Hello from Chicago, as I just flew American Airlines’ brand new Boeing 787-9 Flagship Suite business class, on the 7hr50min flight from London (LHR) to Chicago (ORD), as part of my quick review trip. I was very much looking forward to this flight, as this represents American’s new long haul business class experience.
Admittedly I largely knew what to expect, since I’ve flown this exact seat before on other airlines. However, I’ve gotta say, I found the sum of the experience to be very good, as I particularly appreciated the upgraded Wi-Fi and the excellent service. For now, I’d argue that this sets the standard for business class among US carriers (though both Delta and United are planning new business class products).
Let me share my initial thoughts on this flight, and then soon I’ll have a full trip report…
In this post:
American’s new Flagship Suite business class seats are great
American’s new Dreamliners (designated as Boeing 787-9Ps) don’t just have new business class seats, but they also have much less dense layouts, with a lot more business class seats. The jets have just 244 seats, 51 of which are business class seats.
While the cabin finishes aren’t exactly how I’d choose to design an aircraft, the cabin definitely has a lot more personality and color than before, and it looked nicer in person than I was expecting.
American’s new Flagship Suite business class seats are based on the Adient Ascent platform, which is a joint venture with Boeing, as you’ll also find this same seating concept on the 787-9s of Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines (and soon United Airlines).
The seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration, and are in a full reverse herringbone layout (the Adient Ascent platform is unique, because airlines can elect to have herringbone or reverse herringbone seats in the center section).
I don’t want to overhype these seats, because ultimately they take up the same real estate as most existing configurations. So essentially just think of this as a latest generation reverse herringbone product with a door at each seat, plus improved technology.
I find these seats to be pretty well designed, in terms of where everything is located. In bed mode, I also managed to get comfortable — as a side sleeper, I found that sleeping in the direction of the fuselage was best, in terms of the cutout for my knees.
The front rows in each of the two business class cabins have the Flagship Suite Preferred seats, which American will eventually start selling at an extra cost. These are just more spacious, especially around the feet, and also have extra storage.
I think the one area of these seats where American could’ve done better is with the screens. In my opinion they could be a bit bigger, especially in the bulkhead rows. That being said, you’re ultimately not seated far from the screens, so it’s not like the bigger screens are necessary. But still, that aspect of the seat doesn’t feel cutting edge for 2025.
One positive aspect of the product that can’t be overstated is the fact that these planes have individual air nozzles. That’s a norm on US carriers, but it’s worth pointing out, as I’d rank this in the top five amenities I value in business class, yet so many foreign carriers choose not to offer these.
American’s 787s have upgraded tech & Wi-Fi, with a quirk
American’s new Boeing 787-9Ps have Viasat Wi-Fi, which is a massive improvement over the old Wi-Fi system. A pass for the entire flight cost $25, with unlimited data, and the ability to switch between devices. I found that to be fair.
The speeds were phenomenal, and I was able to stay productive across the Atlantic. After the seats, I’d consider this to be the single biggest improvement about American’s new 787-9Ps.
Beyond that, these planes have updated tech in terms of USB-A, USB-C, and AC charging, plus wireless charging.
The new 787-9Ps also offer bluetooth audio, which is much appreciated (while something only aviation geeks will notice, American needs to fix how it refers to the aircraft on its entertainment monitor!!!).
When it comes to entertainment, American has a huge selection of on-demand programming, with movies, TV shows, audio, games, and more. Interestingly, American seems to have introduced a new interface for this system. I was surprised that I found it more difficult to use than the old system, as I thought the organization and navigation were more complicated.
American’s business class food & amenities are good
Catering in American business class on this flight was solid, but nothing memorable. Lunch was served after takeoff, and started with warm mixed nuts, olives, etc.
The starter consisted of hot smoked salmon with Thai rice noodles, vegetables, and lime, plus a romaine lettuce salad with carrot and beetroot.
For the main course, I ordered the Indian lentil dal, which was perfectly decent, in line with a Trader Joe’s frozen Indian meal (that’s not shade, by the way…)
For dessert, you really can’t go wrong with the sundae, right?
