Review: Delta First Class Boeing 737 Salt Lake City (SLC) to Portland (PDX)

Background:

Due to delays on my first leg from Washington D.C., I missed my connection at Salt Lake City. I was thankfully rebooked on the next flight (which was 4 hours later). There was only one seat left on the entire flight which happened to be in first class, and I appreciate the agent confirming me in that seat on this flight. In terms of milestones, I’ve never flown Delta First Class domestically on a narrowbody, so I was excited to check that off my list!

Flight Details:

Delta Air Lines 2631
Salt Lake City (SLC) to Portland (PDX)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Cabin: First
Seat: 1D

At The Airport:

Before my flight, I relaxed at the Delta Sky Club. The Salt Lake City Sky Club is one of the nicest Sky Clubs (and domestic lounges) that I’ve been to. So, I highly recommend a visit if you have time!

Boarding + The Plane:

Boarding commenced 40 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. I boarded along with the First Class passengers and didn’t have to walk too much as I was in the first row of the aircraft.

The Boeing 737-800 serving this flight had 16 First Class seats spread out in a standard 2-2 configuration across rows 1-4. According to SeatGuru, first class offers 38 inches of pitch and 21 inches of width.

When given a choice, I don’t generally gravitate towards bulkhead seats and this was no exception. The legroom was fine, but a bit restricted with the wall in front of me. Additionally, there is no under-seat storage, so you’ll have to put any backpacks/personal items up in the overhead. If provided the choice on future flights, I would probably rather move back a row or two.

As I arrived at my seat, a small water bottle was waiting for me. Shortly after getting settled, the flight attendant introduced herself and provided welcome drinks in plastic cups.

It was going to be a quick flight today, as it was scheduled for 2 hours, and the pilot announced it would be just 1hr and 28 minutes in the air. The boarding door closed 15 minutes early and we actually left the gate 10 minutes early, taking off a minute before our scheduled departure.

In-Flight Service:

Once we reached cruising altitude, the flight attendant took drink orders. After, she came out with a snack basket that had numerous items that were premium for first-class passengers, as well as snacks offered in the main cabin such as Biscoff cookies.

I opted for pistachios and chocolate chip granola minis. Both were quite good! The tray table comes out from the armrest and has a half setting which is good for drinks and snacks, and a full setting for meals.

In-Flight Entertainment and Wi-Fi:

The seatback in-flight entertainment was nice and featured movies, tv shows, and music. I didn’t use it much for this short flight, but it’s always aesthetically pleasing for me to keep it in map mode.

Power plugs and USB charging were available on this aircraft.

Wi-Fi was complimentary which was a major plus, and it worked pretty well for me.

Before I knew it, we were entering our initial descent, and we ended up getting to the gate about 25 minutes early which was nice!

The Verdict:

Overall, the quick hop from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Portland (PDX) in the Delta First Class cabin on the 737 met expectations. With the delay and missed connection, I do appreciate Delta confirming me on this last seat which happened to be in First Class.

Have you flown in First Class aboard Delta’s Boeing 737-800? How was your experience? Comment below!

Cheers,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!