I recently had the chance to experience “Flagship First Class” onboard the Airbus A321, perhaps for the last time, on American Airlines. The experience reminded me of why American Airlines plans to eliminate its first class service. There are just so many missed opportunities.
American Airlines Flagship First Class On A321: A Sad Flight
The first class experience started off very well. The Chelsea Lounge at New York JFK is superb and I enjoyed excellent service and a nice meal there.
But onboard was a different matter.
First, the reverse herringbone first class seat on the A321 has seen far better days. The “woodgrain” was warped and there was an uncomfortable gap between cushions when the seat was placed in lie-flat mode (same problem I had on the AA 787-9).
There was also a piece hanging from the seat in front of me.
One of the overhead monitors would not close and was stuck in a half-open position.
Worst of all, there was some brown substance on the window that looked like…well, you know.
I pre-ordered filet mignon and it was one of the worst steaks I have ever had on an airplane: well-done to the degree that eating my shoe would have been no different. Regular readers know I usually eat whatever is put before me on a plane, but I could not stomach this (good thing I ate in the lounges beforehand…).
I did enjoy the cheese board and ice cream sundae, both of which were nicely-presented and delicious.
I’d say the most disappointing part of the flight was the service. A single flight attendant worked the entire first class cabin (10 seats) and though she meant well and was by no means hostile, there was absolutely no refinement to the service.
Meal orders were taken before departure and there was no warm greeting, let alone addressing passengers by surname. Instead, there was simply a question, “What do you want to eat?”
That’s such a bad way to do service.
I asked if the sauce could be left off my steak and was told:
“The sauce is already on it. You can just sort of brush it off.”
When the appetizer trays came around, the flight attendant yelled out, “Can you pull out your tray for me?” to each passenger who had not already done so.
The man sitting in seat 1A had headphones on and rather than just signal to him or open the tray table herself, she just raised her voice, such that she was yelling at him to pull the tray table out.
Drink refills were not offered with dinner.
After finishing my main course, instead of asking specifically if I wanted an ice cream sundae or cheese plate or cake, she said, “Do you want anything else like dessert or anything?”
I mean, come on…that’s not the way to do it.
As we approached Los Angeles, she came through the cabin yelling, “Hot cookie! Hot cookie!” as if she was selling hot dogs at a baseball game.
It woke several people up.
Of course headphones were collected about an hour before landing which also needlessly woke many people up. Collecting headphones is such an annoyance…I’d rather see cheaper headphones than be disturbed during the part of the flight when so many are sleeping.
So we reached Los Angeles about 15 minutes early and the captain proudly announced an early arrival.
But our gate was occupied.
And occupied.
And occupied.
An HOUR passed by. We went from being early to very late and nothing fritters away goodwill like not having a gate upon landing.
![American Airlines A321T First Class](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/American-Airlines-Flagship-First-A321-14.jpeg)
What a sad flight. Not just because it was so bad, but because AA still has such potential to offer a nice product in first class but continues to fail to do the little things right.
CONCLUSION
I gave AA a positive review on my Doha to New York flight and was hoping to do so again here. But alas, the experience left much to be desired. I’m not naming the flight attendant or showing her picture, because she was not hostile and probably was never trained…but the story of American Airlines Flagship First Class remains one of missed opportunity after missed opportunity.
In the days ahead, I’ll offer a full review of the flight, with more details on the meal service, amenities, IFE, and Wi-Fi.
Come on AA, you can do better. I know you can.
Yikes! I’ve got two international FF GRU MIA & LAX SYD in the next few weeks. Basically my farewell tours. I really like how the seat swivels to look out the window 🙂
After this review I can check off the TransCon Been There Done Better
You’ll have a good crew on GRU-MIA, and Flagship First Dining in MIA is fantastic all around. The South America flights are arguably worthy of the title of “First.” LAX-SYD you’ll have a VERY senior FA that views First as “less work,” and you’ll be more of an inconvenience to them than the usual employees that fill the F seats.
@Jerry: many years ago I was flying GRU-JFK on AA business class and was upgraded to first class at the gate. That was one of the most underwhelming flights I ever had. Food was mediocre, seats were very basic, wines were very cheap and to end they served Ferrero Rocher chocolate. In first class!!! I felt bad for those who paid over $15k for that flight.
At the end of the day, F on these routes never generated enough sales in volume or price premium to really make sense.
That’s a real shame because the Chelsea Lounge and Flagship First Dining in MIA and DFW is fantastic. FFD really is spectacular. Gary has broken this down in the past, and I think addressed it correctly. They need specially trained FAs who are there to actually provide First class service. The hard product is fine, and the in-airport product is fine, but the quality of food and service on board just sucks. F is ultimately going away at AA, and reviews like this are probably why.
Jerry it was better before because training was superb, expectations were given and protocols taught. Now they just need a body in a seat. Transcons we’re on a Dc-10 or 767 and staffed by highly trained Pursers. Not any more. It’s been cheapened by mergers whose mgmt does not have the same standard
White people problems. Hilarious.
