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. Flight Summary This flight showed Delta's product at its worse and that the airplane you fly matters on Delta. Pros-Conveniently located power plugs, mood lighting. Cons-No USB power, bland food, old and poorly functioning in-flight entertainment system, and barely functional in-flight messaging. A Weekend in Mexico City Trip Report A Weekend in Mexico City Trip Overview Delta A321 DCA-ATL Review Delta Boeing 737-800 Economy ATL-MEX Review Hilton Mexico City Reforma Review Exploring Mexico City Delta A319 Economy MEX-ATL Review Delta A320 Economy ATL-DCA Review Boarding As we got off of our flight from Washington D.C. we headed straight to our gate at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) since our flight was departing in about one hour. Boarding began about 15 minutes late. Once again we boarded in Zone 3 since we bought deeply discounted tickets and did not have Delta elite status or a Delta credit card. Because this aircraft had much smaller overhead bins that the last one and we boarded in Zone 3 we were forced to check our bags at the gate. When we got on the plane it was packed and all of the overhead bins seemed to be full. This is one big reason why for those who travel often it can really help to have elite status and for those who fly even a few times a year it is worth it to sign up for your primary airline's credit card. Boarding ended up taking a long time as the flight attendants made multiple announcements but were not helpful in clearing the aisle quickly for boarding. We ended up departing seven minutes late due to the slow boarding and delays loading luggage. Plane and Seats As we settled into our seats for this roughly three and a half hour flight I once again enjoyed the mood lighting which this time was also paired with nice boarding music. However, in general these seats were not as well padded as those on the previous flight and the interior of the plane was significantly older. One positive feature of the seat was the placement of the shared power plug. Instead of underneath the seat the plug was located on the rear of the seat in front making it much easier to access. We were seated in seats 20A and 20B which were right at the wing and obstructed some of our view but I still enjoyed the view from the wing on a clear day departing ATL. In-Flight Entertainment and Messaging The in-flight entertainment (IFE) system on the plane was very old. I found it very difficult to use and it took forever to scroll through selections. This aircraft offered live-TV from Dish network which I had not noticed on my flight from DCA-ATL. However, it did not function at all during this flight. Also, as I looked through the IFE selection they were significantly fewer options than were offered on our last flight. On a side note when we finally got the IFE to work Christina and I watched the movie Detroit on this flight. While it was a good movie it was very intense and not the kind of movie which I would recommend watching on a flight 😀. In 2017 Delta rolled out complimentary in-flight messaging which allows you to use data messaging services such as I-Message, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp free in air. When I heard about this I thought it was a cool new feature but this flight was my first time using this feature. A few things to keep in mind the service does not allow you to send pictures or video only text and emojis. As I used the service I found it extremely slow and barely functional. It took a long time to send and receive even simple text only I-Messages. While I appreciate that Delta offers the service at all I really think they have a long way to go perfecting the service and I wouldn't plan on engaging in long text conversations on a Delta 737-800. Meal Most Delta flights to Mexico on U.S. carriers do not serve a meal so I was surprised when I found out that Delta serves meals on the ATL- Mexico City International Airport (MEX) route and did not know what to expect. My suspicion is that they serve meals on this route because their joint venture partner AeroMexico, in whom Delta has a 49% stake, operates its largest hub at MEX. When meal service began a choice between sandwich and a fruit and cheese plate. I chose the ham and cheese sandwich and Christina chose the fruit and cheese plate. The fruit and cheese plate included crackers, grapes, and three types of cheese. The fruit and cheese plate was fairly boring and not filling. It was much more of a snack than lunch. Christina thought the best part of the meal was the Ghriadelli Sea Salt Chocolate which was included on the side. The sandwich included ham, cheese, and a tomato. The sandwich was bland and basic. My favorite part of the meal was the apple on the side. I appreciated the fact that we were offered meals on this relatively short flight but overall the meals were small, bland, and had me wishing I was able to stick to my original AeroMexico since Aero Mexico serves hot meals and tequila on flights over three hours. We touched down in a very foggy Mexico City and I was excited to start exploring the city.
Take Away After a great flight from DCA-ATL this flight demonstrated the inconsistency in Delta's product across different aircraft. As I have also said about American Airlines the aircraft you fly really matters and the same principal applies on Delta. This aircraft was old had a poor IFE system, barely functional in-flight messaging, and no USB power. While I appreciated that Delta offered a meal it was small and bland. I would only recommend flying Delta to Mexico City on 737-800 if you are able to score a great deal like we were, otherwise try to avoid this aircraft and try some of Delta's newer aircraft. I really hope that I will be able to try out AeroMexico next time I go to Mexico City.
