I have offered many focused criticisms of American Airlines over the past several years. I’ve long been of the belief that there is no U.S. airline with more potential to be better than it is today. But in the interest of fairness and balance I wanted to offer 5 reasons to be genuinely excited about American Airlines. They are the airline I fly most, and I’ve been at least an Executive Platinum member of their AAdvantage program for more than a decade.
- New business class seats coming – with doors – to the Boeing 787-9 new delivery aircraft, with more premium seats than before and both premium economy and full flat direct aisle access business class coming to Airbus A321XLR narrowbodies.
The Adient Ascent Seat Is Rumored For American’s New Boeing 787-9 Business Class - The major airline that still has award charts for its frequent flyer program. As I’ve written there’s no need to eliminate award charts to offer extra award space at variable pricing, and American has done just that – web saver dynamic pricing alongside a traditional published commitment to value awards. That gives them a huge advantage over United and Delta in terms of trust.
British Airways Airbus A350 Business Class - Easier elite status that respects customers while United went for a straight-up money grab, awarding status based almost exclusively on how much you spend on tickets, American recognizes the whole customer – who spends on airfare, uses their credit card, shops through their online portal, and uses their partners. These are higher margin activities for the airline, so the truly most profitable customers, and those who care about status can make it happen by engaging with American across numerous activities. Loyalty Points make elite status fun again.
American Airlines Domestic First Class - Partnerships give them the best domestic network American has been a more domestic-focused airline than Delta and United, and their hubs at Dallas and Charlotte has huge connectors. But they had gaps on the West Coast and in the Northeast. They’ve solved the gaps, with their Alaska Airlines partnership (including reciprocal upgrades!) shoring up the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest, and their JetBlue partnership giving them a new relevance in the New York market. Unfortunately the government – which approved the JetBlue partnership only a year and a half ago – is suing the break it up at the behest of competitors like Delta (who wants New York all to themselves) and low cost carriers (who want the government to redistribute their New York slots).
Here oneworld members – and even American Airlines now-CEO Robert Isom – make appearances in Alaska’s ‘Safety Dance’ video:
- The best lounge experiences in the U.S. United and American both have dedicated business class lounges, and Delta is building up theirs in response. And Delta Sky Clubs have the best food among basic lounges, though frequently long lines to get in. But there’s nothing that competes with American Airlines Flagship Dining, currently available at New York JFK, Dallas – Fort Worth, and Miami. For cross country and long haul international first class passengers (as well as ConciergeKey members when given invitations, premium Five Star customers, and those offered a buy-in).
Flagship First Dining New York JFKFlagship First Dining offers a private room within the business class lounges featuring true peace, quiet, and exclusivity – a dedicate bar with premium drinks, sit down dining with actual restaurant-quality food, and good service. On my most recent visit Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle had replaced Krug, I’ve enjoyed most of the dishes that I’ve tried. Soon we’ll see their reimagined first class experience shared with British Airways at JFK.
And need I mention that early in the pandemic, when airlines like United and Air Canada were stealing customers’ money by refusing refunds even when cancelling flights, American honored its refund obligations? They’ll always have a strong reservoir of good will with me for that.
There are things American Airlines can do to improve and I will keep urging them on. But sometimes it’s worth taking stock of some of the great things they’re doing today.
Yeah, but they lead the pack in densification in Y, the new A321XLR will be a drag in Y. I used to take comfort in the PE for Y on 772s and 77Ws and 778s, but they keep swapping them for A321 torture tubes.
No widebodies on the Monday I was ticketed on LAX-MIA do my choice is to give up my weekend or start the week in back pain.
Food is back to inedible on the transcons I’ve been in.
Why do people get so excited about doors on a J seat? I just don’t get it.
I think these are all good points. Right now (probably because I am on on the AA pages) I see a lot of negative towards AA and can only assume the other two are going through the same. Yet I get it, travel is expensive, yet many industries are suffering post-covid and I still think a little patience and time is needed. I get it, a billion dollar industry….
Well said Gary, about the refund issue in 2020; I had a number of cancelled flights in AA (schedule change cancellations) early in the pandemic (that I wasn’t intending on taking anyway by that point), and AA promptly processed refunds for all of them- at a time when DL, UA and B6 were dragging their hands in an attempt to preserve their own cash.
BS- you are drinking their coolaid
They just stranded me for the 3rd time at LAX on an overseas award ticket. (dropped the only AA leg) Didn’t even bother to notify me. Would not absorb the fuel surcharges (BA) on an alternate route for the same mileage requirement and would not even upgrade our coach seat selection (to coach plus) as comp. Thank God for SW to bring me home. AA is a bunch of F*%! morons. Reservations said email customer relations and hope for SW reimbursement.
