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 while traveling in comfort.  American Airlines A319 Introduction
I have been a member of American Airline's AAdvantage loyalty program since I was three years old and have fond memories of visiting the cockpit, getting wings from flight attendants, and flying between The Bahamas and Miami on turboprop airplanes. This loyalty extended into my adulthood, when I started traveling frequently for leisure my airline of choice continued to be American Airlines. Not only did I have a long history with the airline but it was the largest carrier at my hometown airport Washington Regan National (DCA). This meant more non-stop flights and plentiful options when a connection was required. As a result of this loyalty I attained Gold elite status with American Airlines which I have held for over two years. I have flown over 107,000 lifetime miles with American Airlines as of January 2020. As I sit here on the day my Gold status ended I have had enough of the flying experience with American Airlines and Christina and I are ready to say farewell, and here is why. Admirals Club Food and Drinks What I value most about having lounge access is complimentary food and drinks and on this front the offerings from the Admirals Clubs are sad. With the exception of the avocado toast I find the vast majority of Admirals Club food and drink options to be either uninspiring or tasteless. I have often found myself buying food before going to the Admirals Club to make sure I don't go hungry. Hub Airports Flying from DCA when a non-stop is unavailable or unaffordable I often find myself connecting in American's big east coast connecting hubs Charlotte (CLT) and Philadelphia (PHL). These are both legacy U.S. Airlines hubs and I find connecting through these hubs to be an unpleasant experience. CLT is poorly laid out for connecting flights and does not have an airport train. Christina and I have often found ourselves running to make connections when changing terminals. I have found PHL to be in a constant state of disrepair from missing ceiling tiles to a water main break which left the bathrooms in disgusting shape and the Admirals Club closed. To make matters worse American Airlines also concentrates their older legacy US Airways planes in the CLT and PHL hubs which can lead to a poor experience on these planes and significant inconsistencies on the same aircraft across the airline's fleet. Seat Back In-Flight Entertainment and Power One area where American Airlines is sorely lacking is seat-back in-flight entertainment on narrow-body planes and in-seat power plugs. American's narrow body planes can be assigned to transcontinental flights some of which are six hours or more, however, many of these planes never offered seat-back in-flight entertainment. To make matters worse American has focused on removing seat back IFE from planes that have it and instead requires passengers to watch streaming entertainment on personal devices. With less space on American Airlines planes using a personal device further restricts space and increases the importance of functioning power plugs. However, this is another area where American is sorely lacking. On many planes American Airlines has no in-seat power plugs even in First Class. On other planes the power plugs exist but are so loose that they are barely functional. I believe these dual problems show that American Airlines rush to streaming IFE on narrow body planes is misplaced. Baggage Handling Our experience with American Airlines baggage handling has been very poor. At DCA we have waited up to 30 minutes for our bags at baggage claim and we have had similar experiences waiting around at multiple airports around the country. On one trip with American Christina's checked luggage was so beat up that it was barely usable and we had to file a claim. The airline eventually replaced the piece of luggage ending an annoying situation. On another trip we had a wait around the airport for two hours since Christina's luggage never made it onto the flight. Flying American Airlines with checked luggage requires waiting around the baggage claim and feels like a gamble as to whether your luggage will make it on-time or in one piece. Business and First Class Food Christina and I have had numerous opportunities over the past two years to fly in American Airlines First and Business Class. We came away from these experiences disappointed with the quality of the food. We found some of the meals tasteless while other meals were barely edible. The quality of food served on American Airlines domestic and Caribbean First Class flights is truly embarrassing and significantly detracts from the First Class experience and the value of First Class upgrades for elites. Customer Service The most important reason of all that we are leaving American Airlines is the terrible customer service. The experiences are too numerous to list in this post but I will share with you some of the lowlights. At our home airport DCA we rushed to Priority check-in area and ended up being one minute past the cut off for checked baggage. The check-in agent refused to check our bag and we ended up sitting in the airport lounge for hours until the next available flight. To make matters worse she tried to charge Christina for a checked bag when she was entitled to a free checked bag. The agent wasn't apologetic and stopped assisting us for several minutes at a time to chat with her co-workers. When American lost Christina's bag there was no apology or compensation and instead the baggage agent gave Christina attitude. On our flight to London the flight attendant told me off for using the Business Class bathroom despite being allowed to do so by American Airlines policy. These poor customer experiences also extended to Business and First Class. On numerous occasions we were not served a pre-departure beverage on our flights and we were offered no blankets. On one flight our dirty dishes and glasses sat uncleared for almost an hour while flight attendants chatted in the galley. While there are certainly good employees at American Airlines who provide strong customer service, including on our flight from BCN-JFK, too many of the employees we have interacted with do not have a customer centric attitude and make it seem as if flying with them is a privilege. Take Away After decades of loyalty and two years of Gold Elite status with American Airlines it is time to say farewell. Because of American’s dominance at DCA we may not be able to avoid the airline completely but Christina and I plan to actively avoid American Airlines and purposefully did not re-qualify for elite status. The convience of flying out of DCA, and fairly regular First Class upgrades are outweighed by the many negatives including our terrible customer service experience. Christina and I would rather be treated well in economy than poorly in First Class and that is why it is time for us to say farewell to American Airlines.
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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 while traveling in comfort.
In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served.
American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview This flight had the worse airline meal I had ever eaten in First, Business, or Economy class and it is embarrassing that American Airlines delivered an experience this bad on a three and a half hour flight. Pros- Freshly Upholstered and Comfortable Seats Cons- Barely Edible Food, Bad Drink Service, No USB or AC Power Plugs, No Seat Back Entertainment, Limited Wi-Fi and Streaming Entertainment Plane and Seats We left a packed Avianca VIP Lounge, which I have previously reviewed, at San Juan (SJU) airport and headed to Gate C4 for our departure. We were upgraded to Business Class in advance on this flight using our 500 miles upgrades. We boarded quickly with other Business Class passengers and as we boarded I was impressed by the updated upholstery. We were seated in the bulkhead seats 1D and 1F which had 36 inches of pitch and 21 inches of width on this version of the A321.The seats seemed new and had a nice comfortable head rest. 
American Airlines A321 First Business Class Seat
Once we settled into our seats our positive impression quickly faded as we scrambled to look for power plugs for our phones. The search was for naught as we did not find any USB or AC power plugs. I couldn't believe that American Airlines would refurbish the seats on the plane but not add power plugs so I confirmed with the flight attendant serving Business Class. She confirmed that the plane indeed did not have power plugs and said the plane was "not an American Airlines original". She meant that this is a legacy US Airways plane which American Airlines acquired during the 2015 merger with US Airways. These planes did not have in-seat power plugs and by the comment I assumed that this flight attendant was likely a legacy American Airlines flight attendant. The fact that this was a legacy US Airways plane made sense since we were flying to a legacy US Airways hub in Charlotte (CLT) and is a good reason to avoid many legacy US Airways hubs including CLT and Philadelphia (PHL). After resigning to the fact that we were not going to have power for the entire flight I went back into my bag to see if I could pull out my tablet or a book but the overhead bin was stuck. After trying to open the bin several times without success I asked for the flight attendant's help and after she was unsuccessful another flight attendant came over and was finally able to open the bin. After I was seated passengers continued to board and the flight attendants grew nervous that the flight would be delayed because the catering had not yet arrived. Finally, the catering arrived and our flight ended up departing nine minutes early.