Amenities were quite good as well. Each business class passenger got a pillow and blanket. While I found this to be comfortable, I’d love to see American update its bedding to more closely match United, as it’s an area where the carrier leads the industry.
An area where American leads the industry is with its Bang & Olufsen headphones. American doesn’t even collect these before landing anymore, which is a minor but noticeable improvement. These are perhaps less important than in the past, given that American now also has bluetooth audio.
Then there were slippers, which are handy for visiting the lavatory…
Lastly, there was a basic amenity kit, which was whatever. American has never done a great job with making its amenity kits very premium, and perhaps it’s an area the airline could invest in. Personally, I don’t care that much about amenity kits, but it’s of course a premium branding opportunity.
Service on this American business class flight was stellar
The problem with flying any US airline is that service is consistently inconsistent. Sometimes you get a great crew, and sometimes you get a lackluster crew. On this flight I lucked out, because the entire crew couldn’t have been better.
What an absolute rockstar crew, with flight attendants who were friendly, personable, and attentive. I’ve heard that these 787-9Ps are much harder for crews to work, given the updated galley spaces, plus the huge number of business class seats. Despite that, this crew made it all look easy.
I have nothing but good things to say about the crew on this flight. What’s interesting is that while American isn’t exactly regarded for its amazing inflight service, my four most recent long haul flights on American have all had great service. Have I just been really lucky, or is there some culture shift? Either way, it makes a big difference when you feel like crew actually do their jobs, and take pride in what they do…
Ironically enough, the last long haul flight on a US carrier where I didn’t have great service was Delta (not that the crew was bad, they just weren’t great).
Bottom line
American’s long awaited new Flagship Suite business class is now in service, and I had the chance to fly it on a transatlantic flight. This is an impressive product, with lots of great improvements. We’re talking reverse herringbone seats with doors, upgraded tech & Wi-Fi, and an all-around swanky cabin.
This is an exciting new era for American, and when you combine the great hard product, the fast Wi-Fi, and the air nozzles, I think that ensures a pleasant long haul experience. The big wild card is always food and service, though on this flight I lucked out with amazing service and decent food.
Well done, American, and I’m looking forward to seeing this experience introduced on more long haul flights!
What do you make of American’s new Flagship Suite business class?
You say you don't want to hype anything but then you say how nice the business class was etc. Actually, the problem is the low expectations you had because it is a US carrier. I think it sounds like your experience in business class is as it should be. I'm confused by calling it a suite. There is nothing much of a suite about it. It looks like a standard business class seat. It's not...
You say you don't want to hype anything but then you say how nice the business class was etc. Actually, the problem is the low expectations you had because it is a US carrier. I think it sounds like your experience in business class is as it should be. I'm confused by calling it a suite. There is nothing much of a suite about it. It looks like a standard business class seat. It's not like one of the relatively huge seats on some foreign airlines in first class. I do prefer the 1-2-1 configuration though. I think more airlines should adopt a free wifi pass for business class passengers.
It has a door. It's a suite.
Don't ask.
Hi Ben, we’re trying to book AA LHR to ORD next month on the new business class (2 adults and a 2 year old). Any suggestions on which seats to book or avoid in particular?
I would suggest avoid sitting close to a 2 year old, but that doesn't feel like an option for you.
With business class these days being more evolutionary, I'm curious to hear your opinion on what would you consider "revolutionary"?
Here's my take on what would be revolutionary:
1-1-1-1 business class (think Cathay Pacific's current first class, but a more "compact" version if that makes sense.
-Floor to ceiling doors, curtains?
-Maybe a compact version of Emirates' "Game Changer" first seats?
I'm not sure what else you can do to revolutionize the...
With business class these days being more evolutionary, I'm curious to hear your opinion on what would you consider "revolutionary"?
Here's my take on what would be revolutionary:
1-1-1-1 business class (think Cathay Pacific's current first class, but a more "compact" version if that makes sense.
-Floor to ceiling doors, curtains?
-Maybe a compact version of Emirates' "Game Changer" first seats?
