First Class ???

[KaferKruzer]

Ever since the first time I boarded an airliner (1962...) I have always looked into the 1st class seating area as I found my way to my economy class seat and said to myself, "Just once..."

 

For those of you who have flown 1st class, whats the difference other than larger seats and something to eat? Are there other perks? Is it worth 2 1/2 or 3 times the economy fare? We're looking at a 4hr or so flight.

[dforeigner]

Ever since the first time I boarded an airliner (1962...) I have always looked into the 1st class seating area as I found my way to my economy class seat and said to myself, "Just once..."

 

For those of you who have flown 1st class, whats the difference other than larger seats and something to eat? Are there other perks? Is it worth 2 1/2 or 3 times the economy fare? We're looking at a 4hr or so flight.

 

Free alcohol, if they are serving a meal, you get (at least used to before 9/11) real china and silverware. Your luggage arrives first at the carrousel. Priority embarkation. In some cases, you get to use their lounges while waiting for the plane.

[TravlGrl]

We probably fly first class 50% of the time, but I've honestly never paid full fare for it. As frequent fliers, I will use 1/2 cash 1/2 miles for 1st class, or get a free upgrade if the seats are empty.

 

Our general rule is that we will fly 1st class for flights over 2 hours. Perks? Besides the larger seats and eats --

• Bottomless drinks, alcohol included, at no charge
  
• The cabin attendant knows your name and addresses you by Mr/Mrs so-and-so
  
• They will offer to take your coat from you and hang it up
  
• First dibs on pillows, blankets and newspapers
  
• Automatic bottle of water when you are seated, as opposed to waiting for "beverage service"
  
• First to board, first to leave
  
• Free digiplayer on long flights
  
• Guaranteed not to be sitting in the middle since there are no middle seats
  
• On some airlines, like British Airways, your seat will recline so it's totally flat

What I really like the most are the larger seats. I can curl up and sleep without feeling super squished. With the large divider between me and the person sitting next to me, I never feel like I'm encroaching into their space.

 

If it's affordable, it's a nice way to travel.

[greatam]

Due to top tier status on AA, I fly first about 90% of the time. Yes, it's nice with the larger seats, free booze, priority check in lines, priority boarding and at some airports, priority security lines. But would I pay for first on a domestic flight at full fare-I doubt it.

 

If you REALLY want a first class experience, save your money, save your miles (and buy miles up to the limit every year if you don't have a mileage earning credit card). THEN, use those miles for first class on an international flight, preferably one to Asia. THAT is first class. Lie flat beds, pajamas on some airlines, you are catered to hand and foot.

 

Two other way to get into the first class cabin on a domestic flight-AA flies BOS/Manchester England and Dublin/Shannon seasonally. They use a 757 and they sell the entire plane as coach. IF you book early enough, you may be able to snag one of the first class seats. It will still be coach service (buy your food and booze), but at least you get the big seats and more space.

 

The other way into first class-some airlines sell an upgrade to first class at the gate. America West/US Airways often sells first class for very little money. It is $50.00 to upgrade to FC from PHX/LAX, $100.00 from PHX to DSM.

 

Another idea to get you into first class almost (not TRUE international first class, but better than domestic first class )-Maxjet. They fly to the London area from LAX, Las Vegas, NYC and Washington DC. Book early enough and the one way fares are not much more than coach on a legacy carrier. Take a repo cruise to/from Europe. Pretty close to first class experience for 1/6 the price. I haven't flown Maxjet yet (and feel like a traitor that I booked them instead of AA), but I do have my reservations for New Year's Eve to London (QE2 Winter Crossing)

[FlyerTalker]

It depends on the carrier. TravlGrl is describing the first class service on Alaska Airlines (I can tell from the Digiplayer and water bottle reference). dforeigner was a bit more generic and lounge access is usually for international first and biz, or some transcon services.

 

Talking domestic service -- you will consistently get a wider seat (though on some 767 service, it can be as little as 1/2 inch wider), more legroom (known as "pitch"), complimentary beverages, priority boarding, hanging up your coat, and a better level of service than in the "back of the bus". If the aircraft has IFE, free headphones.