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment Waiting at our seats upon boarding was a thin blanket which I ended up not using on this flight. It seemed to be the same blanket American Airlines offers in First Class on domestic flights. Unlike the 737-800 I flew from Dallas to Washington D.C. this plane had GoGo ground based Wi-Fi which does not turn on until the plane reaches 10,000 feet. Because the plane also did not have a seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen we needed the Wi-Fi to activate before watching any IFE. However, once the plane reached 10,000 feet I tried to connect and could not connect since the vast majority of Latin America and the Caribbean are outside of GoGo ground based Wi-Fi range. This was the same problem I had on an earlier flight from San Juan. I was again frustrated that American Airlines was using a plane for a three and a half hour flight that was not equipped with seat back entertainment, in-seat power, and that had IFE that did not work for the majority of the flight. The IFE finally functioned with about hour and half remaining in flight. I turned it on briefly to browse the IFE options but I was still frustrated by the lack of in-seat power plugs. 
American Airlines Streaming In-Flight Entertainment
Food and Drinks The entire food and drink experience on this flight was terrible. It started on the ground when we were not served any pre-departure drinks because of the late arriving catering. I overheard the flight attendants discussing whether they should serve a pre-departure drink, however, they decided not to do so because the ice from the previous flight had melted and they only had juice and water. Once the catering arrived the flight attendants were more focused on departing on time because of American Airlines strategic push. The flight attendants ended up spending all of their time putting away the catering instead of taking care of passengers. About 20 minutes after takeoff the Business Class flight attendant distributed hot towels and took drink orders. After the drink orders the flight attendant brought around our drinks along with warm nuts. We ended up ordering red wine which was okay.  Red Wine and Warm Nuts
As we waited for the flight attendant to come around for meal order we smelt the scent of burning bread in the galley. The flight attendant didn't return to get meal orders until about 45 minutes after takeoff. This was the longest I could remember waiting for a meal order on any Business or First Class flight. The flight attendant started meal selection from back which meant we ended up picking last. On this flight American Airlines was serving dinner and the options for other passengers were a choice between the beef filet or Southwest lasagna. By the time the flight attendant reached us the only remaining option was the Southwest lasagna. I was very annoyed since I wanted the beef filet, however, Christina and I went ahead and took the Southwest lasagna. About 1 hour into the flight the food was finally served. Despite ordering the same dish Christina and I received different sides. I was served two salads while Christina was served a salad with a side of Indian flavored chicken which did not fit the Southwest lasagna theme at all.
Ramon's Southwest Lasagna
Christina suspected that she was served this chicken dish because she asked if the lasagna had any meat. Also, on the side of our meal was a hard white bread which was unremarkable.
Christina's Southwest Lasagna
The first salad which Christina and I were both served came with butter lettuce, cranberries, and arugula. Christina and I agreed the butter lettuce was really bad but she did enjoy the cranberries. My second salad was served with arugula, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. The second salad was even worse than the first. The ball of parmesan cheese had no flavor and the tomatoes were disgusting. I mostly left both salads untouched and moved on to the main dish the Southwest lasagna. The lasagna had cheese, corn, and was topped with what tasted like sriracha sauce. I usually love lasagna but this was barely edible and I can easily say this was the most disgusting dish I had ever been served on an airplane. Who puts sriracha sauce on lasagna? The meal service ended with a warm chocolate chip cookie which I usually look forward to on American Airlines but thsi time was served a little hard.
American Airlines Chocolate Cookie
Overall, this was the worse meal I have been served in any class on an airplane and it is embarrassing that American Airlines would serve this meal to anyone especially Business Class customers.
Service The Business Class flight attendant on our flight certainly tried hard but seemed to be in over her head. This started from the minute we walked on the plane where she and the other flight attendant seemed really nervous about departing late and focused more on this issue which was mostly out of their hands instead of serving the passengers. The manner in which she talked about the plane not being an American Airlines original showed her frustration with the airline's product. After take off she was very slow taking food and drink orders and delivering food. Once the meal service was complete she was slow to clear away dishes and empty glasses. At one point we waited an hour for her to clear our empty glasses. When the flight attendant heard us complaining to each other about the meal and saw that our food was barely eaten she apologized and offered us compensation. American Airlines rolled out a compensation program in 2018 which flight attendants can use onboard called iSolve and it was my first experience with this system. As Gold elites Christina and I ended up with 7,500 miles because of our issues with the food which I thought was fair compensation. The flight attendant also sent us home with a bottle of wine as an apology. I really appreciated that the flight attendant tried hard to make up for all of the issues on this flight and I gave her a one of our outstanding service coupons for her effort. We ended up talking and she told me that flight attendants constantly send American Airlines management notes about all of the issues but management doesn't listen to staff. Unfortunately, this is symptomatic of a bigger problem at American Airlines where management doesn't listen to employee or passenger feedback and leaves employees apologizing for the airline. It is clear that American Airlines needs to work on staffing for these flights and service training for flight attendants to improve the passenger experience. Take Away The comfortable and newly upholstered seats were not enough to make up for the many problems on this flight. The lack of any seat-back IFE on this flight was compounded by the lack of any power plugs for the entire flight and streaming IFE for the vast majority of the flight. The food on this flight was disgusting and added to an embarrassing Business Class experience from American Airlines. Furthermore, the staff on this flight were overwhelmed and the Business Class flight attendant was left having to apologize for American Airlines embarrassing experience. My advice is to do your best to avoid lasagna and the legacy US Airways A321 when flying on American Airlines. 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 while traveling in comfort. In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served. American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview An operational upgrade led to me flying in First Class and my best regional flight on American Airlines. Pros-Good Service, Lots of legroom and comfortable seat, Functional AC and USB Power Plugs, and Good IFE Streaming selection Cons- Mediocre food, No seat-back IFE American Tap Room Since I didn't have access to any lounges at Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) I headed to an airport restaurant American Tap Room for breakfast. Because of the growth in membership, limited lounge space at airports, and overcrowding at airport lounge Priority Pass has expanded access to non-lounge options including American Tap Room at DCA. Through my Priority Pass Select membership I received a $28 credit towards a meal at American Tap Room. I really like being able to use this benefit at my home airport restaurant since it substantially reduces the cost of meals while traveling.  American Tap Room Menu During my visit to American Tap Room, I ordered eggs and waffles for breakfast. The eggs were light and fluffy and the bacon was crispy and flavorful and I really enjoyed them. On the other hand, the waffles were hard and very difficult to eat with a plastic knife and fork. Service at the restaurant was good with the hostess seating me quickly and server taking my order and closing out my check quickly. In the end I owed nothing for the meal because of my credit, I paid the server a tip and was on my way to the gate for boarding. Overall, I found American Tap Room breakfast experience average and would say it is worth a stop if you don't have lounge access. You won't be blown away by the food but you may find it better than some of the meals you have onboard American Airlines First Class.  