Used the self check machines to get our boarding cards, 4A and 4C, dropped the bags and through the TSA check without delay. We couldnt find the Wingtips Lounge, no DL lounge access even in First to the Caribbean, only on "international" flights.
Picked up a snack from shake shack and waited by the gate for our flight to called: boarding started 1 hour before departure on a fully booked ( for that read overbooked ) flight. Getting everyone on board was chaos: lots of upgrades to First from Y and even more swapping of seats as the crew tried to shoehorn everyone on board.
Number 1 announced that the toilet at the front was for exclusive use of First class pax, 16 in total, then proceeded to allow Y pax through the cabin to use it. Once we set off, on schedule, she then made a really strange announcement; she told everyone that due to the design of the aircraft, 737-800, the toilets only started working once we had climbed above 10,000ft. News to me, but I've only been flying this airplane for 10 years and have around 7500hrs as a Captain on type.
Still, food came round and exceeded my expectations for a US carrier: we had the hot breakfast which was a cheese omelette with 2 sausages, very tasty.
Drinks service was excellent, with cabin crew visible throughout the flight.
Arrived on time, following a COPA flight from Panama: immigration was the usual MBJ shambles, not helped by the COPA pax not filling in the landing cards correctly. Took 90 minutes in the queue without AC to get through.
Flight, all in all was very good, arrival disastrous.
Worth flying First as once you add in all of the supplements for flying Y, checked in bags etc, the difference was only $100 each: the seat is wide, comfortable with reasonable recline and good legroom, the breakfast was tasty and service great.
