To kick off our trip to Asia, we flew American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Booking My American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class Flight
In order to make our KLM flight to Dubai, I needed to get a positioning flight to JFK from Dallas. Our KLM flight was scheduled to depart JFK at 10:20p and, since we were traveling with ATX Jr., I wanted to leave enough of a buffer to account for delays but not spend an unnecessary amount of time at the airport.
I turned to Google Flights and found a pricey, one-way First Class fare that worked well with our schedule for $600 per person which I booked via AA.com. While the price was high, I had a few thousand dollars in AA travel credit which I was able to use to cover the purchase.
Check-In
We arrived at DFW airport just after 10:30a, two hours before our scheduled departure time. Our flight was scheduled to depart from Terminal C but we wanted to visit the American Express Centurion Lounge, so we were dropped off at Terminal D.
Terminal D is the international terminal at DFW Airport which is the largest hub for American Airlines. The check-in counters at the high D gates are exclusively for American Airlines while the low D gate counters support all other international carriers. We were traveling on a Tuesday and the check-in area was fairly empty with plenty of counters available.
Thanks to our First Class tickets, we were eligible to use the Priority check-in lanes. There was no wait to see an agent and we quickly had all of our bags tagged to New York-JFK. We were also issued paper copies of our boarding passes. From there, we headed over to the TSA PreCheck security line next to the Priority desks.
Pre-Flight
After clearing TSA, we headed off to the lounge. American Airlines doesn’t offer lounge access on domestic First Class tickets but, thanks to my American Express Platinum Card, we had access to the Centurion Lounge.
The Centurion Lounge was packed and, while I wanted to update my existing Covid-era review, It was too busy to do so. We ended up spending around an hour in the lounge before making our way to the Skylink train to head over to Terminal C.
Boarding My American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class Flight
Our flight was departing from Gate C27 and we arrived a few minutes before our scheduled boarding time of 11:50a. Boarding began as scheduled with pre-board passengers being invited to board first.
Since we were traveling with ATX Jr. we were entitled to pre-board but, Mrs. ATX had taken him to the restroom prior to departure. This allowed me to sit back and watch American’s new boarding technology in real time. A Group 1 passenger tried to board with Concierge Key and was sent back to the line.
Once Mrs. ATX returned with ATX Jr., we boarded with Group 1 and headed down the jet bridge to our waiting Boeing 737-800.
American Airlines
AA 606
DFW-JFK (Dallas-Fort Worth International – John F. Kennedy International)
Seat: 4E (First)
B737-800 (N969AN)
Scheduled: 12:26p-4:59p
Actual: 12:21p-4:41p
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class Seat
American’s First Class cabin on the Boeing 737-800 consists of 16 seats spread across 4 rows in a 2-2 configuration. I assigned us seats 4E and 4F, the last row on the right side of the aircraft. A partial wall divider separates the First Class and Economy cabins.
This airplane featured American’s standard First Class seat that you’ll find across its Boeing 737 and Airbus A319/321 fleets. The legroom was good and I was able to get comfortable even with my left leg in a brace (I injured my knee just before this trip).
Unlike other airlines which are making massive investments into their in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems, American has removed seatback IFE screens from the vast majority of its narrowbody aircraft.
Instead there is a literature pocket and a personal device holder. The device holder can expand to fit almost any phone and easily held my iPhone and Mrs. ATX’s massive Google Pixel Fold. A USB-A power outlet was also located in the seatback for easy charging. However, with most people moving to USB-C charging, I would have liked to see that option available.
The seat itself was nice and wide with plenty of storage for a narrowbody aircraft. Underneath the shared armrest is a storage pocket large enough for passports, phones, wallets, etc. A 110V power outlet was located in the rear of the compartment. This pocket is very much, out of sight, out of mind, so make sure you don’t forget anything here.
With the literature pocket taking the place of the IFE screen, the seatback pocket had plenty of room for my laptop and other items during the flight.
The tray table is located in the opposite armrest and can be released by pulling on the latch with the fork and spoon icon.
When fully extended the tray table spans the complete width of the seat. It had plenty of space to accommodate my laptop and a snack or beverage at the same time.
The tray table can also be folded in half to save space. When folded, a personal device holder is built into the tray that can hold a phone or small tablet.
In between the seats, there is a small tray in the armrest that can hold beverages. If more space is needed, a secondary tray can slide out from underneath. There is even a third tray located between the seats in front. There is no shortage of tray table space on American’s Boeing 737-800s in First Class.
Overall, the First Class seat on American Airlines’ Boeing 737-800s is comfortable and has plenty of storage space. The only knock is the lack of seatback IFE and no USB-C power outlets.
Departure
No pre-departure beverages were offered during boarding but, once the boarding door was closed, the crew came around with water. We pushed back from the gate a few minutes ahead of schedule and began our taxi out to the runway. The Captain informed us that they expected a smooth ride up to NYC and a manual safety demonstration was performed.