 

Things that you may or may not get, depending on the routing, equipment, airline and flight are pre-departure drinks, complimentary meals, better snacks than coach, priority security and checkin lines, and priority luggage handling (the last is the least likely benefit to receive on a number of airlines -- don't count on it!!).

 

Depending on your route and airline, there are some very attractive first class fares out there. Look for "A" fares on Delta -- sometimes less than unrestricted coach. Other airlines have their own "discounted first" fare category. Cash + miles or cash + upgrading miles are another pair of options to consider.

 

Don't expect lavish meals with chateaubriand carved at your seat (a TWA staple on late 70's transcons) in domestic F -- it's mostly an upgraded coach experience, but still much more comfortable than coach. There are exceptions -- UA and AA have some premium transcon F service, but that's the norm.

[fbgd]

Trust me, do it once and you won't go back to coach again. Well that is certainly the case if you do it on international flights. Intl is a completely different ball game to domestic US and if you want to do it 'just the once' then save the miles/cash for a lengthy international flight. If you think domestic F looks nice you'll probably be ecstatic in intl Business Class!

 

Domestically, the airlines offer that are called QUP/YUP fares which are effectively discounted First Class tickets and they are pretty cheap. The wife and I flew AA in First from Boston-Honolulu and back on a YUP fare for $1700 pp. Taking into account that coach was $900 pp and it was over 20hrs of flying it was a no brainer. Thanks to these YUP/QUP I can fly First Class pretty much everytime within the US and feel I'm not getting ripped off for it.

 

Here is a good tool that shows the cheapest FC fares from your specific city. Just change the URL/box to reflect the city you fly from.

http://www.farecompare.com/search/yupfares.html?departure=LAX

 

Oh, and Flyertalker, on the SFO-BOS segment of the aforementioned Hawaii trip we got chateaubriand on the overnight flight! I almost thought the FA was joking when she told me! I understand this is certainly an exception to the norm though!

[JJPNYC]

First class now-a-days domestically is a far cry from the what it was. I go in with the expectation that all first class will get me is a bigger seat and an open bar (set your expectations low and you won't be disappointed).

 

I've had the chance to fly domestic first on both American & Continental in the past year. Here's what I got in both of them:

- bigger seat

- meal

- open bar

- free headphones

- dedicated bathroom on board

 

Here's what I did NOT receive:

- complimentary airport club access for the day

- a 5 course meal

- personal in-seat entertainment systems

 

If offered the upgrade at check-in, and the out-of-pocket isn't much, I'll usually grab it if the flight is over 2 hours.

 

Is it worth the 2x-3x premium over full fare coach, I don't think so.

 

The one exception is the 767 transcon service on American from JFK to SFO & LAX and United's 3-class PS service from JFK to SFO & LAX as well. Those are as close to an international business/first experience that you'll find flying domestically.

 

Now with the advent of JetBlue and Song (RIP), and their generous seat pitch & in seat entertainment, I find that flying on them to be just as comfortable as the legacy airlines. If JetBlue is an option, do note that in the front half of their Airbus jets that seat pitch is 36", comparable to first class on the legacy airlines. Plus here you get in seat entertainment. No meals or open bar of course, but it also comes at a fraction of the price.

[Shorex]

Yes to all of the above -- plus a small benefit that can occasionally make a huge difference -- first to deplane. It saves precious minutes when you have a tight domestic connect. It affords the chance to be at the front of the immigration lines when you are arriving from overseas. It has saved us from implementing "plan B" several times.

 

A couple other small benefits -- better ratio of pax to bathroom -- never a long line right after meal service. More room to stretch and move a bit and get the circulation going. More room to climb over sleeping seat-mate and reach the aisle.

 

Domestically we are usually in first via upgrades, internationally we cash in miles to be up front. We have flown first on Singapore Air and it was heavenly. Best flying experience ever.

[zaandam_2]

nobody mentioned looking down your nose at the 'cattle' getting on whilst sipping your drinkie. (joking)

 

i paid about 30% more than coach for a business class on maxjet to london. i think it'll be well worth the $.