Do you have a problem with white people? Would you likewise call the violence at Spirit Airlines “black people problems”?
You crackers got no clue
you’re right we don’t give two craps about the blacks.
You’re the one that doesnt have a clue. How amazing that you’re poking around a perfectly normal and respectful report/discussion and dont even realize how embarrassingly bigoted that you yourself come across as.
Don’t feed the troll.
Isn’t it wonderful how you can use a term like ” cracker” knowing that whites are more civilized to burn and loot as you would do if we used the term for you that describes your behavior perfectly.
… because the insurrection was WAY classy.. white people take classless to new levels daily.
Sure we do. You’re IQ is 69, like your mom’s to realize it.
Shantay, I sort of get where you are coming from, but as they say, when you find yourself in a hole, quit digging.
Hahaha, yes! I would call this a first world problem. As someone who has never flown first class anything, I would have never thought twice about most this stuff. Last meal I got on a plane was a cookie, and no flight attendant has ever known my name. Complaining about filet mignon and not being called by your surname, hahaha. I get it though. It’s another world, and they want people to “serve” them. I would never ask that if somebody.
This is a really dumb take. It’s not like the author published this piece on the front page of the NYT. This is a travel blog focused on premium travel. If you’re not interested in that, why are you reading this blog?
It’s a premium cabin, not coach. Most of the grievances listed here are considered unacceptable in a premium cabin. Many passengers are paying $10k+ a seat. Asking for refined service (that Asian/Middle Eastern airlines have been perfecting for decades) is neither a lavish nor an unreasonable request.
Yup, because we WORK to be able to purchase first class seats. Food stamps and welfare domt pay fo first class.
Someone pissed in your sugar free fentanyl again
With a name like Shantay what do you expect? Probably never been on an airplane. Uea I said it and I own it
Imagine bowing to a culture that lives in mud huts.
It is unfortunate that some of “US” take any opportunity to “stir the pot”, but It isn’t a White Person ‘s problem. It’s anyone’s problem who can afford to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a service, but then doesn’t get what they expect or what they have paid for.
It is also unfortunate that there are those out there who jump at ANY opportunity to “fly” their racist banner for all to see! Shouldn’t someone take the “higher ground” and realize that not ALL comments need a response when someone is “stirring the pot?” I know it might seem humorous(Shantay) to blog about an experience on an aircraft….,….until it becomes your(bad) experience and you have just paid for sub-standard service.
Please don’t continue to validate the negative opinions some people have about us.
They have enough fiction to work with on their own.
Could be a troll purposely posing as a black person as a way to bring out the anti-black comments from people on here.
Looks like it worked.
Possibly correct and correct respectively. So sad.
No one needs a troll to bring out any type of comments, intentional or not. It’s just fact either way.
Well guess what my little racist? Black people fly first class as well. Hate the rich? Get an education in something that is marketable. Enjoy your day, you racist pile of monkey excrement.
I am white and older. Been catavorized as a angry white guy. It’s a problem for all to be falsely sterotyped as such. Because I now have no concern for black on black violence. Definately not angry, most unfortunately indifferent.
You’re aware Flagship First is going away, right?
Yes, as I indicated. Does that mean AA should just abandon all semblance of first class service while still selling it at a large premium over business class?
Great reply!
Can confirm! Can’t believe I paid the 2700USD ONE WAY LAX-BOS! Flagship dining was closed. If you took out the plated food and amenities (the few that existed), service can easily be rivaled by economy on international airlines! And abysmal food as well. But at least my checked bags came out first and forth? All in all, a disgrace that they would call it Flagship First
Different Aaron and not the original Aaron.
I was going to say, you’re too smart to spend $2700 on AA first! 😉
That filet isn’t well done, it’s congratulations
Okay, that’s funny 😀
Did my farewell trip LAX-BOS last month. I had a very similar experience, from the poor quality catering to the disrepair of the seats and the purely functional service. They are still selling the product, but they’ve clearly stopped providing the product.
Love your blog, and have witnessed throughout the year how much you’ve grown as a writer: THUMBS UP!
The “gate is occupied” issue is something that really annoys me and happens more frequently now and I think it´s something readers may find interesting to read more about.
Nothing makes me more po’ed than the “ no gates available “ upon arriving. Happened both ways on a flight last year between LAX and MEL. Once the flight takes off the airline systems know almost to the minute when the flight will land, and this gives them about 15 hours lead time to make sure a gate is available. The flight that landed in MEL never did actually make it to a gate—after sitting for about 45 minutes on the ramp we taxied to a remote area , got off on stairs, and took an overcrowded bus to immigration.
There’s a lot that can happen in 15 hours. A flight scheduled to depart the gate has a mechanical or there’s weather in the arrival city. It’s even worse when it’s an international flight because the aircraft cannot arrive at any gate leased by the airline.
It’s not that hard. It’s possible in similarly sized airports not run by Shaquasta and Balongo.