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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. Flight Summary This short Delta flight showed Delta's potential and why the airline receives strong customer ratings. Pros-Delta Studio, new in-flight entertainment system, large overhead bins, USB power at every seat, mood lighting, new and comfortable economy seats, friendly customer service. Cons- None. A Weekend in Mexico City Trip Report A Weekend in Mexico City Trip Overview Delta A321 DCA-ATL Review Delta Boeing 737-800 Economy ATL-MEX Review Hilton Mexico City Reforma Review Exploring Mexico City Delta A319 Economy MEX-ATL Review Delta A320 Economy ATL-DCA Review Introduction Normally I would not review a flight as short as our connecting flight from Washington Regan National (DCA) to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL). However, this flight was on one of Delta's newest aircraft the A321 and provides me with an opportunity to compare the four different Delta aircraft I flew on this trip Delta DCA Presence Over the past two years Delta has significantly enhanced the experience for Delta flyers out of DCA. I believe this is an attempt to fight for business travelers in key business markets from Washington D.C. and if Delta is successful it could represent a major challenge to American Airlines in these markets. First, in April 2017 Delta introduced lie-flat seats in business class on transcontinental flights operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft along with complimentary meals for economy passengers and free drinks and a sleep kit for Delta's extra legroom Comfort+ passengers. Second, in May 2017 Delta announced that it would test its new biometric airport experience at DCA allowing passengers to board using their fingerprint and eventually expanded this to the include Delta SkyClub access using a fingerprint. Third, in June 2018 Delta opened its renovated Delta SkyClub at DCA with an additional 1,800 square feet of space. Boarding Unfortunately, as American Airlines elite fliers without access to the renovated Delta SkyClub we enjoyed some Cava at the airport and headed to our gate for boarding. While the boarding process was underway a passenger fainted at the gate and the gate agents called for assistance. This was the first time I had ever seen this flying. Police officers showed up to check on the passenger and after he said he was fine and in no need of medical attention allowed him to board the plane. Thankfully, it seems the passenger was ok as we did not experience a medical emergency on this flight. Because we have no status or Delta credit cards we boarded in Zone 3 which is reserved for passenger who purchased deeply discounted Delta economy tickets. Plane and Seats The A321 is one of the newest planes in Delta's fleet and the airline took delivery of its first A321 in March 2016. Delta has a reputation for utilizing older planes with an average fleet age of about 17 years at the beginning of 2018. Recently, the airline begun ordering planes such as the A321 to replace its ancient MD-80/90 planes in order to use more fuel efficient airplanes. I was immediately impressed as a the cabin featured mood lighting and brand new seats. The seats were well padded an very comfortable a stark contrast to the slimline and poorly padded seats on American Airlines new narrow body aircraft. The seats also had 110V outlets below the seat which were shared with the neighboring seat. Despite the fact that we boarded in Zone 3 there were still space in the overhead bins for our luggage. This is likely because of the larger overhead bins on Delta's A321 aircraft. In-Flight Entertainment The in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen had a crisp and clear picture. The screen was also touchscreen and functioned very well. At the bottom of each screen at every seat was a USB power plug and a headphone jack. The IFE offered Delta Studio which featured a large selection of TV shows and movies. As American Airlines continues to remove IFE screen from all of its domestic narrow body aircraft I think Delta is making a distinction in the passenger experience by continuing to add IFE screens to additional aircraft. I definitely noticed the difference even on this short flight. Having an IFE screen allows you to plug in without needing to remember to bring your own device, download content, move items around on the small tray table in order to find space for your food and drinks along with the device, and pack it away again before the end of the flight. Service We departed five minutes late but ended up arriving only about one minute late for this approximately one and a half hour flight. Typically on such a short flight there is not a lot of time to judge service in economy. However, I was impressed by the Delta staff on our flight. As the captain welcomed us on board he was very friendly and over the speakers talked about college basketball. During the snack service we were offered the choice between a snack mix or Biscoff cookie. Christina was indecisive making her choice and instead of getting upset at her the flight attendant smiled and gave her both. While this is a very small gesture it is these small gestures that set Delta apart from out legacy carriers on the customer service front. Take Away
This short flight showed Delta's great potential and why the airline often receives higher customer ratings than other legacy airlines. The airline impressed me with this new aircraft that featured a new IFE system, Delta Studio, large overhead bins, USB power at every seat, mood lighting, new and comfortable economy seats. Most importantly as an American Airlines elite what set Delta apart of this flight for me was their customer service. The crew was friendly an actually seemed to enjoy their work. I would definitely recommending flying between DCA and ATL. After finishing this flight I was interested to see how Delta would perform on my first ever flight to Mexico. 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 the American Airlines transcontinental configured A321T and in lie-flat business class seats (sold as Main Cabin Extra) was short but enjoyable. The seats could use a refresh but were the most comfortable seats I have ever flow in. Pros- Comfortable lie-flat seating, amazing legroom, large IFE monitor, easy JFK connection. Cons- Scratched and dented interiors, and unresponsive in-flight entertainment. 