By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Flight Summary My first flight on a 777-200 was the best American Airlines I have ever taken. My experience reinforces how stark the differences are in equipment and service American Airlines offers at its various hubs and aircraft. Pros- Great in-flight entertainment, good food, friendly flight attendants, mood lighting, widely available power plugs, efficient boarding. Cons- Low quality wine selection Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Check In After our terrible stay at the AC Hotel Irla Barcelona we eagerly checked out of the hotel and headed to the Barcelona El Prat airport (BCN). The airport is located on the western edge of Barcelona and we took a taxi to the airport which cost about 41 dollars (35 euros). Barcelona El Prat has two terminals and Terminal Two primarily serves low cost carriers. Our flight departed out of Terminal One which was built in 2009 and I was impressed by the bright, beautiful, and modern terminal. We checked in at the American Airlines desk which was manned by contract workers. As was our experience at London Gatwick, the priority line was longer than the standard check in line but this time we waited in the priority line. After checking in we headed to security. One note of caution, once you clear security at this airport you once again need to pass through passport control to get to your flight at gate C or Gate D.  BCN Duty Free Shopping Joan Miró VIP Lounge Barcelona El Prat has four VIP lounges, three of which are in Terminal One. These lounges serve many of the travelers flying in business or first class leaving on flights in their respective terminals. However, these lounges are all also accessible to passengers with Priority Pass membership. I am going to talk about the benefits of Priority Pass in future post but for frequent international traveling companions it is a potent membership.  Elevator to Joan Miró VIP Lounge We had access to the Joan Miró VIP since we departed on an international flight. We took an elevator down one floor from the departure level to second floor to access the lounge. The check-in agent scanned our boarding passes and we quickly entered the lounge. This was the nicest lounge I have ever been to though I don't have much to compare it to since most of my lounge experience has been Admirals Clubs in the U.S. The lounge had a rest area which was dark and quiet. This was a great place for a weary traveller to take a nap. The lounge also had a small kid's play area with pink and blue chairs though no kids were in the lounge during our visit. Other amenities in the lounge included a shoe shine machine, the first time I have ever seen one, and shower stalls. The main part of the lounge featured worn but comfortable large black leather chairs. This part of the lounge also had views of the terminal and lots of natural light.  Lounge Seating The lounge had a separate dining area which had several food stations. These stations featured cold items such as Iberian ham, various cheeses, bananas, oranges, chocolate cookies, and chocolate croissants. The lounge's drink selection was particularly impressive and included a variety of alcohol and alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, juices, soda, and chocolate milk.
My biggest disappointment was the lounge did not have any hot food items. However, I was able to piece together a decent breakfast from the variety of cold food items. Overall, the lounge was comfortable and a good place to spend time waiting for our flight. The meal and drink selection was extensive enough that we did not buy breakfast or any drinks in the terminal. I would recommend that anyone with a Priority Pass membership departing on an international flight from BCN visit the Joan Miró VIP Lounge. Boarding Our flight departed out of D21 the closest gate to the lounge which was very convenient and allowed us to maximize our time in the lounge. Boarding for our flight began two minutes late and was very efficient even though one boarding machine was broken. No one boarded when group one and two were called and after a small group three we boarded very quickly in group four as this flight was very elite lite in economy.