American Tap Room Waffle and Eggs Boarding After finishing my breakfast I headed to Gate 43 C for my departure and the gate area was crowded. I took a look up at the departure screen and saw that I was listed as cleared on the standby screen and thought that was strange since I was flying on a confirmed ticket and already had a bulkhead seat assigned in Main Cabin Extra. My first thought was that I must have been operationally upgraded to First Class since the flight was oversold. I refreshed my app and surely enough I saw that my new seat assignment was 1D in First Class. I was really excited about this development since it meant I didn't need to spend the three 500 mile upgrades required for this route and I would still be flying in First Class. A few minutes later the gate agent called me to the podium for my new boarding pass and confirmed that I was operationally upgraded due to the oversold flight. This was my second time I had been operationally upgraded within four months on American after my first operational upgrade on my flight from Santa Barbara. A few minutes later the situation grew more complicated when the flight was still oversold by two people despite the operational upgrades to First Class. The gate agents started with an offer of $300 for anyone willing to take a later flight to New Orleans. My first reaction was that this offer was low and since I didn't see anyone else heading to volunteer I waited to see if the agents would increase the offer. However, once I saw two volunteers heading to the counter I quickly got into line. I ended up being the second of three people to volunteer but gave up my spot to allow two teenage friends to volunteer together. I decided that it was easier since there were two of them and I would instead enjoy my experience flying to New Orleans in First Class.  DCA Gate 43/43C Once boarding got underway I was the first to board the plane and upon boarding I was given a warm greeting by the flight attendant and I knew I was going to receive good service on this flight. Plane and Seats Our flight was operated by an Embraer-175 (E175) regional jet. This E-175 was configured in 1-2 configuration with 12 seats in First Class and operated by Republic Airlines on behalf of American Airlines.  American Airlines E-175 First Class Cabin I was seated in the bulkhead aisle seat (1D) on the right side of the plane. The seat itself was old and tattered but had great legroom and was comfortable. I really appreciate the large wings on the seat which provide good support of my head.  American Airlines E-175 First Class Cabin Legroom One big plus of this plane was that it had functional AC and USB power for each passenger in First Class between the seats. This is not the case on many of the narrow body jets American Airlines flies domestically. The captain announced a flight time of 2 hours and 40 minutes and the door closed 3 minutes early. About 20 minutes later we took off with light turbulence on a beautiful morning in Washington D.C.  American Airlines E-175 AC and USB Power Plugs Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment As I sat down there was a blanket at my seat something which was not present on my last two American Airlines flights. I find that American Airlines is very inconsistent about proactively offering blankets but I appreciated it on this flight since I was cold. I opened up the package with the blanket and found the blanket to be thin but better than nothing.  American Airlines E-175 Seat and Blanket As on all American Airlines regional flights there was no seat-back in-flight entertainment (IFE) on this nearly 3 hour flight which I found annoying since I had to stop watching the IFE on my IPAD because I did not have sufficient space on the tray table. However, I was able to access American Airlines streaming in-flight selection which I found to be strong on this flight. There were several new release movies including A Star is Born and Academy Awards 2018 Best Film winner Green Book. I ended up watching Fantastic Beasts Crimes of Grindlewald which I enjoyed.  American Airlines Streaming IFE Food and Drinks Before I was seated I was offered a pre-departure drink and chose a screwdriver. It was nice to have this service since it is inconsistently offered in First Class on American Airlines flights.  American Airlines Pre-Departure Drink Shortly after take-off the meal service started with a towel and meal selection. The options were a Protein Plate with fruit and Chobani yogurt or a plate with turkey, salami and assorted fruit. I chose the second option which also came with two types of cheese, cucumbers, two soft boiled eggs and tomatoes. The fruit plate included strawberries, green grapes, pineapples, orange slices, one blueberry, and on the side was a cinnamon roll. The entire meal was served very cold and felt like it just came out of the freezer. I enjoyed the turkey, salami, and cheese plate. I found the soft-boiled eggs to be okay and was disappointed with the fruit plate and in particular found the strawberries to be very bad. Overall, the meal was mediocre and my advice if you have an American Airlines regional First Class our of DCA is to eat breakfast before you get onboard.  American Airlines E-175 First Class Food Service
The flight attendant on this flight set the right tone for the flight when greeting me upon boarding with a smile. This enthusiasm and positive attitude continued throughout the flight which I find to be uncommon on American Airlines. She took my pre-departure beverage order and when I returned from the restroom she had pulled out my drink tray and served the drink. I also liked that the flight attendant moved through service quickly and efficiently while keeping a positive attitude. On this flight the good service wasn't limited to the flight attendant but extended to the captain. Even though we arrived two minutes late the captain kept us updated on the time and said that he continued trying to find smooth air so we would have comfortable flights and avoid significant turbulence. In the end we only experienced light turbulence and I appreciated the captain's communication. Take Away This was the best regional flight I experienced on American Airlines. On this flight I was disappointed by the mediocre food and lack of seat-back IFE but the positives overcame those negatives. The flight had strong streaming IFE options, USB and AC power plugs, lots of legroom, a comfortable seat. Most importantly my flight was made enjoyable by the good service from the flight attendant and great communication from the captain. While American Airlines has a lot of work to do on its in-flight food and drinks if American Airlines consistently delivered multiple functional power options, strong streaming IFE options, and good service it would be a strong contender. Sadly, based on past experience I believe this flight was more the exception than the norm. 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 while traveling in comfort. In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served. American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview Flying through Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Business Class on this ancient Embraer 175 in Business Class was a terrible experience and only marginally better than economy. Pros-None Cons- Poor Check-In Experience, Bad NAS Ground Experience, Aging Plane, Bland Food, Uncomfortable Seat, Barely Functional Power Plugs, No Seat-Back Entertainment, Limited Wi-Fi and Streaming Entertainment, No Amenities, Limited Storage Check-In and Immigration For this flight we were headed back to Washington D.C. from Nassau on a non-stop flight to Ronald Regan National Airport (DCA) which American Airlines operates seasonally around Christmas and New Years. When we arrived at Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) about two hours before our flight we had already been upgraded to Business Class utilizing our 500 mile upgrades. Because we were upgraded so far in advance we had the opportunity to take advantage of the American Airline's priority ground services at NAS. The American Airlines priority check-in line was very long so we decided to use the check-in machine to check our bags. After quickly completing the check-in we still waited in a slow bag drop line while the check-in agent took about ten minutes to tag our bags and then proceeded to another check-in desk to check my golf clubs since American Airlines requires a separate check-in for specialty equipment at NAS. After about 20 minutes we were done with the check-in process and I realized that our bags were never tagged as priority by the check-in agent. Overall, I found American Airlines check-in process at NAS to be slow and cumbersome.  American Airlines NAS Bag Drop After we completed the check-in process we proceeded through immigration. When returning to the United States this process is usually seamless for Christina and I since we have Global Entry. However, NAS is one of the locations with a pre-clearance facility meaning that travelers to the United States clear before arriving in the United States. For the vast majority of passengers this provides a more pleasant experience since the flight can arrive at a domestic terminal. The problem with this is that for passengers with Global Entry the experience can be mixed since the experience at the pre-clearance facility may be slower than on arrival in the U.S. Unfortunately, we experienced this first hand at NAS. When we entered the pre-check line there was only one couple ahead of us in line, however, we took an hour to clear immigration! This was by far the longest I have ever taken to clear U.S. immigration and our traveling companions who did not have Global Entry even cleared the normal immigration line before we did. My advice is to arrive early for any flight out of NAS. Graycliff Divans Lounge Despite arriving at the airport about two hours early we ended up with only about 30 minutes before boarding once we cleared immigration. We decided to go to the only Priority Pass lounge in the U.S. Departures terminal Grayliff Divans. This lounge is located near Gate C-41 and open 7 am-7 pm daily and passengers are provided with a $20 USD credit for food and beverages.  