Category: American Airlines

The Details

• Flight: AA3048
• Aircraft: CRJ-700
• Class: Domestic First
• Seat: 3A
• Route: Chicago O’Hare (ORD)-Indianapolis (IND)
• Distance: 206miles
• Duration: 36min
• Departure: 5:01PM
• Arrival: 6:36PM

The Preflight

After landing in Chicago aboard the Lufthansa B747-8I in First Class, I had a four-hour layover before my connecting flight on the American Airlines CRJ-700 back home to Indianapolis. Thanks to Global Entry, I breezed through Terminal 5, hopping onto the ATS (Automated Transit System) in under 10 minutes. The tram whisked me to Terminal 3, my next stop, where I proceeded directly to TSA Pre-Check, having checked in online and received a mobile boarding pass. Within 30 minutes of disembarking, I found myself at the gate for my next flight—a remarkably smooth self-transfer.

Unfortunately, I no longer had access to the Admirals Club, so I spent the layover hours exploring the terminal and stretching my legs. Boarding commenced on schedule at 4:18 PM for our 4:48 PM departure from gate G19.

Our CRJ-700, registration N730SK, had flown for almost 19 years since its delivery to SkyWest in January 2005. SkyWest was operating this flight on behalf of the American Airlines regional service American Eagle.

American Airlines’ CRJ-700s feature nine Domestic First Class seats arranged in a 1-2 configuration across the first three rows. The Zodiac Close Comfort II seats are approximately 19.5-21 inches wide, offering 37 inches of pitch and six inches of recline.

I was seated in 3A for this flight, in the last row of the cabin.

Each seat was equipped with a bi-fold tray table stowed in the left armrest and a small cocktail holder.

Recent upgrades included individual power outlets and a USB port at each Domestic First seat.

Upon settling into my seat, I was offered a pre-departure beverage, which can be hit-or-miss on domestic flights. I opted for a cup of Coke Zero.

The door closed promptly at 4:41 PM, and we pushed back at 4:53 PM, taking off seven minutes later from runway 10L at exactly 5:00 PM.

Within 10 minutes of departure, the cabin attendant offered each passenger a choice of pretzels or Biscoff cookies along with drink orders. I indulged in a Bloody Mary, enjoying it as we began our descent into Indianapolis.

Touching down at 6:36 PM, we swiftly taxied to the gate, arriving 10 minutes ahead of schedule. I appreciated the service on this brief regional flight with American Airlines operated by SkyWest. It was a pleasant surprise to receive a pre-departure beverage, and ultimately, they got me home to Indy 10 minutes earlier than expected.

The Details

• Flight: AA2838
• Aircraft: A321
• Class: Main Cabin Extra
• Seat: 8A
• Route: San Diego (SAN)-Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
• Distance: 368miles
• Duration: 51min
• Departure: 12:38PM
• Arrival: 2:29PM

The Preflight

After spending a few days visiting my family in San Diego, it was time to fly back home to Indianapolis. My routing today would be from San Diego to Phoenix to Indy with American Airlines. I arrived at Terminal 2 an hour prior to the scheduled boarding time. Boarding began at 11:57AM with a packed gate area.

Our A321, registration N558UW, was a 10-year-old aircraft originally delivered to US Airways in September 2012 and then transferred to American Airlines in December 2013 after the merger between the two airlines.

The Flight

American Airlines had recently completed updating all of their A321 with newer Collins Merician slimline seats, increasing the seat count, as well as removing seat-back entertainment from the older seats. The new “Oasis” style A321 cabins had a total of 170 main cabin seats arranged in a 3-3 configuration. Rows 8-12 as well as row 24 were designated as Main Cabin Extra which meant an extra three inches of pitch for 33″ total.

I was seated in 8A the very first row of the Main Cabin. American had removed all of the bulkheads between the Domestic First and Main Cabin which meant the bulkhead rows had increased underneath storage in front of them. Each seat was 17.5″ wide and had three inches of recline.

The bi-fold tray table was stored in the armrest. I appreciated how there was a small flip-up tablet holder built into the tray table.

Boarding took over 20 minutes to complete with pushback five minutes later at 12:25PM. We took off at 12:38PM with slightly cloudy views of downtown San Diego, Point Loma, and Coronado Island.

