On this blog I often provide airline rankings based on international flight experiences. However, sometimes it’s fun to look at some of the best offerings that are closer to home, including the best domestic premium products.
While I’ve shared my thoughts on the best first class airlines, best first class lounges, and best business class seats, in this post I wanted to share what I consider to be the best domestic first and business class experiences.
In this post:
What’s the difference between first & business class on domestic flights?
Often the difference between first and business class could simply be branding. Most domestic flights have just two cabins, and those cabins are typically branded as first class and economy.
However, on international flights the forward cabin is typically branded as business class instead.
The one exception is when there is a plane with three cabins. Within the United States there’s only one airline offering flights with three cabins, and that’s on American’s A321Ts. Those planes feature first class, business class, and economy. As you can see, at times there is a real distinction, while at other times it just comes down to marketing.
What makes a good first or business class airline?
For the purposes of this post — and for ranking the best products — I’ll be focusing on a few aspects of the airline experience:
- The comfort of the seat
- The food & beverage offerings
- The service
- The quality and value of Wi-Fi
- The ground experience (including any lounge access)
A couple more notes, before I get into my rankings. I’ll only be including one “cabin” per airline. In other words, if an airline has multiple business class configurations, I won’t be ranking them separately, but will only be ranking the best one. Furthermore, I’ll only be including products that are consistently offered on some routes.
With that out of the way, here are my favorites…
1. American first class on the A321T
American Airlines is unique in offering three cabin service within the United States. The carrier’s A321Ts feature just 102 seats, including 10 first class seats, 20 business class seats, and 72 economy seats.
There are 10 reverse herringbone first class seats, which are typically seats you’d find in international business class. They’re private and all feature direct aisle access, which is rare on a domestic flight.
While American’s food is nothing special, I do appreciate that the airline has Viasat high speed Wi-Fi. I actually don’t think American’s inflight product is the best, but the reason I rank American first is because of the exceptional ground experience.
When flying American’s A321T in first class you have access to the Chelsea Lounge JFK, which offers a sit down dining experience, champagne bar, and relaxation area. This truly is unlike anything else offered by a US airline. Without the excellent ground experience, I wouldn’t rank the experience number one.
Note that American is expected to discontinue its “premium” first class product at some point 2024, as these A321Ts will be replaced by A321XLRs with a new business class product.
Eligible routes
American consistently flies its A321Ts from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Santa Ana (SNA).
How to redeem miles & points
If you can find saver level award availability, then you could book an A321T flight for just 50,000 American AAdvantage miles (you could also redeem partner miles). Unfortunately saver level award availability can be tough to come by, in which case American may have awards available at higher costs.
Another option is to just book business class with cash when it’s reasonably priced, and then use a BXP1 through the American Business Extra program to confirm an upgrade to first class.
2. JetBlue Mint business class on the A321
Purely in terms of the onboard experience, JetBlue Mint is my favorite way to fly domestically. The airline has truly revolutionized domestic premium travel, from the seats, to the food & service, to the free Wi-Fi.
Nowadays there are two versions of Mint — there’s the “classic” version, featuring 16 seats. This consists of three rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration, and two rows of seats with “Mint Suites,” in a 1-1 configuration. The Mint Suites even have doors.
Then there’s the new version, with seats in a 1-1 configuration, where all business class passengers have a door. This product is used on select domestic frequencies, though primarily for the carrier’s transatlantic flights.
JetBlue’s onboard product is simply spectacular. The airline has fast and free Wi-Fi, and JetBlue is the only US airline to consistently have excellent food and friendly service in business class, in my opinion.
The only reason I don’t rank JetBlue Mint number one is because the airline doesn’t offer any sort of lounge access, so the ground experience is lacking.
Eligible routes
JetBlue offers Mint primarily on transcontinental premium routes, including many flights out of Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and New York (JFK), and to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), San Diego (SAN), and Seattle (SEA). Exact routes vary by season.
How to redeem miles & points
JetBlue has a revenue based frequent flyer program, so you can redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points toward the cost of a ticket, though the price varies. Alternatively, you can redeem American AAdvantage miles for JetBlue Mint, and you can typically expect to pay 65,000 AAdvantage miles one-way.
3. United Polaris business class on the 787
United Airlines has finished installing new Polaris business class seats on all 787s, most 777s, and most 767s, and lots of these jets are flown domestically. In particular, lots of 787s are operated on domestic flights, featuring United’s excellent seats with direct aisle access.
Unfortunately even on premium transcontinental routes, United’s soft product isn’t that great. Passengers “only” receive access to the United Club on premium domestic routes, which in no way compares to American offering Flagship Lounge access. Furthermore, United’s Wi-Fi leaves a bit to be desired.
Eligible routes
United generally flies Boeing 787s from Newark (EWR) to both Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). You’ll also sometimes see 777s with new Polaris seats in these markets.
How to redeem miles & points
Unfortunately United makes few saver level award seats available on these premium transcontinental routes. Generally your best bet is to find a discounted business class ticket, and then redeem transferrable points toward the cost of a ticket.
