Originally Posted by
IADCAflyer
But OP was commenting on the quality of the F class cabin based upon a photo - referring to the hard product of the aircraft.
We can talk to the cows come home as to whether the soft product on a given airline is "first" class or "economy" class or "economy plus". Thats a subject discussion that nobody is going to resolve definitively.
With respect to the hard product, I will say that AA's and US's hard product represents what every other major domestic American airline offers. 37-38 inch seat pitch in domestic first class.
If you go back 20 years, the seat pitch was similar - perhaps an inch more. COs 757-200s in 1994 had the same pitch that AAs 757s have today - 38 inches.
Airlines like LH and AF don't even offer a first class. They give you a coach class seat with coach class seat but block off the middle seat.
You're saying thats preferrable to a domestic (i.e., United States) hard product?
They don't on 5 and 6 hour flights the way US airlines do. Euro J rarely sees flights longer than 3 hours, and yes. At that stage length US F is okay (not good by any means, but okay). It's on the long midcons and transcons and redeyes where US F is just really inadequate. If I'm flying SEA-MIA on a 737, I'll get the same amount of sleep up front that I will in the back, none. I'll also deplane sore, tired, irritable, and likely hungry.