Due to the “short” 51-minute duration of the flight, the cabin crew announced that there would be no beverage service in the main cabin. On this particular route, I have noticed it is hit-or-miss with the flight attendants being willing to offer drinks and pretzels. I did enjoy the extensive in-flight entertainment selection which I streamed on my iPhone.

Just as we reached our cruising altitude, we began our descent into the Phoenix metro area. On our approach, we had a great aerial view of Sky Harbor Airport.

We landed at 2:29PM with our gate arrival at 2:36PM. Thanks for the ride!

This was a flight with nothing to write home about. American Airlines got me from point A to B without delay although I would have appreciated a more consistent beverage service as I had gotten drinks on previous flights from San Diego to Phoenix.

The Details

• Flight: AA4048
• Aircraft: E175
• Class: Main Cabin Extra
• Seat: 8A and 8C
• Route: Indianapolis (IND)-Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
• Distance: 229miles
• Duration: 42min
• Departure: 1:15PM
• Arrival: 12:57PM

The Preflight

For winter vacation, my fiance and I were headed to Cyprus for the week. Originating in Indianapolis, we had a separate reservation booked with Aeroplan points from Chicago to Frankfurt to Munich to Larnaca, Cyprus. For the Indianapolis to Chicago flight, we booked with cash with American Airlines.

We arrived at the terminal an hour before boarding at 10:20AM was scheduled to begin and found a fairly busy American Airlines check-in area. Thanks to TSA Precheck we quickly passed through security about five minutes after arriving at the terminal.

There is a single Priority Pass restaurant at IND called “The Fan Zone” located at the end of the A gates pier. Each passenger with an eligible Priority Pass (through Chase) membership is given a $28 credit for a companion and themselves. There was an extensive offering of alcohol including liquor, beer, wines, and seltzers.

There was a refrigerator with a selection of cold sandwiches, wraps, and other snacks. The hot food was only available after noon.

Boarding began on time at 12:20PM. Our E175, owned by Envoy Air for American Earle, was delivered brand new in May 2016.

The Flight

American Eagle E175s feature a total of 12 First class and 64 economy seats in a two-cabin configuration. The First class seats are arranged in a 1-2 configuration while the economy cabin is in a 2-2 configuration. Of the 64 economy seats, 20 were extra legroom Main Cabin Extra seats.

We were seated in the first row of the economy cabin in row eight. Each seat was 18 inches wide with 34 inches of pitch.

The benefit of the first row of the economy cabin is that there is no bulkhead between the two cabins. The aisle seat (8C) features unlimited legroom because it juts out into the aisle.

There was a simple bi-fold tray table stored in the armrest.

Each seat pair also had a shared USB port and a 110V outlet.

Boarding was completed 25 minutes after it began and we pushed back two minutes later at 12:47PM. It was just the beginning of a winter storm in the central Indiana region so our aircraft was de-iced prior to departure.

At 1:15PM we took off from runway 5L.

On this short flight, there was a snack offering of either pretzels or Biscoffs. Flight attendants also came through the cabin with water and orange juice.

We cruised at 20,000 feet for just eight minutes before beginning our descent into Chicago.

On our approach into runway 27C, we had a cloudy view of downtown.

We landed at 12:56PM and only had an eight-minute taxi to gate L21. Thanks for the ride!

The Details

• Flight: AA780
• Aircraft: B737-800
• Class: Main Cabin Extra
• Seat: 8F
• Route: Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)-Indianapolis (IND)
• Distance: 1,526miles
• Duration: 2hrs 56min
• Departure: 5:01PM
• Arrival: 11:14PM

The Preflight

After landing at 3:45PM from San Diego, I had 45 minutes until boarding was scheduled to begin on my final flight home. Our B737-800, registration N923AN, was over 21 years old. Delivered to American Airlines before the turn of the century in November 1999, she was one of the oldest B737s in the AA fleet.

Boarding began on time at 4:27PM for a 5:03PM departure.

The Flight

American Airlines is in the progress of retrofitting their entire B737 fleet to including 16 First, 24 Main Cabin Extra, and 132 Main Cabin seats as part of their Oasis/Kodiak fleet renewal. Our B737-800 today had been retrofitted with the Kodiak modification which included Collins Meridian economy seats arranged in a 3-3 configuration. Main Cabin Extra was located in the first two rows of economy (8 and 9) as well as the two emergency exit rows (16 and 17).