I'm not sure what else you can do to revolutionize the experience! But curious to hear your thoughts nonetheless.
How about luggage lockers under the seats and you sit up nice and high?
This is an interesting question and I'm always game for paradigm-shift spitballing.
I think 1-1-1-1's biggest flaw would be lack of couple-oriented design. On many routes, proximity is important. I perversely will always have a nostalgia for the old Club World because it felt like a family slumber party on our way across the Atlantic.
I think in the next 20 years we will see at least one airline attempt another "multipurpose" space...
This is an interesting question and I'm always game for paradigm-shift spitballing.
I think 1-1-1-1's biggest flaw would be lack of couple-oriented design. On many routes, proximity is important. I perversely will always have a nostalgia for the old Club World because it felt like a family slumber party on our way across the Atlantic.
I think in the next 20 years we will see at least one airline attempt another "multipurpose" space a la The Residence that combines a living area with bedroom furnishings. Or the equivalent for business travelers, where there is a conference-style setup alongside sleeping accommodation. When I was an Amtrak rat doing DC-NYC back and forth, we always loved swinging the seats around to the big tables and doing our conference calls and card games there. Maybe an airline like AA or BA does something like that on high-volume business routes. Then again, the future is Zoom, so probably not.
The only thing I can think of aside from The Residence would be Cathay Pacific's "Halo Suites" or "Peacock" concept; Instead of 2 aisles, you have 1 huge aisle in the middle.
But that would dilute and cannibalize first class.
Did the doors close?
@ Notthelandlord -- They did, yep! That has now been resolved.
Just flew LHR - MIA this past Monday. Have to agree about service...all my recent flights have been crewed by people who actually enjoyed their jobs. Gives great hope for the future.
Flew this plane from ORD - MAD last month (yay equipment swap) and all the doors remained locked the whole flight, which was a bummer. Thought the finishes were pretty good. Bedding still sucked but I know they're rolling out mattress pads soon, so that'll help.
@Luis, yes that was due to pending regulatory approval. Sadly nothing AA could do to fix that (other than delay the rollout I suppose).
The doors were operational on my flight on Monday. The FAs didn't unlock until after the lunch service which I thought was a bit strange, but they've already been approved by regulators.
Awesome review, thanks!
How many pax per FA in business class (i.e. are they still understaffed)? If you aren't tracking that key measure, it's a huge mistake in your reviews.
BTW the other important measure is pax per lav, which at 17 is a bit on the higher side (you should make reporting this stat standard in your reviews).
I’m not sure exactly, but for long hauls it is 9 FAs for the whole 78P, domestic is 8 supposedly from what they told me when I flew it.
I would presume 4 for J.
"If you aren't tracking that key measure, it's a huge mistake in your reviews."
A huge mistake, eh? Yeesh, the amount of hyperbole on these comments is ridiculous. Ben does great reviews.
@ Mary -- I do report the number of lavatories in my reviews, and I agree, it's an important metric. :-) This is just the preview post, and the intent is that this is shorter than the full review.
Regarding the number of flight attendants in business class, it's either four or five, I couldn't tell for sure. I believe it was five, but I could be mistaken.
As a Plat Pro and my wife Ex Plat we have always had good to great service on AA since 2020. The last flight with bad service I was on was also DL. I honestly think that DL has a good PR and marketing department and was better in the past but has fallen and is cutting cost, quality and service to keep profits up.
I am excited to see AA invest in long...
As a Plat Pro and my wife Ex Plat we have always had good to great service on AA since 2020. The last flight with bad service I was on was also DL. I honestly think that DL has a good PR and marketing department and was better in the past but has fallen and is cutting cost, quality and service to keep profits up.
I am excited to see AA invest in long haul and refresh the domestic fleets too (like the new lighter colors in the cabin). With free WIFI next year and more BOB for coach, things are looking up. Focus needs to continue to service, refresh of their AC's and FL's and refit of the existing 787-8/9 and 77Ws. Question is what to do with the 772. . .retire some, replace some with 787-9/10 or refit some for domestic operations?