Graycliff Divans Lounge Entrance Upon checking in we were asked if we wanted a Wi-Fi code and when we said yes the agent printed out what seemed to be a unique Wi-FI code. The lounge has an indoor smoking section to the right and a non-smoking section to the left along with a an outdoor deck which also allowed smoking. I really didn't like that people could smoke in the majority of the lounge.  Graycliff Divans Lounge Deck When we sat down we were given menus and after reading the menu I planned on ordering breakfast. However, when we went to order we were told that no breakfast items were available for order, despite being advertised as an all day breakfast, and the only snack item available was the french fries with truffle oil and parmesan. We ordered the french fries and I ordered an orange juice. The service at the lounge was terrible and when our server was rude when taking our orders. After 30 minutes of waiting for our french fries we checked in on our order and instead of bringing the order to the table the waitress sent Christina with the order back to the table while she texted. Once we got the french fries they were cold since they had been sitting and waiting. Overall, this lounge was really poor and I would recommend skipping it.  Graycliff Divans Menu Plane and Seats Boarding started right on time and we were the first people to board the E175 operated by American Airlines' regional affiliate Republic Airways.  American Airlines E-175 The 12 First Class E-175 seats were arraigned in a 1-2 configuration versus the 2-2 configuration in economy. Christina and I were seated in the bulkhead seats 1D and 1F on the right side of the First Class cabin. Once we were seated the First Class flight attendant asked us if we wanted a pre-departure beverage and let us know that because of Customs regulations American Airlines cannot serve alcohol on the ground in Nassau. Since some airlines don't serve alcohol on the ground to avoid paying duty I wondered whether this truly because of customs regulations or more to do with avoiding alcohol duties. As passengers boarded the flight attendant encouraged passengers to sit down quickly since some passengers had tight connections in D.C. As the rest of the passengers settled in the captain said we had a 2 hour and five minute flight time and that we should expect a bumpy ride.  American Airlines E-175 Cabin My first impression of the plane was that it as aging. The First Class seats looked beat down and had a drab dark grey color. The seats had shared power plugs located between the seats. However, the plugs were so loose that every time we tried to plug in our IPhone or IPad to charge our devices they fell out. The seats were in the bulkhead so had good legroom and the tray table was located inside the armrest. The seats were not comfortable despite the padding and they had no storage areas. The seat was made more uncomfortable because the headrest wasn't properly attached to the seat and the "pre-recline" made it difficult to read.  American Airlines E-175 First Class Seat The door closed right on time and our flight pulled off two minutes later with one empty Business Class seat. As the plane taxied I was really annoyed by how loud it was. Then the captain announced that the plane had a maintenance delay and we taxied out of the way to fix the issue. The maintenance issue was fixed and we departed about 25 minutes late from a foggy Nassau and ultimately landed 15 minutes late in DCA. The loud noise, beat up seats, and maintenance issues made me think this aging plane has seen better days.  Foggy View from the Window Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment There were no pillows, blankets, or any other amenities on this flight. The seats also had no seat-back in-flight entertainment (IFE) which meant the only way to access the streaming IFE was using our tablets or phones. However, the Wi-Fi which powers the streaming IFE was down for the majority of the flight since it did not provide coverage in The Bahamas. When Wi-Fi coverage kicked in about half way through the flight we explored the streaming IFE options. The streaming options were more limited than the seat back IFE and included Mission Impossible Fallout. We ended up not watching any of the IFE options because our tablets were low on power and we continued to have issues with the First Class plugs. Since Christina fell asleep about half way through the flight and I didn't bring a book I was left to listen to my music and stare out the window.  Streaming In-Flight Entertainment Meal The flight attendant started the meal service quickly after takeoff. The service started with a warm towel. While I have experienced the warm towel service on numerous flights it didn't make sense on a flight from a warm climate like The Bahamas and I think instead it should be a cold towel service on flights from warm climates. On this flight we were served lunch and Christina and I were the first people to order but we ended up being served last since the flight attendant served from back to front. The meal choices were a Chinese chicken salad or a BBQ chicken wrap. I chose the BBQ chicken wrap while Christina chose the Chinese chicken salad. I also ordered a Sam Adams Octoberfest while Christina ordered red wine.  BBQ Chicken Salad The BBQ chicken sandwich was served with cold peanuts, pita chips, salt and pepper on the side, and chocolate mouse cake. This sandwich was really bad with only a hint of BBQ sauce and was so dry at point I started choking and heavily downed water.  Chinese Chicken Salad Christina's Chinese chicken salad had peppers, mango, chicken. The salad was very bland but better than my sandwich. The best part of the meal was the chocolate mouse cake which was not dry. Overall, our meals were bad and we once again had a bad experience with American Airline's First Class catering.
Service When it comes to service onboard American Airlines I came in with low expectations based on my previous experience and this flight met those low expectations. I appreciated that the flight attendant offered us pre-departure beverages, not always a guarantee on American Airlines, and quickly cleared away our plates when we were done with our meals. However, during meal service we were never proactively offered drinks and after the meal service we were pretty much ignored until landing. I would grade the service on this flight as average which is about the best I have come to expect on American Airlines. Take Away I always appreciate a First Class upgrade, however, flying in First Class with American Airlines on this route was only marginally better than economy. The priority ground experience in Nassau was meaningless since the priority line was longer than the bag drop. Furthermore, the ground experience at NAS was weak with the Global Entry line taking longer than the standard immigration line and the Divans lounge delivering a bad experience. In the air our ancient E-175 was a terrible experience and once again we were failed by American Airlines. The convience of flying non-stop to DCA was nice but this experience was bad enough I would consider connecting next time. Also, as an American Airlines elite I would advise to skip using a 500 mile upgrade on this route. 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 while traveling in comfort. In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served. American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview This was our first experience flying American Airlines mainline (non-regional operated) First Class. The experience came with multi-course hot meals, hot towel service, and very comfortable seats along with the bad service we have come to expect from American Airlines. Pros-Wide and Well-Padded Seats, Great Legroom, Lots of Power at Every Seat, Good IFE with Remote, Blanket, Multi-Course Hot Meal, Hot Towel Service, and modern Admirals Club Cons-Apathetic Service, Inconsistent Food Quality, Dated Departure Terminal DFW Arrival We landed about 30 minutes before our scheduled arrival on our flight from Santa Barbara (SBA) but spent about 20 minutes taxing because there was another aircraft at our gate. It was not a surprise that we had to wait for a gate at DFW because it is American Airlines largest hub with over 900 daily departures in summer 2019. While we waited for our gate to clear we at least had the opportunity for some cool plane spotting at DFW. As we rolled by the Qantas A380 I was in awe! Our regional jet looked like an ant compared to the whale of an A380. Christina and I both grew very excited for our upcoming First Class Honeymoon where were we would have an opportunity to fly twice on the A380.  