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 American Airlines JFK Connection When we landed at New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on our flight from Barcelona I was not looking forward to the connection at JFK. JFK served the largest number of international passengers in the United States in 2017 and I expected long lines at immigration and did not look forward to having to retrieve and re-check our bags. However, the process was relatively quick and simple as we used the Global Entry kiosks and once we exited customs American Airlines had a dedicated airport staff and kiosks to process customers arriving on international flights with JFK connections. We simply dropped off our bags at the counter went back through security and in total were back in the terminal in about 30 minutes from our plane landing. The longest part of the process was waiting for our bags. All American Airlines flights at JFK arrive and depart out of Terminal 8. American Airlines dominance in the terminal is reflected in a timeline outlining the history of the airline which as you enter the terminal is emblazoned on the terminal wall. Despite this dominance since the merger with U.S. Airways American Airlines has reduced its operations at JFK which once served served as an important hub for the legacy American Airlines. In the past year the airline has cut a large number of routes out of JFK and shifted much of its connecting business in the Northeast to the legacy U.S. Airways hub in Philadelphia (PHL). American Airlines strategy is to focus on high margin business route out of JFK, such as JFK-Los Angeles (LAX) and JFK-London Heathrow (LHR), and shift lower margin traffic to PHL which has cheaper operating costs. As a part of this strategy American Airlines also closed its second Admirals Club serving Concourse B(gates1-16) in JFK on September 1st, leaving only one Admirals Club in Concourse C (gates 31-47), and used this space to expand its Business Class lounge at JFK. Admirals Club JFK After we exited security we headed to the Admirals Club in Terminal C which I found to be large and empty. This was likely due to the American Airlines continued reduction in service, the opening of the Flagship Lounge at JFK which serves international and transcontinental First and Business Class passengers, and that were were flying on a Saturday afternoon. This was definitely the largest Admirals Club I had seen. The lounge had a wide variety of seating including chairs with a small table attached, high tops, and small chairs for dining. The lounge also had a large kids playroom, shower stalls, and great views of the tarmac. The one problem I had with the lounge was the service. Given that the only had a handful of people lounge you would expect the service to be excellent, however, it was not. We were in the lounge for an hour and the staff never cleared away our empty plates or glasses. However, despite the poor service I would recommend using this lounge because I found it to be a peaceful oasis from JFK airport and throughly enjoyed the plane spotting available from the lounge. Plane And Seats Our flight departed from Gate 42 the closest gate to the Admirals Club. We boarded quickly and passed through the A321T first class cabin into Business Class cabin. JFK-Washington National (DCA) is normally served by a mixture of regional aircraft and a Boeing 737-800, however, sometimes there is a substitute and the aircraft is used on some short haul flights out of JFK such as our flight to DCA. We got a notice of a schedule and equipment change a few months before our flight and I was very happy as the aircraft is normally used on American Airlines premium transcontinental flights from JFK to LAX and San Francisco (SFO). The biggest reason I was happy about this swap was that the first and Business Class cabins feature lie flat seating which is rare on domestic routes. If I was able to get one of the Business or First Class seats it would be my first time ever flying in a lie flat seat. On this flight the Business Class seats were sold as Main Cabin Extra and normally as American Airlines Gold elites we can select these seat free 24 hours before the flight and they can also be purchased in advanced by any Main Cabin passenger for an extra fee. However, on this flight these seats were blocked only for elite and at check-in we were able to select the bulkhead seats 6D and 6F! The A32T is premium heavy and only has 102 seats compared to 181-187 on other version of American Airlines's A321's. The first class cabin is arranged in a 1-1 configuration while the Business Class cabin is arranged in a 2-2 configuration and the rest of the main cabin is arranged in a 3-3 configuration. The first time I saw the lie-flat business class seats it brought a smile to my face because I was so excited to be trying out lie-flat seats for the first time. The 2-2 layout of American Airlines' A321T Business Class seat are great for traveling companions. It allowed us to talk with each other easily by putting down the privacy partition between the seats. It was also nice to have the ability to get up and access the aisle without disturbing a stranger. The seats already had amazing leg room in the seated position and because we were in the bulkhead the legroom seemed endless even with the seat in the upright mode. Christina was also very excited and as soon as the plane took off turned her seat into lie-flat mode. The seats were very comfortable in lie flat mode and when fully extended my legs fit comfortably into the footwell. However, the seats showed their age. First, the seat controls were not responsive, did not have many pre-set options, and were slow to go into lie flat mode. Second, the table between the seats had a lot of wear and tear. You could clearly see the scratch and dents all over the table. While this was the most comfortable seat I have sat in because of the great leg room, great width, and the ability to lie flat, the seats were clearly showing signs of there age and could use a refresh. In-Flight Entertainment All of the seats in Business Class had an in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitor which was about 15 inches wide. The screen was touchscreen but was affixed to the bulkhead so it was very difficult to you the touchscreen while seated. Instead, I relied on the remote which allowed me to select content on the IFE and control the volume. However, the handheld remote did not function well and the whole IFE was glitchy. For example, the remote showed episodes that were unavailable on the main screen. This plane certainly could use a new IFE system as I have seen better functioning systems on American's non-transcontinental configured A321 S aircraft. Take Away
