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.
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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 Overview An inexperienced crew of flight attendants delivered the worse service I had ever experienced in Economy on American Airlines, handled a passenger emergency poorly, and this flight experience showed that American Airlines needs to improve its communication. Pros-None Cons-Poor Emergency Communication, Inexperienced Flight Attendants, Poor IFE, Inadequate Wi-Fi, Barely Functional Power Plugs, Poor Plane Maintenance, and Poor Delay Communication San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review Terminal and Boarding After we left the Avianca VIP lounge we headed to C4 which was a short walk from the lounge. This is where the poor experience on this flight began. This flight ended up being emblematic of American Airlines’ poor communications, inconsistent IFE, and bad service. When we reached the gate the flight was delayed by 15 minutes but they waited until the scheduled boarding time to announce the delay. This is one of the frustrating aspects of flying with American Airlines, the airline does a bad job communicating delays. I have had many flights where the plane is not at the gate at the scheduled boarding time yet American Airlines still shows the same boarding time and departure time. In this case, I had no clue what caused the delay because American Airlines never communicated what caused the delay and never updated the boarding time. If we knew the flight was going to be delayed and the new boarding time we could have waited in the lounge instead of standing at the now crowded gate.  SJU Gate C4 As we boarded the flight attendants called groups 2 and 3 and no passengers boarded. This has been my experience on a leisure routes such as San Juan because not as many elites fly these routes especially on the weekend and because of less competition, they are much more likely to be upgraded to Business Class and therefore board with Group 1. We were the first to board in Group 4 and the gate agent asked my last name which I had never experienced before and I assumed was due to computer issues.  Boeing 737-800 Plane and Seats The Boeing 737-800 is the most common plane type in American Airlines' fleet and the airlines had 304 of the planes at the end of 2018 so it is likely if you fly domestically you will eventually fly this plane type. The plane has 3-3 seating in economy and in the version we flew had 114 seats in economy (31 inches of pitch) and 30 in main cabin extra (34 inches of pitch). We were seated in row 8 of Main Cabin Extra and lucked out by not having another passenger in our set of three seats.  American Airlines 737-800 Cabin The interior of the plane was much newer than the 767 we flew over from Philadephia but after getting seated we realized that it still had issues. Each set of three seats shared two plugs located below the seats. While the plugs actually worked, which isn't always the case on American Airlines, they were so loose that they were nearly useless. Every time I plugged in the phone charger it fell out. The only way I could keep my plug in was to hold it in firmly with the hand which I quickly grew tired of doing and I eventually just gave up. If American Airlines insists on passengers bringing on their own in-flight entertainment then it must make sure that all of the power plugs work.  Boeing 737-800 Power Plug However, the non-functioning power plugs were not the end of issues with the plane. When I went to use the bathroom I noticed that one of the seats in the last row on one side was completely broken and unusable. This demonstrated the extent of American Airlines maintenance issues on this plane and was symbolic of there fleet-wide maintenance issues.  Broken Seat In-Flight Entertainment This version of the 737-800 did not have seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) and instead had overhead screens. However, American Airlines is so opposed to seat-back entertainment on domestic flights that they are taking out screens already installed on Boeing 737-800s. Instead their solution is to offer streaming entertainment. American Airlines typically uses the overhead screens to show the safety video, announcements, and stream entertainment. The IFE system had numerous issues during our flight which began right after departure. The flight attendants attempted to screen the safety video on the IFE and the entire system malfunctioned so they had to do the safety demonstration manually. Eventually the screens started to work and they screen a movie I had no interest in watching.  IFE Overhead Screens I could have blocked out the bad movie if the streaming entertainment was working or if I could listen to music on my phone. However, as I mentioned earlier that was a major problem on this flight because the power plugs barely functioned. To compound the problem when I logged onto the streaming IFE it was not working because, just like on our flight to Puerto Rico, American Airlines utilized a plane with GoGo internet, which also provides the streaming IFE, and only works in the continental United States. This was very frustrating and unfortunately is the case on many American Airlines narrow body jets sent to Latin America and the Caribbean.  GoGo Internet Unavailable Message Service and In-Flight Emergency
