Category: Uncategorized

The Details

• Flight: UA1534
• Aircraft: B757-200
• Class: Domestic First/Business
• Seat: 4A
• Route: Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)-Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Distance: 1,391 miles
• Duration: 3hrs 17min
• Departure: 4:29PM
• Arrival: 6:03PM

The Preflight

After I arrived at George Bush Intercontinental from Chicago O’Hare, I had about three hours until my next flight to Los Angeles. Thanks to my AMEX Platinum card, I had access to The Centurion Lounge at IAH. It was about a 10 minute walk from Terminal C to the lounge located in Terminal D.

Check-in was done remotely with the app and a QR code on my phone. The lounge agents scanned the QR code and my boarding pass from behind plexiglass at the entrance.

There was a buffet open that was staffed by a lounge staff member. They would grab a tray with plates and then plate the food for you. I had the roasted butternut squad, two cookies (chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin), meatballs, beans, and roasted cauliflower. All of the food was delicious and flavorful.

There was an open bar as well and the awesome bartender made me an excellent Gin & Tonic. I also had a Americano.

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With an hour until departure, I made my way to Terminal E at IAH which was about a 10 minute walk as well. Terminal E is where most of the United international flight depart from and is were the Polaris lounge is located.

Our plane had previously flown in from Bogota, Columbia which is why it was at an international gate. The gate area featured the new biometric scanners but they were not used for this domestic flight. Boarding was slightly delayed by 10 minutes due to a late arriving flight attendant and started at 3:50PM. All passengers were boarded via Door 2L and it was a treat to be able to turn left on a narrow body aircraft.

Our B757-200, registration N41135, was delivered to Continental Airlines all the way back in February 1999. After the merger with United Airlines, she was transferred over in 2010.

The Flight

Before COVID-19, United had two separate fleets of B757-200s. One fleet consisted of all of the pre-merger United B757s with 28 business, 42 Economy Plus, and 72 Economy seats. This fleet was primarily used on premium transcontinental flights. Due to COVID-19, this entire fleet was stored and most likely retired effective March 2020.

The other sub-fleet of B757-200s consists of the pre-merger Continental B757s which feature 16 business, 45 Economy Plus, and 108 Economy seats. This fleet primarily flew international flights to smaller markets in Europe from the East Coast. Roughly half of this fleet is currently active and flying for United.

In 2020, United also began retrofitting the pre-merger Continental B757s; re-upholstering the business class seats and installing more economy seats. Today’s aircraft was not a retrofitted B757 and had the same cabin that Continental installed back in the late 2000s.

The seat was the Parallel Diamond seat which can be found on a variety of airlines including KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, and Royal Jordanian. Each seat was 20.6″ wide and had a total of 6’4″ of sleep space when fully flat. I found the padding to be comfortable for this relatively short three hour flight. However, I feel that the seat was very narrow.

There were a total of 16 business class seats in a 2-2 configuration over four rows between the first and second pair of doors.

There was a three-way adjustable headrest which was comfortable. Next to the headrest on the left, was a small storage space with the literature pocket, bottle holder, and power outlet. Each seat had a 110V outlet and USB port.

Behind the headrest was a small reading light and recline control button.

There was a good amount of room for me to get out of the seat. I had more than enough room to stretch out my legs when the seat was reclined.

The touchscreen IFE was fairly responsive and had good resolution.

Below the screen was a small storage top which was perfect for a wallet, phone, and passport.

I found the footwell to be very small and narrow. Had this been a longer flight, I feel like I would have had trouble getting my legs in a comfortable position.

The primary seat controls were located in the center console. There was also an option for lumbar support which I appreciated. Below the seat controls was the tray table.

The bi-fold tray table was very sturdy.

When completely folded out it was massive.

Next to the seat controls below the center armrest was the IFE remote and another small storage pocket.

The armrest on the left side was adjustable.

When fully retracted it increased the sleeping space.

Upon boarding, each passenger was given a sanitizing wipe. Despite the delayed boarding time, the flight pushed back a minute early at 4:29PM.

The taxi took 13 minutes and we quickly blasted off towards LAX with the loud rotation of the Rolls Royce RB211 engines.

Service began with a round of drinks. I went with a Bloody Mary.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, United Airlines has modified their inflight service. Since this flight was blocked at over two hours and 20 minutes, there was a snack service as well.

Flight attendants came through the cabin with a tray that had a choice between a chicken sandwich, tomato basil sandwich, or Tapas box. I went with the Tapas box which was well provisioned. Water bottles were also handed out to each passenger.

It was a very smooth ride over to Los Angeles.

I decided to give the lie-flat bed a try. Without any bedding it was fairly uncomfortable. Again, the footwell was incredibly narrow.

We had gorgeous views of the sunset as we cruised over Arizona.

With an hour to go until landing, I decided to check out the forward lavatory.

There was Sunday Riley hand cream and face mist in addition to the standard hand soap.

As we approached LAX with a clear night sky, Santa Monica pier could be seen.

Enjoy the landing!

We landed at 5:57PM local time and had a six minute taxi to the gate. Thanks for the ride!