I enjoyed getting a taste of the A321T Business Class on my short JFK-DCA flight. My connection at JFK was simple and painless. While I was unable to experience any of the Business Class amenities since the seat was sold as Main Cabin Extra I still enjoyed my first lie flat seat experience. The seat had amazing legroom, was comfortable both in seated and lie flat positions, and had a large IFE monitor. Despite these positives the A321T Business Class seats had significant wear and tear, the IFE remote was not very responsive, and the IFE system was glitchy. Overall, I would love to connect again at JFK on AA and to have the full A321T Business Class experience including the access to the Flagship Lounge. I believe that the seat would make for a comfortable ride on a transcontinental flight and I hope American Airlines brings a similar transcontinental experience to its DCA-LAX flights. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. First Class Honeymoon Trip Report Booking Singapore Suites Booking Etihad Airways Apartments Introduction Christina and I have never flown international business class or first class. However, this blog aims to help you stretch your travel dollars further and provide advice for travelling companions. Travelling in international first class with miles is one of the best examples of how to accomplish both of those goals. One of the best ways for travelling companions to both save money and travel comfortably is to use miles and points to book international business and first class travel. Miles and points are a currency just like any other except they generally have the best value when used for travel. Just like dollars you want to get the maximum value out of your currency and you simply can't beat the value of flying business or first class with miles and points. For economy travelers, like Christina and I, with a limited budget it takes the same discipline as a putting together a good travel budget. After two years of travelling together my travelling companion (aka fiancée) Christina and I accumulated a large number of frequent flier miles, hotel points, and credit card points and have saved them for one blowout honeymoon in two of the best first class airline products in the world for couples the Singapore Airlines Suites and Etihad Airways First Class Apartments. Both of these first class products feature actual beds in the sky which can be joined together to offer a double bed perfect for travelling companions. In May I shared the experience of booking our first leg of our honeymoon in the Singapore Airline Suites. Now I can share that last week we booked the flight back to the US from honeymoon in the Etihad Airways First Class Apartments! As you can see in the screen shot below these one way tickets in Etihad Airways First Class Apartment on the Airbus A380 normally cost over $8,500 each and we booked them for 115,000 American Airlines miles and about $49 in taxes and fees each. This means that we got a value of more than 7 cents per mile! In this post I am going to update you all on our honeymoon itinerary, share some of the features of the Etihad First Class Apartment, and let you know how we booked this flight. Another goal of this blog is to share our adventures and I am looking forward to sharing a full trip report next year. Thank you again for reading and please subscribe to our new Facebook page and our mailing list to keep up to date on our adventures. Honeymoon Itinerary Below is our likely route for our honeymoon next year. So far we only have the first long haul leg on Singapore Airlines Suites and the return long haul leg in Etihad Airways First Class Apartments booked. Since my last post on our honeymoon covering the Singapore Suites our route has not changed. However, what has changed is the length of our honeymoon. Our honeymoon will now be three weeks long instead of two weeks and this equates to 17 nights on the ground and two days and one night in the air. We are currently planning to spend five nights in Singapore, five nights in Koh Samui (Thailand), five nights in Bangkok, and two nights in Abu Dhabi but we are also debating whether we need to add another stop to another location such as Changi Mai in Thailand and shorten the Bangkok stay. Etihad Airways Experience So I know what you are thinking what is the experience like flying in Etihad Airways First Class Apartments? Well I have included a few highlights below: 1. The Apartments feature a 6 foot ten inch bed. Some of which are interconnected and as Etihad Airways describes them as "perfect for when you’re travelling with a companion" and we will definitely put that to the test. 2. The Apartments features a separate chair and a 24 inch television allowing you to stay entertained throughout the flight. 3. My favorite feature is that it has an onboard shower! I imagine this is going to be a surreal experience showering in the air. 4. First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi features a la carte restaurant dining, a fitness center, and a spa. Booking Etihad First Class Apartments Etihad Airways is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and is considered one of the Middle East Three (ME3) airlines along with Emirates and Qatar. These airlines are major international players in particular when it comes to business and first class travel in part because of their favorable geography. Etihad Airways First Class Apartment is the airline's flagship first class product only available on its A380 (the world's largest commercial passenger aircraft). The Apartments are so luxurious that they were named by Skytrax as the best first class seat in the world in 2017. Etihad is not a part of any major alliance and the best way for US-based travelers to book award tickets on Etihad is through American Airlines AAdvantage because the airlines partners with Etihad. A flight between the United States and the Middle East costs 115,000 AAdvantage miles in First class. Etihad Airways award tickets cannot be booked on AA.com. This is common for American Airlines. In fact, only seven of American Airlines 25 partners can be booked online. If you are only searching for award availability on AA.com you are missing out on a significant number of American Airlines partners. To search for Etihad award space you should go to the website of their frequent flyer program Etihad Guest and select book flights now. To book the Etihad First Class Apartments I went to the website and entered my departure point Abu Dhabi and my destination New York JFK. Then I selected First Class, two adults, and miles as my form of payment. This brought me to a new screen where I was prompted to login into my Etihad Guest account but I selected "proceed without logging in". The new screen showed that two seats were available in Guest First on the flight from AUH to JFK (which means they are also available to book via Etihad's partner airlines). Etihad generally has little to no award availability when booking this route out of New York-JFK but typically releases two first class seats on the route when booking well in advance from Abu Dhabi to New York. This makes this route ideal for couples travelling together but difficult for larger groups of travelling companions. For groups larger than two I would recommend booking Etihad's