The Details
- Flight: AA2093
- Aircraft: A321
- Class: Main Cabin Extra
- Seat: 8A
- Route: San Diego (SAN)-Charlotte Douglas (CLT)
- Distance: 2,165miles
- Duration: 4hrs 15min
- Departure: 10:42PM
- Arrival: 5:57AM (+1)
The Preflight
After spending a few days visiting family in San Diego, it was time to head back home to Indianapolis. My return itinerary involved a red-eye flight from San Diego to the American Airlines mega-hub in Charlotte, followed by a short connection to Indianapolis in the morning. Upon arrival at Terminal 3, I was met with bustling crowds and long lines for the baggage drop-off and economy check-in areas. Fortunately, my OneWorld Ruby status (Alaska MVP) allowed me to access the dedicated elite check-in line, which was empty. Although TSA Precheck was available, there was still a sizable queue of passengers waiting to get through. Despite the initial hustle, I managed to reach the airside area about 15 minutes after drop-off.
“Our A321, with the registration N157UW, was a seven-year-old aircraft originally delivered to US Airways in July 2013, before the merger with American Airlines in 2015. It had recently undergone a retrofit in November of last year, featuring the newest American Airlines cabins in Domestic First and Main Cabin.
Boarding started at 9:55PM.
The Flight
I was seated in 8A, the first row of the economy class cabin and one of the Main Cabin Extra seats. The Collins Meridian slimline seats in the main cabin were arranged in a 3-3 configuration, with each seat measuring 17.5 inches wide. Main Cabin Extra seats, like the one I occupied, offered an additional three inches of pitch for a total of 33 inches, as well as an extra inch of recline compared to regular seats, providing a more comfortable experience.
The bulkhead seat provided ample legroom, allowing me to stretch out comfortably.
Unlike older cabins, the newest A321 cabin does not feature a solid bulkhead separating first class from the economy cabin. Instead, there was a bulkhead screen that did not restrict my underseat legroom.
However, due to being a bulkhead seat, the tray table was stowed in a rigid armrest that could not be raised. Nevertheless, the bi-fold tray table was sturdy and included a built-in tablet mount, making it convenient to use my iPhone.
Additionally, each seat was equipped with a 110V outlet and USB-A port underneath, providing convenient access to power for electronic devices.
We pushed back at 10:30 PM, ten minutes behind schedule, and took off from runway 27 at 10:42 PM.
Service started a bit slow, with the beverage service beginning 45 minutes into our four-hour red-eye flight. Unlike United Airlines, American offers complimentary alcohol and spirits to all passengers in extra legroom economy (Main Cabin Extra). I was grateful for this and ordered a Woodford Reserve and Coke Zero. The kind flight attendant surprised me with a double pour without me even asking, which was a nice touch. She also offered me a Biscoff cookie, which I gratefully accepted and stowed away for later.
There were a total of three lavatories for the 170 economy passengers on this A321, with one located in the middle of the aircraft and two in the rear.
I managed to fall asleep for almost three hours and woke up as we began our descent into Charlotte with a beautiful sunrise off to the port side.
We landed at 5:57AM followed by a ten-minute taxi to gate C16.
Among the Big Three US carriers – United, Delta, and American – I find that the American Airlines Main Cabin Extra experience offers the most value. Both Delta and American offer complimentary alcohol, which United does not. Additionally, I often find that American Airlines consistently offers cheaper fares as well as more affordable extra legroom economy seats compared to its competitors. While Delta provides seatback entertainment screens, I didn’t find them necessary for this overnight flight. Ultimately, when flying economy, I typically opt for the most cost-effective option to get from point A to point B.