In any event. . .things are moving in the right direction at AA. Now about a PHX to MAD flight. . . .:)
Gotta wonder when Iberia will hop on that. Especially with their sibling BA serving PHX for so many years.
I’m EP with AA and I’ve been flying GRU-MIA-GRU in F on a montly basis for almost two decades now, and I’ve never received rude service. More times than not great FA’s limited by what they have to work with. I’ve had much worse service on DL and UA. However, AA customer service when things go wrong is a nightmare.
Great report, looking forward to trying it myself.
Gotta love the screen displaying the aircraft as 787-900. This glaring error can also be found on AA's website.
Does the lack of a lotions-and-potions brand on the amenity kit tell us that all those companies regard AA as a non-premium brand?!
Great review and consistent with my good experience of AA business class recently.
I only visit this site now to read Tim Dunn’s comments. Even an article about AA can turn into an anti-UA / pro-DL statement. Loads of entertainment!
Compared to QR's finishes and the intense colours that United has previewed this cabin looks very bland. It is as if 7 people were designing the interiors without any coordination. They could have a gone with a darker brown or sth.
Really bland. Then the tiny screen in the front suites is just ridiculous! Ha haha.
totally agree. UA's version of the seat looks materially nicer. one could hope that AA considers modifying the finishes on the second batch of the order that got deferred (like what QR did for their later model 789s)
Well finally AA making improvements.
I had the same experience on my last 2 transcon delta flights, oddly enough. If given the choice to fly this or delta on their a330neo coffin seats (or even worse, getting nailed to one of their 30 yr old 767s), I would pick AA all day long. I think we'll start to see them take more market share with these new premium planes. If we could only get AA to ditch PHL and rebuild JFK...
except DL is retiring its 767s at the rate of about a half dozen per year.
and DL held onto the 767s long enough to participate in the post-covid international travel boom something UA also did but is not retiring aircraft.
UA's 767s aren't any more fuel efficient than DL's and neither AA nor UA is receiving anything comparable to the A350-1000 which will redefine US carrier ultra long haul travel for the industry -...
except DL is retiring its 767s at the rate of about a half dozen per year.
and DL held onto the 767s long enough to participate in the post-covid international travel boom something UA also did but is not retiring aircraft.
UA's 767s aren't any more fuel efficient than DL's and neither AA nor UA is receiving anything comparable to the A350-1000 which will redefine US carrier ultra long haul travel for the industry - likely with a product that will eclipse AA and UA's newest products.
the AA 78P doesn't and won't compete with DL's 767-300ERs.
AA is not going to shift from PHL to JFK again. They tried once and it failed. AA simply does not have the size or number of slots to take on DL in NYC even before considering that DL gets a significant revenue premium to AA in NYC and LAX.
these are good airplanes but they aren't going to move AA's future near as much as a refocus on higher quality service which AA, at least for a period, thought was no longer necessary
1. United retrofitted their 763s, Delta kept them flying looking like crap
2. Delta hasn't even announced what their new J product will be yet Tim Dunn is telling us it will "Eclipse" AA and UA -- how very Tim Dunn to omnisciently predict Delta's future product absent knowledge.
3. The a35k talk again? really? I thought you'd finally given up this lame talking point after your other omniscient delta 78X potential order revelation from "insider sources"?
Max,
we've been through this before.
I have never said that there isn't a noticeable difference in product in BUSINESS CLASS between DL and UA's 767s.
YOU can't seem to understand that UA has its own gaps including with their 757s which fly routes as long as DL's 767-300ERs and have a worse product.
and UA's 767s aren't any newer or less expensive to operate. Planes run out of time. UA...
Max,
we've been through this before.
I have never said that there isn't a noticeable difference in product in BUSINESS CLASS between DL and UA's 767s.
YOU can't seem to understand that UA has its own gaps including with their 757s which fly routes as long as DL's 767-300ERs and have a worse product.
and UA's 767s aren't any newer or less expensive to operate. Planes run out of time. UA has played a game of not replacing aircraft but will hit a huge wall of replacements just when everyone thinks they will be able to grow.
the 35K is and will be the most capable and efficient aircraft in the US widebody fleet whether you want to accept it or not.
