Doctor Who Star Bought 3 American Airlines Business Class Tickets—Then Raged When He Didn’t Get Pajamas

John Barrowman bought three expensive American Airlines business class tickets from Los Angeles to London and was furious that only passengers in the first two rows received pajamas. Except those first two rows weren’t business class. They were Flagship First on the Boeing 777-300ER he was flying, and he didn’t realize it.

The 59-year-old Scottish American actor, singer and TV personality is best known for playing Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood. He was traveling with his husband Scott Gill and his father when he filmed himself from his business class seat complaining about American’s “shady” service.

The horror for John Barrowman failing to get pyjamas in business class. I hope he somehow managed to arrive safely. pic.twitter.com/ZdaUGBNd6J

— John Bull (@54JohnBull) August 22, 2026

Barrowman said that he’d purchased three “full fair” (sic) tickets and that they were very expensive. He expected pajamas because he’d purchased American’s Flagship service.

He also said his meal order was wrong, complained they weren’t receiving everything other passengers received and asked American to explain. He deleted the post…

• “Our thoughts are with John Barrowman at this difficult time.”
• “The horror for John Barrowman failing to get pyjamas in business class. I hope he somehow managed to arrive safely.”
• “Reimagining of Snakes on a Plane. But instead of loads of snakes, there are no pyjamas—and instead of Samuel L. Jackson, John Barrowman.”
• “John Barrowman in heaven telling a medieval peasant who starved to death about the horrid time he didn’t get his pyjamas.”

He Was Watching First Class Passengers Receive First Class Amenities

This would have been American Airlines flight AA134 from Los Angeles to London Heathrow operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with:

• Eight Flagship First seats in rows 1 and 2
• 52 Flagship Business seats beginning in row 3

The pajamas weren’t being handed selectively to more favored business class passengers. They were being provided to passengers in a different cabin. “Flagship” is American’s branding for its premium long haul products. A full fare Flagship Business ticket to Europe doesn’t come with pajamas.

American Has Been Improving Its Business Class Soft Product

American has been trying to make its premium cabins better, but Europe gets left out of pajamas. American removed pajamas from ultra-long-haul business class in 2024 and then reversed itself. It has since added mattress pads more broadly, along with slippers, better pillows and duvets.

Pajamas are only offered in business class to and from:

• East Asia
• India
• The Middle East
• Australia and New Zealand

Europe and South America are broadly excluded. This is a geographic rule rather than one based strictly on flight length. An overnight Los Angeles – London flight runs nearly eleven hours, but business class passengers don’t receive pajamas. An eleven hour 30 minute flight between Los Angeles and Tokyo does.

American is improving its product. Its business class lounges now have hot food items available for order. It finally stopped collecting premium cabin headphones an hour before landing. It is introducing business class suites with doors and better premium economy seats. American is better than it was eighteen months ago.

But if business class is supposed to be a premium sleep product, pajamas make sense on overnight flights to Europe too. I bring airline pajamas from past flights on any flight longer than about seven hours when the airline doesn’t provide them (I try to bring pajamas from the same airline I’m flying but if that’s not possible I’ll select their closest partner). Changing preserves your clothes and makes it more comfortable to sleep.

American’s Pajamas Aren’t What They Used To Be

American’s old gray pinstriped First Class pajamas were comfortable, high quality, and held up in the wash lasting for years. I was still traveling with 2012-era American Airlines pajamas in 2025. They remained among my favorites more than a dozen years later.

They later introduced 100% cotton pajamas and then moved to Casper-branded sleepwear. The Nest-branded sets were much thinner and cheaper. They come in only two combined sizes, when they’re both actually loaded. They’re genuinely cheapened. On average airline pajamas cost less than $10, and these aren’t average, probably closer to $6 (not counting allocated costs of the provisioning process out to an aircraft).

• $6 per seat across 52 business class seats is $312 for the flight
  
• That’s trivial against a business class fare (‘full fare’ no less)
  
• American operates up to 70 daily Europe flights in peak summer. Across a year, the cost of adding business class pajamas would total several million dollars.
  
• Of course they could make pajamas on request and provision fewer than the total number of passengers in the cabin.

American Is Eliminating The First Class Cabin Barrowman Was Complaining About

American is eliminating international Flagship First and retrofitting its Boeing 777-300ER fleet with 70 business class suites with doors.

The retrofit removes First entirely and increases business class to 70 suites. Premium economy grows from 28 to 44 seats, and total capacity rises from 304 to 330 passengers. American’s lie-flat capacity actually grows from 60 seats across First and business to 70 business class seats. That should mean more paid business inventory, more upgrades and potentially more award availability.

The new seat is a major hard product improvement. But 70 business class passengers, less galley space and fewer lavatories also create a service challenge.

American allowed Flagship First to deteriorate until customers weren’t willing to pay much of a premium for it, and then used the lack of premium demand to justify eliminating the cabin. Business class is becoming its top product. That makes consistent food, bedding and service more important, not less.

American didn’t deny Barrowman an amenity included with his ticket. He watched First Class passengers receive First Class pajamas and thought they were getting better treatment within business class. But I’d still love to see American offering pajamas in business class on Europe flights.