Review: Delta 737-900 First Class MSY - LAX

The road to Japan included a pitstop in L.A. I rode aboard Delta's Boeing 737-900 twin-jet to fly first class from New Orleans to Los Angeles. After popping into The Club MSY and checking out the Delta Sky Club, it was time to head to the West Coast. It was a relaxing flight and a smooth way to kick off the journey. Let's jump into it!

Booking The Flight

I originally purchased two one-way fares in economy class. Soon after, I was presented with a first-class upgrade offer at a cost of $199 per person. This was a no-brainer since I could offset much of the upgrade costs through my $300 annual travel credit from my Ritz-Carlton credit card. Delta's 737 twin jet features five rows of first-class seating, two seats on each row, separated by the aisle. I chose seats 4C and 4D.

The Seat and In-flight Entertainment

Seats 4C and 4D are the second to last row of first class on the plane's right side. The seat was standard for a regional first-class production, spacious enough to relax your arms comfortably, and had decent legroom for stretching out. For a 4.5-hour journey, it was a solid pace to perch.

I planned to read and rely on the in-flight entertainment offerings to pass the time, but free Wi-Fi was an option if I decided to deviate.

Dining and Service

As the 737 doesn't offer much lie-flat seating, I was most excited to see what was on the menu. The flight departed just before dinner time in New Orleans, so the plan was to make the in-flight meal our food plan for the evening before heading into the Hyatt Regency LAX. Starting a week before departure, you can pre-select meals for your flight. I went with the braised meatballs and Mrs. Blackbeard went with the ravioli.

Each entree came with a simple side salad and a rather large chocolate dessert amid an am-i-cookie-or-molten-cake-identity-crisis.

The meatball entree was decent but nothing to write home about. It was much more enjoyable with the accompanying red wine I ordered. Mrs. Blackbeard reported that her ravioli were pretty tasty.

I didn't interact with the crew too much on this flight but I found the service quick and pleasant.

After dinner service, I nestled in for a short nap. Before long we touched down in Los Angeles.

Conclusion

It'd been a long time since I flew Delta's standard domestic first-class service. As this wasn't the more lauded Delta One offering, I didn't have any set expectations going into it. In the end, I was pleased. The flight was uneventful, the seat reasonably comfortable, and for a positioning flight, it definitely got the job done.