I really enjoyed this flight aboard the B757-200 with United. The fact that I was able to score a fully flat bed on a medium-continental flight was a treat. While the Parallel Diamond seats are not my favorite, they sure do beat a standard recliner seat. While I am not a fan of the current food offerings on board, I appreciate that there is an open bar. Until next time!

The Details

• Flight: AA2758
• Aircraft: A321
• Class: Domestic First
• Seat: 1A
• Route: Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)-San Diego International (SAN)
• Distance: 1,170 miles
• Duration: 3hrs 6min
• Departure: 5:01PM
• Arrival: 5:44PM

The Preflight

After coming in from Chicago O’Hare onboard the American Airlines B787-8, I had a four hour layover in Dallas. I spent some time in the various Admirals Clubs at DFW before making my way to Terminal C 10 minutes before boarding.

Our A321 flying us to San Diego, registration N987AM, was delivered brand new to American Airlines in August 2016.

Boarding began promptly at 4:13PM. Next to our gate was one of the old school Maddog MD-83s in the retro-silver AA livery.

The Flight

American Airlines currently has two distinct sub-fleets of their A321s. One sub-fleet, the “Classic” flew for US Airways and have 16 First, 15 Main Cabin Extra, and 156 Main Cabin seats. These legacy US Airways A321s lack any entertainment screens and no seats, including First, have power.

The other sub-fleet, legacy American Airlines A321s are “Enhanced”. These aircraft feature 16 First, 36 Main Cabin Extra, and 129 Main Cabin seats. All “enhanced” A321s offer an individual seatback entertainment screen and USB port.

Our aircraft today was an “enhanced” A321. These First seats offer 38″ of pitch which is two inches more than First class in the “classic” fleet. Each seat was 21″ wide. I found these seats to be fairly comfortable but they were definitely worn in. The 16 First class seats were arranged in a 2-2 configuration between rows 1-4.

Since I was in the bulkhead seat, the IFE screen and literature pocket were built into the wall. The IFE remote was stored in the left armrest and the tray table was stored in the right armrest.

I enjoyed the 15.4 inch HD touchscreen monitor on the bulkhead. Below the screen was a USB port.

Unlike my previous flight with AA, the service on this flight was no where near as good. Predeparture beverages were not offered and my seatmates attempt to get a glass of water was shot down immediately. We pushed back 13 minutes late at 5:01PM and had a brief taxi to the runway.

Service began 20 minutes after takeoff with a beverage service. I had a glass of white wine poured in the galley and water. A ramekin of warmed nuts was provided as well.

For dinner, I opted for the grilled chicken with Shiitake mushroom sauce and twice baked potato. While the chicken was tender, I found the sauce over salted and potato uninspired. There was also a bland side salad.

A hot bread basket was passed through the cabin as well. Options included whole wheat, sourdough, or cheese (no pretzel rolls…)

The refills of alcohol were also very generous.

As the sun set over the horizon, there were some great views of various cities along our flight path.

Closer to San Diego, flight attendants came through the cabin with cookies. The two options were snicker doodle or a delicious chocolate chip.

On approach to runway 27, we had the classic views of downtown San Diego. Since it was three days before Christmas, there were a lot of green and red lights. We touched down 15 minutes earlier than scheduled and taxied directly to the gate.

In all, this flight was what I expected from American Airlines. Average service in an average seat with an average meal. Nevertheless, I always appreciate being able to sit up front and look forward to the next flight with AA!

The Details

• Flight: AA1408
• Aircraft: B787-8
• Class: Domestic First/Business
• Seat: 1A
• Route: Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)-Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
• Distance: 803 miles
• Duration: 1hr 34min
• Departure: 11:03AM
• Arrival: 12:56PM

The Preflight

I arrived at Terminal 3 O’Hare at 8:30AM in the morning about two hours before the scheduled departure time. I was heading home to San Diego but decided to route through Dallas/Fort Worth to fly on board the American Airlines B787-8. Occasionally, AA will fly their Dreamliner’s on this hub-hub route.

After spending some time in the Admirals Club, I made my way to Gate K9 where our B787 was. Boarding began promptly at 10:15 via door 2L.

The B787-8 carrying us down to DFW today, registration N819AN, was delivered brand new to American Airlines in April 2017. She was one of 20 B787-8s in the AA fleet.

The Flight

American Airlines has a total of 20 business class 28 premium economy, 48 Main Cabin Extra, and 138 Main Cabin seats. The business class seats were arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration in the cabin between the first and second set of doors. These reverse herringbone seats were Zodiac Concept D seats which actually alternate between forward and rear facing. One common complaint with these seats is that the seat will “shake” when the passenger behind you moves; unfortunately I found this to be very true. Every time the passenger behand me sat back down, I could definitely feel it.

Each seat was 21″ wide with 61″ of pitch. When fully lie-flat the bed was roughly 77″ long. One feature that I appreciated was the “Do Not Disturb” light on the outer shell of the seat next to the number. When the button was turned on the light would turn red.

There was a generous amount of legroom. The IFE screen also popped out from the bulkhead compartment instead of being fixed in position.

