Domestic first class worth the $?

[marko]

Interesting to know that could work - but for someone "normal"? No instrument, not obese, no medical conditions? Just book at pay for the row of 3 seats when there's just two of you? I had read a story of someone doing this but getting the seat taken by the FA.

I might give that a try one of these days on a domestic fight. Give us a little extra room, no 3rd person in the way.

That is never a good idea, easy way to get yourself kicked off the flight.

Anybody.
Anytime. The only requirement is that you pay for it.
It's a fairly common practice. The FAs have a list of who paid for this; I"ve heard them from time to time talking to each other "No, no, 23A and B are (FA code) seats"

The catch is that, depending on the flight and when purchased, the price of the extra coach ticket might bring the cost close to that of a First Class seat. For a few dollars more, you could be sitting up front with even better seating, boarding, (and free drinks before and during flight).

Some airlines may also limit this to full fare seats. And, I'm sure someone, somewhere out there has had a bad experience with it. AFAIK, in the rare occasion that the seat was taken away, the airline must reimburse you...cash.

 

[Gumby]

I'm still willing to suck it up in coach for travel anywhere in the US, but we're only flying business class overseas now. That could change in the future and we may find ourselves also flying business class domestically. But once that Rubicon has been crossed, I'm not going to play games with seats in coach in an attempt to only approximate the experience of business class in terms of space (it will never be the same service).

 

[audreyh1]

Maybe I already mentioned it, but three seats in a row is a no go for me these days, so up front it is. We’re getting older (time is really flying now, ha ha) so we just won’t put up with lack of comfort or being squeezed in anywhere or boarding later and fighting for overhead bin space.

 

[Golden Mean]

Just flew into Maui business/first class. 6 hour flight, totally worth it.

• Room to move and get up without having to do the limbo.
• I can put my laptop on my tray table and I don't have someone in front of me recline and run the screen into my forehead
• So quiet and dark
• Don't have to stand and wait for slow people to slowly get their bags out and exit the plane. They're like the person that watches all their groceries being rung up, get the total, and THEN they take their checkbook out and start writing a check.
• By roller bag is right overhead
• Free (sorta) booze!
• Less people sharing a single bathroom.

For us it probably means less traveling (or at least flying less).

Flying Southwest back home next week. Gonna have to hit the airport bar before hand.

P.S. Southwest travelers, if you haven't heard, SW is moving to assigned seats next year. No more paying for early boarding only to watch 30 people getting wheeled on the plane (and taking all of the front seats) before you.

 

[marko]

Maybe I already mentioned it, but three seats in a row is a no go for me these days, so up front it is. We’re getting older (time is really flying now, ha ha) so we just won’t put up with lack of comfort or being squeezed in anywhere or boarding later and fighting for overhead bin space.

+1 As I noted in an earlier post somewhere here, there are additional benefits like only one person in front of you at the ticket counter if you're checking bags or need other assistance and very often either a separate security area or special security line that’s much, much shorter.

It's more than just the seat and the preflight Bloody Mary.