business class or economy if you want to travel on this route. Also, Etihad has recently struggled financially, primarily due to bad investments in partner airlines, and in response reduced the number of daily flights from from JFK-AUH from two daily to one daily making this redemption more difficult but still possible with advanced planning With the knowledge that our flight had two available award seats Christina and I called American Airlines AAdvantage Reservations. Compared to my last experience booking the Singapore Suites our experience booking the Etihad Apartments was a breeze. The most difficult part was getting past the computerized prompts which continually tried to direct us back to the website to book the ticket or get additional information, though Etihad Airways is not bookable online. Once we were able to get through the computerized system we gave the agent our flight information and she transferred us to the international desk. Once we reached the international desk we once again gave the agent our information and she quickly found the availability and booked us two first class tickets on the flight. I was surprised how easy it was to find this availability since other bloggers have reported that U.S. based American Airlines agents continue to have difficulty finding Etihad award space. Our reservation immediately showed up in our American Airlines accounts but actually ticketed about six hours later. If there is SAAver availability American Airlines allows you to add on a free connection within the North America which we could have used to get back from JFK to DCA. However, there was absolutely no SAAver award space on American Airlines between JFK and DCA in either First Class or Economy despite looking nearly a year in advance. American recently has substantially tightened award availability on its own flights and often requires you to connect to redeem a domestic award. It ironic that the award availability has gotten so bad on American Airlines that it was easier finding an international first class ticket than a domestic First Class or Economy ticket. In fact for us to get back to DCA from JFK in business class using miles it would have cost 75,000 miles each, enough to get us back to Abu Dhabi in business class! This is for a flight that is 1 hour and 45 minutes and costs $174 in business and $84 in economy. Sometimes it is easier to just to buy the ticket. ne piece of advice is to make sure to ask for the Etihad Airways record locator because American Airlines is unable to make seat selections on Etihad Airways flights. We asked for our Etihad record locator and called their customer service number to choose our seats. Once again we ran into a very confusing computerized system which kept trying to hang up on us. However, after selecting the number two for "existing reservations" we were able to reach a customer service agent. Similar to my Singapore Airlines booking experience the language barrier was challenging. When it comes to selecting seats couples will want to select seats 3A and 4A, 3K and 4K, or 1H and 2H since these seats are connected to one another and have a screen which can be lowered between two beds allowing couples to share beds in the sky! Seats 3A and 4A were already taken which was surprising since we booked so far in advance. However, seats 3K and 4K were available and we selected these seats in adjoining "Apartments". This process was much more straightforward than booking the Singapore Suites. What I believe made the process much easier was that we booked through a US based airline and we are already American Airlines frequent flyers so American Airlines had all of our information on file. We are super excited about our trip and I imagine it will be a once in a lifetime experience!
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 flight on British Airways was very disappointing and it is hard to distinguish British Airways from a low cost carrier on intra European routes. Pros- Great leg room and a fast boarding. Cons-Rock hard seat, no power, no in-flight entertainment, no complimentary snacks and drinks, and terrible service. 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 Gatwick Express London-Gatwick (LGW) is the second largest airport in the United Kingdom and about 1 hour drive south of London and features many of British Airways leisure-focused routes including our flight to Barcelona. We purchased Gatwick Express economy class ticket for 17.80 pounds each ($24.90). These tickets allow you to take any train on the specific day you purchased We left the London Marriott Regent's Park and took the Tube to Victoria station to catch the 1:45 pm Gatwick Express train to LGW. The transfer from the Tube station to the Gatwick Express was very annoying because we could find no elevator from the underground Tube station to the ground level station where the Gatwick Express departs. This meant that that we had to drag our suitcases up a few flights of stairs and we were tired after carrying our luggage. Given that Victoria station features the Gatwick Express this seems like a very poor design on the part of the City of London. You can avoid this inconvenience by taking an Uber to the ground level Victoria station. Upon entering Victoria station, I was very impressed by the size of the station. It reminded me of Grand Central in New York and it was very busy. We found the sign for the Gatwick Express and agent scanned our boarding passes, and we boarded the economy section of the train. Our train departed exactly on time at 1:45 pm. Large luggage can be stored above our seats or in bins on the train. The seats are fairly tight in the economy section but thankfully the train ride is only about 30 minutes. The train has free Wi-Fi but it was almost unusable because it was so slow. The seats featured only European power plugs at each seat. We arrived on-time at London Gatwick and after a short delay exiting the station we were in Gatwick Airport. I would recommend anyone coming from London take the Gatwick Express to the airport. While not very comfortable, it was a quick, relatively inexpensive, and efficient way to get to the airport. Check-In Arriving at LGW we had to check-in because we were each carrying a large suitcase. We initially lined up in priority line since because we have OneWorld Ruby status through our American Airlines Gold status but the lined moved so slowly that we decided to just use the standard economy line and the check in process took only about five minutes. This was a letdown since one of our benefits of paying for a British Airways ticket versus a low-cost carrier is the priority check-in for One World elite members. One of the strange things about the check in process was that our boarding passes indicated that our flight would leave from the South Terminal but