Typically, it is difficult to judge service in the economy cabin because of limited interaction during flight but on this flight I experienced the worse service I have experienced in an American Airlines economy cabin. About one hour into the flight, on this four hour flight, the flight attendants still had not begun drink service. Instead the flight attendants were chatting in the forward galley. Finally, when the drink service began the flight attendant did what I thought to be impossible and messed up drink service in economy. First, American Airlines generally offers a choice between cookies and pretzels. Not complicated at all I know but somehow we were not given any choice and the flight attendant just handed us both pretzels despite the fact that he had a lot of cookies left and offered them later. Second, he served Christina the wrong drink and never asked me what I wanted to drink. Christina asked for a Ginger Ale and he asked in response, Sprite? Christina once again said Ginger Ale and since he had completely ignored me I told him I would like apple juice and he asked, instead of the Sprite? I said no and he handed Christina a Sprite anyways. As he walked away I had a puzzled look on my face since this was the first time I have seem a flight attendant mess up an economy drink service. This particular flight attendant was young and seemed very inexperienced and it showed me just how much American Airlines needs to work on its service training. Overall, all of the crew seemed very young and inexperienced and unfortunately this came into play in a much more important way than the meal service. With about one and a half hours left in flight we began to experience turbulence and a passenger pressed the flight attendant call button. The flight attendant, who was seated because of the turbulence, asked the passenger to press the button again if it was an emergency and the passenger pressed it again. It turned out that a passenger felt light headed and fainted in the middle of the flight. The flight attendants asked if there was anyone with medical training onboard and two passengers responded and went over to help. At one point the flight attendants seemed to be in a state of panic unsure what to do and ran to get blankets and talked to each other in a nervous tone. The panic from the flight attendants made passengers very nervous. At one point the captain even came out to check on the sick passenger. Several passengers asked what was going on and if we would need to divert the flight. However, through this whole incident there was no communication to the passengers from the flight attendants or the captain. None of the passengers knew what was happening and at one point in the middle of this medical emergency, a flight attendant got into a verbal altercation with a passenger. Eventually, the flight attendant went over to apologize to the passenger. The was the American Airlines crew on this flight dealt with the emergency really showed me that American Airlines needs to improve its communication in emergency situations and its training. In the end we landed in Philadelphia 17 minutes late. Take Away American Airlines failed in all phases of this flight and this my first review where I have nothing positive to say. American Airlines failed on multiple fronts including in communications, training, maintenance, service, and in-flight entertainment. This airplane was poorly maintained and it showed with the barely functional power plugs, broken seat and malfunctioning overhead IFE screen. The communicated the delay poorly and failed to keep passengers up-to date during an in-flight medical emergency. Worst of all the airline sent a very inexperienced and inadequately trained crew on this flight. This was my worse flight in economy on American Airlines and the airline really needs to focus on improving its communication and training. This flight began the process of me questioning my loyalty to 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. Lounge Overview While the lounge was above average it was still the best domestic Priority Pass lounge I had experienced which was driven by the presence of hot food and good hot drinks. Pros-Good Food, Wide Drink Selection, Good Machine-made Hot Chocolate Cons-Indifferent Service, Empty Food Containers San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review Location After we cleared security we entered the San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín Airport (SJU) duty free shopping area. This duty free area was smaller than the one that we saw in London-Gatwick but similarly required passengers to walk through it is access the gates.  