By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort. In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served. American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview Flying through Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in Business Class on this ancient Embraer 175 in Business Class was a terrible experience and only marginally better than economy. Pros-None Cons- Poor Check-In Experience, Bad NAS Ground Experience, Aging Plane, Bland Food, Uncomfortable Seat, Barely Functional Power Plugs, No Seat-Back Entertainment, Limited Wi-Fi and Streaming Entertainment, No Amenities, Limited Storage Check-In and Immigration For this flight we were headed back to Washington D.C. from Nassau on a non-stop flight to Ronald Regan National Airport (DCA) which American Airlines operates seasonally around Christmas and New Years. When we arrived at Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) about two hours before our flight we had already been upgraded to Business Class utilizing our 500 mile upgrades. Because we were upgraded so far in advance we had the opportunity to take advantage of the American Airline's priority ground services at NAS. The American Airlines priority check-in line was very long so we decided to use the check-in machine to check our bags. After quickly completing the check-in we still waited in a slow bag drop line while the check-in agent took about ten minutes to tag our bags and then proceeded to another check-in desk to check my golf clubs since American Airlines requires a separate check-in for specialty equipment at NAS. After about 20 minutes we were done with the check-in process and I realized that our bags were never tagged as priority by the check-in agent. Overall, I found American Airlines check-in process at NAS to be slow and cumbersome. After we completed the check-in process we proceeded through immigration. When returning to the United States this process is usually seamless for Christina and I since we have Global Entry. However, NAS is one of the locations with a pre-clearance facility meaning that travelers to the United States clear before arriving in the United States. For the vast majority of passengers this provides a more pleasant experience since the flight can arrive at a domestic terminal. The problem with this is that for passengers with Global Entry the experience can be mixed since the experience at the pre-clearance facility may be slower than on arrival in the U.S. Unfortunately, we experienced this first hand at NAS. When we entered the pre-check line there was only one couple ahead of us in line, however, we took an hour to clear immigration! This was by far the longest I have ever taken to clear U.S. immigration and our traveling companions who did not have Global Entry even cleared the normal immigration line before we did. My advice is to arrive early for any flight out of NAS. Graycliff Divans Lounge Despite arriving at the airport about two hours early we ended up with only about 30 minutes before boarding once we cleared immigration. We decided to go to the only Priority Pass lounge in the U.S. Departures terminal Grayliff Divans. This lounge is located near Gate C-41 and open 7 am-7 pm daily and passengers are provided with a $20 USD credit for food and beverages. Upon checking in we were asked if we wanted a Wi-Fi code and when we said yes the agent printed out what seemed to be a unique Wi-FI code. The lounge has an indoor smoking section to the right and a non-smoking section to the left along with a an outdoor deck which also allowed smoking. I really didn't like that people could smoke in the majority of the lounge. When we sat down we were given menus and after reading the menu I planned on ordering breakfast. However, when we went to order we were told that no breakfast items were available for order, despite being advertised as an all day breakfast, and the only snack item available was the french fries with truffle oil and parmesan. We ordered the french fries and I ordered an orange juice. The service at the lounge was terrible and when our server was rude when taking our orders. After 30 minutes of waiting for our french fries we checked in on our order and instead of bringing the order to the table the waitress sent Christina with the order back to the table while she texted. Once we got the french fries they were cold since they had been sitting and waiting. Overall, this lounge was really poor and I would recommend skipping it. Plane and Seats Boarding started right on time and we were the first people to board the E175 operated by American Airlines' regional affiliate Republic Airways. The 12 First Class E-175 seats were arraigned in a 1-2 configuration versus the 2-2 configuration in economy. Christina and I were seated in the bulkhead seats 1D and 1F on the right side of the First Class cabin. Once we were seated the First Class flight attendant asked us if we wanted a pre-departure beverage and let us know that because of Customs regulations American Airlines cannot serve alcohol on the ground in Nassau. Since some airlines don't serve alcohol on the ground to avoid paying duty I wondered whether this truly because of customs regulations or more to do with avoiding alcohol duties. As passengers boarded the flight attendant encouraged passengers to sit down quickly since some passengers had tight connections in D.C. As the rest of the passengers settled in the captain said we had a 2 hour and five minute flight time and that we should expect a bumpy ride. My first impression of the plane was that it as aging. The First Class seats looked beat down and had a drab dark grey color. The seats had shared power plugs located between the seats. However, the plugs were so loose that every time we tried to plug in our IPhone or IPad to charge our devices they fell out. The seats were in the bulkhead so had good legroom and the tray table was located inside the armrest. The seats were not comfortable despite the padding and they had no storage areas. The seat was made more uncomfortable because the headrest wasn't properly attached to the seat and the "pre-recline" made it difficult to read. The door closed right on time and our flight pulled off two minutes later with one empty Business Class seat. As the plane taxied I was really annoyed by how loud it was. Then the captain announced that the plane had a maintenance delay and we taxied out of the way to fix the issue. The maintenance issue was fixed and we departed about 25 minutes late from a foggy Nassau and ultimately landed 15 minutes late in DCA. The loud noise, beat up seats, and maintenance issues made me think this aging plane has seen better days. Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment There were no pillows, blankets, or any other amenities on this flight. The seats also had no seat-back in-flight entertainment (IFE) which meant the only way to access the streaming IFE was using our tablets or phones. However, the Wi-Fi which powers the streaming IFE was down for the majority of the flight since it did not provide coverage in The Bahamas. When Wi-Fi coverage kicked in about half way through the flight we explored the streaming IFE options. The streaming options were more limited than the seat back IFE and included Mission Impossible Fallout. We ended up not watching any of the IFE options because our tablets were low on power and we continued to have issues with the First Class plugs. Since Christina fell asleep about half way through the flight and I didn't bring a book I was left to listen to my music and stare out the window. Meal The flight attendant started the meal service quickly after takeoff. The service started with a warm towel. While I have experienced the warm towel service on numerous flights it didn't make sense on a flight from a warm climate like The Bahamas and I think instead it should be a cold towel service on flights from warm climates. On this flight we were served lunch and Christina and I were the first people to order but we ended up being served last since the flight attendant served from back to front. The meal choices were a Chinese chicken salad or a BBQ chicken wrap. I chose the BBQ chicken wrap while Christina chose the Chinese chicken salad. I also ordered a Sam Adams Octoberfest while Christina ordered red wine. The BBQ chicken sandwich was served with cold peanuts, pita chips, salt and pepper on the side, and chocolate mouse cake. This sandwich was really bad with only a hint of BBQ sauce and was so dry at point I started choking and heavily downed water. Christina's Chinese chicken salad had peppers, mango, chicken. The salad was very bland but better than my sandwich. The best part of the meal was the chocolate mouse cake which was not dry. Overall, our meals were bad and we once again had a bad experience with American Airline's First Class catering.
