Video | Delta 737-800 First Class Seat 1B

Airline: Delta Airlines
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Row: 1 Seat: B
Class: First

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Seat(s): It’s a bummer about there being no headrest attached to this Delta 737-800 first class seat, but only because they’re so helpful for my 5-minute pre-flight nap. The seat is otherwise pretty comfortable. Well padded, good recline, a nice sized center console that gives you good elbow room and reasonable (but certainly not extraordinary) width.

The problem with row 1 is that it’s row 1. The bulkhead wall is too close for good leg extension. If you’re tall and are in it more for legroom than hip-space or unlimited Biscoff cookies and maybe a “free” meal, then you might downgrade to Economy Comfort or (less dramatically) move back a row or two. You’ve also got  to shove your bags in the overhead for takeoff and landing so if you want to grab the noise cancelling headphones or Hello Kitty neck pillow from your backpack, it’ll have to wait until the seatbelt sign is off.

Tech/Connectivity: You can power up using one or both of the power ports in the front of the center console. Of course, one is for your seatmate so hogging both might annoy them if you don’t at least ask first. Once you’ve locked down uninterrupted power, you’re free to charge a an unlimited in-flight go-go wi-fi session and facebook, e-mail, flight-track and audio stream until you once again dip below 10,000 feet.

Food: This was a dinner time flight, so chicken or pasta were options. This time the flight attendant was working from back to front and I got the very last chicken dish. Poor seats 1 C & D. Quality was par where flavor and presentation were concerned except for the desert, which was a squishy chocolate like cake.

Service: Nothing stood out about the service other than being offered the last chicken entree. Everything was served with a smile and on a schedule that is consistent with what we’d expect in domestic first. Boring, but acceptable.

Rating: 3 “hops” (of 5).

How we got em’: On rare occasion, we’ll find an ultra low first class fare. While upgrades can occasionally be had for cheap on flight day, most will go for free to Delta’s elite passengers before being offered to general SkyMiles members and non-members. If you come across a low fare in first at booking, calculate how much more you’d be paying above the lowest economy ticket and determine if it’s worth the extra. The difference in cost on this 4 hour flight was under $300 ($150 each way).