I’ve flown on and reviewed the Delta 737-800 before, but since a lot of those flights were during Covid, I figure it’s time for a slight update. Today, I’m flying up to Cincinnati on Delta’s 737-800 in first class, there are two different types of these Boeings floating around in Delta’s fleet. Unfortunately you won’t really know what version it is until after you board. I guess you could technically look up the tail number, then check with Flyertalk to see when the plane was last refurbished, but substitutions happen and I don’t usually care that much.
This Delta 737-800 ended up having the old style interior, so while comfortable, the in seat entertainment isn’t great. The first class service will be exactly the same between the two sub fleets of Delta 737-800s though so this should be a good showing of what Delta offers on flights between 1-2 hours. As always, I didn’t pay for first class on this trip, I booked economy and was upgraded due to my Delta Medallion status.
A kinda boring fact is that the Cincinnati Airport is actually across the river in Covington Kentucky. So while you might be going to Ohio, you’ll stop in Kentucky first.
Flight Date: August 2022
Delta 737-800 First Class Boarding
I walked over to my gate here at the Atlanta Airport. The Skyclubs have been a mad house lately and there was a huge line to enter so I didn’t bother. Our 737 was waiting here at gate D16.
Unfortunately a few minutes after boarding should have started, we were informed about a short delay. Our flight attendants were delayed on their inbound flight. The good news is that this wasn’t a very long delay and we should arrive really close to on-time anyway.
Delta 737-800 First Class Seat Review
I found my seat on the right hand side of the plane. While these seats don’t have great entertainment options, they are super comfortable. They are old and plush, much better than the thin seats on the more modern planes. Waiting for me in the seat was a small bottle of water.
The leg room is good, but not amazing. I’m backpack only today so I just stuffed it under the seat in front of me. Like all Delta 737s, there are power ports in each seat.
And here’s the biggest downside of these Delta 737s. Even in First Class the in seat entertainment isn’t good. The screen is small and the touch sensitivity is a little weird to get accustomed to. There’s a delay, so use your fingernail and then wait a second. It’s a resistive screen, so it doesn’t respond like a modern capacitive screen.
Delta 737-800 Atlanta Departure
Just a few minutes delayed, we pushed back. The pilots gave their welcome and informed us the flight time would be just over one hour. So even with our late departure, we should arrive into CVG right on time.
We took-off to the West and soon made our turn to the North. The 737-800 is a pretty quiet ride up in first class. We’re well in-front of the engines. It’s a little cloudy here in Atlanta.
Delta 737-800 First Class Entertainment
I put on the moving map onto the entertainment screen. I also plug in my phone to the power provided in seat. I put on a podcast as I wasn’t really feeling any of the TV options and this flight is too short for a movie.
In a blast from the past, the Delta 737 has channel and volume buttons. For those who don’t know, back in the day, there were just audio channels to listen too on planes. The now inoperable black screen displayed the channel you were listening to. Today they do still adjust the volume, but the display doesn’t show anything.
Delta 737-800 First Class Snack Service
About 10 minutes after takeoff the flight attendant came around and offered their drink service. I just had a coke as I’m working when I land. Once drinks were served, the snack basked made an appearance. I really like Sun Chips and these chocolate cookies. Perfect little snack on this hour long flight.
Delta 737-800 First Class In Flight
Outside the rain clouds had dispersed and it looks like it’s a great day for going on a plane ride.
Nice quiet flight this Monday morning. We slowly started our decent into Cincinnati and the flight attendants collected our garbage and the pilots told us we’d be landing in about 20 minutes.
CVG Airport Arrival
As we approached Covington KY the sun was shining. It’s been several years since I’ve been to this airport.
Once on the ground, we were pretty much right on time. Even with our slightly delayed departure, our arrival wasn’t delayed. Works for me.
Delta 737-800 First Class Final Thoughts
My trip up to CVG on the Delta 737-800 in first class was almost perfect. The flight landed on-time, even with our delayed departure.
The snack service was fast and good. I really like the options that are provided in the snack basket. The seats are comfortable and the 737 is quiet up front. The only downside of this trip was the old in seat entertainment.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to CVG. In days past it was a common connection point for us Delta fliers, but with the dissolution of the Delta hub here, those days are gone. I will say, the airport is still a really nice one. Well designed and easy to navigate.
At the end of the day I’m not disappointed when the Delta 737-800 is on my schedule, it’s a good plane. Here’s a comparison of all the Delta 737-800 classes.