During our taxi, I perused the beverage menu and entertainment card for the flight.
It was a 10 minute taxi over to our departure Runway 17R and, after a short wait to allow traffic in front of us to depart, we started our takeoff roll to the south.
Once airborne, we made a hard left turn and overflew downtown Dallas as we turned to the northeast to head for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Despite the report of a smooth flight, the first thirty minutes or so saw us encounter significant chop and the seat belt sign stayed on for the duration.
In-Flight
Twenty five minutes after takeoff, the flight attendant working the First Class Cabin came through collecting meal orders. Both Mrs. ATX and I pre-ordered our meals which the FA confirmed. Drink orders were also taken at this point and we both ordered mimosas. This would end up being the only beverage service offered during the flight.
Five minutes later, hot towels were distributed followed by our beverages and mixed nuts.
Since ATX Jr. was napping on Mrs. ATX, I asked the FA to stagger our meals so I could eat first while he was napping and she could eat after he woke up and handed him off to me. She happily obliged though I worried that I screwed up their service flow as my meal was brought out before anyone else’s.
I pre-ordered the short rib with espagnole sauce, which can be hit or miss on planes. The meal itself was good but the presentation was haphazard.
After I ate, ATX Jr. woke up and Mrs. ATX handed him off to me. She pre-ordered the salmon greens and grain bowl which she enjoyed and the overall presentation was much better than my dish.
To round out the meal service we had a choice between caramel ice cream or a fruit and cheese plate. I chose the cheese while Mrs. ATX had the ice cream. Both were underwhelming as the ice cream was mostly melted and I found the cheese plate to be mediocre.
With our trays cleared, I headed to check out the forward lavatory. While this aircraft had the standard American Airlines interior, the lavatory was larger than you’ll find on some of its newer planes and it had a sink that was actually large enough to wash your hands.
The forward lavatory also has a large changing table that folds down from the wall. While this wasn’t an amenity I paid much attention to in years past, with ATX Jr. I’m much more aware of these things.
Back at my seat, I passed the time for the remainder of the flight by getting some work done on my laptop. I snuck a few peeks out the window and saw that we were out over the ocean as we began our descent into JFK.
Arrival
As is typical when flying into JFK, our approach looked something like a corkscrew as we looped around to line up for landing on Runway 4L.
It was a fairly lengthy taxi over to Terminal 8 and our arrival gate. One of my favorite things about JFK, along with LAX, is the number of unique aircraft you see at the airport. As we pulled into our gate, I spotted a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 preparing to depart for Doha.
We pulled into Gate 33 roughly 20 minutes ahead of schedule. As we parked at the gate, the crew made an announcement stating we all needed to remain seated even though we had parked at the gate. They kept us seated even after the forward boarding door opened and let us up after a passenger from the back of the plane was offloaded.
ATX Jr’s stroller was gate checked in Dallas so, even though we were seated at the front of the plane, I had to wait on the jet bridge for the stroller. Ten minutes after arrival, stroller in hand, we started the long walk over to baggage claim before heading over to Terminal 4 and our connecting KLM flight to Amsterdam.
Summary
I’ve flown countless flights in American Airlines First Class on the Boeing 737-800 and this flight fell into the bottom half of them. The seat was the standard American seat that has been around for years but the service was a miss. While it wasn’t bad, they didn’t do anything above the bare minimum. Fortunately, this was just the beginning of a fantastic trip with some exciting flights still to come!
In This Trip Report
- Introduction
- American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class (DFW-JFK)
- Delta One Check-In New York-JFK
- Delta One Lounge New York-JFK
- KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class (JFK-AMS)
- KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class (AMS-DXB)
- St. Regis Downtown Dubai
- Exploring Dubai
- Marhaba Lounge Dubai (DXB) Terminal 1
- Air Astana Airbus A321neo Economy (DXB-ALA)
- Exploring Almaty
- The Ritz-Carlton Almaty
- Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 Business Class (ALA-IST)
- JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
- Hilton Mall of Istanbul
- IGA Lounge Istanbul (IST)
- FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 Business Class (IST-DXB)
- Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai (DXB) Concourse A
- Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class (DXB-DFW)
Really insightful review! I appreciate how you covered both the in-flight comfort and the service experience in detail. It’s helpful to hear real feedback about seat quality and meal options — especially for frequent flyers who value consistency.
Looking forward to reading more of your airline reviews. Keep up the great work!
Who told you a first class domestic ticket won’t get you into the Admiral’s Club? From AA’s web site:
Qualifying First and Business
Includes customers in First or Business on a qualifying departing or arriving international, transcontinental or other domestic flight marketed and operated by American, a oneworld® airline or marketed by Aer Lingus and operated by American.
Select domestic routes like transcon flights marketed as Flagship First or Flagship Business will get you into Admirals Clubs, otherwise almost all domestic First Class tickets don’t grant you access. You’ll need an Admirals Club membership to access the lounges.
Guide to American Airlines Admirals Club Access