Take their gates if they continue to cancel flights and then shut them down for carriage contract fraud.
Only 150k more miles to dump
Have never had a bad experience with AA although I’m no where near the frequent flyer status you and probably most of your subscribers are. Have flown Business from RDU to London a number of times. Has always been a great experience with seat, FAs, food, and drink (my cell phone slipped away from me during one of those London flights. Could not find it. Two of the FAs got down on their hands and knees to look for it under my seat. No luck but their efforts were extraordinary. Turned out it had slid under my seat to the floor of the passenger behind me who found it later during that flight).
In May I flew first out of JFK to London. Didn’t even know I was entitled to Flagship First Dining until one of the receptionists directed me to that venue. Enjoyed every minutes of it…wine, appetizers, entrees, dessert, the staff, the setting, the views of plane traffic from the windows.
Let’s hope AA continues to improve and doesn’t go bankrupt…..again!
#6 Parker is gone. Things will improve.
@ Gary – Delta Diamond is WAY easier to attain than EXP. Two AF/KL business class round-trips CA-EMEA and you’ve earned or almost earned the 15k MQD required.
Hey Gary – blink twice if AA has a gun to your head. We’ll call the cops…
My dear Leff, it’s a Sunday evening and as such, I shall let you rest and have your moment under the sun and gloat. Tomorrow will be another day, and I’ll rebut every single word you wrote tonight. In the meantime, have a pleasant evening my friend!!
And the business class international awards are where?
But their performance still sucks. And they cancel for no valid reason.
Has Elon Musk kidnapped our Gary after American asked him to put a chip
Into our thought leader and bring him back as a positive Ambassador Robot for American?
Bring the old Gary back if he hasn’t been kidnapped lol
Actually add the 3 and half hour flight to London in the future to the list if it comes to fruition
Likely 900,000 miles one way
Regarding #2 on award charts.
Looked up flight options for ORD to FCO for this year and next May/ June. Consistently seeing 500-700K points round trip. Per person. If that’s not inflation. ♂️
@Andre
Good one!
Thanks for the smile
Gene, there are two requirements to attain Delta Diamond. You note the MQDs. But, you’ll need MQMs as well. A person earns MQMs at a rate of physical distance x 1.5 when flying in premium cabins. LAX-CDG-DOH is about 8800 one way. Two round-trips would be 35,200 miles. In business, you’re looking at about 53,000 MQMs. A person is not even at Platinum. Will the rest of the MQMs come from credit card spend?
Francis Bagbey, it’s good that you had an opportunity to enjoy the Flagship First Dining experience as well as the flight to London. The likelihood is that AA’s first class product will start to disappear around 2024. Matter of fact and said without malice, AA’s management choices are not aligned with being a premium airline. Perhaps market forces are driving them and the leadership at other airlines to such choices. Whatever any airline does, there’s no shortage of critical comments on blogs. Some justified. Others not.
For your trips to London, try British Airways. You’ll find its first class a step up from AA. It’s always been that way but my sense is that it will be more so in the future. BA experienced a “cost-focused” CEO a few years ago and BA lost its premium reputation. Under current management, while opinions differ, there is an aspiration to return to its prior reputation. Time will tell but I’m hopeful.
Some will argue that Air France in first class is the way to go. Perhaps it is but one is easily looking at twice the price. If you have the money, what the heck.
AA is still cancelling more flights than any other airline. We’ll see once the DOT comes out w/ their data but right now, AA has cancelled 9% of their mainline operations and 21% of DFW operations are cancelled – all carriers but mostly AA. Yes, it’s raining in Texas. and WN has a system on-time right now w/ 36% of its fights delayed
AA is still trying to be mass transportation and does nothing industry leading. The few “enhancements” will be for a relative handful of passengers and still won’t be industry-leading.
The best thing that can be said about AA is that they have 9 lives – and always seem to keep from being pushed over the cliff.
the thousands of passengers stuck in DFW for the night won’t have anything good to say about your article.
AA serves the low class
What are the wealthiest parts of the country ? New York DC SF Seattle
These are Delta or (SFO) United hubs
AA gets stuck with low class passengers
If you do not live in a coastal metropolis, you are a low class person who doesn’t bring Value to profitable airlines.
AA hubs are DFW very low class and poor area
Phx also uneducated, poor, barren, not to mention hot as hell desert area
Phl extremely trash losers who could not make it and move to nyc
Clt laughable losers and immoral southern republicans
Mia total hellhole with no good people
AA is stuck with the dredges of humanity
Bottom of the bottom of the barrel
I like the ability to book short-notice AA awards at oftentimes dirt cheap prices. In the past few days I’ve booked one-ways that would have cost $370 for 9K miles, and $290 for 7K. I generally don’t see similar short-notice award values on UA or DL.