Im often seeing very small premiums between the USA and Australia to upgrade to first. If you search Sydney to a city other than Lax (eg Phoenix or dfw) there are a lot of fares for 72-78k aa miles in biz and then usually 10-15k more miles for first. Often 2-3 seats.
“she was not hostile and probably was never trained”
Don’t you need *some* training to work at the front of the plane? Or are they just to make it up as they go along?
Honestly, she acted like she had no training at all. Not hostile not particular lazy, just clueless.
Honestly the new hires are NOat trained in service & AA doesn’t care. Never have and never will. Flight attendants therefore don’t care. The morale has been so low for years. They have taken away staffing and the tools to do a good service. Management needs to wake up but sadly I don’t believe they ever will.
There actually is no service training anymore. AA eliminated service training for New Hires around 2019; now they are expected to “learn on the line”. AA also eliminated an FA from these 321T Transcon’s (from 6 FA’s to 5, meaning only 1 FA in FC instead of 2) during Covid so if you’re a Junior FA stuck up front by yourself for the first time…. Good Luck!
Interesting. It really does explain why I experienced what I did.
I am a retired AA flight attendant. Unfortunately this is no longer AA—it’s basically USAir—with our name on it. My last 2 first class (so-called) flights were terrible. (I buy tickets—non-revving is almost impossible). I had to ask for a second drink—the flt. attds. were sitting on the jump seat—reading their phones. There were very few smiles and very little interaction—other than-“What do you want to drink?” I took pride in the job I did for 35 years. I’m so happy I had my career when I did. We took pride in our job and how we treated our passengers.
AA was always a ‘ cut above ‘ in the years before the US Airways merger. Now, unhappy FAs, service cuts, and an I dont give a damn attitude forced me to switch my loyalty to Delta
The merge was the end of a once great airline. The Roller Derby crews don’t mesh well with the Debutante crews. Two different work ethics along with a management team with a Dollar Store mentality was never going to be pretty.
Kathy is right as a retired FA from
AA poor service and food is unfortunate state of affairs. If your working a premium cabin you know what to do and what is expected. However the staffing cuts, lower quality of food is not the crews fault but poor management. The merger between US Airways was a major downgrade. I flew business from SYD to LAX and it was not type of service I would have given or expected. Hours went by a FA could be found. The abuse that the flight attendants have received from the traveling public and their employer is shameful. They are now 4 years without a raise in pay and working conditions have deteriorated.
I, too, am a retired AA flight attendant and feel the exact same way. I retired before the merger, and always encouraged friends and family to continue to fly AA after I left. All that changed after the merger. I will not fly on AA anymore. The greatest airline in the world, the company I was so proud to work for many years, is just gone.
I am a former USAIRWAYS Flight Attendant. The merger, or shall I say “hostile takeover” by America West is when legacy USAIRWAYS Flight Attendants became especially bitter. That merger was horrible beyond words. Keep in mind USAIRWAYS was an airline that grew to become a larger airline through mergers. Piedmont was known for its service and classy FAs. Then USAIRWAYS bought them. I could go back to Braniff, Eastern, Trump Shuttle,.. all were gobbled up and became what the USAIRWAYS that merged with AA. With 9/11 and back to back bankruptcies it’s shocking US survived. America West management and employees brought its low cost mentality along with them and sadly that is what AA is today.
The majority of routes from Miami to Europe operate with FAA minimum crew. The flight attendants legitimate complaints fall on deaf ears. AA’s excuse is that this is industry standard. The flight you experienced is sadly becoming the norm at AA. That flight attendant is up there alone cooking, plating, bartending, busing and let’s not forget taking care of the pilots. It’s not fair to the crew and it’s definitely not fair to the passengers.
Sadly BA is going the same way. I walk on these days thinking “I hope it is a nice FA crew”. For the thousands of $ paid, why am I having to hope for good service?
For the whiners that say these are first world privilege problems, well, I likely made a significant contribution to the lower price of your seat. You are welcome.
Hot Cookie! is the perfect name for my new strip club.
American is a marketing firm that flies planes.
That mirrors AA’s domestic FC experience for me. It gets you there but everything about it is unrefined. At least you got a piece of meat. Last time they served me a scoop of granola for dinner because they somehow ran out of meals.
Sign me up for HOT COOKIE
I had a fantastic FF flight JFK to SFO in early 2022 & Michelin star level dining in the JFK lounge (old Flagship dining facility). The 6 am SFO to JFK return in FF was a complete joke however.
American, United and Delta are the same: they all have horrible service in each class of service. Better to travel on Lufthansa. Domestically, you’re so f**ed.
Absolutely not true. Delta provides excellent service both domestically and especially internationally.
Would the service be any better if people were actually paying for it? What’s the incentive to provide excellent service and food in first class if a very limited number of people are paying the frequently astronomical fares quoted.
That’s such a chicken and egg problem. I don’t know how many employees were were non-revving in the cabin, but I do note that there was no special preference given to anyone and when Concierge Keys were called to board, four boarded in front of me (which is why I don’t have unobstructed cabin shots).
