Review: American Airlines 777-200 Business Class To Hawaii

Lucky, I am glad you liked the service, hey its beats being in coach. Did you see that AA had premium economy fares from FLL-NRT for about $1100 roundtrip. I am hoping Japan is open by January. About a month ago I flew LAXMIASJU roundtrip business class all B777 for about $425 roundtrip, great service and good meals on the transcon

I was lucky enough to start my spring semester of university remotely in South Florida, where I stayed for about a month. On the way home, in February, I took an AA 777-200ER from Miami to Charlotte in Business Class. Service was barebones, as I expected for such a short flight. I do, however, have a question: is Miami Airport more prone to delays than other AA hubs or am I imagining it? My flight was delayed by over four hours, and I've had multiple hour-plus long delays at the airport prior to this one. Is it an MIA thing, a 777 thing, an AA thing? Or am I just really unlucky?

Good deal for both cash and miles prices for that flight. AA has had some great miles redemption flights available lately.

Hi Ben - apparently AA has “better” catering on its DFW - Hawaii routes but not on their other Mainland -Hawaii routes (ORD, CLT...), I wonder how different that experience would have been. My understanding is ORD-HNL gets the same catering as any other domestic route, which is obviously pretty limited right now.

Ben - I hope you are wrong about service never returning to what it was pre-pandemic. One of the joys of flying premium class is the service and in most cases the food quality. If it doesn't come back, I don't see how airlines will be able to charge a premium price for what is essentially an economy service. Following that, with the reduced service in economy, you have the equivalent of Spirit or Southwest, without the attitude from the Big 3.

It's great to see a new flight review, Ben. Glad to see you got such a good price on those tickets!

Interesting to see that price in wifi. I flew GIG-MIA in March '21 and it was still $19.

Flew this plane to OGG from DFW a few months back. Great experience all around.

Lucky, indeed. I'm flying LAX -> HNL in a few weeks and AA has a far inferior a321neo for that business class journey.

David - agreed. It's all the little things that bother me.

Example: you're in a Starbucks. Self-serve napkins are gone. Because of the pandemic or TP hogging from 12 months ago? I have no idea but it clearly doesn't seem to be coming back.

I was so pissed there was no pic of the real food, but fine, I still love you 😛

I flew on the 772 a few months ago JFK-LAX in 10A. Despite the mild service adjustments the food was great (probably the best airline breakfast I’ve ever had), drinks plentiful, and incredibly friendly service both in the air and on the ground. I love the Casper bedding and overall it’s a very comfortable seat to be in, especially on longer flights. Like you I’m not the biggest fan of the Bang & Olufsen headphones but they are good quality.

Back in 2019 I flew on the 772 in business from DFW to HNL and they didn’t have amenity kits or the walk up bar stocked either (not a major deal breaker for me but the walk up bar is nice to have).

the bread roll could have doubled as a weapon based on how hard it was.

Recently flew LAX-HNL on the new $hit interior and boy is this setup night and day. The kids said they preferred coach on JetBlue. FML

Oh, the old time Lucky when he travelled with someone he'd make sure his travel companion chose different main so he can get all photos out.

I wonder why they didn't offer amenity kits? Seems odd. I bet they have warehouses full of them at this point. Out of DFW makes it even more strange.

Looks like an economy class food and drinks to me.

I took this same flight 2.5 weeks ago, but walked on to the plane and was saddened to see the inferior seat option. I have to say though that I did enjoy flying backwards for the first time.

I was intrigued by the thought of dried mangoes. But those are apricots 😉

I hope AA got a good deal on those grapes.

Just flew back KOA-PHX in First on the A321neo. Just like the photo above of premium economy with a blanket and Casper lumbar pillow is what I got. I got a solid 4 hours of sleep and woke up with calf pain. The pax next to me was refused a pdb. When I woke up the cabin was dark and saw a picnic basket in the galley with what I presume contained chips , cookies , nuts , energy bars etc and was the extent of the good service on the red eye. You need a flatbed on a red eye. I’m a fan of the a321NEO but why fly first when you can get an exit row seat in economy. There are some sweet spots in the main cabin.

@Ben there were plenty of car rentals. Why did you psyche us out last week with the article about car rental shortages in hawaii ? That was false narrative.

Thanks for your thorough reviews. This one has taught me what to avoid.... I like American, but this is one route I will avoid on AA. This cabin interior was a "fresh" look about 20 years ago - now it just looks old, bland and tired - and sorely lacking competitively. The food service looks like a coach meal on an inferior non-US airline and way worse than best in class coach.

The old rickety seat reclines more than the seats in coach. That's it. No other redeeming quality that I can see.

I'm flying DFW-ANC on the 787-9 next month. Should I expect a similar product in terms of catering?

@Kinn - Florida routinely gets some daily storms around the summer time which frequently cause ground stops.

@Todd - MIA-HND is $300 RT in coach as well over many dates on AA.

With regards to the headphones is most likely due to in part at least, on-ear vs. over-ear, it makes a huge difference when it comes to noise cancelling.

So curiously you failed to mention anything about wearing a mask for hours and hours and how the crew treated people when they took it off to eat and drink. Of my flight from MIA to LAX on the 777-300 they roamed the aisles screaming “ cover your nose”… I stopped counting after the 6th time. It’s a horrible experience in any class. Call me when the mask requirement goes away… soon I pray!