Amazing what making CK will do for your opinion of AA. Guess there will be no more criticism.
CK kool aid received!
Hmmm.
Gary gets Concierge Key…and now finds a new “excitement?” Lol.
@Lone Gunman, re Delta Diamond status: Delta has rollover MQM’s (no maximum cap) which makes it easier to retain and attain status. American and United don’t. American rewards EXPs with additional choice benefits for exceeding the minimum requirements for EXP but activity beyond the minimum won’t help achieve status the following year.
I’m still requalifying for Delta Diamond every year by meeting the MQD requirement the way Gene does, using rollover MQMs from six years ago plus the MQMs earned annually by using Global Upgrade Certs that come with Diamond status.
@ Lone Gunman – Rollover MQMs have made the requirements easier than they sound, especially since Delta has rolled over all MQMs for the past 2 years. Credit cards have helped alot.
Does your new found love for AA have to do with receiving CK status?
Lone Gunman, thanks for your comments and suggestions. RDU is my gateway airport so AA business nonstop in a 777-200 to Heathrow is the most convenient route to London. We also have DL nonstop to CDG so we have a couple of good nonstop choices to Europe. Icelandair, at least for now, flies nonstop to Reykjavik with connections to Europe.
La Premiere on AF is supposed to be one of the best first class offerings in the sky. One of these days I will fly it but will do so from Paris, not from the States or elsewhere to France; I suspect catering at CDG would be better than at other AF departure airports.
If you do not follow it and want a suggestion for good business and first class air travel videos, subscribe to The Luxury Travel Expert on YouTube; he’s excellent.
“ACTUAL STATISTICIAN” you can literally GO SCRATCH. DFW and and ALL of the other cities you listed are not what you say they are. Loser behind a Keyboard.
Regarding number three…exactly why I defected from AA after 20 years as an exec Plat. I am now 1K with UA because they do not water down their top tier and they actually value butt in seat flyers. So loyalty points might be good for Mabel in Iowa who charges her weekly grocery shopping and farm supplies on her Citi card. Not good for those who do the unthinkable with an airline…actually fly them.
No takers of my bait?
Maturity in the comments section… or everybody hates dfw Mia clt phl phx lol
Remind ya, I’m kinda (wet) running down my …
– cupcake
@Todd @Jm et al – what newfound love of AA? No one has been more critical than I have. So on a Sunday afternoon I post some things that are actually positive and somehow my motives are questioned. Ok…
1. We don’t need 3-foot high doors just to be trendy. I’d rather they save money and make seats cheaper.
2. The AA award chart is nearly useless these days. Have you checked premium awards to Europe or the Middle East or…for 2023? Is it worse to not have an award chart or to have one that is a lie?
I agree with much of the rest.
Lmfao this BENJAMIN G fella, whose comment was not visible when I posted my earlier comment, is a butthurt Texan whose LinkedIn bio starts with a typo “Over 15 year of experience” (sic)
Sure, there’s still technically an award chart, but it’s never followed anymore. Saver space for int’l J is only on partners, and domestic F saver space is next to impossible to find.
The worst part is that with the “web special pricing”, AA seems to be using 13.5k/26.5k for a ton of awards. This puts them 1k above saver space price, thus preventing the use of Avios for redemptions.
You have to be blind to not be noticing this devaluation across the board. Every time myself or another commenter brings it up, the bloggers look the other way. Every time one of you shills an Avios card and brag about domestic AA redemptions, I lose more and more respect for your blogs.
I guess that Concierge Key they gave you is paying off
Actual Statistician is great. AA hubs at best second tier cities.
Actual Statistician, I think your Sunday Funday was too much fun. Betty Ford is waiting for you and your ignorance.
I’m in Tucson, an AA stronghold. I’ve been a loyal AA flyer for years.
I don’t need doors on my seat. What I do need is for someone to pickup the phone when I call with a problem. I’m just a mid tier, PP member, so don’t expect the world. But had three problems with flights in the first half of this year that were AAs fault (e.g., cancel due to no aircraft), and the callback wait time was 4+ hours. Sure, some have reported here that it wasn’t actually 4 hours for elites, but that is what the system said. I’ve been trying out UA since early summer, on a status match, and the few times I’ve called someone has answered immediately.
My top priority with an airline is to get me where they said they would on time, and promptly fix it when things go south. AA has been failing miserably here.
