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American AA107 LHR JFK in First for the First time

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American AA107 LHR JFK in First for the First time

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Old May 25, 2009, 12:12 pm
  #1  
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American AA107 LHR JFK in First for the First time

After some dreaded meeting with stuffy bankers in the heart of London’s business area, I managed to stop by M&S for some basic and much loved British necessities. I was originally booked to fly on AA 131 which departed LHR at 1645 but given the way my day was going I knew I wouldn’t succeed in getting all my London favorites covered in time. A quick text to my travel agent in MAA and I was rebooked and reissued on AA107 for an 1830 dep and also confirmed on seat 1J, which I requested for based on advice from seat guru. 1A is usually reserved for Cockpit crew rest, but on some flights lately I’ve seen it available. I also enquired on the status of the BA flights, but they were still full in First.
Much to my surprise and an indication of the state of recession in the UK, my request for a late check-out at the Paddington Hilton was met with a “sure, what time do you need the room until?” Normally with lots of groaning and checking with supervisors the best answer I’ve ever gotten is a 2pm or we’ll have to charge you. I came back to my room, used the gym to burn off some of those caviar n krug calories from the night before, showered, packed and headed of for a HEX train a short walk away. Arrived at T3 at 17:00, picked up my luggage and went to the AA Flagship check in outside the terminal. A polite young British check-in agent handled me very well. I reconfirmed with her that no progress had been made on the BA/AA miles and co-operation of transatlantic flights (more as a point of conversation since I already knew the answer) and handed her my Jet Airways platinum card to bank more miles on there (great, more unusable currency where award seats are never available to add my 443,000 useless miles with the a dreaded expiry date – when will they learn). I must admit I was dreading travel on AA but due to unavailability of A class seat on this RTW on BA, I was stuck on AA. The two evening flights hadn’t opened up and my option was to wait till 20:00 and I had to meet a cousin who was leaving that night on the CX flight to YVR at 22:40 and hand over a parcel from my mum for her.
While I have been desperate to experience T5 (I know, 10 yrs of BA Gold card and I haven’t been through once), I decided the family obligations and desire to experiment on AA, if nothing else but to expand my knowledge base was worth it.
I must admit, overall, I was pleasantly surprised. Check-in was quite efficient. The agent made mention of the fact that my bag was overweight but quickly correct herself saying that as I had a CX document, they were supposed to honour the higher weight allowance.
The fast track was reasonably efficient for T3 standards. I have heard many complaints about the BAA security dragons, but I have to say in comparison to most US TSA dragons these guys are gentle.
I made it through security and went for the flagship lounge. A quick walk in was followed by an equally quick walk out. What are they thinking? At LHR given their presence, this was hardly an acceptable option for a lounge. Thanks to oneworld I marched to the Cathay first lounge and wished they flew across the Atlantic and cursed myself for not sticking with the classic BA, later flight or not.
I watched the monitors and headed for boarding shortly after a quick snack and a couple of e-mails. I made it to the gate which was quite far in 10 minutes after picking up some Cadbury for the family that resided in NY. After the usual security questions and passport check I made my way through what seemed like a light load of awaiting passengers towards the front of the queue. Just as I approached one of the AA FA’s opened the door and looked down at me and asked “business?” I took a moment, said “no” and paused, waiting for her to launch at me saying my boarding had commenced or wait till your row is called kind of typical American scream. Before she could respond, but just as she was about I uttered my favorite words after Krug and caviar, “First”. An apologetic smile and I was let through the guarded gates towards the awaiting 777.
I was pointed in the direction of my seat but not walked there – ah, I miss BA already. Just as I started to settle in feeling quite neglected and upset with myself for a silly decision, one of the flight attendants on board came by to welcome me. She introduced herself and offered me a welcome drink of water, champagne, orange juice or mimosa. Doubtful of the quality of champagne and not wanting to sound too arrogant by enquiring, I opted for the safest bet – water, without ice I added, remembering I was on American, where the ice is more than the drink itself.
Things started to turn up when Paul, the purser on board came by with an amenity kit, a menu and a personalized welcome. He told me we had a long 7hour 20 minute flight to NYC, and that it was long coming in for them the previous night too so he didn’t know what was happening with the winds. He also said the load was light, with only 4 and that many passengers made it early to the airport and caught the 131. I told him one of them probably grabbed my seat since I was held up and had to postpone departure.
Usually LHR departure traffic and we were on push back around 20 minutes late and wheels up at 1855. Not bad for LHR. One thing I hate about US carriers is the arrogance with which the captains announce regulations like obeying crew member instructions and using lavatories. One would think as a first class passenger, I could use a business class loo (Further away from the cockpit), if it was free and the one up front was busy.
My flight had the new AVOD and the selection of sitcoms and movies was very good. Not the best variety, but great quality and it was turned on from boarding till landing.