SJU Duty Free Once we excited that duty free area we entered the terminal and saw signs pointing us to the Avianca VIP lounge. The lounge is open from 4 am-8pm, located at the beginning of Terminal C near American Airlines flights, and operated by a contractor Global Lounge Network. SJU has four terminals (A,B,C,D) but three of the terminals B, C, and D share a security check point and Jet Blue operates the majority of the flights out of Terminal so this lounge is easily accessible to all flights back to the U.S. except on Jet Blue. We followed the signs for VIP Lounge and saw a large sign naming all of the memberships that the lounge accepts and airlines that grant select passengers access to the lounge. We had access to this lounge through my Priority Pass membership a benefit of my Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.  Lounge We headed up the elevator to the third floor and went through a double doors to enter the lounge. We were checked into the lounge quickly by an agent who seemed bored. The lounge itself is small and had four types of seating. Small white chairs and dining tables at the center of the lounge, high top tables with black chairs near the bar, red chairs and white tables by the windows, and black chairs with white tables in a separate TV viewing area. The lounge had three TVs but they were all on very low volume. The general atmosphere was very casual compared to other lounges I have been seen. However, this makes sense since Puerto Rico is a primarily leisure destination for tourists. The lounge also featured a departures board which is typical of an airport lounge.  Lounge Seating One of the things I appreciated about the lounge were cute signs that were all around to label the different areas of the lounge. For example, one near the food said "Grab a bite to eat" and another in the lounge said "This is just a closet". It is nice to see a little bit of light-heartedness in a airport lounge.  Lounge Sign Food and Drinks The food selection in this lounge was the best I have seen in a U.S. Priority Pass lounge. It was the first time I had seen a U.S Priority Pass lounge with a hot meal option. The lounge served penne pasta, which was average, along with chicken with mushrooms which was very good! The lounge also served a salad with apple vinaigrette, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette as additions.  The lounge also had signs for a soup and fruit but both were empty during our visit. For dessert the lounge served angel food cake. I am not a fan of angel food cake but Christina is a fan and thought it was very good.  The lounge's drink selection included a self-serve bar with a selection of wine and liquor. Below the self-serve bar were three coolers containing beer and soft drinks. During our visit they also were serving a fresh fruit punch which I throughly enjoyed. Another highlight of the lounge was the two Nescafe machines.  The machines served a variety of coffee, including lattes, cappuccinos, and espressos, along with hot chocolate. I really liked the hot chocolate primarily because it served with real milk unlike most machine hot chocolate which are served with is served with hot water. Am I the only one who hates having hot chocolate with water?  Service
I had limited interaction with the lounge staff here but when I saw the staff at work they seem to be indifferent. As I mentioned at check-in the staff members seemed bored. She was not rude but not give us a friendly greeting. The staff walking around the lounge also did not seem to be a in a rush to help or answer question but no one was rude. Overall I would say the staff here was indifferent to the guests in the lounge. Summary Overall, the Avianca VIP Lounge was an above average lounge which was good enough to make it the best domestic lounge I had experienced. I liked that the lounge's location was near the American Airlines gates and that it had hot food options, some of which were actually good, and a wide selection of alcoholic drinks. If you find yourself waiting for a flight at SJU the Avianca VIP lounge is worth checking out. 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. Hotel Overview Pros-Great Location, Good Value, Picture Perfect Pool, Beach Access, Good Food, Modern Rooms, Cool Atmosphere Cons-Inconsistent Service San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review Location All of our meetings in San Juan were in the Condado neighborhood so Christina and I decided to stay at one of the Marriott properties along Condado Beach. This turned out to be a great decision since we were able to walk up and down all of the Condado Beach strip to check out all of the hotels, restaurants, and bars. As Marriott loyalists we appreciated that this area featured three Marriott hotels but since La Concha and the San Juan Marriott were sold out we decided to stay at the AC Hotel San Juan Condado and this turned out to be a great decision.  AC Hotel San Juan Condado Check In Uber and Lyft are not allowed to operate at the San Juan airport so we took a taxi from the airport to our hotel which priced at a flat rate of $17 and was about 10 minutes away. As we pulled up to the AC Hotel it had a cool South Beach vibe with AC spelled out in lights on top of the driveway.  