Service When it comes to service onboard American Airlines I came in with low expectations based on my previous experience and this flight met those low expectations. I appreciated that the flight attendant offered us pre-departure beverages, not always a guarantee on American Airlines, and quickly cleared away our plates when we were done with our meals. However, during meal service we were never proactively offered drinks and after the meal service we were pretty much ignored until landing. I would grade the service on this flight as average which is about the best I have come to expect on American Airlines. Take Away I always appreciate a First Class upgrade, however, flying in First Class with American Airlines on this route was only marginally better than economy. The priority ground experience in Nassau was meaningless since the priority line was longer than the bag drop. Furthermore, the ground experience at NAS was weak with the Global Entry line taking longer than the standard immigration line and the Divans lounge delivering a bad experience. In the air our ancient E-175 was a terrible experience and once again we were failed by American Airlines. The convience of flying non-stop to DCA was nice but this experience was bad enough I would consider connecting next time. Also, as an American Airlines elite I would advise to skip using a 500 mile upgrade on this route.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort. In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served. American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview This was our first experience flying American Airlines mainline (non-regional operated) First Class. The experience came with multi-course hot meals, hot towel service, and very comfortable seats along with the bad service we have come to expect from American Airlines. Pros-Wide and Well-Padded Seats, Great Legroom, Lots of Power at Every Seat, Good IFE with Remote, Blanket, Multi-Course Hot Meal, Hot Towel Service, and modern Admirals Club Cons-Apathetic Service, Inconsistent Food Quality, Dated Departure Terminal DFW Arrival We landed about 30 minutes before our scheduled arrival on our flight from Santa Barbara (SBA) but spent about 20 minutes taxing because there was another aircraft at our gate. It was not a surprise that we had to wait for a gate at DFW because it is American Airlines largest hub with over 900 daily departures in summer 2019. While we waited for our gate to clear we at least had the opportunity for some cool plane spotting at DFW. As we rolled by the Qantas A380 I was in awe! Our regional jet looked like an ant compared to the whale of an A380. Christina and I both grew very excited for our upcoming First Class Honeymoon where were we would have an opportunity to fly twice on the A380. After about 20 minutes of taxing we were finally assigned a new gate. After waiting for our gate checked bags on the jet-bridge we headed towards Terminal C for our connecting flight. DFW Terminal C Admirals Club Our flight from SBA arrived at Gate D 8 and our flight to Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) departed from Terminal C so we took the SkyLink train. Once we exited the train I was surprised just how the dated Terminal C looked. I have flown through DFW several times and this was definitely the worse terminal. Terminal C had ugly flooring, poor lighting, and a dated look. This why I was not surprised when six months after our flight American Airlines and DFW announced an agreement to renovate terminal C in conjunction with building a sixth terminal (Terminal F). After locating our gate we quickly headed to the Admirals Club located near gates 19/20 in Terminal C. This Admirals Club was a welcomed change from the dated terminal. As we entered the Admirals Club I noticed that it had a modern feel and art work which I enjoyed. We also found the club to be spacious and not crowded. One interesting amenity of this club was the kids play room which was Universal Studios Orlando themed and was plastered with the minions. We did not check out the food at the Admirals Club since we ate on our last flight and were about to get another meal on the flight to DCA. Overall, this was one of the nicest Admirals Clubs I had experienced topped only by the Admirals Club at LAX. Boarding As our boarding time approached we headed over to Gate C37 for our flight. The gate area was fairly quiet and only one person was on the gate upgrade list and the flight ended up going out with two empty First Class seats. First Class was so light on this flight that one American Airlines employee cleared into First Class. We boarded first and as we boarded the flight I was stopped by the gate agent who asked that I put my bag into the sizer to make sure it could fit onboard. It ended up fitting into the sizer and were on our way. It annoys me how inconsistently American Airlines enforces their carry-on policy. I am often stopped by agents trying to size my bag and never have had a problem getting it to fit, however, I have seen passengers carrying on bags that obviously were not meant for the overhead bins but were never stopped by the gate agent. Plane and Seats On this flight we flew the Boeing 737-800 the most common plane flown by American Airlines. Because of the light load we were actually upgraded to First Class about 26 hours before our flight a full two hours before the Gold Elite upgrade window. Since were upgraded so early we weren't allowed to change seats and were not seated next to each other. However, after the upgrade window passed we changed seats and selected the bulkhead seats 3E and 3F. The 737-800 First Class is arraigned in a 2-2 configuration with about 20 inches of seat width and about 40 inches of pitch. When I sat down I was immediately impressed by the seat which was wide with a ton of legroom, comfortable padding, and the best American Airlines seat I had experienced outside of the A321T. I particularly liked how comfortable the head padding was on this seat something which I find annoying on many other seats. Each seat had AC power and a USB charger which I really appreciated after my three hour CRJ-900 flight without in-seat power. Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment When we sat down at our seats they contained a plastic wrapped blanket. I found the cabin temperate to be good on this flight so I did not use the blanket. Even though I didn't end up using the blanket it is a nice option for the times when the plane is chilly or a longer night time flight where I want to doze off. This 737-800 also contained seat-back in-flight entertainment (IFE) since it had not been retrofitted through American Airlines' project oasis which will result in less pitch and no seat back IFE even in First Class. The IFE system had a remote, contained more options than the streaming service I had experienced on my regional flight, and was much smoother since this plane was equipped with satellite internet. I really enjoyed using the remote since at the bulkhead seats the IFE screen is fairly far away. We ended up watching Oceans 8 on this flight which I found to be a fun film to watch with a traveling companion. I really like American Airlines' IFE system on this plane and it is sad that soon it will be removed from all Boeing 737-800s. Meal When we reached cruising altitude the flight attendant came around asking for our food and drink order. We had a choice between beef short rib and a falafel plate. I ordered the beef short rib and Christina ordered the falafel plate. About 30 minutes into the flight the flight attendant came around with a hot towel which was steaming but refreshing followed by warm mixed nuts and our drink orders. This was my first time having warm mix nuts or hot towel service on American Airlines and I really liked these aspects of the First Class service. About one hour into the flight our multi-course meal service with real utensils began. The beef short ribs came with mac and cheese topped with green beans and a side salad. The short ribs were really good and the mac and cheese was average. Christina's falafel plate came with falafel, toasted orzo, and quinoa along with a side salad. Christina found her meal overall unremarkable and the side salad bland. She felt that the falafel plate needed salt and pepper. Next the flight attendant came around with a choice of multigrain, white, or pretzel roll. We found the bread quality to be average. I liked that the bread was served warm but it was a bit hard and dry. Finally, for desert we had a choice between a chocolate chip and ginger snap cookie. I chose the chocolate chip and Christina chose the ginger snap. They were both served warm and we really enjoyed them. Overall, I really liked having a substantial multi-course meal on a three hour flight. The quality of our meals was mixed with some highlights such as the short rib and other parts such as the side salad which fell short.
