On our last trip to North Carolina, I splurged a little bit on the flight home and booked a seat in first class. This was the first time that I had flown anything other than coach. Our flight was on American Airlines and other airlines may offer a different experience. Want to know what the experience was like and whether or not it was worth it? Keep reading!
I usually always add priority boarding to our tickets so that we can board faster. It’s not that I’m anxious to get seated, it’s that I’m anxious to make sure that I have space to store my carry-on bag. Ever since the airlines lost one of my bags, I try really hard not to have any bags to check. And because the airlines now charge for checking a bag, most people try to carry on whatever they can.
This leads to overhead bin space filling up quickly and often there’s not enough space for everyone that purchased a ticket. So to avoid having to check a bag at the gate, I pay a little extra to board faster. With a first class seat, you get to board first and you also have a dedicated overhead bin for your bag. This was one of the perks I really enjoyed!
The First Class Service
First class seats come with a pillow and a blanket which were on our seats as soon as we boarded. When you’re in first class, you also have a dedicated server. Before we even finished boarding, we were able to put in a drink order to kick off the flight. I ordered a glass of wine (it’s free!) and waited for everyone else to board.
After take off, we were given a warm cloth to wash off our hands. After that, we were brought a small bowl of warm nuts and offered another drink.
All The Food
Our flight was almost three hours long, so we also had a meal that was included on our flight. With American Airlines, you can pre-order your meal up to 30 days ahead of time. And if you want a special meal, it’s recommended that you order it in advance. I actually ordered a gluten free meal and I’m so glad that I did. I felt like they gave you more food with the gluten free meal than they did with the standard meal. It seemed like there were two main course items included with this meal. The meal included both salmon and chicken. They also offered extra rolls to anyone that wanted more.
After our meal, they came around with hot and fresh cookies. They were really good! After all of that food, I was so full! It was extremely filling.
With all the courses of food that was served, the three-hour flight seemed to pass very quickly. When the plane landed, I was almost sad that this experience was over.
Is it Worth it?
So the big question I know you’re asking is was the experience worth it? And the answer is both yes and no. I loved being able to board first and that we had extra leg room to stretch out our legs. I also loved that we had a really great meal and free alcohol if we wanted a drink. The flight attendant was extremely attentive and the seats were extremely comfortable.
When I was booking the flight, after picking our seat, I happened to notice that the first-class price was only $100 more than the current seats that I had chosen. So I decided to splurge and try it. And for the $100, I’m glad that I did! With that being said, if the difference had been $500, I’m not sure it would have been worth that much, but for what we paid it was worth every penny.
When might first class also be worth the cost? First class seats would definitely be worth it for long haul flights. Sleeping on overnight flights is hard enough as it is, so a little more comfort might just be worth the extra cost. If the cost fits in your budget, I do recommend flying first class as least once in your life. Bucket list item completed!