AC Hotel Entrance We arrived at the hotel around noon and were greeted warmly by staff members as we exited the car. We entered the lobby and there was a line of people waiting to check-in and no Marriott elite check-in line. After a long wait we were finally served by a surly check-in agent. She did not greet Christina as a Marriott Gold (now Marriott Platinum) and said our room was not ready. We were disappointed but this was understandable since it was about 12:30 pm and the check-in time was 3 pm. However, the agent handed us wrist bands to the San Juan Art Museum which came with the package we booked. Unfortunately, we did not get an opportunity to visit the museum during our stay. When I asked about the two drink vouchers included in our rate she clearly grew annoyed and rudely told me that they would be provided once we completed check-in. I thought this was a very strange check-in process and wondered why she wouldn't provide everything to us at once. We then asked the agent where she would recommend eating and she gave us directions to a restaurant, we later found out the directions were incorrect. Thankfully this was not our experience with most of the other staff members during our stay.  AC Hotel Lobby Before we left for lunch we walked around the rest of the lobby which was decorated with art. The lobby also had several couches and two Mac computers. Overall the look of the lobby was very modern something we would notice throughout our stay.  AC Hotel Lobby When we returned from lunch our room was still not ready so we headed to our first meeting and a few hours after originally attempting to check-in we returned to the hotel and our room was finally ready, even through we got no alert on the Marriott app, right around the normal check-in time of 3 pm. At this time we were handed the rest of our check-in items including our two drink vouchers for a cocktail at the bar and $30 vouchers for the casino at the San Juan Marriott. The agent explained to us that the hotels has a partnership with their Marriott sister property which allows guests as a part of the resort fee (18% per day or $25 per day for award redemptions) to use the beach and pool facilities at the San Juan Marriott and guests are provided vouchers for free play at the San Juan Marriott's casino. The resort fee also included complimentary access to wireless internet at the hotel. One Bedroom Suite As we headed to our room (609) for the first time we had no idea what to expect. This was the third AC hotel we stayed in and after our horrible stay the AC Hotel Irla in Barcelona we were nervous. However, as entered the room we were very pleasantly surprised as it turned out we were upgraded to a one bedroom suite with a balcony!!! We were very happy since this Christina's first upgrade as a Marriott elite and also surprised since the check-in agent made no mention of a upgrade. This room was about $100 more a night than the standard one bedroom king room we booked so over our four night stay we got about $400 value. This showed us great potential value of hotel elite status.  AC Suite Living Room The AC Hotel Condado opened in April, 2017 and was only about 1 year old when we stayed and this was obvious in the room which looked brand new. This was our third stay at an AC Hotel and in general they all have the same basic grey tones which are sleek and modern.  AC Hotel Suite Living Room The room was large (427 square feet) and the living room had a couch, desk, 32 inch TV, and a table. The living room also featured the same awkward ottoman we had at the AC Hotel New Orleans which sits underneath the TV obstructing the view for anyone watching the TV.  AC Hotel Bedroom
The bedroom also had a coffee machine with complimentary coffee, a safe, two drawers, and a smart mini-fridge which only turned on when it detected an item inside. While I appreciated having the mini-fridge it did give off a bright blue light when there were items inside which can be very annoying when sleeping.  AC Hotel Bathroom The bathroom was generally standard AC Hotel with the one exception that it was much larger than our previous bathrooms. The bathroom had a sliding door and a cart with towels and bath amenities below the sink. The amenities were the standard AC brand which are fairly basic. Now on our third stay at an AC Hotel Christina noticed that none of the AC hotels have provided lotion as an amenity which she found odd.  AC Hotel Balcony Our favorite part of the suite was the balcony which had two chairs and a table along with a partial ocean view. Most of our waking hours in our hotel room were spent out on the balcony enjoying the beautiful weather and the view. Dining During our stay we had a chance to check out the AC Kitchen, AC Lounge, and the bakery attached to the AC hotel Saboa. Every AC hotel we stayed at has had a AC Kitchen but this was our first time trying the AC Kitchen. The AC Kitchen was up on the 9th Floor Penthouse.  