Domestic first class options??????

[Minuet888]

Flying from LAX to MCO
3 of us.
Wanting to do it big for our 25th anniversary but when looking at domestic first class tickets I was highly disappointed. It looks like the same coach seats just slightly bigger? I looked at the big three, Delta, American and United. Plus most airlines have gotten rid of the seat back entertainment and you have to use your own devices and are at the mercy of their wifi working.
Does anyone have any advice for a nice flight and "doing it big" flight? Honestly not finding anything.
What do you guys use when traveling first class?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I can only speak to Delta - most of their planes have seat back screens, certainly no trend to using your own device.

I find their first class fine - certainly better than being crammed in the back. As a large airline they do have a large variety of planes - you can have newer and more modern planes and some older/more worn planes.

You’d have a meal on that long a flight - again, nothing to compare it to since I only fly Delta - but their food is usually fine/passable.

I find Delta Internet 95% fantastic with a painful occasional flight where their equipment isn’t working. Most of their long haul aircraft ‘should’ be fully updated and functioning, but nothing seems 100% in my experience.

I just checked and it looks like Delta flies their Airbus A321Neo planes on the LAX to MCO route. Double check the equipment for your dates though (and of course equipment can always change unexpectedly).

A link about that plane below: https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-airbus-a321neo-first-look-tour/

I wouldn’t say Delta first class is over the top by any means, but the small things - plenty of overhead space, boarding first, more space, free bags, etc can make flying more convenient.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Welcome to domestic first class! You get wider seats with some more legroom, early boarding so better overhead space, barely edible food you’ll sort of pick at just because it’s there and unlimited beverages if the weather cooperates including alcohol with some basic liquor or bad wine options.

Personally I’d skip the “first class” upgrade and book economy plus/extra legroom. DL Comfort+ is my favorite for that domestically as they often have seat back entertainment, decent legroom (looking at you AA), a premium snack basket to pick from with a couple different options than the economy snacks and free alcohol (yeah, it’s still boring liquor or barely drinkable wine off the economy cart but UA doesn’t even offer that in their extra legroom seats).

 

[CarolynFH]

We fly United first class, mainly for the larger seats (we’re Pooh-size) and legroom, but having two checked bags means we don’t have to lift heavy bags into the bin (we’re older, so that’s more difficult than it used to be). The upgraded, increased food and beverages are secondary perks. We also like having only two seats in our row, so when the person in the window seat (me, usually) has to visit the lavatory, that person doesn’t have to climb over a stranger.

 

[Minnie1222]

For domestic flights I've only flown Jetblue Mint, Delta first class, and Delta One. We usually fly as a party of three so we prefer the Jetblue seat arrangement of either all individual suites or 2 together and 1 by itself. Delta first class are 2 and 2 so one of us would have to sit next to a stranger. There are different configurations for Delta One depending on the plane, so it could be annoying if they decide to switch plane at the last minute. Mint and Delta One lay flat whereas domestic Delta first class does not.

You have to decide which is most important for your family. For us, it's really just the comfort and the privacy of the seats (and not having to share the loo with too many passengers).

 

[gottalovepluto]

…. We also like having only two seats in our row, so when the person in the window seat (me, usually) has to visit the lavatory, that person doesn’t have to climb over a stranger.

Economy is too small to climb over a stranger anymore even for average size folks. Gotta wake them up and ask them to move, not sure if that’s any better lol.

 

[CarolynFH]

Economy is too small to climb over a stranger anymore even for average size folks. Gotta wake them up and ask them to move, not sure if that’s any better lol.

Yes, you’re right - it’s been a while since I flew economy on any flight where I couldn’t “hold it” till I deplaned!

 

[gottalovepluto]

For domestic flights I've only flown Jetblue Mint, Delta first class, and Delta One. We usually fly as a party of three so we prefer the Jetblue seat arrangement of either all individual suites or 2 together and 1 by itself. Delta first class are 2 and 2 so one of us would have to sit next to a stranger. There are different configurations for Delta One depending on the plane, so it could be annoying if they decide to switch plane at the last minute. Mint and Delta One lay flat whereas domestic Delta first class does not.

You have to decide which is most important for your family. For us, it's really just the comfort and the privacy of the seats (and not having to share the loo with too many passengers).

Woah- does Mint fly LAX-MCO?! Hands down that would be the winner!!

 

[sam_gordon]

Generally fly Delta, and the FC seats are wider (at most 2x2, where the back of the plane might be 3x3), have more padding, AND give you more leg room.

You also get "boarding drinks" (as in while everyone else is filing to their seats, flight attendants will be asking you what you want to drink and serving you). You might be able to get two before they close the door. Drinks include alcohol.

I believe long haul domestic FC gets you a "meal box", which would include a wrap, sandwich, or salad (I think) and some chips/sides. This is in addition to the "enhanced snack choice".

I've found most of their larger planes to have seat back screens regardless of what class you're sitting in, although FC has a slightly larger screen. One thing with the seat back screens regardless of what class you're in, if you are sitting in a bulkhead or exit row seat, the screen could be on a pull up arm that you can't access until the plane reaches 10k feet and needs to be put away at 10k feet on the way down. All the other screens you can access once seated and keep watching until you get to the gate.

Delta also offers (on flights that have free wifi) free access to Paramount+. I still think it's a good idea to have something on your device in case the plane's wifi doesn't work.

Another tip if you want to save money... book the exit row seats. They may cost more, but the leg room is as much as C+.

 

[Minuet888]

Woah- does Mint fly LAX-MCO?! Hands down that would be the winner!!

It doesn't and Delta one lie flat doesn't fly that either.

