Review of mediocre business class experience on American Airlines' 777/200
Some say it's karma, some call it bad luck, I say that by the law of large numbers, first [...]
American Airlines
Oneworld
MXP
Some say it's karma, some call it bad luck, I say by the law of large numbers., sooner or later, things had to go wrong for me as well.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- 777/200
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- JFK - MXP
- Price:
- 700€
- Book
And so in a summer that saw strikes, passengers stranded in Madeira for weeks and the entire world's aviation stopped for an update To an antivirus, I almost got stuck because of a thunderstorm summer in Washington, DC.
Brief summary
I have already recounted the incident in an article in recent weeks, In a nutshell, our flight to JFK was canceled and we were automatically rerouted on a completely different itinerary, too bad the flight we were rerouted on was itself canceled. Unable to talk to AA, impossible to talk to BA. Fortunately, I solved the problems myself, but theato AA the behavior was really embarrassing.
Reservation
This flight replaced, due to cancellation, travel with BA from New York JFK to London LHR and then final leg to MXP. The cost of the leg was around €740, being part of an all business class round trip ticket. Since the cancellation and subsequent reprotection, I have also lost 20 level points cause downgrade on the approach flight, fortunately they did not cost me status.
In the end I ended my year at 1,580 points, 80 more than needed To renew the Gold level in the Executive Club program. Already it's exhausting to get there, I would have been really pissed off to pierce the finish line.
At the airport
What happened between Washington DC and Raleigh and then from RDU to New York JFK I will leave out, although a couple of reviews about it will come in the future.
At JFK we headed for Greenwich loung.e, which is none other than the former Flagship Business lounge I had previously reviewed. Now there is no restaurant for first-class passengers, who instead have access to the Chelsea Lounge, and a whole new area, called The Bridge, has been added, Making this lounge even prettier than it was.
From here we then headed to the gate to catch our flight.
On board
That things would not run smoothly we knew it from the moment we were reprojected. Certainly no stopover at LHR, but also a significantly lower cabin to that of British Airways' 777/200 outfitted with the new Club World Suites.
Other than that board seats assigned ex officio, because they were the last three seats in business and no children's menu, which BA offers and AA does not include among its services.
The configuration of these 777/200s, with more than 20 years of service, is 1-2-1. AA has two different set-ups for this model aircraft.
In one installs the Super Diamond seats, an earlier version than the one that ITA Airways installs on the A350 and British Airways in the Club Worls Suite, and the same one that can be found at Qatar board on planes that do not have the QSuite.
Too bad we got what might be amicably termed the "break-in." that is, the oldest aircraft in the fleet with the oldest cabins, i.e., Concept D. It is customary with American airlines' flights to Italy, no one brings flagships, except for sudden machine changes.
In fact, the cabin of these aircraft is configured with armchairs oriented in both directions, with the special feature that Passengers in the outer rows travel facing the opposite direction from their neighbors in the middle rows. If you are traveling in company it can also be nice.
However, if you are traveling with a stranger nearby, the lack of a door and and protection on the aisle, Totally resets privacy on board for the entire trip, almost making you travel looking into the eyes of a stranger, more or less as is the case on the old British Airways business class (which fortunately has its days numbered).
Fortunately, our seat neighbors were collaorative and so we were able to recompose ourselves into one row so that we could travel almost together.
The chair
It is hard to find a positive side to this configuration. If you travel in the middle rows with a companion, there is never a chance to be closer.
Indeed, is the choice to be physically close but facing in the opposite direction and having to do contortionism to talk to each other or farther away but just leaning out a little bit to face each other?
Of course, the outer seats are the ones I would recommend, even if you are traveling in pairs. Here again there is a small flaw, one passenger travels with his back to the window and legs toward the aisle, the other in the opposite position. So you have to choose between being further from the aisle, or being able to look out more comfortably.
Legroom in bed mode is very little. As you can see, the structure tends to squeeze, and if you are over six feet you will have very little space when you stretch the seat.
There is no protection from the aisle, no privacy, and not even a bulkhead to reduce the possibility of being disturbed by the comings and goings of other passengers.
Of course, if you do not know your neighbor, you can extend the wall and in this case be more separated.
The other "structural" flaw in this seat is that the TV is retractable, but unfortunately this means that during takeoff and landing it must remain closed, this means that for about 45 to 50 minutes you will not be able to use the monitor.
To remedy the problem AA withdraws the precious B&O headphones well before landing begins, so passengers without their own headphones can only stare at the monitor (sideways) without even being able to read lips.
