Week in the Clouds: American Flagship Lounge New York, American Business Class New York to San Francisco

your trip reports are never complete without that shot of the diet coke with lime!

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I agree with you about the seats. They are OLD. On a recent 762 from LAX-JFK, the seats were literally falling apart and the seatback pocket was full of used kleenex and some type of sticky gel which made me realize I'm never reaching into one of those pockets again.

that first class menu looks more enticing and better than the United first menu....at least there was a vegetarian -non meat menu. Great report Ben!!

Ben,

Are you going to be traveling less now that you've got your new job?

Question- Do you use the hole in the napkin to afix to a shirt button for an adult bib?

@ The Weekly Flyer -- Can't say I've ever used the buttonhole.

Weren't the seats reupholstered two (or maybe three) years ago?

@ Chris -- If they were, you certainly can't tell!

Was on the same flight in F a few months ago, only to have an emergency landing due to smoke in the back of the plane! Needless to say, we spent the night in BUF and they brought in a new "old" 762! I think the 762's are very near the end of the commercial passenger use.

Can you please specifically document how the FL "food selection has been cut back somewhat over the past few months"?

@dayone

He probably could but he has no reason to and probably will not.

@ dayone -- If I recall correctly, they used to have hot nuts and a couple of extra hot entrees.

The seats on the 762 could definitely use a refresh. Maybe even an additional inch or two of width. At 18.5", they're narrower than UAs domestic F seats on the A319! (20.5")

@ Ozaer N.

That's the business class menu here, not the the first class menu.

So Lucky, which is nicer, the Admirals lounge at JFK, or the United IFC lounges in LA and/or San Francisco?

Thanks for the menu. 100% of your readers are familiar with lime and diet coke. 91.2% of your readers drink wine. 89.4% of your readers want you to include the wine list. On the other hand, 79.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Except for the one that says that 89.4% of your readers wants to see the wine list. Cheers, Bill

@ Andy -- If you're referring to the Flagship Lounge, I'd say it's a step above the LAX UA IFL, and on par with the SFO UA IFL. The IFL at SFO is maybe decorated a bit nicer, though the food spread is better at the Flagship Lounge.

@ AUSTEX -- And your point is taken 90% of the time. Promise to include it in future installments. Sorry!

@ Lucky - 98.69% of your readers thank you on behalf of the 89.4% of your readers who want to see the wine lists. By the way, you are the only person who takes me seriously 90% of the time. At least at my house.

Just curious - any idea why no Flagship lounge at DFW? Odd given Aa are headquartered here...

@ AUSTEX -- LOL!

@ Mark -- Sadly enough I suspect it's because there are too many Executive Platinum members based there, so they figure it's not even worth the effort.

Lucky, the departure system they instituted while the Bay Runway was being resurfaced has helped reduce the taxiway queues:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895004575395233025066228.html

Thought all the 767s had been replaced by A321Ts on the two JFK transcon routes. But these planes are obviously in their final months of flying in their current configuration and those equipped for ETOPs will be getting their cabin makeovers with the new J seats (and refurb'd coach ones).

@ DavidB -- Yep, this is an old trip report, so nowadays they do only have the A321 on the route.

Must say that the presentation was awful! Cathay or Lufthansa would never let a string of pasta hang over the side with random dashes of oil, nor there be a piece of icecream on the dish, or the napkin be off center with the coockie 🙂 big issue, I knosw, but then its AA 🙂
😉
I'm sure it tasted OK and I'd bet my money that it was better than the octopus starter and tough fillet of beef and green cold pasta and ice-cold beef starter offered on my two LH J flights 🙂