DL was pretty slow about committing to it but UA has been kicking the can on an A350 order for a decade. AA cancelled its order.
given that DL went with a suite product a decade before AA and UA put their first suite equipped aircraft in service- UA still doesn't have one- it isn't hard to realize that DL will have a much better product.
The fact that AA and UA ended up w/ the same seat is what is comical.
Huh??? UA has tons of planes on order... the fact that they decided to ride out the 763s to the end of their life span isn't a problem. They look brand new inside, and the 764s were just redone post pandemic.... additionally, UA's international 777s on average are not as old as AAs... and it's 773s are pretty young...
Delta and UA 752s with lie-flats are equipped with the exact same seat type. Calm down, Timmy. United still flies some long distances, but it's not much different than many of the routes where DL flies them.]
Per United's "752" gap? lol. Really? United has the XLR on order. Delta can't seem to make the numbers work when their competitors do.
And I don't think you want to be bragging about Delta's "suite product'...
Delta and UA 752s with lie-flats are equipped with the exact same seat type. Calm down, Timmy. United still flies some long distances, but it's not much different than many of the routes where DL flies them.]
Per United's "752" gap? lol. Really? United has the XLR on order. Delta can't seem to make the numbers work when their competitors do.
And I don't think you want to be bragging about Delta's "suite product' when Delta can't even offer all-aisle access on their widebodies today and flies their god-awful coffin 763 seat routinely. Delta put a door on their updated coffin seat, that's true. but made little effort for the rest of their fleet.
But again -- you know nothing about Delta's future product yet omnisciently predict it will eclipse AA and UA when Delta's only track record is a history of crap seats then putting a door on a crap coffin seat.
nice try ;)
Joe
the true sign of a rabid UA fan is they don't even know what matters in their incessant bragfest
you and everyone else can't figure out that it isn't not how many total planes are on order but how many actually get delivered.
DL received more new Airbus widebodies in 2024 and will also in 2025 than UA or any other US airline receives in new widebodies.
and the size of UA's order simply...
Joe
the true sign of a rabid UA fan is they don't even know what matters in their incessant bragfest
you and everyone else can't figure out that it isn't not how many total planes are on order but how many actually get delivered.
DL received more new Airbus widebodies in 2024 and will also in 2025 than UA or any other US airline receives in new widebodies.
and the size of UA's order simply means that Boeing has no incentive to get UA's planes out the door on time - AA is supposed to receive more 787s this year than UA - and those huge orders could very well be a huge liability if the economy or the airline industry falls apart - which it typically does about every 10 years. UA could well be bankruptcy if it is forced to take 100 aircraft per year in another covid.
and max, in your zeal to argue, you still can't read that DL doesn't fly its 757s to continental Europe or the UK but UA certainly does.
DL's 757s fly domestic routes which is where UA's 8 abreast business class 757s fly.
DL has a small number of ex-Latam A350s remaining in service in their original livery but we should always expect the guy that can't see the log in their own eye to try to find the speck in someone else's.
Tamra,
feel free to wave from whatever you want. DL's fleet of 80 Delta One Suite equipped widebodies does and will compete very effectively with whatever AA or UA come up. and, yes, DL has 80 of them already in service.
Now, children, stick your body parts back in your pants and go do something productive.
“ Now, children, stick your body parts back in your pants and go do something productive.”
Voldemort
Is that you?
You’re too funny, tim. You don’t even seem to know where delta flies their 752s lol
Or that United has a great replacement while delta has no retirement plane for their ancient 752
But I’m sure you’re as excited as I am for the smallest International delta plane to soon be a...
“ Now, children, stick your body parts back in your pants and go do something productive.”
Voldemort
Is that you?