Service Our service on this flight can best be described as apathetic. The flight attendant just did the minimum required and did not do so with a smile. One of the best examples of the apathetic service was the lack of a pre-departure beverage, something which is standard on all American Airlines First and Business Class flights. Despite having a light load in the First Class cabin and an early departure the flight attendant didn't serve any pre-departure beverages. Instead she decided to finish her dinner and use her iPhone. She was never rude but it seemed like she really didn't want to be on this flight. Unfortunately, I have found this to be the case on far too many American Airlines' fights even in First Class. Take Away This flight delivered on many fronts including wide and comfortable seats, great legroom, multiple power options at each seat, a multi-course hot meal, hot towel service, and seat-back IFE with a remote. It showed American Airlines' domestic First Class potential. However, the food quality was inconsistent, American Airlines plans to remove the seat-back IFE, and American Airlines' apathetic service continued even in First Class. If I am flying in American Airlines in First Class then the 737-800 would be probably be my choice. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort.
In this series of five reviews I focus on the experience flying American Airlines in First Class domestically and Business Class on flights to the Caribbean. The posts compare American Airlines First Class and Business Class across four different aircraft on medium-haul flights between 3-4 hours where meals are served.
American Airlines First and Business Class Reviews American Airlines CRJ-900 SBA-DFW First Class Review American Airlines 737-800 DFW-DCA First Class Review American Airlines E-175 NAS-DCA Business Class Review American Airlines E-175 DCA-MSY First Class Review American Airlines A321 SJU-CLT Business Class Review Flight Overview Multiple errors by American Airlines gate agents led to us receiving an operational First Class upgrade which we really appreciated on this 3 hour regional jet flight. We left the flight unimpressed by the CRJ-900 First Class Experience. Pros-Great Legroom, Hard Working Flight Attendants, Good and Substantial Meal Cons-Incompetent Gate Agent, Low Ceilings, No First Class Amenities, No Seat Back IFE or Device Holder, No Seat Power , Limited Supply of Meals and Insufficient Supply of Ice Check-In and Boarding The adventures on this flight began at check-in when were unable to check-in because we did not have sufficient 500-mile upgrades, which I outlined in my previous post, in either of our accounts. We needed 10 500-miles upgrades to upgrade our journey from Santa Barbara (SBA)-Dallas Forth Worth (DFW)- Washington Regan National (DCA) but Christina had 5 and I had 9 since neither of our accounts had the full allotment we couldn't check-in. I called American Airlines to cancel the 500-mile upgrade request from SBA-DFW and little did we know that we would end up riding in First Class despite not requesting an upgrade. I have flown out of SBA on several occasions and I have been impressed by both the architecture of the airport and the ease of the ground process. The architecture evokes the Spanish missions of the Central Coast and makes for a very warm welcome to the airport. I have never waited to check a bag at this airport and usually clear security with Pre-Check in 5 minutes. This is the case despite the growth at the airport which now served by six airlines, with the addition of Delta's service to Salt Lake City and will serve 12 non-stop destinations starting in June 2020 with the addition of United non-stop flight to Chicago.
When I arrived at the gate it was full. Passengers were waiting for the flight and there were four elites on the upgrade list for two available First Class seats but the gate agent ended up clearing no one. Throughout the process the gate agent did not spend a lot of time at the gate and seemed focused on getting the plane out on time rather than answering passengers' questions or clearing upgrades. I am all for getting the plane out on time but this doesn't mean the gate agent should ignore all other duties and if American Airlines gate agents are having trouble doing both then they need to staff gates with at least two staff members. About nine minutes out from boarding our plane had just arrived. Shortly after all of the passengers finished deplaning the gate agent started the boarding process. We proceeded down to the tarmac and boarded via a walkway instead of a jet bridge. This afforded us stunning views of the mountains surrounding the airport.
Plane and Seats
SBA-DFW is currently the longest flight out of SBA with a distance of about 1,316 miles, which will be eclipsed by United Airlines flight to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) in 2020, and has a flight time booked at approximately 3 hours. Despite the distance American Airlines utilized a CRJ-900 regional jet operated by Mesa Airlines for our flight. Since this flight in 2018, American Airlines has changed to a E-175 operated by Envoy Air. The CRJ-900, like vast majority of regional jets, required larger bags to be gate checked which meant we collected them plane side in Dallas and were able to carry them on our connecting flight. This was annoying since it slowed down our exit once we arrived in Dallas.
About six hours before the flight we changed our seats to the bulkhead seats which made me happy since this was the longest regional jet flight I had experienced and I was nervous about spending it in economy. However, when we boarded the flight we found our seats occupied by a woman and her traveling companion. She told us that one of the flight attendants had told her to take the seat and she refused to move since she said had just pulled a hamstring and needed the extra legroom. I did feel bad for the woman but I was annoyed because she chose not to buy an extra legroom seat which was available up to a few hours before the flight and the gate agent, who was nowhere to be found during much of the time leading up to boarding, had once again showed his incompetence.
Not wanting to slow down the boarding process but unclear where we should sit we proceeded to the back of the plane and spoke with the flight attendant working economy. She let us know that she was frustrated at the gate agent for not solving this situation and that there were two available seats in First Class and she operationally upgraded us to First Class. Once she said this we were very happy and proceeded to sit in the very back row of economy until the boarding process finished and she moved us to First Class. What was funny about this situation is that there were four other elites on the upgrade list that did not clear yet we did not use our 500-miles upgrades and ended up in First Class. If the gate agent had cleared the other elites into First Class then there likely would have been a Main Cabin Extra open for us or the woman and her traveling companion to sit in. I am sure the other elites who were not cleared were mad but the gate agents incompetence worked out well for us and we were really happy to be sitting in First Class on this approximately 3-hour flight.
First Class on American Airline's CRJ-900s has either 9 or 12 seats arranged in a 2-1 configuration. Our plane had 12 seats and we were both seated on the single seat side with Christina in seat 1A and myself in seat 4A. While I was annoyed that I was unable to sit next to Christina, I appreciated being in First Class and that my seat offered both a window view and aisle access. This is something that is not common flying domestically in First Class. The seats in this configuration had 37 inches of pitch and about 20 inches of width. I found the seat to be comfortable and well padded.
While I was certainly appreciative of being in a First Class seat I did not like the CRJ-900 cabin. The cabin had very low ceilings and I generally felt claustrophobic on the plane. At 5 feet 10 inches I had to watch my head to make sure I did not hit the overhead bins and going to the First Class bathroom required craning my neck. After three hours I was ready to get out of the plane and move around freely.
