtih a cup of water.
One of the adult meal options for breakfast on Delta's flight from LA to Sydney in economy. a chocolate hazelnut calzone, a fruit cup, and a yogurt.

The lights were turned on for breakfast service, which took place at 12:15 pm LA time, almost 12 hours after take-off.

The kid’s meal was served first and included pancakes and eggs, syrup, fruit, yogurt, a blueberry muffin, and water.

My other child was fed 5 minutes later, and the meal did not include syrup, water, or a muffin. I would have asked, but the drink service came by, and he wouldn’t eat the muffin anyway.

Ten minutes after the kids’ meals were served, the adult breakfast service began. We had the choice of an egg, cheese, and spinach calzone or a chocolate hazelnut calzone. Both included fruit and yogurt.

I opted for the chocolate hazelnut calzone because I am iffy on airplane eggs. I also figured my kids might want it, but they ate their own breakfast, so I was able to eat mine.

Delta from LA to Sydney with Kids Wrap-Up

As someone who flies this route every year or two, and as someone on a budget, I generally pick the cheapest flight.

This time, it was cheapest to fly to and from Sydney instead of Brisbane, and Delta was the cheapest option with the best times. As we fly to the East Coast of the USA, any stop on the West Coast will do.

Delta Air Lines’ economy seats are comparable to those of United Airlines, which is what we have flown the past couple of times.

I found the Delta flight to be one of the most comfortable long-haul flights that I have been on (and I have been on a lot). My seat was slightly larger than normal, and I could tell that my seatbelt was longer.

While I wasn’t thrilled with the movie and TV selections, there were enough options to keep me busy on the entire flight. Of course, finding the game 2048 helped, as that took up hours of my time.

The food wasn’t great, but airplane food, in economy at least, never is. I always find myself starving by the mid-flight snack, so I tend to bring snacks to bulk it up. This was the heaviest snack I have experienced on a long haul.

The only strange thing about the food was the differences in the kids’ meals. My kids had different things on their trays, and sometimes they did not make sense.

I have realized that long-haul flights follow the same formula, and Delta’s flight from Sydney to Los Angeles stuck with it.

About an hour after takeoff, a meal is served. There are usually 2 options for main meals. If you order a special meal, including a kid’s meal, it is served before the meal service begins. A flight attendant comes around before take-off to confirm your special meal choice.

Halfway through the flight, a snack is served. It is usually a small sandwich and a treat.

About an hour before the flight lands, the lights are turned on, and a meal is served. You don’t always have a choice at breakfast, though we did on this flight.

Drinks are served a few times, with water offered hourly or so throughout the flight.

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Pin for Pinterest, what to expect on board Delta's flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in economy with kids.

Lanie is the owner and author of Make More Adventures, a family travel blog that helps families make the most of their holidays. Lanie is an American living in Australia with her husband and 2 kids who love to travel almost as much as she does. When she is not traveling, working on her blog, or planning her next vacation, Lanie is watching Bravo, reading, or working with kids.

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