 AA 777-200 Plane and Seats We boarded the plane through the second door on the left side of the plane walked straight and turned right and passed through the rear business class cabin. I was immediately impressed by how modern this plane felt compared to the A330-300 we flew to London. The business class seats were lie flat and very impressive and I hope to try them on a future flight. We passed through the business class cabin and took our main cabin extra seats 14 J and K on the right side of the plane. The economy cabin had five lavatories. Three of these were at the center of the economy cabin and two were at the rear of the cabin while the business class cabin had two bathrooms at the center of the cabin and one at the front. This design was much more intuitive than the A330-300 and meant that the closest lavatory to someone at the front of the cabin was in the economy cabin and not in business class.  777-200 Economy Cabin Christina and I once again were able to score complimentary main cabin extra seats at check in thanks to our American Airlines Gold status. The main cabin extra seats had about 5-6 inches of additional pitch on the 777-200. The additional legroom made a huge difference on this eight and a half hour flight. However, unlike our flight from Charlotte (CLT) to London Heathrow (LHR) we chose seats in row 14 and not the bulkhead which I think was definitely the right decision on this aircraft. While bulkhead seats offer additional legroom they do not have moveable armrests which prevented us from putting up the armrest on our flight from CLT. This is an annoying feature if you are traveling with a traveling companion. Also, the bulkhead seats had in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens stowed in the arm rest which means that the seat width is reduced and you are unable to watch the in-fight entertainment gate-to-gate. I think we made the right decision choosing row 14 main cabin extra seats.  7770-200 Main Cabin Extra Legroom However, a word of caution if you fly on a future American Airlines 777-200. American Airlines is streamlining its fleet of 777-200 aircraft and plans to install premium economy on all 777-200 aircraft. This means that row 14 will no longer be Main Cabin Extra and instead will have premium economy seats. While it is positive that American Airlines is giving customers a choice between economy and business class on international flights this mean a reduction of the number of main cabin extra seats for elites and other willing to pay for additional legroom. If you fly the 777-200 the plan is to start the economy cabin start at row 17 and feature this seat map.  777-200 Cabin In Flight Entertainment Our seats featured seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitors with one USB and one standard charger below the screen at each seat. This allowed for the charging of multiple devices at each seat and did not require sharing outlets which is common on American Airlines domestic flights.  In-Flight Entertainment System These monitors were touchscreen and similar to the monitors you will find on some American Airlines A321s and 737-300s with a few enhancements. First, they had a remote which could be used to scroll through and select media on the touchscreen. I found the touchscreen easy to use and very responsive so I primarily used the touchscreen to control the IFE but I appreciated having the option to use the remote. Second, the selection of movies and TV shows was significantly expanded over what is an already impressive selection on American Airlines' domestic IFE. Third, the screens allowed for a second person to plug into your IFE monitor and watch the same movie, TV show, or listen to the same music. The ability to share entertainment on the same screen with a traveling companion was a very cool feature. Meals Lunch meal service began with a bag of mini pretzels. Before the entree was served the flight attendants announced the entree choices in English, Spanish, and Catalan. The choices were turkey chorizo meatballs in tomato sauce or pasta penne with yogurt sauce. I appreciated that the flight attendants actually announced the ingredients in the dishes unlike the flight from Charlotte where they simply said chicken or pasta. Given my experience with the pasta dish on the flight from Charlotte I chose the turkey chorizo meatballs and it was a very good decision. The meatballs came with a serving of rice and vegetables including carrots, corn, and green beans. This was a very good entree particularly for an economy meal on a U.S. airline. The meal service also included a side salad which was boring and a piece of bread which was okay. The meal also came with cherry crumble cake for dessert which was good.  AA Economy Lunch BCN-JFK As I mentioned previously, on flights to Europe and select international destinations American Airlines offers free wine and beer in the main cabin. On the flight from Charlotte I selected red wine and I did not enjoy it so this time around I chose white wine and it was just as bad. The wine was way too sharp and after two fails I have learned my lesson in economy on American Airlines flights don't order wine. About four hours into the flight the flight attendants served a snack of vanilla bean ice cream which of course was very good!
Service The biggest surprise of this flight was the great service by the flight attendants. I am so used to dismissive if not mean service from American Airlines flight attendants in economy that this service surprised me. The flight attendants were very efficient and completed meal service for the 215 seat economy cabin in less than one hour. They also worked really hard and passed through the cabin for three drinks services and two snack services. Also, the flight attendants were actually friendly. The flight attendant working our aisle noticed that Christina was cold and asked is she wanted another blanket. I believe that a significant factor in the improved service was that we were served by a New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) based crew. JFK is a legacy American Airlines hub while Charlotte is a legacy U.S. Airways Hub and nearly four and a half years into the merger the flight scheduling for the flight attendants has not been merged. This means that legacy U.S. Airways flight attendants can only work legacy U.S. Airways aircraft and vice versa. I believe this really shows up in the service provided by the legacy U.S. Airways versus legacy American Airlines crew. American Airlines plans to merge it flight attendant scheduling system in October 2018. However, until then I would strongly encourage you to connect through legacy American Airlines hubs to improve your chances of getting better equipment and service. However, flying through JFK in American Airlines is going to be more difficult as American Airlines continues to reduce their presence at JFK. Take Away This flight showed American Airlines at its best and I would definitely take this flight again. I really enjoyed my first flight on the 777-200 and the plane was modern, had ample power, and great in-flight entertainment. The crew surprised me with their friendly and efficient service. This further reinforced the inconsistency of American Airlines fleet and service. I would recommend that you take the flight out of JFK if you are flying to or from Barcelona.
