Help picking airline for first class.
Jan 11, 2015 | 5:52 pm
#16
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I think you're confused about first class. There is "imitation" first class, which is on most two-class flights within the USA. What is called "first class" in the USA is simply called "business class" everywhere else in the world. And even within the US, there are vast differences in the experience between first class on different planes.
The only flights that have a really better experience domestically in first class (or even in business class) are those that fly two-aisle planes with much better seats upfront (able to go lie-flat, as they're designed for international travel) and/or certain LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK transcons. If you're going to spend big money to experience first class, I suggest you hold off for a longer flight where you can experience that better first class.
On SEA-AUS, you're not likely to find it unless you create a circuitous routing to get you on one of those 2-aisle planes. That would probably require starting out really early, as AA only flies DFW-LAX 2-aisle planes in the morning IIRC, and you'd have to connect AUS-DFW first. But you'd have to fly AUS-DFW-LAX-SEA just have a chance at one leg on these planes with a much nicer first class. (Booking with AA or AS, as the AUS-DFW-LAX would be on AA but the LAX-SEA would be on AS. AA and AS are partners, so no problem booking a combination AA/AS flight.)
You might only find practical to do in one direction. It would cost less to pay for first in one direction and economy in the other. It would make more sense to fly the AS non-stop in the other direction, since coming from SEA you probably can't get to LAX early enough to connect to the last two-aisle LAX-DFW plane in that direction.
The problem with your plan is that AFAIK no domestic airline flies these two-aisle planes within the US except between their own hubs on certain routes (to feed into international longhaul connections at the second hub). DL hubs to a degree in SEA, but I don't know if they run two-aisle planes from SEA to anywhere in the US. No one flies two-aisle planes to AUS, it's too small a city for that.
The only flights that have a really better experience domestically in first class (or even in business class) are those that fly two-aisle planes with much better seats upfront (able to go lie-flat, as they're designed for international travel) and/or certain LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK transcons. If you're going to spend big money to experience first class, I suggest you hold off for a longer flight where you can experience that better first class.
On SEA-AUS, you're not likely to find it unless you create a circuitous routing to get you on one of those 2-aisle planes. That would probably require starting out really early, as AA only flies DFW-LAX 2-aisle planes in the morning IIRC, and you'd have to connect AUS-DFW first. But you'd have to fly AUS-DFW-LAX-SEA just have a chance at one leg on these planes with a much nicer first class. (Booking with AA or AS, as the AUS-DFW-LAX would be on AA but the LAX-SEA would be on AS. AA and AS are partners, so no problem booking a combination AA/AS flight.)
You might only find practical to do in one direction. It would cost less to pay for first in one direction and economy in the other. It would make more sense to fly the AS non-stop in the other direction, since coming from SEA you probably can't get to LAX early enough to connect to the last two-aisle LAX-DFW plane in that direction.
The problem with your plan is that AFAIK no domestic airline flies these two-aisle planes within the US except between their own hubs on certain routes (to feed into international longhaul connections at the second hub). DL hubs to a degree in SEA, but I don't know if they run two-aisle planes from SEA to anywhere in the US. No one flies two-aisle planes to AUS, it's too small a city for that.
Jan 12, 2015 | 1:31 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 599
Honestly, do not spend the extra cash for first class on this domestic route.
Pick the direct Alaska Airlines flight, if you really want to spend money for economy comfort, but save your cash for a nice meal/drinks before or after your flight and you'll get a better experience than first class.
Pick the direct Alaska Airlines flight, if you really want to spend money for economy comfort, but save your cash for a nice meal/drinks before or after your flight and you'll get a better experience than first class.
Jan 12, 2015 | 2:23 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2014
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AUS-SEA via LHR? That would be an interesting F option 
You generally don't know unless the route is always flown with a specific plane (tends to be more international 787/748 and some 744 routes I believe), and there's always the chance of an equipment swap
You generally don't know unless the route is always flown with a specific plane (tends to be more international 787/748 and some 744 routes I believe), and there's always the chance of an equipment swap
Jan 12, 2015 | 5:03 am
#19
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Some of us crazies have indeed flown similar routings.
Until LifeMiles fixed a glitch in their award booking engine, you were able to fly certain US cities to/from YYZ via Frankfurt in Lufthansa First Class for only 35,000 miles.
Until LifeMiles fixed a glitch in their award booking engine, you were able to fly certain US cities to/from YYZ via Frankfurt in Lufthansa First Class for only 35,000 miles.
Jan 12, 2015 | 9:03 am
#20
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Perhaps it's hit-and-miss at DL, I dunno, but AA has regularly scheduled 763s between DFW and LAX, but only 1 or 2 in the morning. They may still have those slightly angled flat seats up front (their "Next Generation Business Class" seats from about a decade ago), I'm not sure if they've all been updated (to truly-horizontal lie flat) or not, but that's still tons better than the conventional domestic first class seat.
Jan 14, 2015 | 7:37 am
#23
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On DL, OP could fly AUS-ATL-NRT-SEA, although it would be good to search other connections since ATL-NRT is a 777 but DTW-NRT might be the 747. Similarly, NRT-SEA is probably the 767, so that some people might prefer a longer connection. As a very general rule, the TPAC routes have better service and more food, although much depends on the lengths of the flights.
Jan 14, 2015 | 6:17 pm
#24
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Good luck, and safe travels!
~Moderator, Information Desk
Jan 15, 2015 | 5:23 am
#26
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And that is the key to the OP's question. If the OP can get "First" Class at an affordable premium over Economy, and has limited expectations, then it's worth doing.
Jan 15, 2015 | 8:00 am
#27
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- the AS nonstop (evening departure, on a 738) is $158 in coach and $728 in F
- DL's evening trip, routing over LAX on E75/739, is $198 in coach and $410 in G
- DL has several other options during the day over LAX and SLC (and they even display connections via MSP/DTW/ATL); equipment obviously varies with the route but pretty much everything shows up (CR9, 738, 320, 757) ... coach fares as low as $152, G at $410, and A at $433 (surprisingly, this is also on the DTW routing)
if I had the time to kill (1230pm departure, 3-hr layover; arrives about the same time as the AS nonstop), I'd seriously consider that DTW option (CR9/739) for the MQMs