N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3674 posts, RR: 4 Posted (5 months 2 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 12993 times:
I think this is my first ever trip report, despite the fact that I've been an a.net member for years. Anyway, just wanted to give a very brief trip report on a very positive experience:
Date: December 1, 2012
Flight: AA 1520 LAX-MIA
Aircraft: 777-200
Class of Service: First
Seat: 1J
I travel MIA-LAX-MIA about twice a year and always book on the 777 they have running on this route. This trip was no different. For the flight out to LAX, we sat on the plane at the gate in MIA for about 2 hours before finally getting on our way (this was at the height of the "unusual amount of maintenance delays event" back at the end of September). So, with that in the back of my mind I was a bit worried that we'd have the same problem on this flight.
Worry not - the flight was delayed about an hour, but this was because the plane arrived late from NRT into LAX and once on board, the nice man in the yellow "maintenance" jacket did NOT make an appearance, so we fortunately were off the ground soon after everyone boarded.
Now, I want to say, in my hundreds of flights with AA over the years, I have NEVER had a bad experience with ANY AA flight attendant. Oh, I'm sure there must be a few bad ones out there, but I want to stress (as a 1.5 million miler at the moment) that overall AA's cabin crew are top notch. Yes, they aren't all formal and stodgy, but I don't like formal and stodgy, I like friendly and someone I wouldn't mind just having a chat with over lunch one day. As is my usual experience, this cabin crew was just what I like: friendly!
For anyone who hasn't flown the AA 777 in F on a "premium" flight, this one (and at the moment its "sister" flight that leaves LAX in the early afternoon) are the only chances you've got without having to fly internationally (where the price for F will be MUCH higher).
Anyway, now to my other reason for posting this, besides praising the cabin crew... the food! It tasted as good as it looks.
To start: Warm mixed nuts and marinated cheese antipasto:
A huge salad that included mixed greens, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, asparagus and chipotle chicken breast:
The main course: Chicken pot pie:
Choice of desert: Fruit cup, cheese and cracker plate, ice cream sundae:
Sparkling water and freshly baked on board double chocolate chip cookie:
Cabin Crew Attitude: A+
Cabin Crew Service: A+
Food: A+
Seat: A (missed the + only because it's starting to show its age, but still an awesome suite)
To conclude, anyone wanting to have a fantastic "international grade" experience without having to fly internationally, give one of these two AA 777 flights on MIA-LAX-MIA a shot in F class!
IrishAyes From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 1727 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (5 months 2 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 12538 times:
Beautiful pics of the food. I doubt UA offers the same quality in domestic F. Thanks for sharing!
modesto2 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2634 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 10388 times:
Excellent quality photos but to be quite honest, the food doesn't look anything special. It doesn't look bad, but I'm not "wowed" with a salad and chicken pot pie. Regardless, glad you enjoyed the flight and please keep posting more trip reports!
Schweigend From United States of America, joined Jun 2010, 494 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 10277 times:
Thanks for this. Gorgeous photos. AA's meal presentation appears to be excellent, at least on this route.
Quoting IrishAyes (Reply 1): I doubt UA offers the same quality in domestic F.
Possibly only on JFK p.s. flights to SFO/LAX, where a similar international-style experience holds.
Quoting modesto2 (Reply 2): Excellent quality photos but to be quite honest, the food doesn't look anything special. It doesn't look bad, but I'm not "wowed" with a salad and chicken pot pie.
Well, the starter looks nice, and the salad has a generous amount of chicken. The pot pie seems like a crusty, creamy dream. (Although two chicken courses in a row could be a drag -- should the salad have been seafood or beef instead?) And then the dessert-fruit-cheese course. Very nice.
Very nice compared to standard domestic U.S. F-class.
I'm GAGGING on the Extravaganza!!
This should be the standard in F for all transcons, regardless of carrier.
WROORD From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 811 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 10252 times:
I took AA F class from PVG back to ORD and was not wowed by the experience at all. It was nice, but not extra nice. The FAs wanted everyone to go to sleep so they could as well. At check in they made me wait in line while they called people from economy, which defeats the purpose to have a dedicated line and counter.
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3674 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (5 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 10165 times:
Quoting IrishAyes (Reply 1): Beautiful pics of the food. I doubt UA offers the same quality in domestic F. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Apparently I can take good pics of airline food, but when it comes to taking pics of planes and getting them approved here on a.net, I rate an F- (if there is such a grade).
Quoting modesto2 (Reply 2): to be quite honest, the food doesn't look anything special.
But that's the point, at least in my opinion. We had a topic about food a while back and I was firmly in the camp of "I want something that I will actually like eating, not some foo-foo fancy schmancy strange dish I've never heard of before." So yes, you do have a point - it's nothing extravagant, but it was highly edible.
