Trip Reports - AA1939 on 03.22.01 SFO-LAX First Class

Thursday, March 22, 2001

American Airlines Flight Number 1939

Scheduled:
Departing SFO @ 05.11 PM PT
Arriving @ LAX @ 06.35 PM PT

Actual:
Departed @ about 05.30 PM PT probably due to the full flight
Arrived early @ about 06.25 PM PT

Seat 4F, First Class, second row window on the right

MD-80 with 5 rows of first class

I went into the Admirals Club in SFO before the flight. It was jam packed. I did not even have to show my card because all of the agents were busy. But in about 10 minutes finally boarding call was made for a flight to JFK in the Club. I though boarding calls were not supposed to be made in the club. Then the place cleared out. It was a pretty small club. The Executive Center and Business Center were across the hall and not connected directly to the club. The club was pretty small, but bigger than the LHR Flagship lounge, but smaller then the JFK or ORD Admirals Club’s. They had the basic pretzel mix snack, water, tea, coffee, and the pay bar. There was one free computer that was very fast probably because of the dedicated broadband connection for that one computer. There was a laser printer connected to it with an infrared port for laptops.

Since I was given my boarding pass for this flight in JFK it was stapled in the middle of my ticket holder and of my ticket. Well, I took it off for easy gate access, but the gate agent remarked “something like it has a staple in it” an she was reluctant to feed it thorough, but it went fine.

Also do you every get a receipt printed when you have an e-ticket. Do you have to ask and they will print one. What do I do when I have to request mileage credit?

This was a full flight, and there were some people on standby so boarding went pretty slow.

First Class was packed. The overhead bins were full and the closets were full as well.

Our coats were taken for us in a hasty way by the flight attendant.

Would this a be a popular route for flight attendants, well I mean like for senior ones like for the trans-con or trans-oceanic? I just see the SFO-LAX, and LAX-SFO flight a popular high status passenger route.

There were no pre-departure drinks. It seemed as though there were 3 flight attendants. Two of them did First Class with drinks in a glass and peanuts, and then they went right through and did Coach, but then the came back to us and gave us a second drink, but no extra peanuts. The flight was relatively uneventful. I wonder how the United Shuttle would have been. Is it like the US/DL DC/BOS shuttle with a open seating but coach size, leather seats.
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There were no in-seat telephones.

Overall the flight was pretty nice, but short, and I sort of expected more in First Class on a competitive route with United. I was glad I was not in Coach as it looked like a cattle car!


[This message has been edited by STAM4NICK (edited 03-25-2001).]

Originally posted by STAM4NICK:
Would this a be a popular route for flight attendants, well I mean like for senior ones like for the trans-con or trans-oceanic? I just see the SFO-LAX, and LAX-SFO flight a popular high status passenger route.

IThis is a guess, but I could see these short segments being popular for senior FAs because they could do a round-trip (or maybe even two), and still be back home at night. For more tenured FAs who have tired of the wanderlust of different cities and hotels, the ability to be home with family (or perhaps to have a second job/business) would seem to be quite desireable.

Also, thanks for this short-haul report. Sometimes I think people are reluctant to post, thinking the short-flight experiences will pale when compared to the detailed long-haul reports. However, when you think that many more FTers are on short segments on any given day, the short-segment experiences are of equal importance.

American does serve a snack in First Class on some of these flights, but it seems to be very much hit or miss (doesn't really seem to correlate with traditional meal times).

Thanks for the report.

United Shuttle has an awful reputation in First Class especially, so I think that even with the rather lackluster service you experienced, it would still be far better than United Shuttle. UA Shuttle has only eight seats with no curtain separating it from Y. The F/A's might give you one quick drink in a plastic cup and that's it. Not much different than your AA flight, but I think comfort in FC would be slightly greater, and your flight was on-time. Most United Shuttle flights are always delayed it seems.

Thanks for your trip report. I enjoy short hop trip reports as much as the long-haul ones!

Also do you every get a receipt printed when you have an e-ticket. Do you have to ask and they will print one. What do I do when I have to request mileage credit?
While some agents will either automatically print you a receipt or ask you, you generally have to be the one to ask. The only purpose of the receipt is if you have to turn it in to your company for accounting and reimbursement purposes. If your flights don't post, your E-Ticket boarding pass should be all that you need.

US domestic service in general has gone down the tubes since I flew in 1992. DL from LAX-SFO gave COACH passengers a chicken, lettuce, ham and mayo roll for a SNACK and there was a small sweet too, a cake slice. Perhaps you guys should come to Australia, even on 1hr 20 min. flights from SYD-MEL, they serve a half-decent snack in coach/economy. Business...well, see my trip report from SYD-ADL on Ansett for details of food.

AA is far better. UA Shuttle is always late if it is not cancelled!!!!!!