If you’ve ever been on a plane and not ridden in first class, you know the feeling you get when boarding and you walk through the wider aisles with larger seats filled with people who can stretch out and sleep if they wanted to. Heck, you’ve probably felt that tinge of jealousy just sitting at your gate waiting to board, watching as those people get to get on the plane first to settle down and relax before their flight.
It’s almost like it’s a different world for people on the outside — and that’s the whole point. First-class, whether it’s on cruise ships, hotels, or airplanes, is a luxury. Is it worth it? We’re sure you already guessed, but we can’t answer that question for you specifically, we can only go over the benefits of first-class and why companies charge that premium price; it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. Our assessment is that if you can save up for it, you should absolutely do it once to know what it’s like.
Some people swear by traveling in first class. Once they upgraded, they swore they’d never go back to standard seating ever again. We can’t blame them, though you shouldn’t choose to upgrade every time if it’s going to put you into credit card debt, or if you need to aggressively budget every other area of your life.
In this review, we’ll focus on three of the biggest airlines and what you get in first class when you travel with them. Each airline does its first class a little differently, but they all share a few features you’re sure to lavishly enjoy.
Delta, JetBlue, and American all give you priority security (getting through faster), boarding, and seating with more room to recline and stretch. There also is no middle seat, it’s either an aisle or a window. A middle seat just doesn’t sound very first class, does it?
All of these airlines also offer upgraded meal options, so you can say goodbye to the typical cookies and crackers you’re used to. We’ll note that JetBlue at least has unlimited snacks that you can choose from throughout the flights.
Fancy a drink? All three airlines offer complimentary drinks once you’re seated. Some flights have complimentary drink service from gate to gate.
Similar to getting on the plane first, when you fly first class, you’ll be the first off the plane as well. Just imagine, no more fighting to get off the plane and wondering how that couple 8 rows up somehow doesn’t have their luggage yet even though it’s felt like an hour since you landed. Just get up and head off to your destination. That acceleration really sells some people on the idea of first-class travel.
An unusual note we’d like to point out is that of these three airlines, JetBlue is the only one that offers free WiFI on their flights; Delta and American have WiFi available for purchase. All three airlines up their screen sizes for their in-seat entertainment. JetBlue offers headphones from Grado Labs out of Brooklyn, NY to enhance the sonic experience.
If you’re tired of waiting around to board, tight aisles to get to your seat, being forced to sit in close proximity to plenty of strangers, and not being able to truly relax, then first-class may be for you, but be warned: it does come at a much higher price. They say you can’t put a price on luxury, but we both know that yes, you can, because yes, the airlines did.
If you’re looking to book a vacation with airfare and are curious about first-class options, call our Denver travel agency today to speak with a specialist who can go over pricing options and help you determine if the upgrade is worth it for your vacation.