You’re too funny, tim. You don’t even seem to know where delta flies their 752s lol
Or that United has a great replacement while delta has no retirement plane for their ancient 752
But I’m sure you’re as excited as I am for the smallest International delta plane to soon be a 339 where delta customers will LOVE nonstops to everywhere within 5 miles of Amsterdam and Paris airport
Dude. You’re a joke. Move on lol
Hi Timothy Dunn - I'm not sure anyone should be holding Delta in high regard for its pandemic-related activities as they have foreign governments banning their "held onto 767s" and they were fined by the US for misuse of Covid funds (my friend Jen Shah is SLC based and can tell you all about it). Point being, while Delta continues with their "hand-me-down" refurbish strategy, I'll be waving from the new 787-9P.
isn't jen shah currently a guest of the united states'?
Another good read. I’m flying PHL to LHR in a couple months on their 787-9P. Currently in economy, gambling on a SWU to clear. I’m encouraged by some positive changes that seem to be going on at AA. Of the 3 legacy carriers, AA pretty indisputably has the most practically usable miles program at present (last summer we got to SYD in first, 75 each way). And unlike Delta, they are not limiting the number...
Another good read. I’m flying PHL to LHR in a couple months on their 787-9P. Currently in economy, gambling on a SWU to clear. I’m encouraged by some positive changes that seem to be going on at AA. Of the 3 legacy carriers, AA pretty indisputably has the most practically usable miles program at present (last summer we got to SYD in first, 75 each way). And unlike Delta, they are not limiting the number of yearly entries to lounges. I’m hopeful that once they take deliveries of more 787s, they’ll add some interesting routes. Dubrovnik and Prague seem like no brainers.
I flew this new 787 from ORD to LAX in Seat 1A - Business Preferred. I totally agree that the interior is very striking and the cabin has some very nice touches. However, even in 1A, I found the seats to be tight and getting in and out of the small opening (due to the door) was tight as well - and I'm not a big guy. One other thing, while this flight was only...
I flew this new 787 from ORD to LAX in Seat 1A - Business Preferred. I totally agree that the interior is very striking and the cabin has some very nice touches. However, even in 1A, I found the seats to be tight and getting in and out of the small opening (due to the door) was tight as well - and I'm not a big guy. One other thing, while this flight was only from ORD to LAX, I would think that the seats in the 1st row on a long-haul would not be ideal due to the activity going on in the galley area. Overall though, huge improvement and I would like to try this new plane on a long-haul - but not in Seat 1A.
I didn’t have any issue with galley noise in 1A with my BT headphones while awake or my AirPods while sleeping. I think if you have good noise cancellation you should be fine.
Very good.
I just took this flight from London on Monday (AA91 on July 28 - sitting in 1A) and I thought it was great, seat was overall very comfortable, especially in bed mode, which was far better than the AF flight I took to Europe (admittedly the old 350 configuration), I just wasn’t tired enough to get more than a couple hour nap in. The chaise lounge mode was a little tight on my shoulders, but...
I just took this flight from London on Monday (AA91 on July 28 - sitting in 1A) and I thought it was great, seat was overall very comfortable, especially in bed mode, which was far better than the AF flight I took to Europe (admittedly the old 350 configuration), I just wasn’t tired enough to get more than a couple hour nap in. The chaise lounge mode was a little tight on my shoulders, but with the pillows in place (you get an extra one with the Preferred suite) worked out well.
The crew working was also excellent, especially at the little things (one pointed out the snack bar after I woke up from a nap, and another offered me a drink while I waited for one of the lavatories to open up). Kudos to them.
It’s been a while since I flown AA business, but I would say I’d make an effort to book this configuration again.
as for service, it is not a surprise that AA employees are getting back to delivering service now that labor issues have been resolved for now.
It is also noteworthy that UA will have the same product - perhaps packaged slightly differently but most new generation US carrier business class seats will be on the same platform which is not significantly different than the Delta One Suite on DL's 339s and 359s.
The...
as for service, it is not a surprise that AA employees are getting back to delivering service now that labor issues have been resolved for now.
It is also noteworthy that UA will have the same product - perhaps packaged slightly differently but most new generation US carrier business class seats will be on the same platform which is not significantly different than the Delta One Suite on DL's 339s and 359s.