Given my experiences on domestic flights with American, and the one long haul I did by mistake from Tokyo to Dallas, I was expecting the worse and was pleasantly surprised. During my candid discussions about this with Paul, he did mention that the JFK base was among the youngest and therefore the least jaded. Also competition with BA, VS and now other airlines on the route meant they had to perform.

My order for dinner was taken shortly after take off:

Dining Service

Thank you for choosing American Airlines. It is our pleasure to offer you a variety of dining options on today’s flight. We invite you to experience a new menu item developed by Chef Darren McGrady, who devoted 15 years of royal service to Queen Elizabeth II, and Diana, Princess of Wales.

To Start
Warm mixed nuts
Or
Marinated cheese antipasto

Appetizer
Smoked salmon and honey ginger shrimp
accompanied by capers, red onion and sour cream

The Salad Cart
Fresh seasonal greens
with asparagus, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and red onions, offered with blue cheese dressing or Sapori d’Arte olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Gift assortment of Sapori d’Arte olive oils is available for purchase in duty free

Bread Basket
Assorted gourmet breads offered with butter or Sapori d’Arte olive oil

Main Course
Veal Pojarski
Breaded veal patties accompanied
by a smoked paprika smitane sauce
asparagus spears and sage derby potatoes

A signature Darren McGrady Item

May we suggest a glass of Regatta Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California to complement this entrée. Enjoy its crisp, clean apple flavors


Chicken Provencal
Herbed breast of chicken Provencal
accented by a wild mushroom reduction,
served with asparagus veloute and wild rice

Parsley Cheese Crusted Salmon
Parsley Cheese Crusted Salmon served with
Riesling sauce, onion, bell pepper and risotto timbale

Rigatoni with Cream Sauce

Rigatoni pasta enhanced by a rich
cream sauce garnished with pine nuts

Dine Upon Request
You may choose one of the featured entrees
to be served with an appetizer and desert
presented all at once, at any time you wish.


Desert
Ben & Jerrys
Ice cream sundae
Vanilla ice cream with a choice of hot fudge,
butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings
whipped cream and pecans

A selection of gourmet cheeses
offered with flavorful dried fruit and assorted crackers

To Finish
Assorted Lindt Pralines

I opted for the chicken. The service began briefly thereafter, first with a drink (diet coke, sorry to disappoint Moomba but Pommery is just not First class material). Given the light load, I was offered both warm nuts and the cheese antipasto, which was nothing but shards of parmesan with olive oil drizzled on top. Then came the appetizer cart served by Paul, which I nibbled on – the salmon was good and fresh but the prawns where dry (I beg your pardon, that’s shrimp, we are on American after all).
The female FA brought the Salad and she was quite a hoot with the way she tossed and served it, telling me how much she loved asparagus (which I said I liked too), and made a song and dance about how she was giving me extra. Oh, if only she had been a fly on the wall of that 747 yesterday. Caviar is something you can make a song and dance about, not overcooked asparagus my dear lady. Well, in her defense, she was very polite and trying very hard – can’t blame her for what American gives her to deal with.
Bread kept coming through this, offered by the 3 attendants separately on multiple occasions, serving the 4 of us (+2 cabin crew who were returning home from their flight).
I also learned / reconfirmed on chatting with Paul that they had arrived from JFK that morning. I was shocked. How can American expect their crew to do a good job if they are going to fly them like that. He seemed pretty used it and said it helped avoid any jetlag, since all they did was sleep for 6-8hours and then report back to duty and head home for a nice break. Next time BA cabin crew want to strike, send them on an American transatlantic run.
The chicken which was plated was try and tasteless, needing salt and pepper and some flavor, but the wild rice was good. I tried the Russian River Chardonnay, which was good but again not First Class material.
This was cleared efficiently, while both my drinks were topped up constantly. Then came the best part of the AA meal service, the Sundae cart. I watched as Paul sinfully decorated my Sundae with all the toppings and enjoyed every morsel with a good solid mug of coffee.