I am glad you got to fly. The limiting step, at least for me, is how expensive rental cars, hotels and especially meals have gotten.

I get it. They need to recoup losses and the cost of business has gone up. Despite cheap airline tickets, these on-ground factors are gonna crimp many people’s travel plans.

Singapore Airlines to restart Narita to Los Angeles
https://simpleflying.com/singapore-tokyo-la-restart/?fbclid=IwAR1pNfl-7qgquFvyLvltTXefrgObl8A13JA76f_YqVRW20XghnKjV9eb5To

AA's business class product (particularly this seat and the one on the 787-9) is quite solid. The seats offer good privacy, great comfort, and lots of comfort and amenities. The catering on AA was not amazing pre-COVID but what you've described is very much in line with what US domestic long haul to Hawaii is. I flew CO then UA EWR-HNL many times and this is basically what you'd get, a scaled down version of international business class. To Hawaii, it's not the food, it's the seat comfort. The Casper bedding is comfy. I actually think the UA Saks product is just OK, apart from the Cool Gel pillows.

So great to see a flight review!!!! Was so excited to read this - thank you!

I just want to know why they insist on serving boiled eggs on flights?

@AK, "I am glad you got to fly. The limiting step, at least for me, is how expensive rental cars, hotels and especially meals have gotten.

I get it. They need to recoup losses and the cost of business has gone up."

Less loss recover, and more just supply & demand. Tourist locations have brutal demand for one week or less rentals. If people won't pay the price, they can't sell at that price.

My experience:
One week rental pricing in San Francisco starting this week: $1500 total
Two week pricing: $500 total

Yep, one third the cost, for twice the days. That's some crazy supply & demand.

@Weymar M Osborne

Me too. DFW ANC on the 787 in first both directions. Jun 3-5. Zero expectations . Do you think there will be Alaska Air lounge access in ANC ?

Ben,
I've noticed you like to book into the last row of business class when you fly. Can you explain why? I am curious if there is a privacy element or if there are other benefits why you make that choice. Thanks!

Whenever I first approach my business/first class seat, I am met by a mound of blanket and pillow piled on the spot where I am suppose to sit. What do you all do with that stuff so you can sit down?

What were the departure & arrival times?

Same exact food, exact menu, exact same everything on the DFW-HNL route. The only cool thing about the route is that a 77W was used so row 1 and 2 plus all of the biz cabin was “domestic first.” Snagged 1A. Funny seeing the quizzical look from those in row 3&4 pondering why their seat is different from that of the first two rows.

Complaint: Panasonic wifi is used - therefore you’re forced to purchase an all flight pass for $35; couldn’t use my wifi monthly subscription...in a way they should have ‘allowed’ the use of the subscription since it was a domestic flight...how they’d do that technically I’m not sure.

Nice to see a review again!!

Good to see a new premium flight review, thanks.

Agree it looks like food in economy from days gone by!

@DaninMCI The answer is always “…for your safety”.

ive missed your reviews! 🙂

I really hate to admit, but this meal looks an overseas economy meal on any random carrier. There's nothing about it that looks premium. I feel concerned that "real" business class experiences and meals as we knew them BC may never come back! Hope you are wrong on that one!

You’ll pay all this money for business class only to find out that AA has lost your baggage. It has happen to me multiple times. I refuse you pay extra money just to find out your bag was misplaced somewhere.

Just returned from AA flights DFW to MIA 777-200 First; 2 days later MIA to LAX 777-300 Flagship First; returned today LAX to DFW 787-900 First. Ratings, Flagship First great, food OK but nothing to write about. DFW to MIA was bad. Service pitiful. Today out of LAX, I do like the 787-900 and service pretty good. Of course all the planes are international configurations with no where to go but domestic. This was about the wife and I gearing-up for next year's international trips assuming another bombshell does not hit.

Ben, thanks for the review. Did the seats lay flat?

Wondering about the reverse herringbone seating. Seems like the hubs and I would be too far apart to talk easily. So should we just go for the view and book windows seats?

I booked one of these flights, I think through Chicago, some time ago. Weeks later AA "changed the flight" to routing plain F, with no lieflat seat. No offer of any reduction in the higher fare that I had paid for that flight (of course). Fortunately, I was easily able to cancel and rebook for considerable savings of $$ for me and miles for my spouse. Also happy not to be taking the chance of snow in Chicago when we travel ...

Question for you: Seats on the 772 to Europe from NY: have they definitely removed the facing-backwards seats? Some blogs are saying they are still there...

Hubs and I just got home from a New York City to Phoenix flight on an American Airlines Boeing 777-200 in Business/First Class with the herring bone seating. I am small and the seat was barely wider than I am. Spent the whole flight trying to find a comfortable adjustment for the seat, padding was very thin, not comfortable at all. And you have to stow EVERYTHING in the overhead compartment so if you want anything during the flight you need to get up and get it down, then put it back again. I will never fly on that configuration again, I'll go for premium economy before I will sit in one of those. I am only 5' 1" and weigh under 130 pounds, if I was uncomfortable and feeling cramped I cannot imagine how a large man would feel.