The real surprise is how heavily AA is using these aircraft to/from LHR which has reportedly been overcapacity for the industry w/ premium seats for years and will only get worse as VS increases the size of their premium cabins.
These aircraft will probably shift to the southern hemisphere in the winter but they are capable of doing much more and it is a little surprising they aren't on some longer routes yet.
Agree AA needs to add these seats to longer routes. But it does seem these 78Ps still need some breaking in, as my flight was delayed an hour due to a long delay the day before (prior to its ORD-LAX turn before flying to LHR).
Not many in the fleet just yet. just enough to cover the LAX-ORD-LHR roundtrip flying. They are expected to start heading south to BNE in the winter was well as other hub-Europe flying as more get delivered
Those TV screens with that thick border look horrible.
Also funny that with pay increases across the big 3, except United, we don't expect better service but rather appreciate when it's not AA bad. Service in the US is mid across the board, but with higher consumer pricing and higher employee wages, isn't it fair that service gets better?
Can only imagine they have those thick borders to allow connection by the old-school B&O headphones. Modern LCD screens don't have those ancient ports any more.
Will this be rolled out in the current fleet, and when?
@ NSS -- So far it has only been confirmed that 777-300ERs will be reconfigured with these seats. There are no firm plans to reconfigure 777-200ERs, 787-8s, and 787-9s.
How full was the cabin? Did you check to see how many upgrades were able to clear? Be interesting to see if this really does end up being better for upgrades, although hard to tell how many upgrades are sold in advanced given how aggressive AA can be at that
@ Alec -- Every seat was taken, as is almost always the case on US carriers, given that non-revs get space available business class. I definitely got the sense there were a lot more upgrade and award tickets than usual, as you'd expect, with such a big increase in business class capacity.
The screen is shockingly bad. It's going to look even worse and less competitive over the next few years. I also think the design of the whole thing looks like the 'former' admirals club look they went for - aka the corporate cafeteria design scheme. I thought the AA aesthetic was moving on? I'm sure it's a better seat overall, but I can't help thinking it's all going to rapidly look out of date.
Great summary and looking forward to the further write up. Seat looks like a B+ which is… fine! Less drab than current AA styling which is good. For what it is worth just got the new / limited Brandon Blackwood amenity kit from AA which I liked.
Would you say this is worth going out of your way to fly over AA standard 787 or 777-2 biz class? Meaning adding a connection and 4 hrs of additional travel time? Thanks for your insight.
@ Steve -- Objectively probably not, since there's something to be said for flying direct and avoiding any potential irregular operations. That being said, if you're an aviation geek or airline product geek and are curious to try this product then yes, I'd give it a try.
Put another way, if I were booking for myself, I'd do it. If I were booking for Ford, I wouldn't do it (because he just values traveling as comfortably and directly as possible).
Lufthansa should have just done this...
+1
Awesome review, thanks!
How many pax per FA in business class (i.e. are they still understaffed)? If you aren't tracking that key measure, it's a huge mistake in your reviews.
BTW the other important measure is pax per lav, which at 17 is a bit on the higher side (you should make reporting this stat standard in your reviews).
Yup, agree 100%
I'm surprised they didn't choose bigger screens for the bulkhead rows.
The bean counters clearly won that particular debate.
Looks awful.
What specifically looks awful?
-he said as he walked past on his way to 47B.
@Aaron
The decor , the food , the unnecessary wifi , outlets , etc. Not something I’d be willing to pay for or use points and miles for. AA will not do any upkeep so let’s revisit this product in 2029 . Also remember this is Ben’s job and as an early pioneer of the avgeek community his travel spend is minimal and done with precision every flight he takes.
@Clown
I’m actually 28C now moving up the star alliance rankings fast.
What a pathetic brag.
The food is better than the slop they feed you on United, The outlets? Get real lol. "I don't fly AA business because of the outlets, I'd rather be in 28C".
The food looks ok.
The decor may not be the most visually appealing but it’s not that bad.
As for the wifi, nobody is being forced to pay for it.