I was seated in row 8, the bulkhead economy row. Since the cabin divider only extended down halfway from the ceiling, there was ample legroom. Pitch was 33 inches. Along the fuselage was a literature pocket as well as an additional pocket in the seat back in front.

A large bi-fold tray table was located in the center armrest. There were also a built in cup holder and tablet holder.

Each seat also had built-in USB ports and 110V outlets.

Upon boarding, each passenger was given a sanitizing wipe.

We pushed back on time at 5:03PM then taxied for 15 minutes to runway 25R.

We got stunning views of the Sonoran Desert as dusk during our climb out of the PHX area.

Service began 30 minutes after takeoff with a beverage and snack service. Due to COVID-19, alcohol was not offered in the Main Cabin. A small pack of pretzels was also passed out.

The rest of the flight was uneventful as we cruised eastwards with the sun to our rear.

I managed to nap for about an hour during the flight. I woke-up to the cabin being prepped for landing.

It was a gloomy, wet night in Indianapolis as we landed at 11:14PM.

Thanks for the ride!

The Details

• Flight: AA2757
• Aircraft: A320
• Class: Main Cabin Extra
• Seat: 4A
• Route: San Diego International (SAN)-Pheonix Sky Harbor (PHX)
• Flight Time: 49 min
• Distance: 334 miles
• Departure: 2:20PM
• Arrival: 3:37PM

The Preflight

After spending a few days visiting family in San Diego, it was time to head back home to Indy. Thanks to TSA Precheck, I was air side within a few minutes of arriving at SAN. I made my way to the Airspace Lounge, which I could access thanks to my American Express Platinum Card.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all food was pre-packaged. Options included a variety of chips, fruit, and cookies.

There was a espresso machine which was roped off. Lounge staff operated the machine.

Entry with the AMEX Platinum Card also came with a $10 voucher for food from the menu.

For lunch, I had the Chicken Caesar wrap along with a house Bloody Mary. Tasty.

The lounge had a great apron view of the American Airlines gates including 23 where my flight to Phoenix would be departing.

Our A320, registration N680AW, was 16 years old. She was initially delivered to American West in 2005 prior to the merger with US Airways in 2006. She then was transferred to American Airlines in 2015 after their merger with US Airways.

Boarding began at 2:02PM exactly 30 minutes prior to departure.

The Flight

American Airlines operates a total of 48 A320s which were inherited from US Airways. These aircraft have a total of 12 First, 18 Main Cabin Extra, and 120 Main Cabin seats. The 18 Main Cabin Extra seats are found in the the bulkhead row (4) and two emergency exit rows (10 and 11) arranged in a 3-3 configuration. I was seated in 4A, the bulkhead Main Cabin Extra row. I found these legacy US Airways seat very comfortable with a generous amount of padding.

Pitch was generous although the foot room was restricted due to bulkhead in front. Each seat had a literature pocket in front.

There was a large bi-fold tray table located in the center armrest.

Each seat also had a USB port and 110V outlet.

Upon boarding, each passenger was given a small sanitizing wipe.

We pushed back two minutes early at 2:30PM and had a 14 minute taxi to runway 27.

We climbed westward circling back around to head east which gave us great views of San Diego.

Service was quick and efficient. Flight attendants came down the aisle with a drink service and offered packaged snacks 20 minutes after takeoff. Due to COVID-19, complimentary alcohol had been cut from the Main Cabin Extra service.

The rest of the 49 minute flight was uneventful as we cruised over the California-Arizona state line.

The descent into Phoenix was smooth and we landed at 3:37PM. The taxi to gate A5 was quick at just two minutes.

Thanks for the ride!

The Details

• Flight: AA1710
• Aircraft: A321neo
• Class: Domestic First
• Seat: 5A
• Route: Orlando International (MCO)-Dallas Ft. Worth International (DFW)
• Distance: 1,039miles
• Duration: 2hrs 13min
• Departure: 2:03PM
• Arrival: 3:27PM

The Preflight

After arriving at the main terminal area, I made my way to the dedicated Priority Check-in counters American Airlines operates in Orlando.

While there wasn’t a line for checking in, the TSA lines were massive. The central security area was packed with passengers. Luckily, I had CLEAR which allowed me to skip through the PreCheck line which was a few dozen passengers deep. Within five minutes I was through security.

