Walking up into the 777, I was given a very very warm greeting from the chief purser, Richard, and his colleague, Roxanne, who would be servicing the Flagship Suites First Class Suites cabin today. "Good morning, Mister McCormack. Let me lead you to your suite. Have you flown with us in First Class before?" As I answered in the negative, he demonstrated all the key features of the suite, including the signature "rotating chair" feature that the Flagship Suite is known for--the whole suite swivels 90 degrees to the left or right to face your "desk", which features not one but TWO traytables that overlap to create a real desk--complete with its own banker's lamp! The swivel IFE PTV screen is located next to the second traytable. Which brings me to my next praise point of the suite: the ottoman also doubles as a second seat, so you can dine with your buddy or significant other. To accommodate this, the second traytable is twice the size of a normal one, but folds in half if you are dining alone.

Once I recovered my dropped jaw and settled down into my itty bitty room for the next five hours, I began looking over what the ground crew had left for me in my suite. On the ottoman was a very soft and large AA quilted duvet, and a fluffy American Airlines-embroidered pillow. The desk had an amenity kit, and a set of metallic red earbuds.

After a few PDB's (Richard had to have done atleast four beverage runs before we had to sit down! ), I asked Richard for a cockpit visit and I was promptly let inside. The captain has the same uplifting spirits as the rest of the flight crew--I don't know why they're always so happy, but I hope it stays that way. I then returned to Suite 4A. Right about that time, Richard came around and happily asked me if I'd like something to drink: "Maybe Juice? Water? Champagne?" I thought he was joking about the last choice, but he actually wasn't (as I'll find out on the return...), so I just ordered my proverbial Coca-Cola Classic. Next, he distributed Breakfast menus, giving us plenty of time to mull over the various choices available. Just before we pushed back, he did one last pre-departure beverage run before gathering up our glasses and turning on the safety demo video.



The 16-suite Flagship First Class Suites cabin. Sorry about the darkness, I used the flash to ensure my shots wouldn't come out blurry.


My suite, 4A, with bedding, amenity kit, and souvenir earbuds waiting for me.


The desk, with three (!) windows all to myself. The first table is the one with my boarding pass, earbuds, and amenity kit on it, while the second is the compartment under the PTV.


A very nicely sized PTV, considering the multitude of ways you can swivel it!



First out of three seatback pockets and the very comfortable bedding.


My amenity kit, free headphones, and Priority AAccess Boarding pass.


I asked Roxanne for a power adapter for the "car charger" or "cigarette lighter" DC power port and was handed this behemoth of an inverter, which actually worked pretty well.


Charging my Nikon CoolPix P500, which desperately needs replacing...Does anyone know of a good point and shoot with a decent zoom for around $1,000 USD?




Boeing 777-223ER N780AN Cockpit


The captain offers to take a picture of me, so of course I accept -- I was just so ectastic at that moment!




Observer station in Boeing 777-223ER N780AN's Cockpit -- I know the name, but what is this used for?



It seems Richard has left me a PDB while I was up in the flight deck!


Here is an image that demonstrates the desk mode of the suite. The 90-degree swiveling is controlled by a latch under one of the armrests, and you can supposedly lock the seat in any number of directions on the 90 degree axis. Of course, for safety reasons, you cannot recline into the aisle when the seat is not aligned with the ottoman.


From top to bottom: "Banker's Lamp" desk light twist-knob, "Car Charger" / "Cigarette Lighter" DC Power Port, Two-prong headphone jack, and a disabled Ethernet jack (Why is this here? Was American Airlines planning to include wired Ethernet internet access?).


Suite recline controls. A simpler one-touch lever that only converts the seat into bed mode is located on the side of the right armrest wall facing out towards the aisle. Also notice the seat / suite number posted on the end of the armrest as well.



The seat in fully flat mode-thickly padded, it's like sleeping on a cloud...


No overhead PSU switches, only gasper air vents as the rest of the controls are in the suite itself.


American Airlines Flagship Suites First Class Breakfast menu this morning on MIA-LAX. Full text of each page will be include beneath each image, as shown:

American

FLAGSHIP FIRST

Menu

oneworld


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Welcome aboard

Food connects us to our world. Today's menu includes regionally inspired, flavorful cuisine for you to enjoy. We've thoughtfully selected a multi-course experience for you including award winning wines and a delectable desert.