I watched a couple of movies and some TV episodes, stretched my legs and talked with the friendly crew. This wasn’t half bad. The seat wasn’t as good as BA’s and a far cry from Cathay’s, but it was still a very good First class product. The service while not polished like BA or elegant like Cathay had a relaxed and friendly charm to it. I asked the Female FA who was reading a book if it would be alright if I tried out the new business class seat. She said sure and called the BC FA on the intercom to make sure I wasn’t handcuffed by some air marshal. I usually like to spend 15-20 mins in a seat to test its merits, especially if it flies a two cabin configuration and I might be forced to take it (as is the case with the AA 767’s). I brought my head sets with me and started to watch an episode of a TV show and play in the seat when Paul walked by and did a double take – what was his First class passenger doing downgrading himself. I explained that I just wanted to give the seat a try since I might be on it on a 767 from JFK to SFO. He warned me that the 777 seat was wider, but the recline and other features were the same. Of course the IFE came on handheld devices there, whereas we had large screens. Here. We chatted some more about the economy, the drastic decline of capacity on what was the Premium route of the 90’s and the better part of this decade. We were joined by a friendly crew member who was flying back as a passenger since he had flown out on standby. Mike was so friendly and knowledgeable about the world and our conversation veered towards human rights and global politics. Paul had by then excused himself to continue his Purser duties, and Mike and I sat down using the ottoman and continued our exciting conversation.
The snack service began, but I was still full from yesterday’s debaucheries. I part took in some fresh fruit and the sparkling water delight. Sooner than I expected we started our descent. Upon arrival at the AA Terminal, immigration took forever but my bags were waiting on arrival. I got on the air train and headed for T7, met my cousin and gave her the Indian goodies that had been through quite a journey with me and headed for aunt’s house in Long Island by the wonderful Carmel car service.
Overall, AA first class had all the hard product – the seat, the entertainment etc. The menu, which I later learned was identical to Business baring an appetizer added and the freshly prepared salad, and the wine list which was also the same in both premium cabins, make it hard to justify the price difference. However, the area I was most concerned about – the cabin crew – were really top notch. Maybe it was my low expectations, but honestly I was impressed. Would I chose them over BA again? Probably not. But with a flat bed and a single seat / suite type product, I would fly them over many other airlines.

FYI – MENU for second meal service

Light Meal
A light meal offered prior to landing

Select from
Uno’s Four Cheese and Pesto Pizza
A traditional deep-dish pizza with a mozzarella,
Muenster, Romany and feta cheese blend, basil pesto
and plum tomatoes accompanied by a green salad

Turkey Sandwich
Sliced turkey breast, served warm
on a kalamata olive ciabatta roll with Swiss
cheese and roasted eggplant coated in tomato sauce
accompanied by a green salad with olive oil vinaigrette

Desert Fresh fruit or cookies, freshly baked on board

Pre-Arrival Beverage

For Your Enjoyment
Chilled sparkling water a fresh citrus garnish

Last edited by avm2806; May 26, 2009 at 2:44 pm
avm2806 is offline  
Old May 25, 2009, 12:23 pm
  #2  
 
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Yet another enjoyable report. I can't wait for the others!
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Old May 25, 2009, 12:25 pm
  #3  
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^ Great report. The parsley cheese crusted salmon sounds very good right now.
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Old May 25, 2009, 6:19 pm
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Anyone wondering what to expect of American's trans-Atlantic First Class inflight service will be well served by this excellent report. Thanks for taking the time to write it! ^^
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Old May 25, 2009, 6:25 pm
  #5  
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Excellent and very entertaining report avm2806! Thanks for taking the time to post.
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Old May 25, 2009, 7:30 pm
  #6  
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I wonder what that veal thing tasted like.
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Old May 25, 2009, 8:34 pm
  #7  
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I find it hard to believe that in the F cabin, one typically has to choose between nuts and cheese antipasto to start.
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Old May 25, 2009, 9:45 pm
  #8  
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Great report, thanks!^ I'm shocked to hear they do such quick turnarounds at LHR.
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Old May 25, 2009, 9:47 pm
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Frankly, I found the OP's posting quite snotty.
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Old May 25, 2009, 10:08 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by pacman3
Frankly, I found the OP's posting quite snotty.
You must be new to FT. We specialize in snotty.

But seriously, what in particular bothered you? OP is an experienced premium class traveler and was relating his impressions in detail with a healthy dose of humor, or humour. It is exactly what most premium class FTers want to read.
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Old May 25, 2009, 10:16 pm
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Good report. I can relate to you after trying CX Wed and today and having 6 servings of caviar
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Old May 26, 2009, 8:20 am
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
I find it hard to believe that in the F cabin, one typically has to choose between nuts and cheese antipasto to start.
Indeed. I'm trying hard to fathom which one Her Majesty would go for. I think she's a marinated cheese kind of girl myself...
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Old May 26, 2009, 11:24 am
  #13  
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UA F next report

hey guys - the next one is up
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...l#post11807066
enjoy!
Am off to DXB tomw - am told that I am the only one in C, so if that is the case should be plenty of photo clicking ops for the next TR (maa-dxb-maa on 9w 73H in C).
avm2806 is offline  
Old May 26, 2009, 2:27 pm
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by avm2806
Appetizer
Smoked salmon and honey ginger shrimp
accompanied by cabers, red onion and sour cream
Smoked salmon with cabers? That's a very substantial starter!

(Nice trip report too: definitely not a long haul F menu for my tastes either)

Techno
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Old May 26, 2009, 2:54 pm
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Originally Posted by pacman3
Frankly, I found the OP's posting quite snotty.
So did I. While I appreciate the level of detail, the OP's posting does come across as very snooty.
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