The Details
- Flight: AA4130
- Aircraft: E175
- Class: Domestic First
- Seat: 4D and 4F
- Route: Indianapolis (IND)-Miami (MIA)
- Distance: 1,092miles
- Duration: 2hrs 6min
- Departure: 5:10PM
- Arrival: 7:15PM
The Preflight
For this journey, my fiancé and I had planned a round-trip adventure from Miami to Easter Island with LATAM. It marked our first joint travel experience to South America, adding an extra layer of excitement to the trip. Our journey began with a positioning flight to Miami, courtesy of American Airlines.
We arrived at IND airport approximately an hour and a half before our scheduled departure at 5:05 PM. Check-in was a breeze since we only had carry-on bags, and thankfully, the TSA Precheck line on Sunday evening was virtually non-existent.
Our aircraft for this leg of the journey was a seven-year-old E175 with the registration N242NN. Delivered brand new to Envoy Air in October 2016, this aircraft was one of American Airlines’ regional jets, operated by Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand.
Boarding commenced 20 minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time, starting at 4:41 PM.
The Flight
American Airlines maintains a consistent cabin configuration for all E175s operated by its regional partners, including Envoy Air, Republic Airways, and SkyWest Airlines. In the Domestic First class cabin, there are a total of 12 seats arranged in a 1-2 configuration across the first four rows at the front of the aircraft.
We were seated in 4D and 4F toward the rear of the cabin.
Each seat measured 20 inches wide and provided 36 inches of pitch, although the seats themselves showed signs of wear with worn-down padding.
Between the seats, there was a small cocktail tray that slid out from the center armrest, while individual USB-A and 110V universal outlets were located under the center armrests.
The bi-fold tray table was stored within the right armrest.
Boarding was completed and the door was closed promptly at 5:00 PM, followed by pushback two minutes later. Taking off from runway 5R at 5:09 PM, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.
In-flight service commenced 30 minutes after take-off with a beverage service and packaged nuts. Opting for a Woodford and Coke Zero, I was pleased to find it served pre-poured in a proper glass.
Given the flight’s distance of over 900 miles, a dinner service was offered. However, American Eagle E175s lack a hot oven, so all food was served cold. Dinner options were presented in a large box, with my choice being the “Protein Box” containing sliced prosciutto, three types of cheese, crackers, artichokes and olives, fresh grapes and berries, and an oatmeal raisin cookie. Unfortunately, the food fell short, as I later developed food poisoning, with the boxes being the likely source of my symptoms.
My fiance had the “Pasta Box” option which included a pasta wrap, orzo salad, mixed nuts, and oatmeal cookie.
On a positive note, the flight attendant provided excellent service, ensuring a continuous supply of Woodfords on the rocks once the boxes were cleared.
The single lavatory at the front of the cabin was rather basic and shared between Domestic First and economy passengers.
The remainder of the flight was uneventful, and we landed in Miami at 7:15 PM.
Deplaning via stairs onto the regional jet concourse, we had a fairly long walk ahead of us from D60 in North Terminal to the South Terminal J Concourse.
Despite the pleasant service onboard this American Eagle flight from Indianapolis to Miami, my overall experience was marred by the unfortunate development of gastroenteritis following the onboard food and beverage service. I think I will have to avoid any of the packaged boxed meals on American Airlines for some time.