I cannot believe AA have the audacity to pass this off as ‘flagship’ first class; it’s a joke. It’s nothing more than an old and shabby reverse herringbone business class seat thats seen better days. That thing you call “woodgrain” is warped because its not actually woodgrain, its cheap plastic.
People pay thousands upon thousands of dollars of their hard earned money to these airlines to sit in unsanitary, cramped “sleep” pods that are only marginally comfortable with sub par microwave food dressed up on a plate to look like its come from a restaurant that you would probably never eat at on the ground, Its craziness.
It’s no wonder the Asian and Middle eastern airlines are wiping the floor with American and European carriers and thats across all classes.
Ok, you need to ask for compensation. $250 at least
Fly Jet Blue Mint. You will not be disappointed. Excellent service, food and comfort. No complaints here
I’ve posted six JetBlue Mint reviews in the last year on LALF, all of them resoundingly positive.
I have flown between JFK and LAX in Flagship F on the A321t twice (once in each direction, though not on the same trip) twice, and both were ruined by the sole FA in the F cabin. Didn’t have much problem with the hard product, cleanliness or even the food, but the service just had no clAAss whatsoever.
Just one example: on the evening flight Kennedy to LaLaLand, where it gets dark about halfway through, I went to use the forward lav after dinner and the cabin was dimmed. After I returned to my seat I realized I didn’t have my prescription eyeglasses, and thought they might have fallen into the seat. I looked as best I could, but then followed the advice of the safety video to ask the crew for assistance. I approached the FA for either a flashlight, or for her help in adjusting my seat to search for my costly glasses.
She was seated by the jumpseat next to the forward door fiddling in the dark on her telephone or device, and said: oh, when you walked up to tav a few minutes ago I heard something drop right here. Be careful, don’t move your feet, you may step on them, she said, let me turn on a light. She did, and there they were. But don’t you think when a full F pax walks by you and you hear something drop, ten minutes or so before, you would have interrupted your phone punching in the dark long enough to say “sir, did I hear something drop there?” The whole flight was pretty much noncaring like that, as was the LAX-JFK one on the other trip. Very disapponting, and gave Flagship F a bad name in my book.
Glad your lounge experience in JFK was a good one. I had really wanted to use it, but only poked my head in as I was delayed in getting to terminAAl 8 that day through no fault of American.
But your overall point about Flagship F being in a dismal state is very correct.
Wow, what a sad tale Keith. Unbelievable, and yet so believable.
Wow!
AA doesnt care and flight attendants dont care, especially older flight attendants that should have long retired and are lingering are the worst. They just yell and throw stuff at you. Seriously AA has the worst flight attendants. If there is a problem they will say “well what do you want me to do?”
No. AA can’t do better. Most recent experience was two consecutive AA cancelled flights due to mechanical issues on old planes. The letter of apology was “fly someone else”. AA is a horror show, matched only by the decline in Southwest
Did that woman give you permission to use her photo in this article?
LOL. You’re new around here, aren’t you?
Mr. Kline. Maybe if you talked to the Flight Attendants at A.A.,, you would discover that they have not had a raise in over 7 years. And moral is very low. They have been in negotiations with A.A. and can’t even get a descent cost of living wage increase. So Flight Attendant have to work overtime, just to keep up with inflation. A.A. does have problems. Corporate greed.
Ummm they still receive raises unless they are at top out pay. Very important to include that information
And still, they’re paid way too much. There’s 100 people for every FA job happy to take it.
Fire them all. Make pay entirely dependent on customer reviews of the service, top it out at 50,000 dollars a year.
That’s a lot for doing f*ck all in waitressing work 80 hours a week.
@Sara, you must have a fun family and a large group of friends. Bitter Betty fits your attitude better than SS.
Oh my god, the knowledge that elitist people like you are silently seething among me when I board a plane makes my skin crawl. Gotta keep my guard up!
My partner is an AA FA and works super hard. The work is exhausting. They’re not given the staffing, resources, or support by management to deliver consistently good service. Some of them are legitimately bad apples, but management deserves most of the blame.
If you want someone to lick your a$$ while you sip your Dom, you’re welcome to charter a private flight!
We are flying F MIA-LHR in a couple weeks. I was looking forward to it but this is depressing.
Oh my! The horrific first world problems we must endure to move hither and yon about the planet.
You did land safely, no?
You did make the trip in about 15 hours, no?
You didn’t have to sit shoulder to shoulder with all the ham & eggers in coach.
I find these “first world problems” posts incredible obtuse. Do you like to overpay for service you don’t get? It works the same at all levels of purchasing. No one likes that. No provider of a product or service should charge for a level of product or service they can’t meet.
This isnt hard
You miss the point completely. If you buy a high end Ferrari, you expect a high end vehicle. When you pay for FIrst Class, you expect First Class service and not a Pinto station wagon.
Mr. Klint: I am so sad about the current state of American Airlines. I am also sad about the current state of America. We are no longer ‘may I, please, thank you…” But this is not what this blog is about.