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By ChristinaChristina writes and edits Travelling Companion. Her writing covers expeditions, food, and culture for the blog. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Back in Barcelona we had more misses with the meals. I think it was partly our fault for not doing research before heading to Barcelona. I assumed the food experience would generally be an easy win, but we had a few let downs. Also, food is much more expensive in Barcelona than in London. Our first night we went to a restaurant called 4Latas. We ordered some wine with a few appetizers. Nothing was memorable from our meal but the service was friendly.  After visiting La Sagrada Familia, we stoped at Bodega Monumental. Our game plan was to move further away from the tourist traps near La Sagrada Familia, and find something quiet and authentic. The restaurant was cute and quaint. It looked promising from the outside and we entered excited. We had the table red wine, which was served chilled, some chips that reminded me of chicarones, a Barcelona bomb (a bread shaped into a circle and stuffed with meat and drowned in a tomato sauce), mini toast with butter, mediocre calamari, raw salmon slices, and Ramon had separately a plate with raw ham, potatoes and eggs. Nothing was really of note, and at best it was C grade. Ramon liked his plate of eggs and ham, but I was bored with it. One piece of advice is that almost everywhere in Europe, tips aren’t needed or expected, and that was the case in Barcelona.  Chicarones Style Chips One of the food related things that Barcelona had going for it was lovely cafes around every corner. While I purchased cellular internet access though AT&T, it rarely worked. If we needed to grab tickets, or find our way around the city with Google Maps, we would duck in a cafe, grab a delicious coffee, and connect to their WiFi. It worked really well, and we were able to people watch. I would recommend that you forgo buying a data plan in Barcelona and instead enjoy the cafe experience.
Our favorite dining experience in Barcelona was at Medio o Pinto. This restaurant was right across the street from our hotel. We were exhausted after walking 11 Miles in the city (most of it up hill) and decided to give this place a shot. We came in around 7:30 pm and it was dead. Most Spaniards eat dinner closer to 9:30pm, so we expected an empty restaurant.
 Appetizers Then we had mini maiz pancake, with Venezuelan cheese. This was so simple and the favors were unique. Additional mini corn made pancakes came out as a kind gesture from the chef. One was topped with shrimp and another topped with carne. I don't know how the carne tasted because Ramon ate it with such gusto that I couldn't sample it. The shrimp mini maiz was great. The flavor of the corn balanced well with the salty-sweet taste of fresh shrimp that tasted like it was caught three hours before our meal.  Mini Pancakes topped with Meat and Fish For the main course, Ramon had leg of beef topped with sweet mole. No knife was needed and the meat fell apart with the touch of the fork. The side dish was a sweet potato with a crisp apple. That seemed like an odd pairing at first, but with a dash of mole, my mouth was super duper happy. I was able to steal a bite of Ramon’s dish before he finished and it was A plus. I’ve never had a leg of beef where the meat was so tender and flavorful. It was soaked in slow cooked in herbs for 16 hours. And boy, did it show.  Leg of Beef with Sweet Mole We decided to order another glass of table red, and try their dessert. Ramon ordered a desert covered in various flavors of chocolate. I had a Lost in Translation moment and ordered something with coconut. I hate coconut. Ramon was so sweet and pretend that he liked the coconut dessert so I could eat his chocolate dessert. However, Ramon did not finish it and the server noticed we didn’t like the coconut desert, so she sent over a new desert. The way she explained it sounded like a churro. So I asked, "Is it a churro?" She promised it was better than a churro and it was. It had a soft dough outside with Nutella inside. Medio o Pinto hit the trifecta. It had great atmosphere, great service, and great food. When we return to Barcelona we will definitely make the trek to eat there again.