We took off 15 minutes late and I loved the beautiful ocean views as we climbed. It was a beautiful day and having a seat with a window afforded me beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
When I sat down at my seat I realized that there were no blankets or pillows proactively offered on this flight despite the three hour flight time. This is something I have received on substantially shorter American Airline's flights. The CRJ-900 had no in-seat power and no seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) which was really disappointing. During the meal service the lack of seat-back IFE or a device holder became even more annoying since I could not eat and watch the IFE at the same time. These are both things that make a flight this long more enjoyable and I would expect on such a long flight in First Class. The plane did offer streaming in-flight entertainment and I accessed it via my tablet. While the streaming IFE was less substantial than on American's narrow-body jets there were a few good options. On this flight I ended up watching Deadpool 2 which I found to be a good way to pass the time.
Meal
We were not offered pre-departure beverages I assumed due to the late departure. About 8 minutes after takeoff the First Class flight attendant came around to take our drink orders. She returned a few minutes later with my drink in an American Airlines branded glass which I put on the plastic cup holder which I really liked since it allowed for more space on the tray table.
After serving the drink she returned with a cold towel which I found refreshing but really thin and poor quality.
The flight attendant continued the meal service by offering most First Class passengers a choice between two meals, however, by the time she reached the last row the only option remaining was a salad. While I lucked out since I like a good salad I was disappointed that American Airlines had not loaded enough meals to allow for a choice for the three passengers in the back row of First Class. This wasn't even the only thing that American Airlines ran out of on this flight. About 30 minutes before landing the plane ran out of ice. Once again it is a same that American Airlines does not provision sufficient ice on such a long flight.
The salad included lettuce, tomatoes, olives, corn, and feta cheese. The chicken was cold, since American Airline's regional jets do not have ovens, and served on the side along with olive oil and vinegar dressing, mixed nuts, key lime pie, and sea salt crackers. I was quite impressed by the substantial size of the meal and the presence of real cutlery. The salad was quite tasty and I really liked that it had feta cheese. I also enjoyed the mixed nuts, even though they were served cold, and the sea salt crackers. I am not a fan of key lime pie but it had been many years since I had any so I thought I would give it a try. As a result, I found out that I still strongly dislike key lime pie but I can't blame that on American Airlines. Overall, I think that American Airlines put a good foot forward with this meal. It was both a good and substantial cold First Class meal.
Service
On this flight we had very different service from the First Class flight attendant than the economy flight attendant. When we had an issue with our seat assignment the economy flight attendant was very friendly and handled the situation calmly. When I gave her two coupons for great service she shared one with her colleague who I think did not deserve it. The First Class flight attendant only provided average service. While she worked hard with a full First Class cabin she was unable to keep her patience under stress. For example, during the first drink service order Christina ordered two drinks and the First Class flight attendant was visibly annoyed. While she was never rude during the service since was not friendly. Take Away We really lucked out receiving a First Class upgrade without requesting one which made this three hour regional jet flight manageable. However, the errors that led to the upgrade demonstrated the incompetence of gate agent. Moreover, while the meal was good and substantial the overall First Class experience of the CRJ-900 was not impressive. The plane had no seat back IFE or device holder, no seat power, low ceilings and American Airlines provided no amenities limited supply of food and insufficient supply of ice. My advice is if you find yourself on a three hour or more American Airlines flight and have a choice avoid the CRJ-900 even in First Class. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Complimentary Upgrades on Flights less than 500 Miles All American Airlines elites and up to one traveling companion receive complimentary upgrades when purchasing paid non-Basic Economy tickets on flights less than 500 miles long. However, only Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, and Concierge Key elites receive complimentary upgrades on all paid non-Basic economy tickets for flights greater than 500 miles within North America. Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members also receive complimentary upgrades on award tickets within North America. American Airlines defines North America for the purposes of 500 miles upgrades as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Earning 500 Miles Upgrades Only Gold and Platinum elites earn complimentary upgrades for every 12,500 elite qualifying miles flown during the membership year. The American Airlines membership year extends from February 1st-January 31st and elites can track their progress in their wallet on aa.com or in the American Airlines app. One key thing to know about 500 mile upgrades is that earning 500 miles upgrades only starts after the elite member qualifies for Gold status so any flights taken prior to earning elite status do not count. All other American Airlines elites do not earn 500 miles upgrades and must purchase the upgrades to upgrade their companions on flights greater than 500 miles. Purchasing 500 Miles Upgrades Any elite can purchase a 500 mile upgrade for $40 per 500 mile upgrade or 40,000 AAdvantage miles for 8 upgrades. However, in my experience these upgrades don't post immediately and may take a few hours to post to your account. The upgrades can be purchased through multiple American Airlines sales channels including on aa.com, most Admirals Clubs, during check-in, and through American Airlines reservations. Using 500 Miles Upgrades One 500-mile upgrade is required for each 500 miles flown rounded up to the nearest 500 miles. For example, a flight from DCA-LAX is 2,311 miles which would require 5 500 mile upgrades. There are many way for elites to request an upgrade on a 500 mile eligible flight including: 1) during the booking process, 2) opening the reservation, 3) calling American Airlines, 4)during check-in, 5) at the airport. The easiest way to determine the number of 500 mile upgrades required is reviewing the number required during the booking process or in the reservation after booking. 500 mile upgrades don't expire but can only be utilized by current elite members. If an elite member loses status they will have to regain status or travel with another elite member in order to utilize any unused 500 mile upgrades. An elite member is not required to have sufficient 500 mile upgrades in their account to request an upgrade but the member will be unable to check into their flight if the member does not have sufficient 500 mile upgrades. At this time the member's options are to purchase additional upgrades or cancel the upgrade request by calling American Airlines. Using 500 Miles Upgrades for Companions Elites can upgrade one companion using 500 miles upgrades. If an elite member is traveling with a companion then the members need to have sufficient upgrades in their individual accounts or enough 500 mile upgrades in one account for both of them to be upgraded. If the companion is not on the same reservation then the elite member can call American airlines to link the reservations and utilize 500 mile upgrades. If there are more than two individuals on a reservation then the elite member will need to call to request an upgrade. Upgrade Order
Once a 500-mile upgrade is requested upgrades clear based on the status of the highest-level elite requesting the upgrade, type of upgrade requested, and then the 12 month rolling elite qualifying dollars. Booking code then time/date of the request serve as tie breakers. If an upgrade clears then the elite member will receive an email notifying the member starting from their elite upgrade window up until three and a half hours before the flight. If the upgrade doesn't clear then the elite is added to the airport upgrade list for the flight. American Airlines Upgrade Order