American operates out of Terminal B at MCO and our flight we departing from gate 54. Our A321neo, registration N427AN, was delivered brand new to American Airlines on Octoerber 29, 2020.

She was one of 70 A321neos that American Airlines plans to have in their fleet.

Boarding was supposed to begin at 12:55PM but due to heavy thunderstorms in the Dallas area it was pushed back until 1:25PM. Gate agents did a fairly good job of keeping passengers updated and upfront with news on the delay.

The Flight

American Airlines features 20 first class seats onbard their A321neos arranged in a 2-2 configuration. This aircraft featured the “Kodiak” Domestic First configuration which is American’s newest onboard offering up front. There was a hanging builhead screen that separated First and Main Cabin behind my seat 5A.

Each seat was 21″ wide and offered 36.5″ of pitch.

The seatback had a tablet holder, literature pocket, and USB port.

I appreciated the unrestricted legroom without any boxes underneath the seat.

It between the two seatbacks was a cocktail tray.

The seat recline button was located in the center console.

There was another small tray table that could be pulled out from the center.

Underneath the armrest was a storage bin as well as the universal power outlet.

The left hand armrest was where the tray table was stored.

The tray table was very sturdy and had a built in tablet holder which I appreciated.

It was massive and sturdy.

Boarding took just 30 minutes and the doors were closed at 1:55PM, 25minutes later than scheduled. The lead flight attendant also passed through the cabin to take drink orders before taking off. Three minutes later, we pushed back at 2:03PM.

The taxi to runway 36R took 11 minutes and we took off at 2:14PM.

Once in the air, I loaded the AA IFE on my tablet.

There was a fair amount of options despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Drinks were served 20 minutes after takeoff. I appreciated that all passengers were served a double of their drink of choice. I went with a gin & tonic that was also served with a slice of lime. American Airlines has had the best beverage service during the COVID-19 pandemic of any US carrier hands down.

Unfortuantely, the meal services have been severely reduced due to the pandemic. Food options included either a turkey sandwich of chesse plate.

The turkey sandwich was served with a packet of mustard and a chcolate chip cookie.

We had great views of the Gulf of Meixco was we passed over the Lousiana Coast.

We landed at 3:27PM local time in Dallas after on runway 35R.

Due to the thunderstorms in the area, the taxi ways were packed with delayed flights arriving and pushing back. Once at our gate, we were held in position due to another plane not having pushed back yet. It took almost twenty minutes for us to finally pull into our gate. This flight was a great reminder as to the impacts that thunderstorms have on DFW.

The Details

• Flight: AA518
• Aircraft: A321
• Class: Main Cabin
• Seat: 25A
• Route: San Diego International (SAN)-Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
• Distance: 1,814miles
• Duration: 3hrs 11min
• Departure: 9:20AM PST
• Arrival: 2:45PM CST

The Preflight

After a fun weekend in San Diego with my college buddies, I was on my way home to Chicago. Thanks to my Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elite status I was able to use the Priority check-in counters. There was a fair amount of passengers this morning in Terminal 2 East.

Once past TSA Pre-check, I made my way to the Airspace Lounge. Thanks to my AMEX Platinum Card I had access to the lounge which also doubles as the Admirals Club for American Airlines passengers.

There was a self-serve espresso machine as well as some Chex Mix.

There was also a bar which was where additional food was available.

There was an assortment of chips and packaged pastries.

Thanks to my AMEX Platinum Card I also had a $10 food voucher to use on more substantial food.

I went with my usual Breakfast Sandwich with sausage.

The lounge had great views of the apron and the A321 that would be taking me to Chicago.

Our A321 today, registration N143AN, was delivered to American Airlines back in August 2015.

Boarding began at 8:50AM.

The Flight

American Airlines currently has four separate versions of the A321 in their fleet. This version was a legacy American Airlines A321 with 181 seats. Each seat had a seatback screen which other versions of the A321 do not have.

I was seated in my favorite American Airlines economy seat, 25A.

While this seat was a standard Main Cabin seat, the major benefit was unlimited legroom.

Since it was directly facing the jumpseat there was no seat in front of it. I could stretch out my legs fully throughout the entire flight.

The other Main Cabin seats only offered 31″ of pitch and 17.7″ of width.

Since there was no seatback in front, the tray table and screen were stored in the armrest which decreased the width.