In terms of Delta Diamond qualifying,
1) Most elites should start with 25K to 50K of rollover every year
2) 15K or 30K of MQM earned via credit cards
3) One business trip to Europe in J
4) One transcon in J
5) Domestic flights as usual
Should get you to 150K to 175K MQM and $15K in MQD pretty easily every year
Fascinating that some react to Gary saying “I’m generally very critical of AA, but to be fair, here are some things I think they do well” by accusing him of drinking the Kool Aid or changing his tune because they gave him CK status. Is the counterpoint that AA does nothing well? Or that Gary is not allowed to point out anything they do well because they threw him some scratch? Sure, counter with “they still fail miserably on x, y and z,” but maybe cut Gary some slack.
To add to the anecdotal experiences being shared by others, my average call-back time as a Platinum member is probably 10-15 minutes, and the agents have been consistently helpful. Cabin crew are more hit and miss than on Delta, as has already been discussed ad nauseum, but the worst I’ve had is mediocre (i.e. never “poor”), with most being good to very good. And yes, viable premium long-haul points redemptions on AA metal are a unicorn, but I have little trouble getting good value from my miles on partner airlines, and on AA domestic and Caribbean routes.
Guess I just don’t have the same dumpster fire opinion of AA as some of my fellow WFTW readers. I think of them as a “pretty good” airline.
Gary, love the article and in total agreement. I too fly AA now (moved to PHX 8 years ago) from a former DL/NWA hub (MSP) and TWA (STL). I was not a huge USAir fan and I think the merger went as smooth as possible. Now that the planes are standardized (love the new A321 design) and AA has their focus returning to the passenger I think they have a better future. I hope to see PHX get a Tokyo flight in the future as we are now the US chip capital and other major tech companies have moved huge operations here in the past 4 years. I also see the XLR and new 787 helping AA expand TA and SA reach and maybe some expansion over the Pacific (although Cathay, JAL and Qantas gives them great partner options). I hope the retirement of the A320s, updates to the A319s are in the works and maybe, just maybe the 737 go from 172 to 166. We can always hope.
yeah, but how can you give them kudos on the mileage chart when they are offering 350,000 miles in business class one way….when previously its was 150-160,000 ROUNDTRIP !!!
However, BOTH American and United (which i have status)….have now made their programs absolutely worthless !
I’ve been using AA miles to fly partner airlines (internationally only) since 2016 and avoided flying AA metal and I think that’s the best of both worlds. Great availability, great award chart, free cancellation, v competent phone agents and lounge agents, great flying experience (on partner airlines), etc it’s really hard to beat
Latest AA experience flying almost 7 hours ANC to DFW in what some say is a great plane – Airbus A321neo. Maybe transcon at 4 hours but you get stuck in single aisle 5 row 1st class when there should have been only 4. The pitch was like the very back of the bus. Lastly, an older supposedly experienced crew sat on their asses and talked for at least half the flight. No booze, maybe a wine or two for some, but never asked for anything. The absolute worse service ever in over 60 years of flying. AA has a very long way to go where it counts – in the cabin! Give me Delta anytime period!
@Mac. Agreed! For me what it now takes to fly business class RT RDU to LHR is atrocious compared to what it was in 2001 (yes, I know that is a long time ago but the miles now needed are at least triple if not quadruple what they were then). I’ve had to pay cash for two of us since not enough miles to pay with miles despite hundreds of thousands of miles (maybe when I have more than a million miles in my account I can swing it…..if there is availability.
I don’t buy 3. AA’s elite status program *is* a straight-up money grab; it’s just more complicated than UA’s PQP system. Anyone giving up 2.65%-5% cash back on credit card spend for 1x loyalty points is certainly paying a cost. Same goes for shopping portal deals, except the unicorns where the AA payout is much higher than the others.
AA’s program really sticks it to the entry-level road warrior, who may require multiple years to climb from general member to Exec Plat. I prefer the UA and DL system where the customers *who make the airline profitable* get the best benefits
It is very odd that, a month ago, Mr. Leff declared himself to be disappointed by Virgin Atlantic’s’ new business class seat because it was only lie-flat, direct aisle access with doors. However, now that AA is introducing a similar seat, it is suddenly terrific. It does make you wonder what made him change his mind.
@Adammco – I was disappointed they were putting the 2016 Delta seat into A330s, the Thompson Vantage XL seat is tight compared to American’s current Super Diamond (which BA put doors on), and Virgin made big marketing claims about the new seat being best across the Atlantic which isn’t true. If you’re going to criticize me please do so accurately.
Is Virgin’s new seat an improvement? Absolutely. Does it measure up to the revolutionary claims the airline made about it? No.
Will American’s new business seat be an improvement? Sure looks like it. If they go with Adient Ascent, depending on the configuration it could be revolutionary. But they aren’t making any marketing claims at this point to talk about whether or not they measure up against.