AC Kitchen We had breakfast there on our second day at the hotel and liked it so much that we went back on our third day. The breakfast was served buffet style and featured a traditional Iberian breakfast. This included cold cuts such Iberian ham, cheese along with bacon, torta (egg dish), fresh fruit, and ham. The breakfast buffet also included drinks including, orange juice, guava juice, iced coffee, and regular coffee. Guests could eat breakfast inside at the tables or outside with a view of the ocean. The food all tasted good and I was quite impressed that this was a hotel breakfast. Even more impressive was the price only $15 which I thought was a steal. I would definitely recommend trying the breakfast at least one day at the hotel.  AC Kitchen Buffet Breakfast The AC Kitchen also featured a bar but it was closed most of our stay because of a special event at the hotel.  However, on our last night at the hotel we were able to check out the AC Lounge. It was located on the ground floor of the hotel just off of the lobby. It was a beautiful space which featured both indoor and outdoor area.  The indoor space had a bar, a variety of seating, and a cool glass TV which was usually showing sports. One of the coolest features was the ceiling which had a nice wood pattern piece of artwork. I was really impressed by how well the AC Hotel used its spaces including the penthouse, lobby, AC Kitchen, and bar. The layout is very good and featured a beautiful design.  AC Lounge Ceiling The AC Lounge had seats outside which are right off of the street. We enjoyed our welcome punch along with the hip music outside and relaxing atmosphere outside we really enjoyed it. The AC Lounge offered sliders and appetizers which we tried and were decent. One of the coolest parts about sitting outside was that were able to enjoy a musical performance happening next door at Sobao. This was a really nice space which allowed us to feel the energy of San Juan right at the hotel.  AC Lounge On our final day at the hotel we went to the Soboa for breakfast which was attached to the hotel and could be accessed through the AC Lounge. Soboa is a bakery which featured a traditional American breakfast with a Puerto Rican twist including offering Puerto Rican desserts.  Sobao Sign For breakfast Christina ordered ham with a side of the mallorca (sweet bread) and it was very sweet and topped with powdered sugar but very good. I ordered a ham an cheese sandwich which had the cheese melted over the ham along with powdered sugar and was amazing! We really loved our breakfast and I would strongly recommend trying the breakfast here.  Ham and Cheese Sandwich Amenities When we checked in were told that the hotel offers access to a variety of amenities at its sister property the Marriott San Juan as a part of its resort fee. This included access to the beach and pools and vouchers for free play at the Marriott's casino. Christina and I took advantage of the beach access and casino vouchers during our stay.  Condado Beach The San Juan Marriott has access to Condado Beach which is about two blocks from the AC hotel. Condado Beach is a nice stretch of beach shared among a host of hotels and restaurants. We never formally asked for beach towels or explored the San Juan Marriott's pools but having easy access to the beach was a great AC hotel amenity. The casino at the San Juan Marriott was fairly basic and included the standard table games such as Black Jack and slot machines. I would say that if you are not into gambling play your free 30 dollars and leave.  AC Hotel Gym The amenities within the AC hotel are primarily located on the Penthouse level. This is where hotel's gym and pool are located. We did not use the gym during our stay but were able to check it out and it looked impressive for a medium sized hotel. The gym featured the modern AC Hotel look with ambient lighting. The gym had free weights, treadmills, and ellipticals. I also really appreciated that it had free bottles of water and a Brita machine to refill reusable water bottles.  AC Rooftop Pool While the gym was nice the most impressive amenity of the hotel was the rooftop pool. Wow what an amazing pool! The pool was split into two sections a regular pool for swimming and a second section with a wading pool for lounging. The most impressive feature of the pool was the lounging chairs which allowed you to be half in and half out of the pool. Christina and I spent most of our time at the pool lounging in these chairs. We also found it convenient that the wading section of pool had tables to rest your drink. The pool really was picture perfect.  Lounging at the AC Rooftop Pool The rest of the Penthouse featured a wraparound balcony with complimentary cabanas and a few sections of tables and chairs to relax and take in the ocean views. All in all I was impressed by the hotel's amenities and wish I had even more time to spend in the pool and relaxing on the Penthouse level. Service  AC Penthouse Overall service at the AC Hotel San Juan Condado was inconsistent and definitely the weakest part of our stay. When we exited our vehicle we were greeted warmly by the hotel staff but at check-in we encountered a long line, slow processing of check-in, and a surly agent. It really left us wondering what service we should expect from one day to the next.