By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. On any flight, the experience begins on the ground and one of the most important ground amenity for me is an airline's airport lounge. If I have access to a lounge it can provide a respite from the chaos of the terminal and a place to recharge and gain access to refreshments. In this post I am going to focus on the upgraded food options offered in American Airlines' airport lounges. American Airlines' lounges are called Admirals Clubs harkening back to the days when these lounges required a membership and flyers could access the lounges regardless of the airline being flown. However, starting November 1, 2019 Admirals Club access was limited to passengers flying on an American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or OneWorld marketed or operated flight. I receive access to the Admiral's Clubs when flying with Christina through the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. This card allows access for the cardholder and up to two traveling companions. While I appreciate many aspects of the airport lounge experience when flying domestically or on short haul flights the most important amenity are the complimentary food and drinks. This is an area where American Airlines has long lagged. Typically, what you can expect on the drink front is water, orange juice, machine-made hot beverages including coffee, rail liquors, wine, and beer. On the food front Admiral's Club options have been what I can only describe as sad. The options included bagels, unappetizing fruit, yogurt, soup, and cereal. Beginning in 2018, American Airlines began upgrading its food options introducing both freshly made guacamole in the afternoon and avocado toast in the morning. In 2019, American Airlines extended the food options to include build your own mac-and-cheese bars in the afternoon and breakfast tacos in the morning. During my 2018 travels, I had the opportunity to try both the freshly made guacamole and the Avocado toast. I had the guacamole on several occasions and found it to be boring, tasteless, and the chips to be too salty. However, I must give American Airlines credit for the avocado toast. In 2018 I looked forward to eating the fresh avocado toast during my morning flights. The options for avocado toast toppings included mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, yellow and red onions, ham, and my favorite avocado toast topping salmon. I found the avocado toast to be tasty and better than some of American Airlines domestic First Class breakfasts which I will discuss in my upcoming posts. Take Away
Historically, I believe that one of the weakest aspects of the American Airlines' Admirals Club experience was the food. I give American Airlines credit for upgrading the food to provide additional options. My experience with these options has been mixed. I found the freshly made guacamole tasteless while the avocado toast was delicious. I still don't think Admirals Club's food options are great or likely to replace a full meal but it is nice to have more snacks options when waiting between America Airlines flights. My advice would be to have a full meal in the terminal if are hungry but try out the new options if you are flying American Airlines and in need of a snack. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further while traveling in comfort. Flight Overview This flight showed American Airlines' ability to deliver a competitive domestic economy product too bad American Airlines is focused on making their economy product worse. Pros-Relatively Smooth Boarding Process, Good IFE and Power, Well Padded Seats, Complimentary Alcohol in Main Cabin Extra , Early Arrival, Non-stop DCA-LAS service Cons- Indifferent Service, Uncomfortable Bulkhead seat Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review The Club at LAS After passing through security at Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS) I took the train to the D Gates in Terminal 1 where all American Airlines flights depart. Terminal 1 has two lounges the American Express Centurion Lounge and The Club at LAS a Priority Pass lounge. Since I did not have access to the American Express Centurion Lounge at the time I headed to the Club at LAS. This was my second visit to this lounge and I left last time very unimpressed but I thought I would give the lounge one more chance and ended up regretting my decision. Upon entering the lounge, I found a wait at the check-in desk driven by the fact that only one staff person was both checking in guests and working the bar. Once I entered the small space in this lounge I found it to be overcrowded and very hot. On this 101-degree day the lounge was sweltering. The lounge was hot, overcrowded, loud, and the snacks it offered were pathetic. Furthermore, the lounge did not have separate Wi-Fi, or bathrooms, and honestly made American Airlines' Admirals clubs look good. This lounge was by far the worse I have ever visited. It was so bad in fact that I left after about 10 minutes and decided that it was better to wait for my flight in the terminal. Despite my terrible experience there is good news for Priority Pass holders flying through LAS. Since I visited the Club at LAS in 2018 it's Terminal 1 facility underwent a major renovation which tripled the size of the space. Looking at the pictures and description the space now features separate restrooms with showers, complimentary cocktails, and selection of hot and cold food. Boarding As boarding approached I headed to gate D7 for my flight to Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA). American Airlines operates the only non-stop flight between LAS and home airport DCA. When I arrived at the gate it was very crowded and it was clear that this was going to be a full flight. I liked the gate agents working this flight. The gate agents had numerous requests including changing seat assignments so that passengers could sit together and they tried hard to accommodate these requests. Moreover, despite a crowded gate area and a five minute late start to boarding the gate agents actually enforced the boarding groups and, on several occasions, stopped passengers from boarding in the wrong groups. As an elite member I appreciated this and it really made the boarding process a lot smoother. I boarded the plane in Group 4 and was one of the first passengers on board in economy. Plane and Seats Thanks to my American Airlines Gold elite status I was able to choose a Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in and I chose seat 8D. However, shortly after boarding I switched to 7D a bulkhead seat with more legroom than the standard 34 inches in Main Cabin Extra to allow a passenger to sit with his wife. While I appreciated having more legroom I did not like the bulkhead seat on this plane because the tray table is inside the armrest reducing the seat width by about 1 inch. In addition, the bulk head seats on this plane had airbag seats belts which felt uncomfortable and restricted my movement. I would recommend anyone flying in Main Cabin Extra on this plane choose a seat in row 8. This plane had large overhead bins, shared AC power between seats, and USB power at each seat below the in-flight entertainment (IFE) screen. I also was flying on a relatively new 737-800 that had not yet been retrofitted by American's Project Oasis. This meant that had several advantages over other American 737-800s including: 1) an additional inch of seat pitch in Main Cabin (31 vs. 30) and Main Cabin extra (~34 vs. ~33), 2) seat-back IFE, 3) comfortable and more padded seats, and 4) larger bathrooms in economy. I really appreciated American's non-oasis 737-800 cabin and think it is quite competitive for domestic flights. It is sad that as the Project Oasis retrofits continue, American Airline's 737-800s will become less comfortable and less competitive. In-Flight Entertainment The IFE system on this plane was very responsive and featured an array of options including movies, tv shows, and music. On this flight I watched both The Darkest Hour and Game Night which were both entertaining. I really like American Airlines IFE and usually find it more than sufficient for a domestic flight. However, this was my tenth American Airlines flight in the span of less than two months so I was running out of movie options. Main Cabin Extra Beverage and Snack Service As a competitive response to Delta's Comfort Plus American Airline's announced a few new benefits for Main Cabin Extra passengers in June 2018. These benefits included Group 5 boarding, dedicated main cabin extra overhead bins, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits. I experienced the complementary alcohol benefit since I flew shortly after the implementation of these new benefits. When the beverage and snack service started, about 1 hour into my flight, I was served a Biscoff cookie and I ordered a Sam Adams Boston Lager, which would have been $7 dollars and now is $8 in the Main Cabin. The flight attendant never asked for a credit card and instead just looked at the label above my seat to confirm I was sitting in main cabin extra. The beer was served very cold which I appreciated. I really enjoyed this benefit and think it is positive for American Airlines elites. As a Gold elite the vast majority of the time I am able to select a Main Cabin Extra seat at check-in allowing me to take advantage of these additional benefits. The flight attendants passed through the cabin again later in the flight for a second beverage and snack service. They served pretzels and offered water to passengers. During this four-and-a-half hour domestic flight I had a few opportunities to interact with the flight attendants and thought they provided indifferent service. The flight landed 2 minutes early into DCA and I really appreciated the ability to have a non-stop flight to DCA from LAS.