Qantas A380 After about 20 minutes of taxing we were finally assigned a new gate. After waiting for our gate checked bags on the jet-bridge we headed towards Terminal C for our connecting flight. DFW Terminal C Admirals Club Our flight from SBA arrived at Gate D 8 and our flight to Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) departed from Terminal C so we took the SkyLink train. Once we exited the train I was surprised just how the dated Terminal C looked. I have flown through DFW several times and this was definitely the worse terminal. Terminal C had ugly flooring, poor lighting, and a dated look. This why I was not surprised when six months after our flight American Airlines and DFW announced an agreement to renovate terminal C in conjunction with building a sixth terminal (Terminal F).  DFW Terminal C After locating our gate we quickly headed to the Admirals Club located near gates 19/20 in Terminal C. This Admirals Club was a welcomed change from the dated terminal. As we entered the Admirals Club I noticed that it had a modern feel and art work which I enjoyed. We also found the club to be spacious and not crowded.  DFW Terminal C Admirals Club Entrance One interesting amenity of this club was the kids play room which was Universal Studios Orlando themed and was plastered with the minions.  DFW Terminal C Admirals Club Kids Room We did not check out the food at the Admirals Club since we ate on our last flight and were about to get another meal on the flight to DCA. Overall, this was one of the nicest Admirals Clubs I had experienced topped only by the Admirals Club at LAX.  DFW Terminal C Admirals Club Boarding As our boarding time approached we headed over to Gate C37 for our flight. The gate area was fairly quiet and only one person was on the gate upgrade list and the flight ended up going out with two empty First Class seats. First Class was so light on this flight that one American Airlines employee cleared into First Class. We boarded first and as we boarded the flight I was stopped by the gate agent who asked that I put my bag into the sizer to make sure it could fit onboard. It ended up fitting into the sizer and were on our way. It annoys me how inconsistently American Airlines enforces their carry-on policy. I am often stopped by agents trying to size my bag and never have had a problem getting it to fit, however, I have seen passengers carrying on bags that obviously were not meant for the overhead bins but were never stopped by the gate agent.  Gate C 37 Plane and Seats On this flight we flew the Boeing 737-800 the most common plane flown by American Airlines. Because of the light load we were actually upgraded to First Class about 26 hours before our flight a full two hours before the Gold Elite upgrade window. Since were upgraded so early we weren't allowed to change seats and were not seated next to each other. However, after the upgrade window passed we changed seats and selected the bulkhead seats 3E and 3F. The 737-800 First Class is arraigned in a 2-2 configuration with about 20 inches of seat width and about 40 inches of pitch.  Boeing 737-800 When I sat down I was immediately impressed by the seat which was wide with a ton of legroom, comfortable padding, and the best American Airlines seat I had experienced outside of the A321T. I particularly liked how comfortable the head padding was on this seat something which I find annoying on many other seats. Each seat had AC power and a USB charger which I really appreciated after my three hour CRJ-900 flight without in-seat power.  First Class Seat 3E Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment When we sat down at our seats they contained a plastic wrapped blanket. I found the cabin temperate to be good on this flight so I did not use the blanket. Even though I didn't end up using the blanket it is a nice option for the times when the plane is chilly or a longer night time flight where I want to doze off. This 737-800 also contained seat-back in-flight entertainment (IFE) since it had not been retrofitted through American Airlines' project oasis which will result in less pitch and no seat back IFE even in First Class. The IFE system had a remote, contained more options than the streaming service I had experienced on my regional flight, and was much smoother since this plane was equipped with satellite internet. I really enjoyed using the remote since at the bulkhead seats the IFE screen is fairly far away. We ended up watching Oceans 8 on this flight which I found to be a fun film to watch with a traveling companion. I really like American Airlines' IFE system on this plane and it is sad that soon it will be removed from all Boeing 737-800s.  American Airlines Boeing 737-800 IFE Meal When we reached cruising altitude the flight attendant came around asking for our food and drink order. We had a choice between beef short rib and a falafel plate. I ordered the beef short rib and Christina ordered the falafel plate. About 30 minutes into the flight the flight attendant came around with a hot towel which was steaming but refreshing followed by warm mixed nuts and our drink orders. This was my first time having warm mix nuts or hot towel service on American Airlines and I really liked these aspects of the First Class service.  Beverage and Mix Nuts Service About one hour into the flight our multi-course meal service with real utensils began. The beef short ribs came with mac and cheese topped with green beans and a side salad. The short ribs were really good and the mac and cheese was average.  Beef Short Rib Christina's falafel plate came with falafel, toasted orzo, and quinoa along with a side salad. Christina found her meal overall unremarkable and the side salad bland. She felt that the falafel plate needed salt and pepper. Next the flight attendant came around with a choice of multigrain, white, or pretzel roll.  Falafel Plate We found the bread quality to be average. I liked that the bread was served warm but it was a bit hard and dry. Finally, for desert we had a choice between a chocolate chip and ginger snap cookie. I chose the chocolate chip and Christina chose the ginger snap. They were both served warm and we really enjoyed them.  Chocolate Chip Cookie Overall, I really liked having a substantial multi-course meal on a three hour flight. The quality of our meals was mixed with some highlights such as the short rib and other parts such as the side salad which fell short.
Service Our service on this flight can best be described as apathetic. The flight attendant just did the minimum required and did not do so with a smile. One of the best examples of the apathetic service was the lack of a pre-departure beverage, something which is standard on all American Airlines First and Business Class flights. Despite having a light load in the First Class cabin and an early departure the flight attendant didn't serve any pre-departure beverages. Instead she decided to finish her dinner and use her iPhone. She was never rude but it seemed like she really didn't want to be on this flight. Unfortunately, I have found this to be the case on far too many American Airlines' fights even in First Class. Take Away This flight delivered on many fronts including wide and comfortable seats, great legroom, multiple power options at each seat, a multi-course hot meal, hot towel service, and seat-back IFE with a remote. It showed American Airlines' domestic First Class potential. However, the food quality was inconsistent, American Airlines plans to remove the seat-back IFE, and American Airlines' apathetic service continued even in First Class. If I am flying in American Airlines in First Class then the 737-800 would be probably be my choice. 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 while traveling in comfort.
In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served.
American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview Multiple errors by American Airlines gate agents led to us receiving an operational First Class upgrade which we really appreciated on this 3 hour regional jet flight. We left the flight unimpressed by the CRJ-900 First Class Experience. Pros-Great Legroom, Hard Working Flight Attendants, Good and Substantial Meal Cons-Incompetent Gate Agent, Low Ceilings, No First Class Amenities, No Seat Back IFE or Device Holder, No Seat Power , Limited Supply of Meals and Insufficient Supply of Ice Check-In and Boarding The adventures on this flight began at check-in when were unable to check-in because we did not have sufficient 500-mile upgrades, which I outlined in my previous post, in either of our accounts. We needed 10 500-miles upgrades to upgrade our journey from Santa Barbara (SBA)-Dallas Forth Worth (DFW)- Washington Regan National (DCA) but Christina had 5 and I had 9 since neither of our accounts had the full allotment we couldn't check-in. I called American Airlines to cancel the 500-mile upgrade request from SBA-DFW and little did we know that we would end up riding in First Class despite not requesting an upgrade. I have flown out of SBA on several occasions and I have been impressed by both the architecture of the airport and the ease of the ground process. The architecture evokes the Spanish missions of the Central Coast and makes for a very warm welcome to the airport. I have never waited to check a bag at this airport and usually clear security with Pre-Check in 5 minutes. This is the case despite the growth at the airport which now served by six airlines, with the addition of Delta's service to Salt Lake City and will serve 12 non-stop destinations starting in June 2020 with the addition of United non-stop flight to Chicago. 