Life While we know a lot of people who spent time in Barcelona, most of the suggestions we received were tailored to summertime fun. While it was not very cold in Barcelona, it was February and not beach season. I was a little worried we would run out of things to see and do, but that definitely was not an issue.  Nativity Facade of Sagrada Familia La Sagrada Família is arguably the best known tourist attraction in Barcelona, and rightfully so. While it was very impressive and spiritual, it is not the typical European church. The architecture is breathtaking, especially from the inside. The gospel story was delivered though light and glass. I found it moving and profound, something I did not get visiting other churches.  Inside La Sagrada Familia We bought a special ticket which allowed us to climb a tower of the church. This gave us breathtaking views of the city, and allowed us to see how large this city truly is. However, I would stay on ground level if you have a fear of heights. Ramon and I spent over three hours enjoying the church.  View of Barcelona from La Sagrada Familia The person you will learn the most about in Barcelona is Gaudi. Gaudi this, Gaudi that. Gaudi is the architect of La Sagrada Família, and a legend in Catalonia, the region in Spain which includes Barcelona. If you are really into architecture, you can spend a week visiting every single building that Gaudi touched. If you are like me and my travelling companion, and just want to get enough of a feel to understand the hype, then you should visit Park Güell . This is a lovely park, with a whimsical touch. The house where Gaudi lived is within this park, along with additional buildings he designed. After going through the park, it was easy to spot Gaudi’s work while walking throughout Barcelona.  View of Barcelona from Parc Güell
Ramon especially loved the Barcelona Museum of History and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city. We could easily spend another five days and still have more things to see and do.  Roman Ruins at the Barcelona City Museum of History Take Away
Both Barcelona and Valencia pride themselves on their distinct culture and language. In Barcelona, speaking Catalan is king, English second, and further down is Spanish. We would find the Catalan flag everywhere along with protests and political art. There was a fever in the air to succeed from Spain. While we both have an elementary grasp of the Spanish language, it was not the best place to practice our skill. Also, we walked everywhere. There is a metro and bus option, but Ramon and I love to walk because you get to see a city in a much more intimate way, and make your self open to letting the life within the city surprise you. We walked between 10-12 miles a day, which allowed us to eat our meals without any hesitation. Barcelona is a wonderful city. I hope to try it again in summertime. By ChristinaChristina writes and edits Travelling Companion. Her writing covers expeditions, food, and culture for the blog. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA  Ramon and I spent a few days in Barcelona and a full day in Valencia. Our first full day in Spain was in Valencia. As Ramon said earlier, I have a cousin, who lives in Valencia and she was our wonderful tour guide for the day. Since we had to catch our train back to Barcelona, we limited our exploration to the oldest parts of town, but there is definitely enough to see if you wanted to spend a long weekend in this beautiful coastal city.  During our walking tour we saw Torres de Serranos, Mercado Central, and the Valencia Cathedral. It is obvious Valencia has so much to offer walking within the city’s ancient walls. There was beautiful artwork, history, and craftsmanship on every corner. It is the ideal city to get lost in. The thing that stuck in my mind over everything else was the food in Valencia.  The paella was absolutely unbelievable. My cousin had done her due diligence asking various restaurants about the quality of their paella, the typical meal in Valencia. She went to eight different restaurants requesting “paella de Valencia” which is a specific type of paella. When she found a restaurant that suited her requests, we sat outside and began the Valencian meal experience. Our meal consists of a first course, a second course, and a desert all for the price of 12 euros. This is considered a normal sized meal in Valencia. Gloria informed us that lunch in Spain is at 11:00am, but they eat again at 2:00pm. It puzzles me how Valencian's can be so petite. 
The second course was paella de Valencia. This was paella with chicken and other goodies. I’m not sure how they cooked it, or what exactly was in it, but it was perfect. Warm, flavorful, and filling, this paella was a new culinary experience for me. Despite the fact that Valencia is a port city their traditional paella does not seafood, however, they do offer other paella dishes with seafood. I found the traditional paella de Valencia to be delicious.
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