Summary I liked my flight on American Airline's non-oasis 737-800. On this relatively long domestic route I was able to have a non-stop flight to my home airport, a smooth boarding process, AC and USB power, large overhead bins, well-padded extra legroom seats, complimentary alcohol in Main Cabin Extra, and an early arrival. Despite the indifferent service and uncomfortable bulkhead seat American Airlines offered a solid and competitive domestic economy product on this flight. However, it is sad that as American Airlines progresses with Project Oasis the airline will make economy on the 737-800 worse and lose some of the competitive advantages it had with its domestic economy product. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Exploring the Las Vegas Strip Overview My third trip to Las Vegas left me with the feeling that I had enough of Las Vegas for a while. Pros- Easily Accessible via Walking, Numerous Entertainment Options Cons- Expensive Drinks, Oppressive Summer Temperatures, Unimpressive Show, and Phony Attractions Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review Walking the Strip One of the great things about staying on the Las Vegas Strip is how easy it is to access all of the hotels, restaurants, and entertainment on the strip as as a pedestrian. During the day we spent a lot of time exploring the strip by walking. Because of the many unique hotel concepts which seek to bring ideas an architecture from around the world to Las Vegas it can be interesting to walk around the Strip and check out the hotels. We found one of the easiest ways to access the Strip from our hotel during the blazing heat was walking through The Shops at Crystals which is a luxury shopping mall attached to the Aria. This mall featured luxury brands including Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Lalique. I found that this mall represented the glitz and glam of Las Vegas which seems to push everyone who visits to open up their wallets and throw caution to the wind. I resisted this push and did not but anything in the pricey mall during our stay. During our stay we also walked by Paris and the Bellagio Fountains. I like the Bellagio Fountains and I would recommend stopping by to watch the fountain show if you visit Las Vegas. One of surreal things we saw on our walk were the gondoliers taking people for gondola rides and singing in the pond outside The Venetian . To me it just seemed ridiculous to have gondola rides in a man-made pond in the middle of the desert. I understand that most people will never be able to see gondoliers in Venice during their life, I haven't had the opportunity to do so either, but the way it is done in Las Vegas still seems phony and strange. The biggest downside to the Las Vegas Strip in the summer is the oppressive heat. While we were in Las Vegas it was over 110 degrees. While the humidity was low you can only walk so long in this heat and we found ourselves dipping into the hotels to cool off or into a store to grab a bottle of water whenever we could. Having been to Las Vegas in the the spring, winter, and summer my advice is to avoid going to Las Vegas in the summer. The sun makes it very difficult to enjoy being outside during the day and even going from one hotel to the next can wear you out. Las Vegas Strip Entertainment In the past when I visited Las Vegas I had the opportunity to see some great entertainment. Las Vegas offers numerous entertainment options but expect to spend a lot if you want to purchase beverages while watching any of this entertainment. The biggest draw in Las Vegas for me are the unique entertainers you can see any of the week. Because of numerous artists in residence in Las Vegas you have the ability on any given night to probably see more entertainers than anywhere else in the United States. The draw for me are the top DJs that have partnerships with the Las Vegas nightclubs. On a previous trip to Las Vegas I saw The Chainsmokers perform at XS nightclub in the Encore Hotel. When I found out I was going to Las Vegas again I jumped at the opportunity to see another DJ. This time around we decided to see Calvin Harris who was performing at the Omnia nightclub located inside Caesars Palace. We bought our tickets in advance for $64 which I thought was reasonable for a concert. However, be warned that many of the nightclubs in Las Vegas have separate pricing for males and female even to attend concerts. In this case it was about $20 cheaper for females. This was my first time ever going to the Omnia nightclub and I was very impressed. Before the show started we went outside to the roof deck and I was floored by the view of the Las Vegas Strip from Omnia. The nightclub is located at the center of the strip and the views offered were amazing. When we entered the nightclub itself I was also impressed since it was multi-level and at the center had a massive display which changed shapes throughout the Calvin Harris' performance. The nightclub also had an impressive sounds systems and dancers hanging down from the ceiling. The biggest down side to Omnia were the very expensive drinks among the most expensive I have ever seen and the club's water policy which made no sense. During the oppressive summer heat this nightclub refused to provide us any tap water or even ice for drinking and only sells bottle water. At the nightclub a mini-bottle of non-brand water cost about $10 a bottle. To me this policy along with the prices was a strong reason not spend any money on drinks at the nightclub and another reason to avoid Las Vegas in the summer. I really enjoyed the show at Omnia and I would recommend going to the Omnia if you are in Las Vegas and get the opportunity but once again I would recommend not going during the summer. This trip to Las Vegas was also the first time I have gone to a traditional Las Vegas show. Our group decided to go see MindFreak Live! by Criss Angel at the Luxor. I was really impressed by the design of the Luxor with its imposing entrance and hotel rooms housed inside a pyramid. Since we saw Criss Angel his show has moved from the Luxor to Planet Hollywood with the cheapest tickets going for about $70. I was excited to see my first Las Vegas show but I left the experience disappointed. I personally found his magic tricks to be unimpressive and the videos included in the whole experience dated. Hopefully, he has updated his show since he moved to Planet Hollywood. However, I would suggest anyone going to Las Vegas skip this show unless you are a big Criss Angel or magic fan.