The tray table was fairly sturdy.

The entertainment screen was definitely showing signs of wear and tear. It was also covered in dried liquid.

There was also a 110V outlet beneath the seat.

The recline button was located in the left armest.

The boarding doors were closed 25 minutes after boarding started and we pushed back four minutes later. There was a line of aircraft waiting to take off from runway 27 and we waited for about 15 minutes for our turn. We had beautiful views of Point Loma and San Diego on our climb out.

Once we reached cruising altitude, I opened up the inflight map.

There was also a limited selection of movies and TV shows on the inflight system.

Twenty minutes after takeoff, the flight attendants came through the cabin with the only cabin service. Each passenger got a bag with water, pretzels, and sanitizing wipe. Due to COVID-19 all other drinks and food offerings had been cut.

I enjoyed the PHX labeled pretzels as we flew over PHX airport.

Halfway through the flight, we encountered some minor turbulence.

As we neared Chicago, I made my way to the rear Main Cabin lavatory.

We passed south of O’Hare as we turned into the approach the airport from the east.

It was a beautiful day in Chicago and I had great views of Wicker Park and Logan Square.

We had a very smooth approach into runway 28C and landed at 2:46PM local time.

I was surprised at how quickly we got to the gate area as it took just 10 minutes. That was probably a record time from landing to gate. Thanks for the ride!

This was a perfectly average flight with American Airlines in Main Cabin. It was pleasant due to the fact I was able to score my favorite seat in the cabin (turning down Main Cabin Extra). Meanwhile, the inflight service is severely lacking compared with competitors.

The Details

• Flight: AA2077
• Aircraft: B737-800
• Class: Main Cabin Extra
• Seat: 17F
• Route: Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)-San Diego International (SAN)
• Distance: 1,812miles
• Flight Time: 3hrs 52min
• Departure: 7:06PM
• Arrival: 9:13PM

The Preflight

I arrived at Chicago O’Hare Terminal 3 at 6:00PM just a little bit more than an hour before the scheduled boarding time for my flight down to San Diego. Surprisingly, the terminal was packed with enormous lines at TSA check points. The spring break crowd was in full force.

Even the line for TSA Precheck wrapped through the terminal and it took about 10 minutes for me to get through security.

The terminal itself was also jam packed with people with most of the seats taken in the gate area. With just 20 minutes until boarding, I managed to find a seat near the window to get a shot at our B737-800 taking us down to San Diego today. Registration N954NN, she was delivered brand new to American Airlines in 2014.

Boarding began exactly at 6:40PM.

The Seat

American Airlines has undergone a densification plan on their entire fleet of B737-800s dubbed “Project Oasis” and each aircraft now features 16 First, 30 Main Cabin Extra, and 126 Main Cabin seats for a total of 172 seats. Economy seats are arranged in a standard 3-3 configuration with rows 8-10 and rows 16-17 designated extra legroom seats.

American Airlines chose the Rockwell Collins Meridian ultra-slim line seats as their new generation economy offering which I find very uncomfortable. I was seated in row 17 which was the second exit row designated as Main Cabin Extra. Width was approximately 16.6″ and pitch was more than 33″.

Row 17 is probably my favorite on the B737-800s because it offers the most pitch out of any row in the aircraft. In addition, the seats in front (row 16) cannot recline while the seats in 17 can. This offers an immense amount of unobstructed space to stretch out.

While American Airlines (along with United) has decided to remove seatback entertainment screens, they have installed a personal device holder and USB port which I appreciated.

There was also a generic tray table which was sturdy.

Since this was an exit row, the legroom was very generous. There was also an individual power outlet at the seat.

The Flight

The boarding doors were closed at 7:02PM and we pushed back four minutes later. Our taxi to runway 9C took just 14 minutes and at 7:20PM we took off for San Diego.

Once in the air, I turned on my tablet and loaded the American inflight app. My tablet fit perfectly into the seatback mount.

Snack bags were distributed 30 minutes after takeoff.

Contents included a small bottle of water, pretzels, and a sanitizing wipe.

The lavatory onboard was basic but clean.

There was a CO Bigelow branded soap.

I watched a few movies on the inflight app and the rest of the flight passed uneventfully. At 9:13PM local time we landed in San Diego on runway 27.

We taxied directly to the gate and took just three minutes. Thanks for the ride!