For my latest airline review, I travelled from Los Angeles to the Hawaiian island of Maui in Economy Class aboard one of Delta Air Lines’ oldest widebody aircraft.

The Boeing 767-300 has been a familiar part of Delta’s fleet for decades, operating everything from domestic services to long-haul international routes. However, with newer Airbus A330neos and A350s joining the airline, its age is becoming increasingly apparent.

My aircraft for the journey was N1605, operating the five-hour and 12-minute flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Kahului Airport.

Before departure, I visited the Delta Sky Club at LAX and it was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the journey.

The lounge was modern, spacious and extremely comfortable, with an impressive range of facilities and a polished atmosphere. It provided an excellent start to the trip and reflected the more premium image Delta has worked hard to develop.

We sat both inside and then outside on the Delta Sky Deck where you get impressive views of the entirety of LAX’s Terminal 3. We enjoyed a few non-alcoholic yuzu lemonades and a few breakfast plates.

From there, it was time to board the 767 for the flight across the Pacific.

The Boeing 767 may lack the contemporary design and technology found aboard Delta’s newest aircraft, but its Economy cabin still offers one considerable advantage: a passenger-friendly 2-3-2 seating configuration.

This means there is only one middle seat in each row, while couples travelling together can secure a pair of seats by the window without sharing their space with another passenger.

The aircraft was clean and the seat was comfortable. We opted for seats 42A and 42B, which gave great wing views of this aged Boeing 767. Our aircraft, N1605, was delivered to Delta in May 1999.

The flight certainly had its ups and downs, and not everything went according to plan. The video explores the problems in greater detail, but I’m not a fan of gatekeeping the important information: the Wi-Fi was unavailable for a significant portion of the journey, while an air-conditioning fault left the cabin feeling more like the Arctic.

Nevertheless, the flight operated on time, the aircraft was well presented, and the crew remained friendly and efficient throughout the journey.

Most reassuringly, when problems did arise, the Delta team worked hard to resolve them rather than allowing the issues to define the experience.

Effective service recovery can completely change a passenger’s lasting impression of a flight. In this case, the team’s willingness to take ownership, provide reassurance and find solutions ensured that the journey ultimately remained a positive one.

I paid $238.70 for the one-way flight between Los Angeles and Maui.

For a journey lasting more than five hours aboard a widebody aircraft, I felt the fare represented reasonable value – particularly when combined with an on-time operation, a comfortable seat and professional service.

The Boeing 767-300 may no longer showcase the very best of Delta’s modern fleet, but it still has several passenger-friendly qualities. Its 2-3-2 Economy layout remains preferable to the nine-abreast configuration found on many newer widebody aircraft, while the overall experience proved that an older jet can still deliver a comfortable journey.

Passengers received Wi-Fi (somewhat), modern seat back entertainment, complimentary drinks and a selection of snacks. However, it is disappointing that US airlines have largely moved away from serving complimentary meals in Economy on domestic flights of this length. Personally, I believe a five-hour journey to Hawaii would still benefit from a more substantial included catering service.

Take a look at this week’s video and let me know what you think: has time finally caught up with Delta’s 767, or does this familiar aircraft still have what it takes?