As I mentioned in a previous post, we recently had the opportunity to fly American in a domestic First Class trip. As we often fly Delta, I thought it might be helpful to compare the two airlines’ short-haul First Class products.

Boarding: Both airlines board First Class immediately after pre-boarding although American also technically boards Concierge Key members first, but there tend not to be a ton of those invitation-only status holders on any given flight. Winner: Tie

Seat Features: On both the Delta A320 and American A319 that we flew, the seat was spacious, there was a center space for drinks, individual power ports and IFE. The seats both have similar storage space and comfort levels. Note that American does not have IFE on many of its planes whereas Delta is only missing them on 717s and a few second-hand 737-900s that have not been reconfigured yet. Winner: Tie

Internet: On our flight, American only had WiFi available for a cost unless you are a T-Mobile customer. Delta has free WiFi on most of it’s domestic aircraft now and continues to roll that out. Winner: Delta

Service: Both crews were friendly and provided good service. Our American flight didn’t take off until 11pm, but the flight attendant wasn’t grumpy or tired-looking. It probably helps that there are only two rows of First Class on the A319. Both airlines offered the full available complement of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as a snack. We prefer Delta’s snack options over American’s as they have things like gummy bears and granola bars and always provide a choice. Winner: Delta (for the snack choice).

IFE Content: American has a better flight map, although Delta is starting to upgrade theirs to match. Delta has live TV on most aircraft and our American plane did not have this. I also find Delta’s system more intuitive and American interrupts IFE with constant automated announcements. Winner: Delta

If you have a Main Cabin flight booked on either Delta or American, you should check regularly for upgrade pricing as both airlines are monetizing First Class by offering reasonably priced upgrades in cash or miles. It can sometimes be worth it to save time on arrival (especially if you have a tight connection), enjoy more comfort, and have two seats for you and your travel partner vs. sharing a row with a third person.

Both airlines offer a similar product on short haul flights, but as with the comparison to their economy products, Delta emerges as a winner mostly due to the snack choices and free internet. That being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to fly American in First again if the upgrade price was reasonable, especially as I have no status with them to make my Main Cabin experience more comfortable.

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