I am also a retired AA F/A. I was hired in 1967, a time when AA gave the best service ever and truly respected their customers and employees. I truly loved my job, I looked forward to going to ‘work’….the training we had during that time was impeccable and strict. One of the worse thing that happened to the airline industry was deregulation,
However, my ” career ” during that time had a slight turn. I worked for a period of 13 years, having married and raising a family – I left the the best job I ever had. After about 10 years, I wanted to get back to my airline family. This JOB made it possible to have the best of both worlds. I had to do everything all over again, the training, starting from the bottom of the pile so to speak working my way up the seniority ladder (which is how our salaries, schedules are based). I worked another 20 years.
This is not meant to be a biography of my life. I just wanted to share my disappointment with a company I loved, a job that I loved and a public and industry that has gone through very trying times with tragedy, economic decline, mergers, pandemic…..and more blatantly, corporate greed and lack of union leadership.
If you happened to be in first class on one of my flights, I would gladly hang your coat, offer a predeparture beverage, use my seating chart and addressed you by name, even asking if needed, if, I had pronounced it
correctly, gave out menus and took your meal/beverage preference. During the flight, my co-worker (there were always two of us in F/C) served your meals, and even had a dessert cart set up with condiments for ice cream sundaes/fruit and cheese/coffee-tea/liquors serving each person individually using their names. And of course, don’t forget the freshly baked cookies that were given before landing and the coats that were returned upon arrival.
…….but this was all once upon a time.
As with everything today and as all of you know, the airlines have been hit very hard – mergers have really been the biggest change trying to incorporate different airline practices into one cohesive working group, the cut backs in personnel and working conditions ie not getting enough supplies, delays upon delays ie waiting for that gate, cost of living wages, sufficient rest time and a union fighting (or not) for their members to get what AA promised them since 9/11 when we gave back all of our concessions to one of the best contracts we had ever had so not to declare bankruptcy…..not one dime was ever offered in contract negotiations since but upper management walking away with millions as they leave us to pick up the pieces leaving our company for another…ALL with trying to give our passengers, at least, a decent inflight service with our hands tied behand our backs. Enough of this soap box rant.
F/A’s for the most part and as most of you have experienced are basically giving you the best service they can with a positive attitude with what they have to work with. The new F/A’s – I feel – are not getting the proper training and are basically on their own hopefully learning from ‘senior’ crew members. Sometimes that works but Mr. Klint, unfortunately, you happened to have had a ‘diner’ experience (not to disparage those hard working people).
The main reason I retired when I did was because of the lack of respect from a company I gave mine to. I miss my co-workers very much but not much else. But, please always keep in mind, the MAIN reason F/A’s are on board is to perform in both medical needs and emergency evacuations. Hopefully this is not something you will ever experience.
Thank you for letting me give another perspective from a former working crew member.
I greatly appreciate your perspective! Thanks for taking the time to write.
Airdiana is 100 % . The airport personnel and flight groups get blamed for lousy management . The company created this hostile environment and unpleasant workplace. Staffing cuts ,COVID changes and empty promises have not helped. The FA group has NOT seen a pay raise since 2019 and contract negotiations have gone nowhere. I know these issues are not your problem but unfortunately the FA corps feel unappreciated. The passengers of today are nothing like the old days at AA. Respect, dress code, courtesy from passengers is at an all time low.
It’s now seen as a slush fund for upper management to grab and go with the $.
Very well said… I did the ramp for 35 years and I couldn’t agree with you more. I remember back in the Jet-setting era people paid good money to fly our luxury liners and it was a sad day. When that word was taken off our airplanes, I knew bad the winds were coming… And lest us not forget the the short tenure time of the Carty days, where we once all of AA’S unions stood united and had Mr Carty removed from CEO position for taking our 23% concessions in rewarding half of the mount of those recessions from the unions for management retention. It was no wonder why when Mr. Horton took over and took us through bankruptcy with 7.5 billion dollars and the fact that going through bankruptcy we made the largest aircraft purchase of any airline doing so along with American eagle then we thereafter filed bankruptcy. Mr. Horton wanted us to take draconian cuts and shutter multiple stations, one of which mine got shut down and in a egregious manner furthermore, he wanted to shut down all small stations but with our negotiations we managed to keep 23 open. Oh and by the way we also had our pensions frozen, so people who were hired in 1982 and above our pensions got secured by the PBGC, oh and another thing, we were promised that if we gave loyalty that the company would provide us health benefits in our retirement, which that is of no more since the bankruptcy, especially to us junior people 35 years and counting. Meanwhile, Mr. Horton retired with a 20 million retirement plan that even the judge didn’t even approve but couldn’t do nothing about it because it was already voted by the board members. How nice???
Let’s just stop calling it ‘American Airlines’ any more and call it what it is: America West.
America West was an excellent airline with well trained employees in the category it competed in. You Ass Air is the root of the problems, and the common denominator is the C levels execs.
I hear AA keeps it this way so Gary Leff has something to complain/write about.
These pods look worse than those in AA’s intercontinental Business Class. We’ve always had good experiences there (most recently CLT-MUC and return last year) and hope the same holds true next month.