Summary My third visit to Las Vegas was fun but left me feeling like I won't be back for a while and definitely not in the summer. While I really enjoyed my stay at the Aria and seeing Calvin Harris performance at the Omina I did not like the oppressive summer temperatures, the expensive drinks at the nightclubs, what I found to be unimpressive first Las Vegas show, and phony attractions at the various hotels along the Las Vegas strip. If you do end up visiting Las Vegas my recommendation is do not go during the summer, see a DJ show, and stay on the Las Vegas Strip so you have easy access to all of the attractions. 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. Dining and Activities Overview "The dining destination" impressed with a wide array of high-quality food choices while the activities were expensive and the service was mixed Pros-Array of Dining Choices, Tasty and Creative Food, Fun Entertainment Options, Multiple Pools Cons- Expensive Entertainment, Lukewarm pools, mixed, pretentious day club, and mixed service Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review Dining Aria's tagline is "The Dining Destination" and with an impressive array of about 15 dining choices the hotel delivered. We were intent on using every dollar of our $100 per room dining credit and $30 per person per day breakfast credit so were able to check out four of the dining location together. We got off to a quick start by checking out The Patisserie, located on the lobby level off of the casino, which is the Aria's French bakery. The bakery is open 24 hours a day and featured coffee and all of the sweets you could desire including sweet and savory crepes, chocolate strawberries, gelato, and macaroons. I ordered the bananas foster and was so happy with my choice. The dish was sweet and lovely. The Patisserie is definitely worth a trip for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. For breakfast we checked out the Aria Cafe where we could use our $30 per person breakfast credit. Aria Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch and is located on the lobby level off of the casino. I generally liked the atmosphere of the Cafe as it had a large water feature and large window letting in natural light. One interesting thing about the cafe's location is that it has a view of valet parking area in front of the hotel lobby and felt very Las Vegas with a bunch of luxury cars parked out front. We ate at the Aria Cafe for breakfast three times during our stay and each time I was impressed by the wide array of high-quality food options and the creativity of the dishes. Throughout my stay I never got bored with the selections and found the prices to be reasonable for Las Vegas allowing us to stretch our breakfast credits. One thing to note is that the credit did not include tax and tip. My favorite breakfast item on the menu was the red velvet pancakes. This dish featured chocolate chips melted onto red velvet pancakes and was simply amazing! I also ordered freshly squeezed orange juice with breakfast on my first morning at the Aria Cafe and was so impressed that had had it for all three breakfasts. This was my third trip to Las Vegas and the first time I had the opportunity to check out a Las Vegas buffet. The Aria's buffet is simply called The Buffett at Aria. The Buffet is open for breakfast, brunch, and dinner and located on the second level of the Aria. We went to The Buffet for dinner once during our stay. Overall, I thought The Buffet's food quality was okay, however, what it lacked in food quality compensated with selection. The buffet featured numerous stations including a Fish Market, Pizza, Carvery, Asian, and Latin. The item I liked the most were the fresh cuts of meats but I would probably skip doing a buffet next time I am in Las Vegas. The final dining location we tried together was the Burger Lounge. This is Aria's casual take away grass fed burger place located on the lobby level right off of the casino floor. One cool feature of this restaurant is that it lets customers watch the chef's preparing the food. I ordered the special which came with a burger, fries, and a drink. I thought the burger was okay while I loved the fries and the shake. I found the Burger Lounge to best choice for an affordable dinner at the Aria. Activities Like many of the Las Vegas resorts Aria's main activity is gambling in the casino. However, when I go on vacation gambling is never my main focus so I will discuss all of the non-gambling activities we experienced at the Aria. The Aria only has a handful of non-casino activities including a Game Room, Jewel Nightclub, multiple pools, and the Liquid Day Club. We never made it to the Jewel Nightclub and checked out the pricing at the Game Room but found it overpriced so I will focus on the Aria's pools and the Liquid Day Club. Aria has a large number of pools including two main pools for all guests and the Sky Pool exclusively reserved for guests of the Sky Suites. The pools were shallow and meant more for relaxing than swimming. The pools are surrounded by a large number of loungers and cabanas. The loungers are free and the cabanas have an additional cost and must be reserved. The Aria also had hot tubs which were completely unnecessary on these 100 degrees plus summer days in Las Vegas. My biggest compliant about the pool was how hot it was. The pool deck was so hot that walking barefoot on the deck could burn your feet. The pool water provided no relief because it was lukewarm. I really wished that they would cool the pool temperature on the hot summer days. The Aria also features a day club call Liquid Pool Lounge which also features a pool. This day club normally has a cover, however, because we were hotel guests we had complimentary general admission. The day club is located next to the Sky Pool and features a large pool, a live DJ, cabanas and a bar. When we went to the pool mid-day we were the only guests in the pool. It was fun to have a private pool and DJ for thirty minutes. The DJ spinning beats was very good and we enjoyed hanging out in the pool listening to her beats. The biggest downside to Liquid Pool Lounge was the pretentious atmosphere and high cost of using the cabanas. From the minute we walked in it was clear that the staff was only interested in serving guests with cabanas and were worried about us messing up the look of the club. On several occasions the staff came by and asked if they could clean up our clothing or fold out towels to keep up the look of the club. As time went by the day club's cabanas filled up with big spenders who ordered rounds of bottles and were treated well by the staff. Service
Service during our stay at the Aria was a mixed bag. For example, we called the concierge during our stay to find out about the location of various activities and the cost for entry into the day and night clubs for hotel guests. The concierge was friendly and efficiently answered our questions, however, there was a long wait to answer our call. At check-in the staff seemed fairly robotic and did not impress. At the restaurants we found some staff to be very friendly while others were okay. The treatment we received at Liquid Day club though was symbolic of staff at the Aria. No one was rude to us but it was clear that they cared most about serving those who they thought were big spenders. Summary Overall I was impressed with the Aria's hotel rooms and dining but not impressed by its activities. The quality and wide variety of the Aria's dining was impressive and set it apart from other hotel's on the Las Vegas Strip. If I find myself in Las Vegas again and was able to find a deal through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection I would certainly consider staying at the Aria Resort and Casino again. 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. Hotel Room Overview The central location, Invited Guest Check-In, and comforts of the Deluxe Queen Room made for a great stay at the Aria Pros-Central Location, Invited Guest Check-In, Large Base Room, Large Bathroom with a Shower Tub Combo, Technology Integration Cons- Poor View, Awkward Room Layout Las Vegas Strip Trip Report Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review Location The Aria is a AAA Five Diamond resort centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip across from The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort. The resort is a part of MGM Resorts and was developed as a part of the City Center development which includes luxury shopping and dining. The resort opened in 2009 and is one of the newest resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. We ended up really appreciating the resort's central location since it allowed us to easily walk the strip and check out other hotels and resorts in Las Vegas and attractions such as the Bellagio Fountains. Invited Guest Check-In I took a Lyft for the approximately 10-minute drive from the Las Vegas McCarran Airport and enjoyed seeing the other resorts on the strip including the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and the Cosmopolitan where I stayed during my last trip to Las Vegas. I arrived at the resort around 11:00 am and the check-in line was about 50 people deep despite a resort check-in time of 3 pm. This was definitely the longest hotel check-in line I had ever seen and I was thankful that one of the benefits I received booking through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection was Invited Guest Check-In. The Invited Guest line is an elite check-in line normally reserved for elite members in MGM's M life rewards program. However, because of my booking I was able to skip the normal line and use the elite check-in line which I estimated saved me at least an hour checking in. The Invited Guest line had no wait and an agent greeted me and asked for my MLife Rewards number and I told her I have the benefit of the check in through my reservation. She found my reservation and handed me a paper confirming all of the benefits available through the program and apologized that no room upgrades