had no gate number. After checking in we proceeded to security which involved a very different process than I had ever experienced before. Prior to going through security we had to scan our boarding passes at an electronic gate which was the first time I had ever done that. We went quickly through security and then were forced to pass through Duty Free shopping. This was the first time I have ever seen this and my understanding is that it drives additional revenue for the airport. After arriving in the terminal we still were not assigned a gate so went to the No.1 Lounge which is the only Priority Pass lounge in the airport. Lounge and Food We showed up at the No.1 Lounge in Gatwick and I was impressed by the decor at the entrance to the lounge. I handed the lounge attendant my Priority Pass card and she asked me if we had a reservation.This surprised me since I had never heard of an airport lounge requiring a reservation. After I said no, she delivered me the bad news that the lounge was currently not accepting Priority Pass customers because it was full. The attendant proceeded to offer an up sell to a private club room and I declined. This was the first time I had ever been denied entry as a Priority Pass member. I have heard numerous stories about flyers being denied entry due the lounge being full and I know that as premium cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve have grown popular this has become a larger problem. In fact to help alleviate the problem Chase restricted Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders to only two complimentary guests. Priority Pass has also taken steps and started adding a credit in airport restaurants to supplement lounge access for members. Thankfully LGW is one of those airports so we proceeded to Grain Store and Cafe which was included. The restaurant gives Priority Pass customers a 15 pound credit towards any items on the menu. Most of the items on the menu are under 15 pounds so we found it easy to stay under that limit. We both ordered salads and enjoyed our meals at Grain Store and Cafe. Boarding The boarding process at LGW is one of the strangest I have ever seen. As I mentioned after check-in there was no gate on our boarding passes. After eating our meal there was still no gate announcement. So we proceeded to the large board in the terminal showing all of the flights and quickly realized that the gates were not announced until about 15 minutes before scheduled boarding. This meant that the vast majority of people waited in the terminal and not at the gates until right before boarding which led to a very crowded terminal and scramble to the gate once it is announced. The entire process reminded me of the scramble to the correct track when boarding Amtrak trains. Once we reached our gate we were required to check in with a gate agent and each gate is walled off from the rest of the terminal meaning that there is no bathroom access a critical detail I wish I knew before scrambling to the gate. Boarding was very quick because of our OneWorld status and we were one of the first people on the plane. Plane and Seats Another added benefit of our status was that we were able to select seats 48 hours in advance for free and we selected two exit row seats with extra legroom. Our exit seats were in row 10 and had very good legroom. However, we were not allowed to store any luggage underneath our seats for takeoff and landing and were required by the flight attendants to put our back packs in the overhead bin. We departed exactly on time at 4:30 pm for a flight with a scheduled flight time of two hours and five minutes. I believe the schedule had significant padding because we had a very long taxi and we had to wait on the runway for quite a while. This was my first British Airways flight and I was excited about experience a new airline but I can tell you that the excitement quickly faded as I sat in the seat. The seat was hard as a rock, had no power, and no in-flight entertainment. I would go as far as to say this was the worse airplane seat I have used. Service I must say the service on this flight was the worse I have ever experienced. I always thought that the service on American carriers was bad but this British Airways flight put it to shame. I knew that this flight was going to be a bad one shortly after take off. As I mentioned earlier in the post there were no restrooms at the gate in London Gatwick and after a long taxi in LGW I found myself really needing to use the restroom shortly after takeoff. I waited about 20 minutes and the captain still had the fasten seat belt light on. I decided that I couldn't wait any longer and got up to use the restroom. I have done this numerous times flying domestically within the Untied States and typically the flight attendants warn that the fasten seat belt sign is on but that they can't stop you from using the restroom. This is what I expected the flight attendants to say but instead my bad luck of trying to use restroom on an airplane continued. I proceeded to the bathroom in the rear of the plane having learned from my earlier incident trying to use the restroom on the business class restroom on the flight over from Charlotte. However, as soon as the flight attendants saw me they started to shout at me and say the fasten seat belt sign is on sit down. They refused to let me use the bathroom and would not let me go back to me seat. Instead they made me sit in one of the seats in the back row of the plane until the fasten seat belt sign turned off. This took about another 20 minutes and at this point we were probably about 40 minutes into the flight. Ok seriously this is such a dumb policy by British Airways. I completely understand why there is a passenger safety issue during take off and landing but once the plane is in the air, and there is not turbulence, and a passenger desperately needs to use the restroom why stop them? I have been on flights where the captain waited a significant amount of time to turn off the fasten seat belt sign or not at all. What if he never turned it off? Would they expect the passenger to use the restroom at their seat? The bad British Airways experience continued as the flight attendants came around for a beverage and snack service. Both flight attendants were curt and nothing on this flight was complimentary. Since 2017, British Airways has charged for all drinks and snacks in economy on short haul flights. This is a significant fall from grace for an airline that offered free economy meal until 2009. Christina ordered sparkling water and I ordered a regular bottle of water which was served with a lime an ice. Together these costs $5.05. During the rest of the flight no additional beverage service was offered. After an uncomfortable ride we arrived in Barcelona 9 minutes early and I was glad to deplane.