SBA Airport Entrance
When I arrived at the gate it was full. Passengers were waiting for the flight and there were four elites on the upgrade list for two available First Class seats but the gate agent ended up clearing no one. Throughout the process the gate agent did not spend a lot of time at the gate and seemed focused on getting the plane out on time rather than answering passengers' questions or clearing upgrades. I am all for getting the plane out on time but this doesn't mean the gate agent should ignore all other duties and if American Airlines gate agents are having trouble doing both then they need to staff gates with at least two staff members. About nine minutes out from boarding our plane had just arrived. Shortly after all of the passengers finished deplaning the gate agent started the boarding process. We proceeded down to the tarmac and boarded via a walkway instead of a jet bridge. This afforded us stunning views of the mountains surrounding the airport.
American Airlines CRJ-900
Plane and Seats
SBA-DFW is currently the longest flight out of SBA with a distance of about 1,316 miles, which will be eclipsed by United Airlines flight to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) in 2020, and has a flight time booked at approximately 3 hours. Despite the distance American Airlines utilized a CRJ-900 regional jet operated by Mesa Airlines for our flight. Since this flight in 2018, American Airlines has changed to a E-175 operated by Envoy Air. The CRJ-900, like vast majority of regional jets, required larger bags to be gate checked which meant we collected them plane side in Dallas and were able to carry them on our connecting flight. This was annoying since it slowed down our exit once we arrived in Dallas. 
American Airlines CRJ-900
About six hours before the flight we changed our seats to the bulkhead seats which made me happy since this was the longest regional jet flight I had experienced and I was nervous about spending it in economy. However, when we boarded the flight we found our seats occupied by a woman and her traveling companion. She told us that one of the flight attendants had told her to take the seat and she refused to move since she said had just pulled a hamstring and needed the extra legroom. I did feel bad for the woman but I was annoyed because she chose not to buy an extra legroom seat which was available up to a few hours before the flight and the gate agent, who was nowhere to be found during much of the time leading up to boarding, had once again showed his incompetence.
Not wanting to slow down the boarding process but unclear where we should sit we proceeded to the back of the plane and spoke with the flight attendant working economy. She let us know that she was frustrated at the gate agent for not solving this situation and that there were two available seats in First Class and she operationally upgraded us to First Class. Once she said this we were very happy and proceeded to sit in the very back row of economy until the boarding process finished and she moved us to First Class. What was funny about this situation is that there were four other elites on the upgrade list that did not clear yet we did not use our 500-miles upgrades and ended up in First Class. If the gate agent had cleared the other elites into First Class then there likely would have been a Main Cabin Extra open for us or the woman and her traveling companion to sit in. I am sure the other elites who were not cleared were mad but the gate agents incompetence worked out well for us and we were really happy to be sitting in First Class on this approximately 3-hour flight. 
American Airlines CRJ-900 First Class Seat 4A
First Class on American Airline's CRJ-900s has either 9 or 12 seats arranged in a 2-1 configuration. Our plane had 12 seats and we were both seated on the single seat side with Christina in seat 1A and myself in seat 4A. While I was annoyed that I was unable to sit next to Christina, I appreciated being in First Class and that my seat offered both a window view and aisle access. This is something that is not common flying domestically in First Class. The seats in this configuration had 37 inches of pitch and about 20 inches of width. I found the seat to be comfortable and well padded.
CRJ-900 First Class Seat
While I was certainly appreciative of being in a First Class seat I did not like the CRJ-900 cabin. The cabin had very low ceilings and I generally felt claustrophobic on the plane. At 5 feet 10 inches I had to watch my head to make sure I did not hit the overhead bins and going to the First Class bathroom required craning my neck. After three hours I was ready to get out of the plane and move around freely.
CRJ900 First Class Bathroom
We took off 15 minutes late and I loved the beautiful ocean views as we climbed. It was a beautiful day and having a seat with a window afforded me beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Ocean View
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
When I sat down at my seat I realized that there were no blankets or pillows proactively offered on this flight despite the three hour flight time. This is something I have received on substantially shorter American Airline's flights. The CRJ-900 had no in-seat power and no seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) which was really disappointing. During the meal service the lack of seat-back IFE or a device holder became even more annoying since I could not eat and watch the IFE at the same time. These are both things that make a flight this long more enjoyable and I would expect on such a long flight in First Class. The plane did offer streaming in-flight entertainment and I accessed it via my tablet. While the streaming IFE was less substantial than on American's narrow-body jets there were a few good options. On this flight I ended up watching Deadpool 2 which I found to be a good way to pass the time. 
American Airlines Streaming IFE
Meal
We were not offered pre-departure beverages I assumed due to the late departure. About 8 minutes after takeoff the First Class flight attendant came around to take our drink orders. She returned a few minutes later with my drink in an American Airlines branded glass which I put on the plastic cup holder which I really liked since it allowed for more space on the tray table. 
American Airlines Branded Glass
After serving the drink she returned with a cold towel which I found refreshing but really thin and poor quality.
American Airlines First Class Towel Service
The flight attendant continued the meal service by offering most First Class passengers a choice between two meals, however, by the time she reached the last row the only option remaining was a salad. While I lucked out since I like a good salad I was disappointed that American Airlines had not loaded enough meals to allow for a choice for the three passengers in the back row of First Class. This wasn't even the only thing that American Airlines ran out of on this flight. About 30 minutes before landing the plane ran out of ice. Once again it is a same that American Airlines does not provision sufficient ice on such a long flight.
The salad included lettuce, tomatoes, olives, corn, and feta cheese. The chicken was cold, since American Airline's regional jets do not have ovens, and served on the side along with olive oil and vinegar dressing, mixed nuts, key lime pie, and sea salt crackers. I was quite impressed by the substantial size of the meal and the presence of real cutlery. The salad was quite tasty and I really liked that it had feta cheese. I also enjoyed the mixed nuts, even though they were served cold, and the sea salt crackers. I am not a fan of key lime pie but it had been many years since I had any so I thought I would give it a try. As a result, I found out that I still strongly dislike key lime pie but I can't blame that on American Airlines. Overall, I think that American Airlines put a good foot forward with this meal. It was both a good and substantial cold First Class meal. 