Having flown the AB 321 Transcon in both Flagship First and Business Class, I can honestly say room wise stick with the business section. I find the first class haring bone seats tight, and more difficult to work on a laptop with. I have turned down several upgrade offers to FC much to the wonderment on gate personnel.
I’m Executive Platinum and fly Flagship Business or First about 10-12 times a year JFK to SFO. I have nearly 2 million flown miles on AA. All of these criticisms are spot on. I would have many stories to add. One thing to mention is that AA does not upgrade anyone to first class on Flagship flights (unless flight is oversold). Its always curious to walk on the plane and see first class mostly full of AA employees. Not really any explanation to leave your best customers in business and coach while you have FA and pilots in first. Shows they really don’t care at all.
Not sure where you get your inaccurate information regarding employees in first class. There is no way an employee travelling for pleasure can ever be seated in a Premium cabin when there are 50 complimentary upgrades waiting for a seat in an full cabin, that only accommodates 16 passengers.
That’s simply incorrect. It is precisely because AA still offers three-cabin service and does not double upgrade from Y to F that you find revenue passengers in J and employees in F. This is the way United used to be as well, well after complimentary elite upgrades were introduced.
This is not true. FF is full of the Shagongas and Tyroshas of AA.
Cheap American Airlines have cutdown their crews to the minimum number required by FAA you can’t expect 1st class service with one oerson handling it all. Its abusive and inhumane.
Flew JFK to DEH in first and was wonderful!
Hi,
Thanks for the review.
What airline do you recommend to fly from NYC to LAX as I am used to fly Emirates First or Swiss First?
Thanks
JetBlue MINT for superior food and service (seat is just okay).
It is correct. It’s not travel for pleasure. They are moving crews back to NYC or CA. I’ve been doing this for years and have seen it many times.
Many thanks Matthew!!
Any good tips too for a non stop San Francisco to Washington DC?
Sorry, Iàit’s my first time flying in the US …
Hi John, I would just take United Airlines if you can get a flight with a lie-flat bed (757-200, 767, 777, 787).
I agree with your assessment. I flew AA First Class between LHR and DFW last May. I purposely planned my travel to try this particular class of service. I found it disappointing simply because there was zero differentiation between business class amd first. They advertise the difference, but failed to execute. I boarded first in LHR, but with a huge onslaught of people that were not in first. The food and service was not better than business, but the ultimate disappointment was it was obvious that the cabin was filled at the last minute by standby passengers that were either standby employees or riding on a buddy pass. There was an onslaught of people that boarded just prior to the door being closed, and it was obvious that these were given away to the unsold first class seats. The problem, is that the FAs treated the entire cabin as people “just hitching a ride”. I had excellent treatment and service once I arrived in DFW, but the flight had nothing redeemable to make me book again.
I totally agree with this post. I recently flew from Sydney to Los Angeles in premium economy on Qantas then first to New York thinking it would be a treat. How wrong I was. premium economy from Australia was half the cost and twice better. Just embarrassing. So beyond beyond beyond poor. Shameful. American Airlines is by far the worst premiem product in the sky.
I recently flew American Airlines Business class from Heathrow to Chicago. It was a nightmare. I asked for a mask because I wanted to take a nap after lunch and I was told “there’s no amenity kits on this plane and in fact, there is nothing on this plane”. ( whatever that meant!) My experience was very much like yours, my seat wouldn’t come back up after reclining, so I had to be moved., away from my partner. The stewardess also told me that she’s been with the airline for 50 years, and would probably be going on strike soon, because she hadn’t had a raise in six years. Customers don’t want to hear this! I wrote a letter to the airline and I got a reply saying “thank you for your insights. We will be sure to share this with our team ! “ No real apology or offer of any amenities.
AA’s service is consistently inconsistent. It’s almost always hit or miss. Sounds like you had a miss. Unfortunate. I’ve had some ‘meh’ services, while at the same time had some unbelievably spectacular service. Even on the same flight I’ve experienced flight attendants that seemed to have no speaking ability and others that would go out of their way in unrealistic ways. On the same flight.
I just take the good with the bad and move on. Not saying anyone else should, but even when they are not great, it’s still tolerable and have enough pleasant things to see past some of the bad. Just my take.
As a 32 year flight attendant I apologize for the few bad apples with attitude I can think of right now. But, I will not name. AA took away a position on our Transcons to JFK- LAX and SFO. We never got back the much needed position. The#5postion worked galley and purser worked the isle which gave a much better service. Please write to AA and tell them that it shows in the service provided. Very overwhelming up there cooking, preparing and the presenting with a smile. Just my thoughts as the one that recognizes what’s going on behind the scenes. Please give us another shot!
Thanks Mark!!!
Any idea for San Francisco to Washington DC.
PS : sorry but I never flew any airlines in the US.
Sorry, I meant thanks Matthew!
The tipping culture in America can be party to blame for the lack of service. Every service industry role from cashier in a deli to restaurants expect a service fee paid by the customer 18-25%. The customer is in effect the employer as they pay more than the business owner.