Quoting modesto2 (Reply 2): please keep posting more trip reports!
Oh, I will, but not on routine, boring flights (of which too many of my flights are - nothing much to get excited about on MIA-MSY these days).
Quoting Schweigend (Reply 3): AA's meal presentation appears to be excellent, at least on this route.
Yes! A++++
Quoting Schweigend (Reply 3):
Well, the starter looks nice, and the salad has a generous amount of chicken. The pot pie seems like a crusty, creamy dream. (Although two chicken courses in a row could be a drag -- should the salad have been seafood or beef instead?) And then the dessert-fruit-cheese course.
Yep, I didn't take a picture of the menu, but the alternate main course was grilled salmon.
Quoting Schweigend (Reply 3): This should be the standard in F for all transcons, regardless of carrier.
Oh, I wish! This kind of reminded me of what coach was like waaaaaaay back in the day. Though I don't ever remember getting ice cream sundaes in coach, but the appetizer / main course, yes, old-time coach style. With the use of so many 738s now on transcons, do they even have the galley space for so many courses?
Quoting WROORD (Reply 4): I took AA F class from PVG back to ORD and was not wowed by the experience at all. It was nice, but not extra nice. The FAs wanted everyone to go to sleep so they could as well.
I'm sorry you've had that experience. I've had fantastic flight attendants on every AA flight I've ever taken. Maybe I'm just lucky in that department. I do know for sure that I must be supremely UNlucky in that every AA flight I've taken over the past few years has been delayed in the 30 minutes to 2 hour range.
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3674 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (5 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 8892 times:
Quoting mah4546 (Reply 8):
There are three choices for the main; usually two meat and one veggie.
On this flight - at least on the printed menu - it just listed the chicken pot pie and the grilled salmon as the main courses. I guess it's still possible to request a special meal prior to the day of the flight (i.e. low salt, kosher, etc).
One other interesting thing to note - I got an email a few weeks (?) before the flight that invited me to go to the AA website and pre-select my meal. I had heard this was not available on MIA-LAX-MIA flights, so I was pleasantly surprised to be able to do so.
American 767 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3320 posts, RR: 14 Reply 10, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 7844 times:
Nice report, thanks for posting. It sounds like you enjoyed this flight, I would have too. I sure do like the 777 but I would choose a 757 anytime over anything else on a long flight over 4 hours. Because I like it but also because they are now on their way out, so I want to fly on them now before it will soon be too late. I know MIA-LAX sees the 757 also.
But yes I understand your opinion, MIA-LAX-MIA are the only flights on which you can get a 777 without leaving the United States. Two years ago I flew MIA-JFK on a 777. But MIA-JFK no longer sees the 777, neither does ORD-DFW.
The chicken pot pie doesn't look yummy on the picture (the crust itself does) but still I would have chosen this over the salmon, even if the previous part of the meal consisted of chicken also. Anyway, I would not have complained about the food. I never did. I would have been happy with what I would have got. For desert, I would have chosen the cheese and crackers. I would not have taken the chocolate cookie at the end, just the chilled sparkling water. A few months ago, I flew DFW-SAN in F Class and the only available choice was salmon.
Ben Soriano
"Aimer jusqu'a l'impossible, c'est possible". Tina Arena.
flightsimboy From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 7793 times:
Reports such as these should come with sufficient warning.....of causing immediate hunger after viewing such photos lol...true not top of the line, but nevertheless everyday comfort food which one is used to eating....the dessert pic is the yummiest of them all...Nice to see it's only EK and the likes that fed you high up in the sky in F.
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3674 posts, RR: 4 Reply 12, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 6859 times:
Quoting American 767 (Reply 10): I sure do like the 777 but I would choose a 757 anytime over anything else on a long flight over 4 hours. Because I like it but also because they are now on their way out, so I want to fly on them now before it will soon be too late.
I've had it with AA's 757s - they're always broken! Unfortunately I've got to fly one of them later this month JFK-MIA. NOT looking forward to it...
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 11): Reports such as these should come with sufficient warning.....of causing immediate hunger after viewing such photos lol..
laca773 From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 3749 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (5 months 1 week 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 5918 times:
Quoting mah4546 (Reply 8): I hate chicken pot pie, but it's been a mainstay of AA's domestic lunch menu for a very long time, and remains popular
Agreed, Mark. However Chicken Pot Pie is not a Premium First Class entree period. They serve this in Y on BA/QF as well as the beef version of the same slop.
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3674 posts, RR: 4 Reply 14, posted (5 months 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 4754 times:
Quoting laca773 (Reply 13): However Chicken Pot Pie is not a Premium First Class entree period. They serve this in Y on BA/QF as well as the beef version of the same slop.
Let's see... It's delicious and satisfies one's hunger. Isn't that what makes for a good meal?
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