4. American business class on the 777
American Airlines flies Boeing 777s on many domestic routes, though it’s not always 100% consistent. So I’ll focus specifically on American’s flights from Dallas to Hawaii, which are consistently operated by 777s or 787s, featuring a great product.
Most American 777s have reverse herringbone seats in business class, in a 1-2-1 configuration. They also have Wi-Fi, which works over the Pacific enroute to Hawaii.
Those traveling American business class nonstop from Dallas to Hawaii also receive access to the American Flagship Lounge DFW, which is a much better lounge than you’ll get access to with most other airlines in the United States when flying to Hawaii.
Eligible routes
American most consistently flies Boeing 777s between Dallas (DFW) and Hawaii. However, you can also find them on plenty of other domestic routes, especially out of Miami.
How to redeem miles & points
American makes some — though not much — business class saver level award space available on routes to Hawaii. If there is availability, you can expect to pay 62,500 AAdvantage miles one-way. However, in some cases you may find web special awards, which have lower pricing.
5. Delta One business class on the 767
The only wide body jet that Delta consistently schedules on domestic flights is the Boeing 767-300. While Delta sometimes schedules A330s and A350s on domestic routes, it’s not consistent or year-round on any routes, as far as I know (someone correct me if I’m wrong).
On the plus side, Delta 767s feature direct aisle access from every seat. Unfortunately Delta’s 767 business class is also really tight, and many tend to feel crammed in these seats. Furthermore, the entertainment screens are small, and it’s just generally not a very modern plane.
Delta does generally have friendly service, decent food, and solid Wi-Fi, so the soft product is quite good. Passengers on premium transcontinental routes also get access to Delta Sky Clubs, which are excellent for domestic flights, but not exactly globally competitive otherwise.
Eligible routes
Delta consistently flies the 767 on premium transcontinental routes, including from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). The airline also regularly flies the plane on other routes, including Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) and Atlanta (ATL) to Honolulu (HNL).
How to redeem miles & points
Delta SkyMiles generally just charges whatever the heck it wants to charge for awards, so don’t expect to get any sort of deal on redemptions.
6. Hawaiian Airlines first class on the A330
Hawaiian Airlines’ A330s feature a first class cabin with fully flat seats. This includes 18 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. I’ll be honest — these seats aren’t the most comfortable out there, as I find them to be really hard. But they’re still good seats.
Unfortunately Hawaiian doesn’t offer much in the way of lounge access on domestic flights, and also doesn’t offer Wi-Fi. The good news is that the airline has friendly service and I’ve enjoyed the food & drinks. After all, there’s always something exciting about going to Hawaii.
Eligible routes
Hawaiian flies its A330s from Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL), as well as on select flights from the West Coast of the US to Hawaii. If you book a Hawaiian Airlines flight operated by an A330, then you can expect to see this product onboard.
How to redeem miles & points
You can redeem miles for travel on Hawaiian Airlines directly through the HawaiianMiles program. Those awards start at 40,000 miles one-way. Alternatively, the airline often has reasonably priced first class fares.
Bottom line
The above are my rankings for the best domestic first and business class experiences in the United States. I’d love to hear how OMAAT readers rank these experiences, so please let me know in the comments, because I’m sure many will disagree.
Let me lastly acknowledge that there’s no “one size fits all” answer. For example, if I’m just leaving home and getting to the airport an hour before departure I’d choose JetBlue Mint over all else. Meanwhile if I have a long layover or want to eat before my flight, the Flagship First Dining access is a huge value-add. I tried to balance those interests in these airline rankings, though realize that there’s no perfect way to do so.
What do you think the best domestic first & business class airlines are?
Hi Ben! When you update your list next, I think it’s worth noting that Delta operates daily A339 flights from LAX-JFK and back (DL1749 and DL771), and also operates once daily in each direction on their retrofitted 764. While I totally agree that DL’s 763s are beyond outdated, I could also make the argument that even though United operates the Dreamliner and 777s on a few transcon flights a day, they operate wildly old 757s...
Hi Ben! When you update your list next, I think it’s worth noting that Delta operates daily A339 flights from LAX-JFK and back (DL1749 and DL771), and also operates once daily in each direction on their retrofitted 764. While I totally agree that DL’s 763s are beyond outdated, I could also make the argument that even though United operates the Dreamliner and 777s on a few transcon flights a day, they operate wildly old 757s on the rest of their daily transcons. Given that, I think it’s fair to include the best of DL since you include the best of UA. Also, as someone else noted, DL does have daily service from LAX-ATL on the A350 (DL678 and DL301).
Flew JetBlue Mint recently from San Diego to Boston round trip. Food was great. Seats were ok…nothing to write home about.
Delta has one flight a day from ATL to LAX on an A350-900, DL950 the return seems to be spotty though. Good news is the premium economy section is labeled comfort+ and the comfort+ is preferred. So as Platinum I get to sit up a bit, but since I'm not a Diamond like all of the other flyers in Atlanta, the Delta One Suites are not likely.