were available. However, because of the program I was able to receive early check-in to my room. Finally, I added both my M life rewards and World of Hyatt rewards number to the reservation to make sure I could earn World of Hyatt points. One thing to keep in mind is that when booking through The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection there is no way to add an your membership number for World of Hyatt and you must add it along with your M life rewards number at check-in. Once the check-in process was completed we headed towards our rooms. Deluxe Queen Room The process for getting to our room after check-in was not clear since the entire first floor of the resort is really focused on getting people to and from the casino. As a first-time guest at this resort I think the hotel should improve the signage directing guests to the rooms. Once we found out where the elevators to the rooms were located there was a security guard stationed next to the elevators who ensured each time that a member of our group had an Aria room key card. Our Deluxe Queen room (6252) was located on the sixth floor and had an unimpressive view of the ceiling of the lobby and the Vdara resort pool. I hoped we would at least receive a room with a better view at check-in so I was disappointed with this unimpressive view. While we did not have a view I really liked the floor to ceiling windows and I thought the room was quite impressive for a base level room. The room had black out curtains which were great for sleeping and sheer curtains which were great for blocking out the strong Las Vegas sun. As a heads up because of the curvature of the hotel we could see into some of our neighbors' rooms and they could see into our so bear that in mind if you have all of the blinds open. The 560 square foot Deluxe Queen room was significantly larger than two previous base rooms I had in Las Vegas. The room had two queen beds with comfortable Sealy mattresses and six pillows each. I loved that the hotel included so many pillows! At the back of the queen beds were padded headboards flanked by two lamps. In between each bed was a side table with an additional lamp and plugs. In front of the beds was a desk which I found to be very awkwardly placed since if anyone was sitting at the desk the television was blocked. Next to the desk was a mini-fridge and on top of the mini-fridge were absurdly priced snacks and water. One egregious example was the Fiji water which cost $18 per bottle. My advice, stay away from the mini-bar and snacks in the room. Where I really noticed the additional space in this room was in the bathroom. The bathroom had a number of features which are not common in a base hotel room including a double vanity and a large and luxurious shower/tub combo which a glass door. I really liked the materials the Aria used on the sinks, the shower, and the tub. These materials made the bathroom seem high-end. The hotel also did a great job of keeping the entire room in great condition and I did not notice scratches or blemishes anywhere in the room. One awkward feature of the bathroom was a telephone located next to the toilet. I never understand why hotels put phones next to the toilet. The Aria offered shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from Kinu Haircare which is an Australian company I had never heard of before this trip. The biggest issue I had with the bathroom was the size of the tub since it was so small I could barely fit in it. What impressed me the most was the technology in the room. For example, whenever we walked into the room the binds automatically opened. The room also had lightning fast free Wi-Fi which was easy to access. Also, the lights, blinds, and room temperature could all be controlled from either the television or from a tablet located on the side table between the two double beds. The tablet also contained information about the resort including hours of the restaurants along with information about entertainment and retail. The tablet also offered pre-ordering at some of the resort's dining including Starbucks and the ability to order room service. As part of the technology in the room a guest could attach devices to play through the room's entertainment system via numerous connections including USB, HDMI, VGA, AV, and S Video. I really appreciated the way Aria integrated technology into the room. The only complaint I had on the technology front was the lack of sufficient bedside plugs which is a complaint I have at a lot of hotels but something I wouldn't have expected at a modern hotel like Aria. Take Away
The check-in experience using the Invited Guest Check-in was a breeze and further demonstrated the value of The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection for stays in Las Vegas. The Deluxe Queen room at the Aria Resort and Casino felt luxurious despite being the lowest category room at the resort. The view from the room was unimpressive but the resort made up for this by offering 560 square feet of space, comfortable beds, a large bathroom, and a room outfitted in the latest technology. I really liked the Aria's Queen Deluxe room and would consider staying in this room type at the resort if I was heading to Las Vegas for a group trip with multiple travelling companions. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Las Vegas Strip Trip Report
Las Vegas Strip Trip Overview Aria Resort and Casino Deluxe Queen Room Review Aria Resort and Casino Dining and Activities Review Exploring the Las Vegas Strip American Airlines Boeing 737-800 LAS-DCA Review
Introduction
During the summer of last year, I headed without Christina, to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. This was as my third time in the city, my first trip to Las Vegas during the summer, and my best trip to Las Vegas yet. However, I left the city having had a fun time but with the feeling that I don't want to go back to Vegas for a while. This feeling was driven by the several factors including the fact that this was my second year in a row going to Las Vegas, the dire summer heat, the high prices of going out in Las Vegas. In my last post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. I plan to focus this trip report on my review of the hotel and my overall impressions of Las Vegas, and the experience flying out Las Vegas McCaran (LAS) airport. Booking Hotel In my last tips post I talked about the benefits and the process for booking hotels through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. In this trip report I will show you how we were able to save a significant amount of money booking the Aria through the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. Having been to Las Vegas two previous times I knew the importance of staying on the strip because of savings in both time and money. Las Vegas blocks are large and staying as close to the center of the strip as possible was particularly important in the summer heat.
On my previous trips to the city I stayed at Bally's, which was cheap but unimpressive, and at the Cosmopolitan, where we got a great group rate and I was impressed. However, on this trip I was looking forward to putting the benefits of the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection to use. I searched for hotel's located center strip with good benefits through the program. I ended up going with the Aria which was a fantastic decision. We ended up paying $549 per person over the course of our three night stay. While this price was on the higher end for Las Vegas hotels we were dead center on the strip, staying a luxury resort with lots of amenities, and were able to save money by booking rooms with two beds and using the Luxury Hotel and Resort collection benefits. Booking through the program offered an array of the benefits including free breakfast for two daily (maximum $30 per person), and $100 food and beverage credit per stay. I found all of these to be very valuable and the benefits ended up savings us about $140 per person on dining over the course of our stay. In my upcoming posts I will walk through how to maximize each of these benefits. At check-in I also added my World of Hyatt number hoping to earn Hyatt points through the MLife and World of Hyatt partnership. In the end the stayed booked through Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection was eligible for World of Hyatt points and I earned 9,631 base points on my eligible spending for both rooms and 963 bonus points due to my Hyatt Discoverist status.
Booking Flights
Heading to Las Vegas on a summer weekend from Washington D.C. can be quite expensive and since I had been burned the year before waiting for a price decrease that never came I booked about three months out this time around when I found a reasonable price. There are non-stop flights to LAS from Baltimore Washington International on Spirit and Southwest, Washington Dulles on United, and Ronald Regan Washington National (DCA) on American Airlines. Since DCA is my home airport and I had elite status with American Airlines I decided to go with the non-stop flight on American Airlines for $560 roundtrip. While this was a lot for a domestic economy ticket it actually was a good deal on this route since it was about $150 cheaper than my ticket the year earlier to Las Vegas, which included stops. Moreover, during the summer non-stop tickets with American Airlines on this route can be over $700 even when purchased months in advance. I ended up earning 2,475 AAdvantage base miles plus 990 bonus miles due to my American Airlines Gold elite status.
Summary
In this trip report I plan to utilized the tips I shared in my post on the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection in order to demonstrate how you can get value from the program. I also plan to share my thoughts on Las Vegas as a destination, share the activities I participated in while in Las Vegas, and my thoughts on flying non-stop out of LAS to DCA. I hope will you enjoy coming along with me on my adventure to Las Vegas. |
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