The chair is operated from the small touchscreen, here you can choose different configurations and even store your favorite positions. In bed mode, two convenient buttons then pop up to operate basic functions without having to get up. Ordinary light and no air vents, as is increasingly the case.
Too bad you have to "tap" the screen several times with your fingertips to wake it up. These are the cases where in my opinion technology does not help the passenger.
As with the outer rows, those traveling in the middle seats must also choose: if you want to travel facing the direction of travel, you are more exposed to the aisle.
Conversely, one travels "against the grain," but is somewhat sheltered by the corridor. In any case, if you travel in the second business class cabin, there will be no galley to share From the premium economy, but only one curtain. Perceived storage space is simply not there. Unless you count the small cavity above the power outlets as storage, since you can't put (almost) anything in there.
The only solution is to leave the backpack under the footrest, but this solution makes personal items inaccessible in bed mode.
Large coffee table, but difficult to get up when open.
Service
If the seat is saved the service, all-around, leaves much to be desired and confirms my opinion that flying to the U.S. is like taking a bus in Italy, it is not only with AA it is a constant with (almost) all American airlines.
Instead of cellophane, cover and pillow, here I was expecting AA's new kit, unveiled in early 2024. A Delta and Virgin Atlantic type solution, zero plastic and maximum hygiene.
At the place, passengers also find slippers and amenity kit that I discovered (after the flight) to be a special edition and not the one normally distributed.
The envelope is nice, but very light in terms of content. Indeed among the most miserable and competes with British and Singapore for the title of worst kit in business classes.
Welcome drink arrived almost immediately, too bad it is served in a plastic cup.
While immediately after takeoff came a second glass, and dried fruit, this time glass.
The wipe is also in a mignon version, but at least it is there.
Let's say that until the table was set for me, it looked like things were going the right way, but things then took a decidedly different turn, never seen such a scene, the "tablecloth" not fully covering the table, Like when you make a mistake in washing your shirt and you don't fit in it anymore.
Even worse is the fact that all the plates are covered with transparent paper, picnic model at the park all done in front of the passengers' eyes. Much more elegant the fixed covers that many other carriers use. What is even nicer is AA's promise to reduce "single use plastic" .
IFE
Here we live in constant dualism. Good and evil coexist in this plane.
The good is the content, as I had already reviewed on other AA flight aboard A321T which is used for flights between the two American coasts, we are at a very high level.
Not to mention the quality of the headphones offerings, which is also why they are carefully harvested before landing.
Evil is everything else. The screen reflects a lot, the resolution is definitely not 4K, and the size is not aligned with the standards of more modern booths.
In a market where wi-fi is now unlimited and free on almost all carriers, where at least messaging is offered all members of loyalty programs, AA has none of this and instead asks for 29$ for two hours or 35$ for the entire flight.
IFE that is also operated with the appropriate controller, excellent presence of a jack for traditional headphones and as many as two power strips for each chair.
Food & Beverage
Instead, passengers find the menu, AA as is happening more and more often allows passengers to pre-order their favorite dish from what is offered on board, a very good solution in order not to displease the passenger and also in terms of sustainability since there will be less food waste, game forcefully.
Arriving at my turn to order unfortunately I had a choice between what was left and what the other passengers had not taken. A bad fall from grace. We had not been able to make reservations, but really absurd that despite the reservations we are left without what will most likely be the most popular choice.
Even worse that without a choice I was left, that I am absolutely nobody, but I have Gold status in the BA executive club and as a top tier I expect the Purser, that is, the cabin leader, in these situations to come to me and ask me what I prefer. Many carriers do it, too bad AA didn't.
Definitely not very premium trolley service along the corridor, but unfortunately there are very few companies left that do everything at the table and almost all of them serve drinks like in economy class.
In the end, the fact that we all took a different dish allowed us to taste the different offerings.
I must say that in the misfortune my fish was probably the best dish.
Too bad that the attention to detail, as in fast food, sometimes leaves something to be desired.
Not at all good ice cream at the end of the meal, I had a diametrically opposite memory in my previous experiences aboard American Airlines.
As I recounted in the video none of us had breakfast, we all looked forward to a real cappuccino and brioche.
In conclusion
I had fond memories of AA's business class, but now I really have to think again. Certainly it was not the worst flight in 2024, at the moment Air China is at the top of this ranking, but it is definitely in second place. It affected the behavior on the ground due to cancellation, the one afterwards, and much of the experience in the air.
Pro
- None
Against
- Poor service
- Drink in a plastic cup
- Old cabin configuration