heathrowflyer111

Hello! I am flying from Dublin to LA next July and about to book my flights. I have a lot of options on routing and ideally need to stop over in the East Coast in order to maximize the points for my BA status.

I am travelling in international business/domestic first and I would ideally like to layover in PHL (and fly DUB-PHL on A330) - my concern is that the PHL-LAX leg would be on an ex-US A321 and I have heard bad things about this aircraft. Can anybody provide feedback as to whether this is significantly worse than an AA A321 2 class (which I have flown before from LAX-MIA and was very happy with).

Is it bad enough to warrant travelling DUB-JFK on the 757 and then JFK-LAX on A321 transcon in J?

Thanks!

flyingmusicianlax

No power, no IFE, less legroom in F is the summary of the LUS 321. LAA 321 all brand new with great AVOD, all the bells and whistles in the seat. Only downside, IMO, is articulated recline.

I find the old NGBC seats on the 757 pretty comfortable for sleeping, though the 330 is also a good ride. I would personally opt for the connection in JFK because you'll get a tablet for IFE on the 757 over the pond and you'll get very good AVOD and significantly better meal service on JFK - LAX.

cmd320

Definitely do this. The 757 seat is pretty decent for a daylight flight and is good in the relax/recline mode, it's just less than ideal compared with a flat-bed for sleeping.

With that said, it's definitely worth having a pair of decent seats across both flights as opposed to having a good seat on the TATL sector and a terrible seat on the transcon (which really isn't much shorter). In addition, service on the A321T aircraft out of JFK is considerably better than the standard domestic product that will be offered on US from PHL. Finally, the lounges in JFK are a considerable improvement over what is on offer in PHL.

The non-transcon A321s (US and AA) are both rather uncomfortable in my experience. Legroom is pretty bad, but especially on the US aircraft, recline is non-existent, and seat comfort leaves a lot to be desired. The full-flats on the A321T are far far preferable.

heathrowflyer111

Thank you for the feedback - will definitely avoid the LUS A321 at all costs - sounds like a pretty awful way to cross the country.

You are making the 757 sound OK so maybe I will give it a try. There is also the possibility that I could fly DUB-LHR and then take a BA 747 LHR-JFK but that would mean I would need to get a hotel in Dublin for one night (because I am positioning from LHR). So it's just a case of deciding if the upper deck of a 747 is worth me paying for and spending an additional night in a hotel.

Thank you for your help and enabling me to at least eliminate the PHL (or CLT) options.

dml105

The LUS 321 is a great bird, despite the shunning it often gets on this site. No AVOD, but wifi. Both the LUS and LAA planes will likely be very new.
With that said, if you get the opportunity to fly the 321t from JFK in a premium cabin, there really isn't a comparison with any other product.

I'd find it a fairly tough choice. The A330 in J will easily best the 757 in J, but the A321t in J/F will definitely beat the LUS 321 up front. Do you plan to sleep DUB-USA?

Austin787

DUB-JFK-LAX is your best option in terms of the J seat and service. The 757 J is the angled flat seat, but that's still much better than a standard domestic F seat (which you would have on PHL-LAX).

Another option is DUB-LHR-LAX, with LHR-LAX on the 77W. The 77W J seat is the same as the A330 J, and beat both 757 J and A321T J. You would be in a standard Y seat, with the middle blocked, on DUB-LHR but that's only a 1 hour flight. Make sure you allow enough time to connect in LHR.

akarneboge

The F seat is comfortable on the LUS 321, but there is very little leg room. At 5'3 this isn't much of an issue for me, but for anyone taller, their knees are going to be into the back of the seat in front of them just like in Y.

JJeffrey

Just to clarify, the LAA 757's with NGBC have built-in seatback IFE, not tablets.

Agree with everything else though, DUB-JFK-LAX is the way to go. The NGBC 757 in J is perfectly comfortable for the short-ish daytime DUB-JFK flight, and the seat/service on the 321T in J on LAX-JFK will be vastly better than domestic F on PHL-LAX.

ACA321

I dunno, while I agree the DUB-JKF-LAX would be good simply due to to the JFK-LAX A321T service, I would much prefer DUB-LHR-LAX. The J seat on the 77W far outweighs any of the seats you'll get on other routings, and you'd actually be flying long enough to enjoy it. Connecting on the east coast USA means splitting the journey pretty much in half and settling for an inferior product on at least one of the long legs. DUB-LHR is hardly worth talking about as it's such a short hop, Euro J would be fine.

heathrowflyer111

Thanks for all the information. I'm 6'4" so definitely ruling out he LUS A321. Also - just to clarify - I need to stop off on the East Coast in order to earn the 280 points I will need to attain BA Gold status (Flying DUB-LHR-LAX will only get me 180) otherwise I would fly the 77W without hesitation. (I will be flying the 77W on the way back though because by then I will be gold and won't be concerned about the points!)

I think I will do the DUB-JFK and JFK-LAX because I won't sleep on the transatlantic leg and then can get a couple of hours on the transcon. I'm assuming that the food/drink offerings on the 757 in business class will be decent enough (i.e. compared to on other AA international business class flights).

Thanks for the feedback. I am ready to pull the trigger tomorrow.

JJeffrey

Yup, the food/drink on the 757 in J will be the same as the 333, 77W, etc.

aztimm

Why wouldn't you just fly DUB-LHR-LAX? You could enjoy the same international business seat for the bulk of your flight.

This makes even more sense on the return, when you can get a decent sleep on that long leg.

AAerSTL

LAA:
At most 18 months old
Clean, modern, interior
Sharklets
AVOD, AC & USB power at every seat
MCE
FC FWD galley better separated from cabin
FC closet to stow coats & F/A bags

LUS
Could be as old as 2001, but some are much newer
NO power
NO entertainment
No MCE
Galley is in the cabin and not shielded
FC jackets stowed aft row 4 and obstruct row 4 seats

JJeffrey

heathrowflyer111

Booked! Following the very useful advice I'm doing DUB-JFK on 757 then JFK-LAX on A321T in J. There is no way I will sleep on the transatlantic flight so lack of flat bed is not a huge deal.

Coming home LHR-LAX-DUB on 77W (looking forward to trying the business seat here - could have done BA but want to try the AA77W business product and am willing to sacrifice the TBIT Oneworld first lounge to try it!).

Actually in March I'm doing JFK-LAX in A321 F so it will be nice to compare the F experience with J on that aircraft. Both look fantastic and I have heard very good things about them.

Thanks again for the advice and info. I was seriously considering the LUSA321 and am very glad that I have been steered clear of it.