When you get a service industry where the customer isn’t paying at receipt of the service then the employee is completely unmotivated to make an effort as they know they get paid the same regardless.
Other countries pay good staff good wages and tips are given for exceptional Service only.
Staff are supervised and lose their jobs if they consistently fail to deliver good service .
In summary, AA should pay their staff more and supervise them better so the experience is superior.
As a million miler on American. Holding the same categories on Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines , United and Emirates,; one needs to know that when you are doing domestic flights and the aircraft used the service is not going to be as good as a international flight.
Emirates domestic within the Emirates’ peninsula is not to par with their Dubai – London service.Simple logic the B737, A320 and A321 aircraft go through many cycles of flights. Many boarding cycles.
A flight from DFW to HKG is 14 on American. A flight DFW to MIA is 2:20. The B737 or A321 during a 14 period does 5 cycles while the B787 does 1. Obvious the domestic plane is getting more wear .
I met one of these critics on one of my flights and when we were sharing pictures of family, his house needed some TLC. and he wanted to learn more about food. I suggested he spend sometime in Singapore where there is a considerable amount of one star Michelin restaurants and the vast majority of them have plastic tables and chairs. He did not believe the fact.
Upon arriving in Singapore I took him out to dinner at one of these restaurants were we sat outside, plastic table and chair. He ate the best pepper crab he has eaten his whole life.
His critic style change, he did not judge a book by his cover, became famous. I miss my friend Anthony Boudin.
As a retired TWA trained and later AA flight attendant I’m so sorry and frankly there is no excuse for a flight attendant to ever serve any passenger in any seat with that kind of attitude. I was trained you put the class in first class.
I flew back from DFW to LHR 30th May this week.
The Business Class FAs were toxic. They seemed to be allergic to passengers and did not like each other.
It certainly showed and as noted. It’s a waste of time contacting Customer Service as they only reply with copied letters as if they never read the complaint.
American Airlines screwed up ROYALLY when they ended their Airpass program a few months ago! All of the people who supported them through the pandemic have been left without any benefits or services. I used to have a number to call to book last minute and with instant assistance. Now I sit in the queue for 35-50 minutes waiting for an agent and without any flexibility to my bookings like I had enjoyed. The cabins are filthy, crumbs and goo left on my seats or tables. I have had some incredible flight crews and others that moan about their schedules and sit on their phones. I am an Executive Platinum member and am in search of another airline that will provide good service for me.
Goodbye! So long! Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!
AA is beyond repair. I’ve been flying upper or top tier on airlines since 1985, all the way back to TWA and Northwest Orient, with 3.8 million actual butt-in-seat miles on AA alone. Currently I am AA ExPlat and UA 1K. Clearly enough flying to know the difference between good and bad service. So far in 2023 I cannot recall anyone at any time recognizing my ExPlat status. Instead we are lumped into the other 50 or so pax in Group 1 during the boarding circus. I did manage to get bawled out by a gate agent at DFW because I didn’t have my passport out of my shirt pocket while boarding DFW-YUL. And AA rarely enforces boarding: the people ahead of me on a DFW-MSP flight were in G8 and practically dared the gate agent to do anything. ExPlat used to mean something. But around 2016 it began to deteriorate. I defected to UA in 2018 and was surprised at the positive difference in treatment of 1K members. Not only in recognition of status but, on average, far shorter wait times on the 1K phone line. On the ExPlat line you are lucky to talk to a live human inside of a half hour wait. The degradation of AA ExPlat status has also carried over to the onboard F experience. All in all, AA’s corporate culture has been infected by a deadly strain of “I don’t care” where pax are treated as an annoyance. I’ve been flying UA mostly until my travel patterns changed. Being based in Dallas, I had no choice but to move a lot of my flights to AA this year, particularly to secondary markets where the connections at DEN, ORD and IAH were unworkable. American’s Executive Platinum status used to be the industry standard. But now AA’s focus has shifted to Concierge Key and corporate accounts. For entrepreneurs like me with airfare spend of only $20-30 K/year, I’ll never gain CK status. ExPlat is just another cheap throwaway status that isn’t worth much anymore. My TATL, LatAm and TPAC First and Business class spend will almost certainly NOT be on AA. So sad.
What sh!t “journalism.”
I’m sorry this didn’t appeal to you, honey. Thanks for your click.
I’m an American pilot and can confirm all this. I fly the T and we’ve been down to 5 FAs since covid. They know they can’t provide adequate service with 5 but management doesn’t care. The seats are worn, I’ve seen the same hanging TVs, FAs provide the hurried service because they’re overwhelmed with their task load, and it’s all because management can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s common knowledge among the work groups that our leadership can’t decide if we are spirit or old AA and it shows. We can’t compete in competitive markets, our poor FAs are underpaid and we get what we pay for and I don’t blame them. I’m sure it’s not much better at UA and maybe DL but it’s sure a shame the state of airlines in the states.
