Last month, I flew the JFK-LAX transcontinental red-eye twice on American Airlines out of JFK airport.
I also wrote about my experiences on American Airlines JFK-LAX 767-200 First Class. Here are the differences between Business Class and First Class service based on personal experience:
Business Class
The Seat: Recliner (manual controls)
Pre-departure beverage: You are given a choice between water, orange juice, or champagne.
After takeoff, a hot wet towel was given.
The flight attendant served hot mixed nuts with a beverage of my choice.
Food: I had pre-selected my meal online and the choices were of Char-Grilled Ahi Tuna, Gourmet Cheese Plate, or Spinach and White Bean Soup. I chose the Char-Grilled Ahi Tuna.
The flight attendant served a baked on board cookie.
The flight attendant served sparkling water with a citrus fruit garnish.
Before arrival, a hot wet towel was served.
First Class
The Seat: Recliner (electronic controls) – The seat is more comfortable than Business Class because of the heavy padding. There is no major difference as it’s not a lie flat or angled flat bed.
Pre-departure beverage: You are given the same choices as Business Class (water, orange juice, or champagne). Although the champagne looked darker than the class one, I couldn’t tell the difference.
The flight attendant also handed out a printed menu with the choice of Char-Grilled Ahi Tuna, Gourmet Cheese Plate, or Spinach and White Bean Soup.
After takeoff, a hot wet towel was given.
The flight attendant served hot mixed nuts with a beverage of my choice.
Food: I chose the Spinach and White Bean Soup.
Afterwards, I was served vanilla bean ice cream with pralines.
The flight attendant served a baked on board cookie.
The flight attendant served sparkling water with a citrus fruit garnish.
Before arrival, a hot wet towel was served.
Conclusion:
Business and First class passengers get the same “recliner” seat, same pre-departure beverage choices, hot towel service, hot mixed nuts with a beverage of your choice, same meal choices in both cabins, baked on board cookie, pre-arrival hot wet towel, and the pre-arrival sparkling water with a citrus fruit garnish. The only difference between Business and First class is that First Class passengers get a “Printed Menu”, vanilla bean ice cream with pralines, and a motorized recliner instead of a manual one. There really isn’t much of a difference between Business and First Class on a transcontinental red-eye flight from New York to Los Angeles.