There’s something special about flying a widebody aircraft domestically. These are larger and usually more spacious planes, designed to take passengers across oceans. Many passengers simply find them more enjoyable. They also have a lot more premium seats, which people will buy when making long journeys.
It used to be common for airlines to fly these birds on domestic routes. In my business travel youth of the late ’90s, United ran a 5 p.m. Boeing 747 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles, and 5 p.m. 777 to San Francisco.
My first-ever upgrade was Los Angeles to Dulles on a Sunday afternoon onboard a United 777. I didn’t want to get off! An almond dusted shrimp appetizer, steak entree, and dessert… long before inflight wifi, I had a couple of cocktails and the Sunday New York Times. Perfect Sunday that I will never forget. My first time in three-class first was also on United, from Chicago to… Detroit, on a Boeing 767.
Now you’ll find widebodies on domestic routes usually for one of two reasons.
- Repositioning. An airline needs to move the plane from one hub to another. It may be coming in from one international destination, and then needs to move to a different hub for its next international flight. This can happen as a one-off [the plane is being based at a different hub] or as part of a schedule pattern that moves a plane between hubs to support infrequent service.
- Counter-seasonal flying. The plane might fly to Europe in the summer, when people want to go there and the airline can make money, but they don’t have a great place to send it in the winter so they put it on a cross-country or Mexico (Cancun) route where it will at least lose less.
I had the opportunity to fly an American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER from Miami to Dallas the other day, and I was unreasonably excited. I hadn’t flown an American widebody domestically in about a year and I was giddy for that experience as well.
Only this flight didn’t quite live up to expectations because the cabin just really wasn’t well-maintained. First, the foot rest cushion was completely detached from the seat. It’s really just velcro’d on, but the velcro was largely gone here.
Maintenance came on board to address the foot rest. “Normally we’d just velcro it back” he told a flight attendant, “but the velcro is gone so I’ll use tape.”
Second, I didn’t have access to seat power for the flight because the power port was loose. This was a frequent problem on American Airlines planes about 8 years ago, so much so that they developed an internal process and special tool to fix, only to delay any form of implementation because fixing power outlets that wouldn’t hold plugs was deemed too costly.
I used to always keep a UK power adapter in my laptop bag for just this sort of eventuality. The three prongs would generally grip the power port well enough to stay in, letting me get a charge. Would you believe I pulled it out of my bag just two weeks ago? I hadn’t been on a plane where I needed it in so long I figured fewer items in the bag was better. I’ve now changed my mind!
These seats and cabins are on the way out. American Airlines is eliminating Flagship First Class on these Boeing 777-300ERs, and introducing business class suites with doors as well (and also on new delivery Boeing 787-9s). That project is delayed, so I wonder whether the ‘imminent’ replacement of seats is what leads to a more haphazard approach to cabin maintenance.
Kinda sad seeing how poorly all AA aircraft are these days, the 777-300ER I flew DFW-LHR had an absurdly loud rattle coming from my business class tray table. The FA suggested I shove my napkin in the slot to make it be quiet.
Also recently flew a 787-9 from AKL-DFW and was so happy when the crew turned down the cabin lights so I could no longer see how absurdly dirty the seat, controls and tray table was.
I feel like I keep reading some travel/credit card/airline blog where they keep saying that the CEO of AA says don’t spend any money unless absolutely necessary. I would refer to that but I can’t remember the name of the blog right now..
Timely. Looking at three business class RT tickets to ICN. I’ll pass on AA.
Unfortunately this has been my experience over the last few years on American. Even flying internally the planes are in bad shape. Last year I was in a flight back from Paris and 5 of the seats in business class would not recline at all.
American really needs to address this as loyal customers like me are starting to look at the other carriers.
Wow. So AA Maintenance in Miami did not have Velcro to make an appropriate repair? That’s pretty sAAd.
But but but did they achieve D0 for that flight?
That’s all that matters. Lol
I find power outlets work 25% of the time, use a brick another 25% and drain battery the rest.
They found the money yo take the tv screens out though. It’s like the Marx brothers, “ I couldn’t afford a car and a driver so I sold the car”.
@David
Why on earth would you seek out American Airlines or any US-based carriers when there are two incredible airlines (Korean and Asiana) offering long-haul to ICN from many US cities, often more affordable and far better service. I mean, I get it if you are working on OneWorld status, but even then, like, please, have some self-respect and fly JAL; it’s worth the stop in NRT/HND.
Hope you’re not that same David that got offended over the MIA post; if so, no wonder… that guy was lost as is.
AA really should be parted out and the parts sold to UA and DL.
AA shouldn’t exist anymore.
And the hadline right below this article: “The Surprising Benefit That Makes My AAdvantage Business Card A Keeper After The First Year”. Really?
Tith this level of perfection @ upkeep this is why they have to charge 450k one way in miles for these flying ghetto planes.Going for great!
The food matches the maintenance standards.They think they are Qatar or Emirates selling premium cabins
Why would anyone fly this horrible airline?
I have flown AA Flagship this summer a 20 plus year old 772, a 10 year old 787-8 and a newer 787-8. The planes were clean, the bedding neat and comfy and the crews couldn’t have been nicer. Guess what, things break and might need to be temporarily fixed (it happens on UA, DL, BA, etc. . .) too and rather then cancel your flight, you might need to have a broken foot rest (first world problems). I am sure I could walk into many of your home and start finding broken this and crumbs in that. Maybe report it nicely, don’t’ be such @sses and they might help you out.
@sunving82 , you are 100% correct , full stop!!!!
dialing back to your comments from last week…
this is exactly the sloppiness that will cause even the most loyal AA patrons to at least look for an alternative and guess what, they WILL find it!!
The issue is that the one-by-one migration of premium paying passengers is either not noticed or ignored until they realize that they are in a hole and then it’s too laste
not my problem anymore
Domestically, it’s always a “treat” to fly the old USAir A319’s (even so called First Class) most of whose cabins look like they just came out of storage in the desert for decades. A total embarrassment.
in 2024 I flew UA, DL and AA in business class. Definitively DL > UA > AA. Heck I flew Latam and it was way better than AA! AA is at the bottom of them all, and for the prices they ask for some business class tickets, I will gladly connect in ATL or IAH.
AA should give every loyal passenger 10k Loyalty Points gor each year these seats/planes have been delayed. I expected them like 3-4 years ago already. So ridiculous.
To expedite departure, the solution from Miami to JFK was the optimal solution. JFK serves as a 777 maintenance hub, offering superior repair capabilities. Therefore, a temporary seat repair ensures timely flight operations; otherwise, a downgrade to an usable seat is likely. If thats what you would have preferred?
Lol @ all the bots in the comments. Gary goes on his daily anti-AA/pilot tirade and all these new names pop talking about dismantling AA and selling it for parts. Have you been on a delta 767 lately? Thing is absolutely garbage. Ual 777 is right behind it.
Question: I’m currently in seat 9L on AA137, 777-300ER N778AN from LHR-LAX, a route I fly often and often in this very seat.
I have never noticed this before: at my feet, facing me from the far end of the foot cushion on the foot ledge, is a very bright light–very bright!–which almost looks like a small square window admitting light from the outside, or a light-emitting light source with roughly the intensity of an iPhone flashlight.
My guess is that it’s supposed to be blocked by the foot cushion which is slightly out of kilter. But what’s it doing there in the first place?
Asked the FAs, they have no idea: first FA thought I could turn it off via the seat-side control panel(!), second FA says that “everyone has it today and it happens from time to time and she has no idea why.”