4 Planes, 10,000 Miles And 8 Hot Towels: 36 Hours On A Bicoastal Mission In First Class

Pass the organic ice cream and Baileys! An intrepid THR editor tests the ultra-luxe services of L.A.-to-NYC airlines, breezing through security, munching on parsnip mousse and cocooning in a pod at 30,000 feet

- Peter Flax

It was 9 a.m., and I was barely functioning on three hours of sleep, having just flown coast-to-coast-to-coast. Fidgeting in my lie-flat leather-trimmed lounger, I just couldn’t fathom yet another glass of champagne. So I ordered a mimosa.

In that moment, feeling like I’d woken up on the floor somewhere in Vegas, I knew I had underestimated this seemingly cushy assignment: to compare the top premium flights between Los Angeles and New York City. Between noon on a Tuesday and midnight the following day, I jetted back and forth between the two cities on the carriers that offer lay-flat seating — American, JetBlue, Delta and United. It was a 36-hour vision quest that spanned 10,000 miles and forced me to confront hard choices (lobster roll or lamb shank?). My only job during this mission was to assume a reclined position and weather a perfect storm of luxury and privilege befitting a bicoastal mogul. But up there, sipping a mimosa, I felt unexpected pressure. Fortunately, it subsided as soon as I unfastened the top snap of my jeans.

ON TUESDAY MORNING, I was greeted curbside at LAX by a rep with American’s Five Star Service who led me into the Flagship First Class entrance. The efficiency was staggering — within five minutes of stepping out of my Lyft ride, I had checked in, taken a series of secret passageways, been escorted to the front of a long security line and was on my way to the lounge.