So, was first-class on American worth it?
For $750, hell yes! Air travel is a hellish nightmare. Anything you can do to simply get on the plane and off the plane first is worth it.
But would I have paid a full first-class fare, undiscounted due to the odd nature of my trip? Nope. Not worth it. As is always the case when I fly, I mostly slept and drank scotch while reading. I could have done that in coach. And it only would have cost me about $20 for the scotch.
The first-class (really more like upscaled business class) on the 777 from LAX was deeply pleasant, thanks mainly to the seat. I discussed this with my frequent-flying colleague Ben Zhang when I returned to the office, and we agreed that nothing more extravagant that a larger, nicer seat makes all the difference. Hello, JetBlue!
The first-class on my 737 from Dallas to Newark was less comfy, but I still got on and off first, and cocktail service was actually a bit more chic. So the whole thing kind of balanced out.
The bottom line here is that if you get a deal from American on a first-class ticket, it's worth checking out to see what you think. I'd probably do it again (mainly because my miles account is with AA). But I wouldn't have outlandish expectations about how good it is.
But here's the thing. I got my drink faster — not before takeoff, but soon after we leveled off. It arrived in a real glass and came with warmed nuts. Later, I had a glass of wine with a small snack. And I almost finished the book.
There wasn't any fancy in-flight entertainment in the 737. But most passengers were either sleeping (the flight got in at midnight) or using their own devices and the in-flight wifi.
After a brief wait in Dallas, I was again boarded first, but this time to the sort-of-roomy seat of a Boeing 737. Again, a blanket but no pillow.
For a flight like this, you really are getting the bare-bones upscale experience. The biggest pluses are getting on and off the plane first, free drinks and snacks, and a bit more more space.
I shared my two-seat row on this narrowbody aircraft; my one-seat window throne on the 777 was a fading memory.
The meal was a disappointment. There's an explanation.
Due to a problem with its LAX caterer, American isn't able to serve hot food to its first-class customers going out of that airport.
To its credit, American gave me a heads-up about this and apologized.
Instead of the vegetarian meal I normally order if I can ahead of time (I like to go veg when I travel), I was given a turkey wrap with a small amount of pasta and some tomatoes. It got the job done, and in truth, I was able to get back to my book faster.
So how was it?
It was relaxing. However, we were 30 minutes into the flight before the attendant took my drink order. I'm used to having a beverage before takeoff when I've flown in the front of the plane in the past. My drink was of course gratis, but it was served in a plastic cup.
Otherwise, the whole American first-class experience on this short-ish flight was dandy. The seat was quite comfortable, I enjoyed putting up my feet with a book and drink, and I had no trouble dozing off.
BUT ...