Hawaiian also flies the A330 between AUS and HNL
This is still much better than anything we get on Qantas in Australia
Never flown on a QF A330 domestic flight then (often on transcon and sometimes SYD-MEL and other SE sectors)? They have flat beds and direct aisle access. On another of Ben's criteria, QF offer J pax domestic business lounge access, something most US carriers do not. I won't defend QF's other transgressions, and they are legion, but on their A330s they are ahead of most US carriers, and on other jets at least on par for J-class travel. (VA are fine too.)
Reality is most flights are operated by decrepit B737 on flights to Perth. Also airfares are much higher ($2k+ each way).
DL flies the A350 daily year round on MSP-PHX. No joke. https://www.google.com/travel/flights/s/J5ftp9ZjjbCkk2e76
You can't compare domestic flights. Of course the longer domestic flights will have a better business class experience. What do you expect on the short haul flights of only a couple of hours - to lie down?
Alaska is my favorite domestic first product. One of the only domestic airlines to include lounge access with each first class ticket.
They are my least favorite premium product. Very substandard service. And I am 100K. By the way, they no longer provide lounge acess to first class passengers. It is not a big loss anyway, given how bare their lounges are.
I don’t fly much but surely that’s not United 787 business class? The plane in the photo has window shades
your "best" flight is going away... so that puts the real best, JetBlue in the number 1 spot
Surprised that #5 doesn’t distinguish between DL’s tired 763 and the much snazzier revamped 764 (or just award the latter exclusively). Then again I’m thinking Ben hasn’t flown it yet. It’s a fixture on some JFK-LAX frequencies - not every day, but regularly for sure.
Agree! The SLC-HNL route has the tired 763, with tiny screens that rarely work. The service and food were great though, and the lie-flat was decent. The wi-fi hadn't been updated on our flights either.
From your description I am not sure why Delta One should rank behind United/American Business.
When that AA 77W pulls up on the JFK MIA route it’s being worked by young attractive flight attendants and you can get a seat in row 1 or 2. People are so clueless about being able to assign flagship first seats.
The A321T transcon First was made for J passengers upgrading to F , operational upgrades , whining people whose upgrades don’t clear from Y to J and piss and moan because they...
When that AA 77W pulls up on the JFK MIA route it’s being worked by young attractive flight attendants and you can get a seat in row 1 or 2. People are so clueless about being able to assign flagship first seats.
The A321T transcon First was made for J passengers upgrading to F , operational upgrades , whining people whose upgrades don’t clear from Y to J and piss and moan because they want the gate agent to upgrade them to F (entertaining meltdowns at the gate over the years) , but most importantly F cabin was made for non revs.
American's transcon flight to me was pretty wretched. One of the most rickety planes I've flown in. Certainly could've been worse, but I ain't itching to try it again.
OTOH, we had an excessive layover between SQ F and our AA F flights, and had an exceptional 5+ hours in the Flagship First Dining area. Quite, elegant, and with great food, plus a view of the tarmac. Looks like that's been replaced by something even better, now.
One cabin per airline? American is featured twice.
Would enjoy your ranking on best recliner style domestic first class product.
@Jimmy T
The A321neo is nice and quiet in First. Pop a few benzos and sleep through the red eye what difference does a lie flat seat make ? It’s still better than being in the main cabin with the cattle.
Wow I thought this would be an insightful and helpful post about the best domestic business flights in the world.. but apparently it’s been forgotten that countries other than the US have “domestic flights” too.. maybe make the title of the post clearer?
That would be a great and interesting blog. I'd have to think ANA and JAL's 777 & 787 domestic flights would take the cake.
TK using widebody planes in domestic routes with full flat seat or one of the best narrowbody business product of europe (i think best) and they offers Domestic Lounge access, business class cobus service, priority entrance and amazing catering.
Honestly amazed people use valuable points to fly first and biz domestically. Flights are not long enough to maximize the experience plus the North American airlines fail sharply in comparison to ER, QR, ANA, CX, TK, etc.
Dana - I have been going to Hawaii for both leisure and work recently. Flights are 13 hours from JFK to HNL/OGG. Outside of Hawaii I fly 5-6 hour flights domestically pretty regularly. Some of my recent routes:
JFK to SEA
JFK to SFO
JFK to LAX
JFK to LAS
BOS to SFO
BOS to LAS
Even JFK to PHX is a decently long flight
Honestly amazed that some people have different experiences and sense of what they value than other people do. Who knew?
Honestly, I like the service United provides on these flights. I think the Polaris chair provides the most comfortable ride across the continent and you have at your fingertips the best entertainment system at your fingertips. I really use it the most. However, if you’re a foodie, and your choice is based on the food served on board and food alone ONLY, then your best choice and option, IMO, would be AA. They really knock it out of the park in that category alone.
tbh I think Alaska's business class is highly underrated considering how cheap upgrades can be (without wasting points). Better service than pretty much every airline (besides B6/AA F), and there are lounges, unlike B6.
You really don't need a lie-flat seat unless it's an overnight flight.