[TravlGrl]

It depends on the carrier. TravlGrl is describing the first class service on Alaska Airlines (I can tell from the Digiplayer and water bottle reference). dforeigner was a bit more generic and lounge access is usually for international first and biz, or some transcon services.

 

Yep, you nailed it! :)

[Cruise Junky]

I think first class domestic is totally overrated and would never pay for it. If you're flying Alaska you could try and get upgraded upon checkin, it's about 1/4 of the price of doing it ahead. NA business class is basically crap. Just bigger seats and free booze. That's not worth the price difference to me. Fly business or first on an international carrier, that's where you'll see the difference.

[Bases5]

I have done first class and it was great.

I just transferred my Amex points to Delta and baam I was flying First class. I did this accidentally I was looking for flight for the wife and I and was looking on Deltas Awards tickets. They have what they call sky choice and sky saver. Of coarse sky saver is less points. I could only find sky choice for our flight from Ft Myers to Vegas 60,000 points each, I checked just to see how much first class would be 45,000 points or miles. I'm not wealthy at all but I do own my own business (small) and use my Amex for everything. I collect ton's of points. Any how we fly 1st class 1/2 the time now. Buy the tickets and upgrade for like 10,000 miles. I guess what I am saying is check it out its not always more money.

Just a heads up on delta's domestic flights they have upgraded things and will be done by 2008 here is the article

 

 

Delta’s New, Two-Class Domestic U.S. Transcontinental Service

Fact Sheet

About Delta’s Domestic Transcontinental Service

• Delta’s much-anticipated, new domestic two-class transcontinental on-demand entertainment product

launch is transforming coast-to-coast travel into the most entertaining experience in the skies.

• Delta is the first U.S. domestic airline offering customers on-demand entertainment at every seat in two

classes of service on transcontinental routes.

• The new service, to be offered on all flights over four hours, or greater than 1,750 miles, will provide

first-class and coach travelers with a distinctive on-board experience, including comfortable all-leather

seats and an industry leading in-flight entertainment system that features live television, movies, MP3

audio programming with more than 1,600 song selections and a suite of video games – all available on

demand at every passenger’s seat. With this new product, Delta will be the only domestic carrier

offering a two-class product equipped with video on-demand available at every seat.

• Delta is offering the product on its fleet of 48 former Song Boeing 757s on domestic, transcontinental

flights from both New York’s JFK and Atlanta airports, to cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt

Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. The newly-configured aircraft will feature 26 all-leather, first

class seats and 158 all-leather coach seats. Between September and November, the airline will roll out

approximately 18 aircraft per month, each equipped with the new product. By the end of November

2006, all flights from JFK to the West Coast will feature this signature service.

• Delta will eventually expand the product to select Boeing 767, 757 and 737-800 aircraft; by 2008, more

than 100 Delta aircraft on transcontinental routes will feature the product.

• Delta’s new transcontinental product also will feature a selection of unique signature cocktails and

complimentary snacks. Eventually, Delta will offer distinctive food choices for customers in the first

class cabin, a food-for-sale program for passengers in the main cabin and exclusive, and unique

entertainment programming that differentiates Delta from all of its competitors

In-Flight Entertainment

• Panasonic’s state-of-the-art, eFX digital in-flight entertainment system (IFE) system features “on-demand”

functionality that allows customers on Delta’s new transcontinental service to conveniently start and stop

their TV, movie, audio and video game offerings – at their leisure with the push of a button.

• The new touch-screen IFE system features:

o 24 channels of live TV and programmed content;

o More than 20 first-run and popular classic movies;

o Digitally-streamed MP3 programming that allows customers to easily create their own personal

playlists from a selection of more than 1,600 songs, featuring a wide range of artists and

genres that cater to every taste; and,

o A suite of 12 video games that serves to captivate, including an interactive trivia game that

allows a little friendly competition among passengers.

o Panasonic’s eFX single aisle IFE system gives Delta an interactive technology platform to offer

a higher level of in-flight information services in the future like laptop connectivity, broadband

internet, e-mail access, and more to meet growing customer preferences

[rkacruiser]

I flew on Delta's Flight 70 from ATL to FCO on April 10th in Business Class after a First Class flight from DAY to ATL that same day. Both flights were very comfortable with excellent service. The major difference was in the width of the Business Class seats as compared to the domestic First Class. Delta seems to be trying to upgrade their product in both the premium sector as well as in "cattle class". Good for them! It was sorely needed!