American Airlines First Class Meal
Service
On this flight we had very different service from the First Class flight attendant than the economy flight attendant. When we had an issue with our seat assignment the economy flight attendant was very friendly and handled the situation calmly. When I gave her two coupons for great service she shared one with her colleague who I think did not deserve it. The First Class flight attendant only provided average service. While she worked hard with a full First Class cabin she was unable to keep her patience under stress. For example, during the first drink service order Christina ordered two drinks and the First Class flight attendant was visibly annoyed. While she was never rude during the service since was not friendly. Take Away We really lucked out receiving a First Class upgrade without requesting one which made this three hour regional jet flight manageable. However, the errors that led to the upgrade demonstrated the incompetence of gate agent. Moreover, while the meal was good and substantial the overall First Class experience of the CRJ-900 was not impressive. The plane had no seat back IFE or device holder, no seat power, low ceilings and American Airlines provided no amenities limited supply of food and insufficient supply of ice. My advice is if you find yourself on a three hour or more American Airlines flight and have a choice avoid the CRJ-900 even in First Class. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Complimentary Upgrades on Flights less than 500 Miles All American Airlines elites and up to one traveling companion receive complimentary upgrades when purchasing paid non-Basic Economy tickets on flights less than 500 miles long. However, only Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, and Concierge Key elites receive complimentary upgrades on all paid non-Basic economy tickets for flights greater than 500 miles within North America. Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members also receive complimentary upgrades on award tickets within North America. American Airlines defines North America for the purposes of 500 miles upgrades as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Earning 500 Miles Upgrades Only Gold and Platinum elites earn complimentary upgrades for every 12,500 elite qualifying miles flown during the membership year. The American Airlines membership year extends from February 1st-January 31st and elites can track their progress in their wallet on aa.com or in the American Airlines app. One key thing to know about 500 mile upgrades is that earning 500 miles upgrades only starts after the elite member qualifies for Gold status so any flights taken prior to earning elite status do not count. All other American Airlines elites do not earn 500 miles upgrades and must purchase the upgrades to upgrade their companions on flights greater than 500 miles. Purchasing 500 Miles Upgrades Any elite can purchase a 500 mile upgrade for $40 per 500 mile upgrade or 40,000 AAdvantage miles for 8 upgrades. However, in my experience these upgrades don't post immediately and may take a few hours to post to your account. The upgrades can be purchased through multiple American Airlines sales channels including on aa.com, most Admirals Clubs, during check-in, and through American Airlines reservations. Using 500 Miles Upgrades One 500-mile upgrade is required for each 500 miles flown rounded up to the nearest 500 miles. For example, a flight from DCA-LAX is 2,311 miles which would require 5 500 mile upgrades. There are many way for elites to request an upgrade on a 500 mile eligible flight including: 1) during the booking process, 2) opening the reservation, 3) calling American Airlines, 4)during check-in, 5) at the airport. The easiest way to determine the number of 500 mile upgrades required is reviewing the number required during the booking process or in the reservation after booking. 500 mile upgrades don't expire but can only be utilized by current elite members. If an elite member loses status they will have to regain status or travel with another elite member in order to utilize any unused 500 mile upgrades. An elite member is not required to have sufficient 500 mile upgrades in their account to request an upgrade but the member will be unable to check into their flight if the member does not have sufficient 500 mile upgrades. At this time the member's options are to purchase additional upgrades or cancel the upgrade request by calling American Airlines. Using 500 Miles Upgrades for Companions Elites can upgrade one companion using 500 miles upgrades. If an elite member is traveling with a companion then the members need to have sufficient upgrades in their individual accounts or enough 500 mile upgrades in one account for both of them to be upgraded. If the companion is not on the same reservation then the elite member can call American airlines to link the reservations and utilize 500 mile upgrades. If there are more than two individuals on a reservation then the elite member will need to call to request an upgrade.  Complimentary Upgrade Process on American Airlines Upgrade Order
Once a 500-mile upgrade is requested upgrades clear based on the status of the highest-level elite requesting the upgrade, type of upgrade requested, and then the 12 month rolling elite qualifying dollars. Booking code then time/date of the request serve as tie breakers. If an upgrade clears then the elite member will receive an email notifying the member starting from their elite upgrade window up until three and a half hours before the flight. If the upgrade doesn't clear then the elite is added to the airport upgrade list for the flight. American Airlines Upgrade Order
By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. On any flight, the experience begins on the ground and one of the most important ground amenity for me is an airline's airport lounge. If I have access to a lounge it can provide a respite from the chaos of the terminal and a place to recharge and gain access to refreshments. In this post I am going to focus on the upgraded food options offered in American Airlines' airport lounges. American Airlines' lounges are called Admirals Clubs harkening back to the days when these lounges required a membership and flyers could access the lounges regardless of the airline being flown. However, starting November 1, 2019 Admirals Club access was limited to passengers flying on an American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or OneWorld marketed or operated flight. I receive access to the Admiral's Clubs when flying with Christina through the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. This card allows access for the cardholder and up to two traveling companions.  Admirals Club/Flagship Lounge Entrance LAX While I appreciate many aspects of the airport lounge experience when flying domestically or on short haul flights the most important amenity are the complimentary food and drinks. This is an area where American Airlines has long lagged. Typically, what you can expect on the drink front is water, orange juice, machine-made hot beverages including coffee, rail liquors, wine, and beer.  Admirals Club Drink Options On the food front Admiral's Club options have been what I can only describe as sad. The options included bagels, unappetizing fruit, yogurt, soup, and cereal.
Beginning in 2018, American Airlines began upgrading its food options introducing both freshly made guacamole in the afternoon and avocado toast in the morning. In 2019, American Airlines extended the food options to include build your own mac-and-cheese bars in the afternoon and breakfast tacos in the morning. During my 2018 travels, I had the opportunity to try both the freshly made guacamole and the Avocado toast. I had the guacamole on several occasions and found it to be boring, tasteless, and the chips to be too salty.  Admirals Club Guacamole However, I must give American Airlines credit for the avocado toast. In 2018 I looked forward to eating the fresh avocado toast during my morning flights.  Made-to-Order Avocado Toast The options for avocado toast toppings included mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, yellow and red onions, ham, and my favorite avocado toast topping salmon.  Avocado Toast Toppings I found the avocado toast to be tasty and better than some of American Airlines domestic First Class breakfasts which I will discuss in my upcoming posts.  Admirals Club Avocado Toast Take Away
Historically, I believe that one of the weakest aspects of the American Airlines' Admirals Club experience was the food. I give American Airlines credit for upgrading the food to provide additional options. My experience with these options has been mixed. I found the freshly made guacamole tasteless while the avocado toast was delicious. I still don't think Admirals Club's food options are great or likely to replace a full meal but it is nice to have more snacks options when waiting between America Airlines flights. My advice would be to have a full meal in the terminal if are hungry but try out the new options if you are flying American Airlines and in need of a snack. 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 while traveling in comfort. Flight Overview This flight showed American Airlines' ability to deliver a competitive domestic economy product too bad American Airlines is focused on making their economy product worse. Pros-Relatively Smooth Boarding Process, Good IFE and Power, Well Padded Seats, Complimentary Alcohol in Main Cabin Extra , Early Arrival, Non-stop DCA-LAS service Cons- Indifferent Service, Uncomfortable Bulkhead seat Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review  Train to D Gates The Club at LAS After passing through security at Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS) I took the train to the D Gates in Terminal 1 where all American Airlines flights depart. Terminal 1 has two lounges the American Express Centurion Lounge and The Club at LAS a Priority Pass lounge. Since I did not have access to the American Express Centurion Lounge at the time I headed to the Club at LAS. This was my second visit to this lounge and I left last time very unimpressed but I thought I would give the lounge one more chance and ended up regretting my decision.  