Unfortunately, this inconsistent service continued throughout our stay. Another example was the bartender in the AC Lounge. When we went to turn in our vouchers for free drinks he was unfriendly and seemed annoyed that we were bothering him. However, when we went to the AC Lounge to enjoy tapas on another evening the wait staff were very friendly and attentive. For example, we asked the waitress if they had flan and she said unfortunately they did not. After sharing with her that we have been waiting our whole trip to get flan but had been unsuccessful, unprompted she went next door to Saboa to see if they had any left. She came back and said they in fact had one last slice left and were holding it for us and even offered to bring it over if we gave her the cash. It is clear that the staff at this hotel have the ability to provide excellent service but the hotel management should work on making sure this service is consistently provided. Take Away This was our third stay at an AC Hotel and certainly our best. This hotel offers an amazing location in Condado, with great amenities, beach access, and a hip pool which creates a cool atmosphere. When you add in the good food and modern rooms the AC Hotel gives good value for money in San Juan. The one area of improvement for this hotel is the inconsistent service which I believe the hotel can improve with additional training. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at this hotel again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a beach stay in San Juan. 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 American Airlines recently announced plans to accelerate the retirement of their 767s and after this flight I can see why. Flying this plane in economy was like being transported back in time. Our flight was a terrible experience and if you are flying in economy you should do your best to avoid these planes until they are retired. Pros- Good seat padding and good layout for travelling companions, amazing legroom in exit row seats. Cons- No individual IFE monitors, only DC power, loud and cold plane, limited overhead storage, poor service, and non-functional Wi-Fi. San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review Terminal and Boarding After we landed at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on our uneventful flight from D.C. we headed towards our flight at gate A 23 in the International Terminal. As we walked through the older American Airlines Terminals B/C at PHL I remembered how much PHL is in need of renovation, something we would be reminded of on our return trip through PHL. We saw parts of the airport with open ceilings and really did not like the 1980's esque signage and poor lighting.  PHL Terminal B/C Then we reached the International Terminal (Terminal A) and all of a sudden it was like entering another airport with modern signage lighting, and even artwork. Even though we were flying domestically we left out of Terminal A-West which primarily services international flight. I assumed this was due to the flight utilizing a wide body Boeing 767-300 aircraft.  PHL Terminal A (International Terminal) Boarding began a full 20 minutes early and there were very few elites in economy so we were the first ones to board the Economy Class cabin. The lack of elites in economy was likely due to everyone clearing the upgrade list on this wide body aircraft. Unlike domestically configured aircraft the 767s have 28 lie-flat premium seats sold as Business Class on flights to Puerto Rico providing a great upgrade opportunity for elites.  Boeing 767-300 Plane and Seats As we entered the plane our first impression was positive as we saw the lie-flat seats which looked like they would make for a comfortable ride for the three hour flight to San Juan. However, this impression quickly changed as we entered the old economy cabin. American Airlines has about 24 Boeing 767-300s in their fleet and with an average age of 20 years these are oldest planes in the fleet. AmericanAirlines recently announced plans to accelerate the retirement of these planes and phase them all out of the fleet at the end of 2021. In the meantime these planes fly a variety of routes including to Europe and Latin America. American Airlines retrofitted these planes in 2016 to add lie-flat beds and power in Business Class but largely left economy cabins in tack which meant that we were in for a jarring surprise when we got to our seats.  