The IFE screen popped out from the bulkhead compartment instead of being fixed in position which I appreciated. It was touchscreen and very responsive to touch with good quality.

Below the footrest was a small space perfect for shoes. Adjacent to the footrest was the literature pocket and a small cubby.

To the left of the headrest was the IFE remote and reading light.

I appreciated how the IFE remote could also serve as a second screen when watching something else on the main IFE screen.

To the right of the IFE remote and reading light was the seat control screen. On the other side of the console was a small storage area with a plethora of outlets. There were two USB ports and two 110V outlets; making this the most I have ever seen in a business class seat!

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The large bi-fold tray table was stored in the left hand console and was sturdy.

At each seat was a Casper branded pillow and blanket. The blanket was miles better than any blanket I received when flying AA narrow body domestic first cabins. However, it did feel coarse and rough.

The Casper pillow was amazing. It was firm and cool to touch, providing great head support for the short nap that I took.

Predeparture beverages were served by the very attentive flight crew. They announced that it was an open bar so I went for a Bloody Mary.

After serving my drink, the purser came by to personally greet me by last name, acknowledged my AAdvantage status, and thanked me for flying with American. He then provided me with all of my connecting information in DFW and told me that I had to change terminals upon arrival. I had pre-ordered a meal as well and the purser confirmed my lunch choice. Amazing service.

We pushed back on time at 10:50AM and began our takeoff roll at 11:03. 15 minutes after take-off a flight attendant came by with warm scented towels. A beverage service followed. The nuts were served warmed and deliciously salty. I had a little bit of whiskey with my coffee. It was a testament to the flight attendants that they did not serve the beverages from a cart. The purser came by to each passenger individually and asked them what they would like to have.

Lunch was served after the beverage service. I had the Spinach Ricotta Raviolini that was both flavorful and packed with ricotta. I ended up finishing the entire dish… definitely worth the calories. The salad was pretty sad and very basic. There was a sprinkling of red pepper and a few chickpeas. Bread options included whole wheat, cheese, or sourdough. I picked the sourdough and it was perfectly warm and fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The purser also came by with both red and white wines. Again, service that went above and beyond.

After the lunch service I was offered a snicker doodle or chocolate chip cookie. It was melt in my mouth good.

Flight attendants then cam through the cabin offering coffee, tea, or water.

With just 45 minutes until landing, I decided to sit back, relax, and deploy the lie-flat bed. I found the seat to be very comfortable and if I was flying international, I’d be able to sleep well in this seat.

Twenty minutes to arrival, the purser came through the cabin again and passed out mints. He thanked me again for flying American and wished me a pleasant onward journey.

We landed about 20 minutes before our scheduled arrival. Unfortunately, the assigned gate still had an aircraft occupying it and we were forced to wait 30 minutes on the taxiway.

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This was probably the best domestic flight I have ever flown on any legacy US carrier. The quality of the flight attendants rivaled those with Asian or ME3 carriers. They were enthusiastic, incredibly friendly, and professional. I hope to have this crew on all of my AA flights.

The Details

• Flight: AA2061
• Aircraft: A321
• Seat: 1A
• Class: Domestic First
• Route: Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)-Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
• Distance: 1,440 miles
• Duration: 3hr 22min
• Departure: 5:15AM
• Arrival: 6:31AM

The Preflight

I arrived at Terminal 3 of Chicago O’Hare at around 4:00AM in the morning for my flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor. Luckily, as an AAdvantage elite member I had my upgrade clear at the 24-hour window for both this leg and the following leg from PHX-SAN.

Check-in was a breeze and I passed through TSA Precheck within 10 minutes given the relative emptiness of the terminal at this early hour.

The Flight

Our A321, registration N157UW, was delivered to US Airways back in 2013. This A321 was part of the “Classic” legacy US Airways sub-fleet of A321s in the AA fleet that lacks both seatback entertainment screens as well as in seat power. The other sub-fleet of A321s, dubbed “Enhanced” include seatback entertainment screens and in seat power.

The “Classic” fleet of A321s features 16 First class seats in a 2-2 configuration over four rows. There are also 15 Main Cabin Extra seats and 156 Main Cabin seats.

Each First Class seat offers 36″ of pitch and is 21″ wide. This is actually three inches less than the “Enhanced” A321 First Class seats that have 39″ of pitch.

Boarding began promptly at 4:30AM for the scheduled departure time at 5AM. However, we pushed back 14 minutes late due to unknown reasons.

We had a very short taxi to the runway and had a very smooth climb westward towards Arizona.

Once in the air, flight attendants began the breakfast service. Options were identical to my previous AA morning flight and there was a choice between the Southwest Omelet or granola. I had the omelets which was quite tasty. Warmed biscuits were offered as well.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and I managed to nap for about an hour. We landed at 6:30AM local time in PHX. I had roughly 90 minutes until my connecting flight to San Diego. Thanks for the ride!

I was very grateful to have my upgrade clear at the 24-hour window for this flight. The seat was comfortable, food tasty, and flight attendants friendly. I look forward to my next flight with AA and hope the upgrade clears!