The Club at LAS Upon entering the lounge, I found a wait at the check-in desk driven by the fact that only one staff person was both checking in guests and working the bar. Once I entered the small space in this lounge I found it to be overcrowded and very hot. On this 101-degree day the lounge was sweltering. The lounge was hot, overcrowded, loud, and the snacks it offered were pathetic. Furthermore, the lounge did not have separate Wi-Fi, or bathrooms, and honestly made American Airlines' Admirals clubs look good. This lounge was by far the worse I have ever visited. It was so bad in fact that I left after about 10 minutes and decided that it was better to wait for my flight in the terminal.  Club at LAS Snacks Despite my terrible experience there is good news for Priority Pass holders flying through LAS. Since I visited the Club at LAS in 2018 it's Terminal 1 facility underwent a major renovation which tripled the size of the space. Looking at the pictures and description the space now features separate restrooms with showers, complimentary cocktails, and selection of hot and cold food. Boarding As boarding approached I headed to gate D7 for my flight to Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA). American Airlines operates the only non-stop flight between LAS and home airport DCA. When I arrived at the gate it was very crowded and it was clear that this was going to be a full flight.  American Airlines Boeing 737-800 I liked the gate agents working this flight. The gate agents had numerous requests including changing seat assignments so that passengers could sit together and they tried hard to accommodate these requests. Moreover, despite a crowded gate area and a five minute late start to boarding the gate agents actually enforced the boarding groups and, on several occasions, stopped passengers from boarding in the wrong groups. As an elite member I appreciated this and it really made the boarding process a lot smoother. I boarded the plane in Group 4 and was one of the first passengers on board in economy. Plane and Seats Thanks to my American Airlines Gold elite status I was able to choose a Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in and I chose seat 8D. However, shortly after boarding I switched to 7D a bulkhead seat with more legroom than the standard 34 inches in Main Cabin Extra to allow a passenger to sit with his wife. While I appreciated having more legroom I did not like the bulkhead seat on this plane because the tray table is inside the armrest reducing the seat width by about 1 inch. In addition, the bulk head seats on this plane had airbag seats belts which felt uncomfortable and restricted my movement. I would recommend anyone flying in Main Cabin Extra on this plane choose a seat in row 8.  737-800 Main Cabin This plane had large overhead bins, shared AC power between seats, and USB power at each seat below the in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen. I also was flying on a relatively new 737-800 that had not yet been retrofitted by American's Project Oasis. This meant that had several advantages over other American 737-800s including: 1) an additional inch of seat pitch in Main Cabin (31 vs. 30) and Main Cabin extra (~34 vs. ~33), 2) seat-back IFE, 3) comfortable and more padded seats, and 4) larger bathrooms in economy. I really appreciated American's non-oasis 737-800 cabin and think it is quite competitive for domestic flights. It is sad that as the Project Oasis retrofits continue, American Airline's 737-800s will become less comfortable and less competitive. In-Flight Entertainment The IFE system on this plane was very responsive and featured an array of options including movies, tv shows, and music. On this flight I watched both The Darkest Hour and Game Night which were both entertaining. I really like American Airlines IFE and usually find it more than sufficient for a domestic flight. However, this was my tenth American Airlines flight in the span of less than two months so I was running out of movie options.  American Airlines In-Flight Entertainment Screen Main Cabin Extra Beverage and Snack Service As a competitive response to Delta's Comfort Plus American Airline's announced a few new benefits for Main Cabin Extra passengers in June 2018. These benefits included Group 5 boarding, dedicated main cabin extra overhead bins, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits. I experienced the complementary alcohol benefit since I flew shortly after the implementation of these new benefits. When the beverage and snack service started, about 1 hour into my flight, I was served a Biscoff cookie and I ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager, which would have been $7 dollars and now is $8 in the Main Cabin. The flight attendant never asked for a credit card and instead just looked at the label above my seat to confirm I was sitting in main cabin extra. The beer was served very cold which I appreciated. I really enjoyed this benefit and think it is positive for American Airlines elites. As a Gold elite the vast majority of the time I am able to select a Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in allowing me to take advantage of these additional benefits.  Main Cabin Extra Beverage and Snack Service The flight attendants passed through the cabin again later in the flight for a second beverage and snack service. They served pretzels and offered water to passengers. During this four-and-a-half hour domestic flight I had a few opportunities to interact with the flight attendants and thought they provided indifferent service. The flight landed 2 minutes early into DCA and I really appreciated the ability to have a non-stop flight to DCA from LAS.
Summary I liked my flight on American Airline's non-oasis 737-800. On this relatively long domestic route I was able to have a non-stop flight to my home airport, a smooth boarding process, AC and USB power, large overhead bins, well-padded extra legroom seats, complimentary alcohol in Main Cabin Extra, and an early arrival. Despite the indifferent service and uncomfortable bulkhead seat American Airlines offered a solid and competitive domestic economy product on this flight. However, it is sad that as American Airlines progresses with Project Oasis the airline will make economy on the 737-800 worse and lose some of the competitive advantages it had with its domestic economy product. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Las Vegas Strip Trip Report
Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review 
Las Vegas Strip
Introduction
During the summer of last year, I headed without Christina, to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. This was as my third time in the city, my first trip to Las Vegas during the summer, and my best trip to Las Vegas yet. However, I left the city having had a fun time but with the feeling that I don't want to go back to Vegas for a while. This feeling was driven by the several factors including the fact that this was my second year in a row going to Las Vegas, the dire summer heat, the high prices of going out in Las Vegas. In my last post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. I plan to focus this trip report on my review of the hotel and my overall impressions of Las Vegas, and the experience flying out Las Vegas McCaran (LAS) airport. Booking Hotel In my last tips post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. Having been to Las Vegas two previous times I knew the importance of staying on the strip because of savings in both time and money. Las Vegas blocks are large and staying as close to the center of the strip as possible was particularly important in the summer heat.
On my previous trips to the city I stayed at Bally's, which was cheap but unimpressive, and at the Cosmopolitan, where we got a great group rate and I was impressed. However, on this trip I was looking forward to putting the benefits of the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection to use. I searched for hotel's located center strip with good benefits through the program. I ended up going with the Aria which was a fantastic decision. We ended up paying $549 per person over the course of our three night stay. While this price was on the higher end for Las Vegas hotels we were dead center on the strip, staying a luxury resort with lots of amenities, and were able to save money by booking rooms with two beds and using the Luxury Hotel and Resort collection benefits. Booking through the program offered an array of the benefits including free breakfast for two daily (maximum $30 per person), and $100 food and beverage credit per stay. I found all of these to be very valuable and the benefits ended up savings us about $140 per person on dining over the course of our stay. In my upcoming posts I will walk through how to maximize each of these benefits. At check-in I also added my World of Hyatt number hoping to earn Hyatt points through the MLife and World of Hyatt partnership. In the end the stayed booked through Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection was eligible for World of Hyatt points and I earned 9,631 base points on my eligible spending for both rooms and 963 bonus points due to my Hyatt Discoverist status.
Booking Flights
Heading to Las Vegas on a summer weekend from Washington D.C. can be quite expensive and since I had been burned the year before waiting for a price decrease that never came I booked about three months out this time around when I found a reasonable price. There are non-stop flights to LAS from Baltimore Washington International on Spirit and Southwest, Washington Dulles on United, and Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) on American Airlines. Since DCA is my home airport and I had elite status with American Airlines I decided to go with the non-stop flight on American Airlines for $560 roundtrip. While this was a lot for a domestic economy ticket it actually was a good deal on this route since it was about $150 cheaper than my ticket the year earlier to Las Vegas, which included stops. Moreover, during the summer non-stop tickets with American Airlines on this route can be over $700 even when purchased months in advance. I ended up earning 2,475 AAdvantage base miles plus 990 bonus miles due to my American Airlines Gold elite status. 
DCA-LAS-DCA (Flight Routing Map generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl) L. Swartz
Summary
In this trip report I plan to utilized the tips I shared in my post on the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection in order to demonstrate how you can get value from the program. I also plan to share my thoughts on Las Vegas as a destination, share the activities I participated in while in Las Vegas, and my thoughts on flying non-stop out of LAS to DCA. I hope will you enjoy coming along with me on my adventure to Las Vegas. |
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