Take Away As a child growing up in The Bahamas I dreamed of flying British Airways and I can tell you that this flight was a significant disappointment. With the rock hard seat, no power, no entertainment, lack of complimentary snacks and drinks, and terrible service this is one of the worse flights I have ever taken. We chose to pay more to fly British Airways because it is known as a full service carrier and is a member of the One World alliance so we could earn miles and elite status credit. However, after taking this flight I can see very little difference between British Airways and the low-cost carriers on these intra European flights. While it was nice to have an exit row seat and earn miles I am not even sure it is worth it. In the future if the flight is cheaper I would be willing to give the low cost carriers Easy Jet or Ryan Air a chance on an intra-Europe route. 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. Flight Summary My first trans-Atlantic flight to London-Heathrow was one of the worst flights I have taken and showed that American Airlines needs to retire the A330-300s. Pros- Lots of leg room and a quick boarding. Cons-Horrible food, old plane, old and unresponsive in-flight entertainment, and cold service. 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 Boarding We had a tight connection for our flight to London so we had no time to check out the Admirals Club in Charlotte. Our flight from Washington D.C. was scheduled to arrive at 5:15 pm but ended up arriving about 13 minutes early. However, we still had a tight connection for our flight to London which began boarding at gate D11 while our flight from DCA landed at gate B5 across the airport. Charlotte does not have an airport train so this meant that we had to sprint through the airport to our gate. Thankfully because of our Gold elite status with American Airlines we were seated in row 8 on our connecting flight and were able to quickly deplane and sprint across the airport to our gate. We arrived at our gate completely out of breath and having dodged numerous passengers in the terminal to find out that boarding hadn't commenced. Four minutes later boarding began and we boarded with Group 4 and were on the plane. Plane and Seats We boarded the plane through the second door on the left side of the plane. We were on the plane and in our seats in about two minutes the fastest boarding process I have ever experienced. This was due to the fact that we had the bulkhead seats 8A and 8B on the left side of the plane and immediately to the right of the boarding door. This flight continued our 100% streak of free main cabin extra seats as American Airlines Gold elites. Typically these seats are half off at booking and free at check-in for Gold elites. I thought that our steak would end on this flight because there are only 16 main cabin extra seats on American Airlines A330-300s and there were no main cabin extra seats available at check-in. However, about a few hours before boarding two main cabin extra seats opened and we upgraded our seats to Main Cabin Extra. The A330-300 cabin is set up in a 2-4-2 configuration in economy and we were able to score one of the two seats together on the left side of the plane which was great for us as couple. Even better these seats had about 36 inches of pitch compared to the standard 31 inches in economy on the A330-300. This was great for our nearly eight hour flight to London. In fact the legroom was so good that I was able to cross my legs and even get up and stretch during this flight. Our seats featured USB power plugs in the armrest and on the setback screen which has to be stowed during takeoff and landing in the bulkhead seats. Despite the extra legroom there were two big downsides to our seats. First, the armrests were immovable and this ended up being very uncomfortable for sleeping. Second, the proximity to the galley meant more light and noise. The cabin also featured a flight map in middle bulkhead of row 8. This map displayed information on the flight including the plane's location, remaining flight time, along with departure and arrival city time. As you can see in the photo below the A330-300 definitely is showing its age. The seats and the bulkhead had marks all over. I had significant issues sleeping on this flight and only managed about 30 minutes of sleep on the nearly eight hour flight. I typically cannot sleep on planes but this plane made the flight experience even worse. As a disclaimer Christina managed to sleep nearly six hours on this flight. The plane made a loud hum throughout the flight and the warm temperate of the cabin made it more difficult to go to sleep. I tried to use my noise cancelling headphones to block out the plane noise and my eye mask to filter the light coming from the galley but for the vast majority of the flight was unsuccessful. The departure time for the flight, about 6 pm, also did not help my sleep and in the future I will try to schedule a later departure time in an attempt to improve my sleep. Unfortunately, the issues with the plane were not just cosmetic and extended to the in-flight entertainment system. The in-flight entertainment had a selection of movies, tv shows, live television, music, and video games. American utilizes the same system on many of it's trans-continental flights and I thought that this selection was even more comprehensive than those flights. However, at times the system was completely unresponsive and during the flight I couldn't load any of the video games. The system functioned so poorly that a one point the flight attendants shut down and restarted the entire system. The touchscreen was old and very difficult to use. I found it cumbersome to scroll through the selection and the content loading very slowly. Despite the comprehensive selection this was one of the worse in-flight entertainment systems I have seen on a plane and it made my lack of sleep even more difficult to bear. Meals Dinner service began about 30 minutes after takeoff and the flight attendants started at the front of the cabin which meant we were served first. Separate food and drink carts went down both aisles. For dinner we were offered a choice between chicken and pasta. To drink we were offered a choice of soft drinks and a selection of complementary beer and a choice between red and white wine. On flights to Europe and select international destinations American offers free wine and beer in the main cabin. I chose the pasta dish and a glass of red wine. The pasta was served with a salad, olive oil and vinegar dressing, bread, a cheese wedge, crackers, and a caramel brownie. I must say that this was one of the worse meals