Boeing 767 Business Class Cabin Economy Class is laid out in a 2-3-2 cabin which is ideal for travelling companions since you don't need to worry about disturbing a neighbor. Christina and I also appreciated this because neither one of us had to give up the window or aisle seat to sit next to one another. The cabin also has a small mini-cabin in rows 13 and 14 designated as Main Cabin Extra. Christina suggested we select these for free when they opened check-in but I convinced her to go with the legroom provided by the exit row seats in row 21. I later regretted this decision since the main Economy Class cabin was full our loud screaming children and I would recommend the quiet of the mini-economy cabin. As we sat down in our seats we noticed that the seats window shades were cloth, the overhead lights were turned on and off with dials, and that the overhead bins were small. There was so little overhead bin space that there was a struggle for passengers who boarded late to find space to fit there bags into the overhead bins without turning them sideways which made it harder for all the passengers to find sufficient space for their luggage.  767 Economy Class Cabin Another major problem with this plane was the climate control. There were no individual air vents and the flight attendants kept the cabin freezing during the flight. This made no sense for a flight headed for the Tropics which had most people dressed for a warm climate and made for a very uncomfortable flight. I was also shocked when I tried to plug into the power plug and realized that the plane only had DC power plugs in economy! Furthermore, the plane was very loud and as we took off and landed the plane shook to the point were you wondered if it would make it through the take off and landing. This is definitely a flight were you want to bring your noise cancelling headphones. One positive part about our seat selection was the amazing leg room provided by the exit row.  DC Power Plug In-Flight Entertainment This flight had no individual in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitors and instead had overhead monitors in the main cabin that feature NBC on American Airlines. The monitors were very low quality and when the flight attendants made announcements one of the speakers made an uncomfortable squeak. During one announcement a flight attendant noted that we were an "older plane" which I thought was a significant understatement. To make matters worse we were unable to get the American Airlines Wi-Fi, which offers an expanded number of entertainment options, to function correctly. So I switched between listening to my own music and watching the poor quality overhead screen which made this flight seem even longer.  IFE Monitor Meal and Service Since we had a short connection and boarding began early we did not have a chance to grab breakfast in the airport and ended up buying breakfast onboard. Christina bought the breakfast platter for $8.99 and I bought a turkey and cheese croissant for $8.79. While I found both of these prices to fairly high we were hungry and I knew that we would get a 25% discount with Christina's American Airlines credit card. I thought that the sandwich was decent for a cold sandwich and I would probably buy it in again in the future if I was in a pinch. Christina was less impressed with her breakfast platter which came with eggs, cheese, grapes, apples and almond butter. The only item she really enjoyed was the almond butter which she loves.  Buy on Board Menu After we ordered our breakfast the flight attendants came for the standard beverage service and offered Biscoff cookies. The only other time the flight attendants came through the cabin was with water about 30 minutes before landing. We did not interact much with the flight attendants on this flight but the limited interaction we did have was not impressive. After taking our beverage order the flight attendant forgot what drink we had ordered and had to correct her. Also, on another occasion a flight attendant passed through the cabin saw garbage on the floor and left it there. As we approached landing I was happy to see beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico in our sights and that the flight was almost over.  View of San Juan Take Away
This was not an impressive flight and again showed the inconsistency of American Airline's fleet. The flight offered a terrible passenger experience including a loud ancient plane with bad in-flight entertainment, no overhead vents, no AC power, and bad overhead storage. I was able to survive flying on this plane because it was a relatively short three hour flight but American Airlines flies these planes on flights to Europe and South America which would be a miserable experience in economy. If you are an American Airlines elite flying on this route it does present a good opportunity to upgrade to lie-flat seats on a leisure route. However, if you flying in economy in particular on a long haul flight I would avoid this plane. 