[fbgd]

Forgot to add in my original post....one of my hobbies is writing up trip reports from flights. I have an interest in commercial aviation so if you want to see some reports from a few international and domestic Business & First Class flights send me a private message and I'll forward the links.

 

The one exception is the 767 transcon service on American from JFK to SFO & LAX and United's 3-class PS service from JFK to SFO & LAX as well. Those are as close to an international business/first experience that you'll find flying domestically.

 

IMO though even in F on these flights you can feel slightly disappointed. I flew JFK-LAX in F on these flights last summer and the food was very poor. The seat was very comfortable for a domestic flight and I found the FA we had to be great. Use of the DVD players was a nice touch but would I pay $4600 return to do it again? No! For the difference I'd rather pay 30% of the price and fly F on the 763 via SFO. The seat is just as comfortable.

 

Fly business or first on an international carrier, that's where you'll see the difference.

 

Indeed but you'll also pay the price. Apart from the 3 class transcon flights (AA AFS & UA p.s.) you'll struggle to pay more than $2000 return in FC anywhere in the US.

 

Compared to international flights you'll typically pay $4500-$9000 in Business Class. Get a sale and plan your holiday around it and you could get a ticket for around $3000 return to Europe.

 

I think discounted First Class in the US represents good value for money. Sure it has it's flaws but it isn't a complete waste.

[Cruise Junky]

 

 

 

I think discounted First Class in the US represents good value for money. Sure it has it's flaws but it isn't a complete waste.

 

I think we should clarify, there is no First Class domestic. It's Business Class. I'd rather save my money and fly internationally business or first. Business class domestically is always a huge disappointment to me. Not worth it anymore. Really, how much is 4 inches in a seat and three glasses of cheap wine worth?

[fbgd]

I think we should clarify, there is no First Class domestic. It's Business Class. I'd rather save my money and fly internationally business or first. Business class domestically is always a huge disappointment to me. Not worth it anymore. Really, how much is 4 inches in a seat and three glasses of cheap wine worth?

 

I can see your point but it'd just confuse matters if I started referring to a product with name different to one assigned to it! Besides there are quite a few flights with separate F & J cabins domestically.

 

I've yet to come across domestic F with 3" more pitch...on some routes such as JFK-SFO if you get the 2 class 767-300 then you'll get the AA international business class seat; 60" pitch, a decent amount of recline and very comfortable. $1400-$1700 rtn is good VFOM in such a case.

 

As for cheap wine, well yes it isn't actually much good but I had a white wine recently (I'll have to dig up the menu) that was around $25 a bottle. Certainly an upgrade on the plonk AA used to serve domestically. Their fizzy offerings are still pretty poor though...

[JJPNYC]

One thing that hasn't been said explicitly hear yet is that before booking first class, you should do the research on what the first class "experience" is like on the particular airline/airplane/flight that you're looking at.

 

Things vary widely from carrier to carrier and flight to flight. A trans-con domestic first is much different than just a 1 hour flight in domestic first.

Also look carefully what type of aircraft it is you're flying. For instance Continental regularly flies their international 757's from EWR to Florida which means you get their international BusinessFirst seat (55" pitch) vs. a regular 757 which has 38" pitch. Also on some flights between hubs the airlines will fly their internationally configured wide-bodies (i.e. 777's & 747'). On these you'll get the international seats but the foodservice & like may be on a domestic basis.

[KaferKruzer]

Wow! What response! Thanks so much to everyone. Looks like I'll start hunting up some discounted 1st class seats for our trip.

 

The wife is a marginal flyer, she tolerates it because its quicker and cleaner than the bus... :rolleyes: It should make for a nice surprise for her!;)

 

Again, thank so much!