“I fly the “T”. Classic.
Thank you for saying the truth! These bloggers are negative and rarely pay for the seats they are criticizing. They don’t take the time to see the state of the airline or what they are going through. Give me a break, do some REAL journalism and stop attacking people who don’t treat you like you are on your own personal jet. You want that service, PAY FOR IT! Ugh! The entitlement these days is beyond me!
I paid for my seat.
Next?
Your comment is ridiculous. I talked about the staffing shortages – that’s a big part of the problem, but it does not excuse AA from failing to train its FAs to show warm and personalized service to its three-cabin first class passengers.
Why did you take a picture of the flight attendant?
I didn’t…
This is interesting as I wrote a letter about how bad the service was in Premium Economy and Economy on my recent trips to Asia.
Below was my letter.
It disheartening to write this, but yet has to conveyed as I see this affecting not only me but many other traveller’s.
As I was travelling from Dallas to Seoul, this has been experience which also covers a broader aspect of deterioration in class of service.
1. I purchased wifi service, but it was so bad and went on and off that I hardly had a chance to finish my work of what I intended to do
2. Why is that for such a long flight, the seats are so narrow. Instead of 8 rows in a row as many international carriers have which gives more elbow room and more space for air hostesses to walk and service, there r 9 seats, rubbing elbow with other passengers. This is just utter disrespectful.
3. The entertainment system had to be started multiple times and every time I start a movie, I am forced to watch “Homer-the science kid “. Not sure why?
4. Atleast on longer flights, u can offer better headphones so when u r travelling 14hrs, the least we can have is a better experience
5. The food service is not even close to what other airlines offer. The portions r small and the meal is not even fit for international travel. I am sure for the cost we pay for ticket, I am sure AA can do better than this
As much as I am an exec Plat on AA, this would probably me my last flight to fly international on AA flights.
I hope someone hears me out and make some real changes to address the passengers then to just focus on profits and share prices.
Thank you.
Don’t address the letter to company employees, especially those in the C-Suite. Their sole focus is their bonus and the strike point of the stock options. All else is immaterial. They will buy you off with jawboning or a block of miles without fixing the problem.
Address the letter to the EXTERNAL directors of the airline and send it to their specific work address. On the BOD page, they will say something like Bob Smith of Casey, Smith, & Carly consulting in Baltimore. Check the consulting web page and bang, the same photo used by the airline. Sent a copy to him and the other external directors.
I used the above method for a bank that I had a relationship with since 1980. Yet, they were giving me the run around on a washed check for an extended period of time. Once my letter hit the desk of one of the external directors, the issue was fixed within a week with an apology.
Great way to burn bridges, but my frustration level was sky high at the time!!!
Your expectations of others is simply too high. Your comment of “That’s just not how you do it”, regarding your idea of customer service. It’s not how YOU would like it.
No one can read your mind if you want ice cream or crackers you have to say it.
You also said it yourself, one flight attendant clearly overworking herself and it doesn’t help to overanalyze her job when it’s clearly understaffed.
How about, “May I offer you some dessert, Mr. Klint? Tonight, our choices include cheesecake, and ice cream sundae with assorted toppings, or a cheese board.”
Was that so hard now?
Why don’t you try flying first class on any leading carrier (like Air France, Lufthasna, SWISS, ANA, Qantas, JAL, or Emirates) and get back to us on customer service.
I just came in from JFK to LAX on Flagship first. The service and aircraft itself was quite disappointing. I asked for a beverage pre take off when they were serving some passengers butb never got it. Waited until after take off asked again never got it. I had to walk to the FA station after asking for the third time to get a beverage. Asked for a snack like nuts, they didnt have any snacks, my pre ordered food was not served to me and FA asked me if i wanted dressing with my salad, did i want bread? Yes to both but the salad came with no dressing. I asked for cheese board for desert what came was a small bowl with three pieces of cheese no bread or cracker, just horrible presentation, the fork on my dinner tray had dry food residue. My headphone connection to the TV was so bad it only worked if i held the wire with my hand so the pin would only be half way in. I was traveling with my 93 year old mother and arranged for isle chair which is a wheel chair that is small enough for aircraft isles but when she needed to use the rest room there was no assistance, no isle chair. Just dismal service. The FA just did not have proper training or common sense. While he never served my pre order food for my mom, he also brought her tray last. My mother cannot sit and wait for food that long. I know that they bake and serve chocolate chip cookies pre landing but that didnt happen either. What kind of first class service was this, This wasnt my first Flagship first experience but it sure will be the last,
Wow, horrible indeed. But I’m not surprised. Seems they even cut back on the cheese board?!
So what will happen to the first class lounges once first class is no more?
Might still be kept open for Concierge Key or select full-fare business class fares.
At JFK, will be kept open for BA First Class too.
I’m not really sure what you are expecting on a domestic first class flight for service. The international flights are where First Class is really different. Complaining about a Pretty decent domestic First seems pretty petty.
Flagship First form JFK-LAX is branded and sold on the level of international first…and in fact, borrows the same menus.