Airberlin's Huge US Expansion: Boston, Dallas, And San Francisco Flights

Just flew DUS-JFK yesterday on Air Berlin Business Class and I thought it was a great flight. Hard product is perfectly acceptable and actually food wasn't too bad on this flight. It was very comfortable and service was great. Honestly seeing that you can never reliably find availability on AA's new business product, BA is just plain old horrible, and flying Iberia across the pond means you have to get to spain which I feel is somewhat "out of the way", I think that Air Berlin, atleast for me, is the best option for US-EU-US flights.

I flew AB on a round trip business class. The most uncomfortable seat ever. Unless you are 1.75m or less. Don't even go there. Service is good. But I hate that configuration. I believe Iberia has the same too. Ughhhhh

I'm originally from Boston - great to have another Oneworld transatlantic option, especially one without the surcharges!

I recently flew on AB DUS-JFK. As a 6 ft 1 guy, found it really cramped.

FYI - your subject line says "huge US expansion" and the content of the post mentions a new route to Havana. FYI - even though the Obama administration has initiated normalization of diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba and also relaxed the travel embargo, Cuba remains a sovereign nation and certainly is not part of the United States of America. You might want to adjust the title of this blog post to say "huge US and Cuba expansion".

Why either Air Berlin or United (who already fly Newark - Berlin) doesn't do a Berlin to San Francisco flight just doesn't make any sense to me. The tech/startup business alone would ensure that biz class tickets are sold ...

Seems like Air Berlin may be stealthily used by Etihad to feed into their route network.

Flew home from Europe this summer in coach on AA points and thought it was fantastic. Big TV, power and decent coach food. Great bargain! Well run airline. I would fly coach to Europe for low point expenditures. Super value!

Lets hope they are not bankrupt by then.

This is fantastic news! I used to work/live in Belgium about 90 mins from DUS, and now live back home in DFW, I can easily get back to Beglium with a direct flight!!

So excited for this route to launch!!

@EndLosLuft I think the biggest problem with ex-Berlin expansion are the limitations of Tegel Airport. I imagine once the new airport opens (should that blessed day ever come) we will see a lot more non-stop flights from the US to Berlin.

As a Boston based leisure flier, I was excited at first... but AB's intra-Europe network is not that impressive. It seems they don't fly to either of the two places I am considering visiting next summer (Istanbul and Stockholm). Still, always good to have more options at the home airport.

I hope there will be an AA codeshare to make mileage earning better for AA elites

Good news. One World award situation has become so hollow otherwise: AA almost never release any awards (so much so that blogs go ecstatic if they release one seat!) and BA is as charming as a robber might be. 🙂 We don't know how this will pay out, but it can only help.

Still, if we consider the whole earning-to-burning combination of fares, miles earned, award chart, surcharges and availability, is *A the best alliance now?

have done AB in both cabins JFK-TXL. i really liked them. not perfect but a way better use of AA miles than BA (transiting heathrow is such a nightmare). crews were all really fun and outgoing as well. too bad TXL is such a dump.

I've flown AB three times so far this year and am really disappointed they are not adding WAS while they keep Fort Myers ! I have to choose flying to ORD to connect or connecting at JFK. Many of the JFK "connections" are flights into LGA where you have to lug your baggage and pay to get to JFK (ridiculous).

Neither DUS or TXL are very nice for connections. DUS is a small airport that's 3 stories and a lot of stair climbing with carryon luggage (almost no escalators and few lifts). My last connection there to Hamburg left from a gate with 6 seats for 100 passengers. The connection took 3 hours. Also ridiculous.

On a return from Prague through Berlin my flight from PRA was on an AB express company that never notified me that my 6am flight had been cancelled and had been combined into a 10:40 flight. Thankfully I noticed it on my AA app and made the 1-hour connection to the USA.

At TXL you usually deplane midfield and have to be herded onto buses to get to the terminal, and that's often AB's temporary warehouse-like terminal instead of the old hexagon terminal.

The entertainment system on AB is minimal but there is a usb port so bring your own.

I found the food in coach to be very nice. 2 meals per TATA flight. AB also is not picky about carry-on sizes.

I'd like to connect through MIA but not if it's to DUS. That airport's now on my personal do-not-fly list.

I'll keep flying AB because off-peak and with my 10% cc rebate it's the cheapest and most readily-available way. I may try and use PHL direct-to-Europe on AA too, even if I have to get to PHL on my own. During Peak I won't be using AB unless I have to. *A is easier.

Bummer that the SFO flight is 82 miles too long - falls at the bottom of band 7 if using avios to redeem.

Seeing some availability on BA.com -- 2 seats on some of the flights, but not seeing it on AA.com yet (although AA has been having some trouble this morning for me with system errors).

Just had this crew a few weeks ago on MIA-DUS. Crew was excellent.

While AB business class is certainly not the best product out there, I still think its way better than LH business class.

They might as well take advantage--since LH mainline will probably one day just be permanently grounded..lol

@Aarif Shaikh, AB does fly TXL-ARN according to oneworld route map.

italdesign said:

"@Aarif Shaikh, AB does fly TXL-ARN according to oneworld route map."

They definitely do. I flew TXL-ARN-TXL twice in the last couple of weeks.

As far as business class seat is concerned you need to be really, really careful to,pick the right seat. Immediate window seats are private and I find them comfortable enough to lounge and sleep. 'Window' seats at the aisle lack privacy and the center seats are a disaster unless you are very much in love with the person next to you....Same as Iberia as another poster stated. Lounge in DUS is a disgrace. Still all in all an ok choice and I'm sure I'll fly them again. IMHO most certainly not as good as LH since they went all flat, though, so I have to respectfully disagree with KMIA a few posts above.

Hello!

Has anyone been able to book Business Class seats on the SFO-DUS flights? I have been trying to book flights in May by phone, but they said that no seats are available. Also the BA website does not show any availability...

Would be helpful if someone could post when they see that the flights have been loaded..

I booked AA award business class for two people months ago, JFK - DUS, for 5/7/16. Now it is showing us in economy seats with no option for business. Neither Air Berlin nor AA can tell me what's going on, but I guess it has something to do with the one-class conversions and these new routes?