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. San Juan Condado Trip Report San Juan Condado Trip Overview American Airlines Boeing 767-300 Economy PHL-SJU Review AC Hotel San Juan Condado Avianca VIP Lounge American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy SJU-PHL Review American Airlines A319 First Class PHL-DCA Review  Condado Beach San Juan Introduction In the Spring of this year Christina and I headed to San Juan to check out potential event venues near Condado Beach. We booked these tickets about six months after Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria and with all of the reports of devastation we did not know what to expect when we arrived on the island. However, I am a Boriqua and really wanted to support the island where I spent so much of my childhood so we decided to head to Puerto Rico. We are so glad that we decided to go. What we found in San Juan was a city that had been through a serious disaster in Hurricane Maria but recovered faster than the rest of the island and was ready and eager to welcome tourists. Despite the fact that I have been to Puerto Rico numerous times I still get excited coming back. The food is amazing, the people are friendly, and the beaches are beautiful. I can tell you that Hurricane Maria did not change any of these things. This was Christina's first time ever visiting Puerto Rico so I was really excited to have her along as my traveling companion. In this report she is going to share with you some of her first impressions of San Juan. This trip report will focus on some of the very interesting flights we took to and from San Juan and our great hotel stay along with Christina's impressions of Puerto Rico. Booking Flights In the past year I have seen some amazing sub $300 deals to San Juan and when we decided to go to San Juan in the Spring we were able to score one of these great deals from Washington D.C. We booked two regular economy roundtrip tickets on American Airlines for $266 each. While not quite as good as my sub $200 deal to Mexico city I was pretty proud of finding such a good deal on a full servicer carrier. For more tips on finding cheap airfare check out this post. We were also happy that our trip started and ended in our most convenient airport Washington Regan National (DCA). We ended up leaving from DCA and connecting through Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in both directions. Because the flight from DCA-PHL is so short and there was nothing of note I am going to skip that flight review. However, I am going to include the review of our flight from PHL-DCA since we got upgraded to First Class and it is my first time ever experiencing American Airlines domestic First Class. Overall, American Airlines got us from Philadelphia to Puerto Rico but I was really unimpressed with both the inflight and ground experience at Philadelphia which I will talk about more in my flight reviews.  Flight Routing Map generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl L. Swartz Booking Hotels On my most recent trips to Puerto Rico I spent most of my time in Dorado a city with a beautiful beach about 30 minutes west of San Juan. However, this time around I was excited to check out Condado, a neighborhood in San Juan were I hadn't spent much time on my previous trips. We chose to stay in the Condado neighborhood of San Juan because most of the hotels in this neighborhood are on or steps to the Condado Beach and it has a strip of hotels, bars, and restaurants we could explore by foot. We only looked at Marriott hotels since Christina is a Marriott Platinum member, which at that time was called Marriott Gold. There are three Marriott hotels in Condado two of which have direct beach access, La Concha Renaissance and the San Juan Marriott Resort, and a third which is one block from the beach the AC Hotel San Juan Condado. When we booked our hotel La Concha and the San Juan Marriott were completely sold out so despite our poor experience with the AC hotel brand in Barcelona we decided to book the AC Hotel San Juan Condado which ended up being a great decision. In total we paid $680 for our three night stay including taxes and a daily 18% resort fee. Our rate also included two signature cocktails and two tickets to the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. We ended up really enjoying our stay at this hotel and I thought we got a good deal considering the location and amenities.  AC Hotel Condado Summary
In between our event planing we really enjoyed our stay in San Juan. It was great to introduce Christina to Puerto Rican cuisine, check out a new area of San Juan. Any down time we had we spent enjoying the great food, hotel pool, and Condado Beach. San Juan is open for business and I strongly encourage everyone who has not been to check out Puerto Rico and support the recovery. I hope you enjoy this trip report and thank you for reading. |
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