I don't honestly care about the boarding first because we pre-board with our sons autism. We usually each have a backpack that easily fits under the seat in front of us so we don't use overhead bins. Even the food is....meh. My son is too picky and the food honestly doesn't look that great. And we don't drink alcohol so we don't really care about that.

I really wanted the kind of first class private cubicle look. But I can't find it anywhere.

 

[Minnie1222]

Woah- does Mint fly LAX-MCO?! Hands down that would be the winner!!

I don't think they have direct LAX-MCO.

 

[Minuet888]

Another tip if you want to save money... book the exit row seats. They may cost more, but the leg room is as much as C+.

Can't do exit rows with our son, he is autistic. We pre-board with him and we are always told, he can't do the exit rows. (At least with Southwest), with other airlines they always check to make sure we haven't booked an exit row.

 

[Minnie1222]

Woah- does Mint fly LAX-MCO?! Hands down that would be the winner!!

Jetblue is my favorite domestic airline.

 

[sam_gordon]

Can't do exit rows with our son, he is autistic. We pre-board with him and we are always told, he can't do the exit rows. (At least with Southwest), with other airlines they always check to make sure we haven't booked an exit row.

He won't be able to on other airlines either. You need to be over 18(?), understand English (not saying he can't), be willing and able to follow directions and help other passengers.

OK. Sorry it doesn't help you. Might help someone.

 

[jec6613]

Occasionally, and mostly during the summer, AA 2091 runs a widebody LAX-MCO, and you then get the lie flat seats. Until fairly recently this was actually a widebody route specifically to get the business of Disney execs transiting between LAX and MCO.

You're not going to find a private pod seat except on some Asian and Middle Eastern airlines, which will happily route you LAX-DXB-MCO or similar if you want to spend 30+ hours in an aircraft.

I've flown a lot of international business class, and honestly for the trip length it's not worth having the lie flats, unless you're flying overnight. It's not even about price, the seating surface themselves are generally narrow and short compared to domestic first class. You have a lot of space around you, sure, but as a recliner the domestic FC seats, at least on AA, tend to be superior for flights you're awake for. Except Finnair, their seats are actually designed for tall people.

The overall airport experience when flying in first can be much better - priority check-in at the counter with a private counter, lounge access, drinks on the aircraft, free checked luggage and priority luggage offboard, and so on, and I do recommend it highly over flying coach for the other amenities.

 

[EACarlson]

I've flown UA domestic first from ORD-MCO and in two weeks will be flying Delta MSP-MCO.
To the best of my knowledge, Delta has seat back screens on all of it's planes that fly transcons, UA has some on older planes and some brand new planes, AA has some on very old planes and widebodies.
You get priority check in, priority boarding, checked bags included, theoretically priority baggage handling, a wider seat with more legroom, generally better in flight service, from LAX you will get hot meal, slightly better on Delta than on United, no idea about American. You get off the plane faster, and again theoretically, your bag is one of the first ones off the plane.
In order of preference, I would go with:
Anyone flying a widebody: Any Boeing 767,777,787 or Airbus A330 or A350. Those are going to be the planes designed for international flights that are going to have the seatback screens, convert to a flat bed and many have doors on the suites.
Delta
United
American

To correct a couple of incorrect statements. You will not get lounge access with domestic first on any of the airlines from LAX-MCO. Wifi seems to be much better on Delta than on the other two, and it's included. No you can't fly one of the middle east airlines through DXB just to get the suites or apartment, that would be illegal, there are also domestic airlines that run the suites, but generally from LA only to NY or DC, then you'd still need to get from there to MCO.

 

[Lesverts]

I've flown UA domestic first from ORD-MCO and in two weeks will be flying Delta MSP-MCO.
To the best of my knowledge, Delta has seat back screens on all of it's planes that fly transcons, UA has some on older planes and some brand new planes, AA has some on very old planes and widebodies.
You get priority check in, priority boarding, checked bags included, theoretically priority baggage handling, a wider seat with more legroom, generally better in flight service, from LAX you will get hot meal, slightly better on Delta than on United, no idea about American. You get off the plane faster, and again theoretically, your bag is one of the first ones off the plane.
In order of preference, I would go with:
Anyone flying a widebody: Any Boeing 767,777,787 or Airbus A330 or A350. Those are going to be the planes designed for international flights that are going to have the seatback screens, convert to a flat bed and many have doors on the suites.
Delta
United
American

To correct a couple of incorrect statements. You will not get lounge access with domestic first on any of the airlines from LAX-MCO. Wifi seems to be much better on Delta than on the other two, and it's included. No you can't fly one of the middle east airlines through DXB just to get the suites or apartment, that would be illegal, there are also domestic airlines that run the suites, but generally from LA only to NY or DC, then you'd still need to get from there to MCO.

How exactly would that be illegal? You can totally book a flight in Emirates to fly from LAX to DXB and DXB to MCO. But a business seat would run like 14000$

 

[EACarlson]

How exactly would that be illegal? You can totally book a flight in Emirates to fly from LAX to DXB and DXB to MCO. But a business seat would run like 14000$

It's cabotage, it would be the equivalent of Emirates operating a domestic flight, which they can't do under federal law as a foreign airline.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I really wanted the kind of first class private cubicle look. But I can't find it anywhere.

Not happening on that route. If you have the budget to do something like Tokyo Disneyland instead of Orlando then yes.

 

[EACarlson]

You can get the hard product from LAX-ATL and then ATL-MCO. Delta does offer Delta One seats but not Delta One service on those routes. The 767-400 would have the private cubicle look and feel. There is also an A350 but that has a weird configuration that while flat bed, is not nearly as private.