I have many trips around the US each year and on this particular flight I flew American Airlines First Class from DFW to LAX.
It was an Airbus A321EOW which along with the Boeing 737-800 are the majority of my flights.
Domestic First Class in the US is a basic business class service, I feel the main reason I would use it is the larger, more spacious chair.
Your boarding Pass is marked FC and you are the first to be called to board so that does make you feel special.
The front seats have their own rules for flight.
I mostly sit in Main Cabin Extra on my flights. You get extra legroom, board earlier in group 3 and normally sit near the front of the plane. I don’t think the extra cost is justified for me especially as most flights from DFW are only about 2 hours. Of course flights to each coast are between 2 and a half and 3 and a half hours so then it might be considered.
Sitting in 1F on the window which I prefer, the steward brought us a hot towel to wipe off. He then took my drink order, a vodka and orange, and brought it out with a bowl of warm nuts. That is the epitome of first class I think, sitting with a drink before take off.
Shortly after take off he started with the main meal. I chose the vegetarian option. It was a lovely grain bowl with various red and yellow tomatoes, olives, quinoa, greens and salad dressing.
A side salad with red peppers, peas, corn, etc was on the tray too and for desert a rather delicious piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
After the meal I took advantage of the service and asked for a glass of Baileys with crushed ice which I love as an after dinner aperitif.
The restroom is at the front of the plane. Normal size and basic but is mostly only used by first class passengers.
Sitting in row 1 I was among the first to deplane. That is always a fun experience.
I have been offered the option to upgrade on many flights varying in price from about $200 (20,000 points) to about $600 (60,000 points). I will definitely consider it at $200 but not for any more. My last First Class flight was from Seattle to DFW in December and I have another scheduled from Baltimore in a few months. They will pop up from time to time and I will enjoy them but for all other flights Main Cabin Extra will be my home.
See you at the front of the plane.
Great breakdown of the DFW to LAX First experience. I agree that on a short hop like this, the $200 upgrade price point is the sweet spot, but I would usually take Main Cabin Extra at that distance. The A321EOW seat is genuinely more comfortable than a standard domestic First seat, and the hot towel service still feels like a nice touch.
Thanks for the detailed DFW to LAX first class write-up! Your take on the 200 dollar upgrade sweet spot really hits home, on a two hour hop like that I would usually just stick with Main Cabin Extra unless I could lock in the upgrade at the lowest tier. The cereal bowl main and Baileys after dinner sound like a nice touch too, not what most people expect on a domestic first.
Thanks for sharing such a detailed DFW to LAX First Class write-up. Your point about the larger seat being the real differentiator over the basic business service rings true, and I would agree that around the USD 200 mark is the only point where the upgrade feels worth it for a roughly two-hour hop. For a short flight like this I usually settle for Main Cabin Extra, but it is nice to know the hot towel and pre-departure drink can still make the short hop feel a little special.
Interesting comments convert, my pre flight routine is watching at least 15 minutes of a movie before takeoff. As you say you get the time with priority so you should use it wisely.
Really enjoyed your write-up of the DFW to LAX First Class trip – the description of the hot towel and pre-departure vodka and orange really brings back memories of my own AA flights. At about two hours it is such a short hop that I usually stick with Main Cabin Extra myself, so the USD 200 mark would be my cap on an upgrade too. On a side note, I do a lot of travel video editing for a side project, and converting MOV clips from my phone into MP3 audio files has become part of my pre-flight routine for offline listening.
Thanks heicopng, I enjoyed your perspective. Looking forward to the next FC on my boarding pass.
It is interesting how you weigh the value of First Class against Main Cabin Extra, especially since both offer earlier boarding and more space. For short hops like DFW to LAX, the larger seat width in First might indeed be the deciding factor for many travelers compared to just extra legroom. Your point about the ‘rules for flight’ at the front of the plane also raises a great question about how those specific policies impact the overall experience compared to a standard upgrade.
Thanks for the comment GP, I hope you do get to be in comfort in the near future.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown of the DFW to LAX First Class experience; your point about the spacious seating being the primary draw over the ‘basic business’ service really resonates with my own travel preferences. It’s interesting that you usually skip Main Cabin Extra since the flight duration is so short, as I’ve found the extra legroom often isn’t worth the premium for a two-hour hop either.