I have ever had and by far the worst on an airplane. The salad was extremely bland with lettuce, shredded carrots, and no cheese. The wine was the worst red wine I have ever had. Christina described it as sharp and terrible. The pasta was a bland and flavorless excuse for pasta. The brownie was thick and dry. The only thing which was decent was the gruyere cheese with bread. I appreciate that American Airlines still offers complementary meals on transatlantic flight, however, I wish I has skipped this one. Service I appreciated that dinner service started quickly after takeoff since this allows passengers to maximize sleep on this relatively short night time transatlantic flight. However, this is about the only positive thing I can say about the service on the flight. The flight attendants were cold. One example of this was my interaction with the lead flight attendant when I attempted to go to use the business class bathroom during the meal service. Because of the poor design of the A330 the nearest economy bathroom on the plane was about 16 rows away from behind row 24. I have seen passengers on domestic American Airlines flights utilize the First Class restroom on numerous occasions without any issue if the aisle was blocked with the service cart. However, on this flight as I stepped into the business class lavatory I was strongly reprimanded and told to use the lavatory in the back of the cabin by the lead flight attendant. When she realized the dinner service was underway and the aisle blocked she offered to have the flight attendants stop service and bring the cart back to the front of the aisle to let me use the economy restroom. I said no thank you and proceeded back to my seat. I was absolutely in the wrong here for not using the economy lavatory and it is her job to enforce the rules, however, the sharp rebuke that I received from her that really disappointed me and was unnecessary. There is no need to be rude to someone just trying to use the lavatory. Also, I did wonder would she really prefer to stop the entire meal service and further delay passenger's sleep to stop my from using the business class lavatory which had no special amenities? On approach to London we circled the airport several times likely due to the significant amount of traffic generated by the early arrivals to London Heathrow. We landed in London at 6:45 am 30 minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival. Take Away
This flight showed American Airlines equipment at its worse. As a part of the merger with U.S. Airways American Airlines inherited many subpar planes, including the A330-300s, which primarily fly out of former U.S. Airways hubs. The A330-300s have an average age of about 18 years and definitely are showing their age. The poor equipment coupled with the cold service on this flight led to one of the worse flights I have ever had. Thankfully American Airlines plans to retire these planes by the end of 2020. Until this time I would recommend that you avoid flying an American Airlines A330-300 on a long haul route. 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. Winter in New Orleans Trip Report Winter in New Orleans Trip Overview Flight Review: AA E175 Main Cabin Extra DCA-MSY Hotel Review: AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Active in New Orleans Terminal and Admirals Club We showed up to the airport about two hours before our flight and because of TSA Pre-Check got through security in about 10 minutes. Washington National Airport (DCA) in my experience is one of the quickest airports for clearing security particularly when the TSA Pre-Check line is open. This is because the airport has four separate security check points for the gates, however, this is going to change with the construction project underway at DCA when all of the gates and many of the current pre-security stores will be accessible post-security. All American Airlines flight depart out of gates 23-34 in Terminal B and 35-45 in Terminal C. Our flight departed out of terminal B and as usual when departing DCA on American Airlines, with Christina, we stopped by the Admirals Club. There are Admirals Clubs located in Terminal B and C. Christina has access to the Admirals Club as an authorized user on the AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®. This allows her to bring family members and up to two guests into the lounge. If you have ever been to an Admirals Club it is not impressive and at best is a quiet place to hydrate, recharge your electronics, and grab a snack before your flight. However, we have found the agents working at the Admirals Club to be very helpful in the case of a flight cancellation, delay, or seat changes. Boarding About 10 minutes before boarding we left the Admirals Club. This was my first flight as an AA Gold elite status (Christina had one flight in 2017 as a Gold) and I would argue that other than the additional miles the best feature of Gold status is access to complimentary main cabin extra at check-in. On this flight we initially chose economy seats reserved for elites, which are closer to the front of the cabin on the Embraer 175 (E-175). However, when we checked in were able to move to main cabin extra seats, normally $31 on this route, because of our AA Gold status. Plane and Seats These seats were comfortable and had 34” inches of pitch versus the standard 30” in economy on the E-175. One features of the E-175 which I do not appreciate is the presence of only one bathroom in the main cabin. For a plane holding 89 passengers having one bathroom is difficult. The bathroom was occupied almost throughout most of the flight. This is the one downside of being at the front of this plane and one passenger in main cabin extra simply decided to use the bathroom in the first class cabin. Meal and Service
In the flight we were served Biscoff cookies and a non-alcoholic refreshments which is standard for main cabin extra on domestic flights. However, American announced they will soon be rolling out complimentary beer, wine, and spirits in main cabin extra. I did appreciate that the first class flight attendant allowed me to store my suit in the closest typically reserved for the First Class Cabin passengers. Upon deplaning in New Orleans the flight attendant even had the suit waiting for me. Arrival Flying into New Orleans one of the things which struck me was how much water surrounds the city. The approach was fairly low and offered good view of the barges headed down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico. The flight landed early at MSY deplaning was quick and we were off to our hotel. |
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