On behalf of all of us at American Airlines, thank you for traveling with us.

-Hector Adler's Signature-
Hector Adler
Vice President -- Flight Service


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Menu

STARTER
.................. Customized Yogurt Parfait
.................. Vanilla yogurt with your choice of fresh fruit and granola

.................. Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate

ENTRÉES
.............. Turkey Bacon Quiche
.............. Served with grilled vegetables

.............. Smoked Salmon and Bagel
.............. Accompanied by bibb leaf lettuce, freshly sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, caper berry and whipped cream cheese

.............. Steel Cut Oatmeal
.............. With mixed berries and brown sugar

Served with a selection of breakfast breads

DESSERT
.................. A Selection of Sweet Treats

Light Refreshment

Offered prior to arrival

Whole Fruit and Snacks
A selection of fresh seasonal fruit and premium snacks

Cookies
Freshly baked on board


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Wine List

SPARKLING WINE
................................ Gloria Ferrer Sanoma Caneros Brut
................................ A lively blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir shows toast and apple flavors with a strong finish

WHITE WINE
....................... Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc
....................... Vibrant Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, lemon, and lime balanced by crisp acidity on the finish

RED WINE
................... Ceibo Malbec Carbernet Sauvignon
................... Bright violet tints and flavors of cherry, currant, anise, coffee, and vanilla on a plush finish


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Beverages

We are pleased to offer you a variety of beverages on today's flight, including cocktails of your choice mixed with premium liquor.

SPIRITS
.............. Bacardi Rum
.............. Bombay Sapphire Gin
.............. Tito's Handmade Vodka

WHISKEYS
.................... Canadian Club Reserve Blended Whiskey
.................... Dewar's White Label Scotch Whiskey
.................... Jack Daniel's Tenessee Whiskey

BEERS
............. Corona Extra
............. Heneiken
............. Select American Beers

BRANDY AND LIQUERS
......................................... Bailey's Irish Cream
......................................... Courviesier V.S.O.P. Fine Champagne Cognac
......................................... DiSaronno Amaretto

OTHER BEVERAGES
.................................. Carbonated Beverages
.................................. Still and Sparkling Water
.................................. Java City™ 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee
.................................. Java City™ decaffeinated coffee
.................................. Tea
.................................. Fruit Juices
.................................. Milk

Espresso and Cappucino are also available on the A321T aircraft

Due to some unknown difficulties, our flight is still boarding past the scheduled time even though we boarded fifteen minutes early. Richard notices this and mutters to no one in particular in the galley, "These guys better hurry up and get us out or we might lose our customers' connections!" Luckily, a few moments after that, the aforementioned gate agent runs down the jetway, tells Roxanne that we're all done boarding, and slams the L2 boarding door shut. After which the safety video plays, and we taxi out to Runway 26L / Runway 26 Left.

Boeing 777s are mostly known for their ginormous engines, the two most common being the General Electric GE90 and Roll's Royce Trent 892 powerplants. I haven't flown on GE90-equipped equipment, but this takeoff was just intense. The engines had a sound that reminesced of a 757 Roll's Royce RB.211 motor, but played through a subwoofer instead of a laptop speaker. in other words, those two puppies were LOUD, and pushed me back into my seat with oodles of lateral g-force factors. I might be sounding farfetched when I say this, but it seemed that we only used 25-30% of Runway 28 Left before blasting off over downtown Miami, Florida, doing a 180-degree U-turn over Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and finally shooting towards SRQ (Sarasota - Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Florida -- the same place where my 22-year-old older brother attends university at Ringling School of Art and Design), our first waypoint on this 285-minute transcon hop to Los Angeles.
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VIDEO - American Airlines 777-223 Flagship First Class Suites Roll's Royce Trent 892 Pushback from Gate D28 at Miami International Airport VIDEO
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*If you are having trouble viewing the above video due to slow loading times on Flickr, Click here / on this sentence to download it directly to your computer for viewing.*
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VIDEO - American Airlines 777-223 Flagship First Class Suites Roll's Royce Trent 892 Taxi out from Gate D28 to Runway 26L / Runway 26 Left at Miami International Airport VIDEO
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*If you are having trouble viewing the above video due to slow loading times on Flickr, Click here / on this sentence to download it directly to your computer for viewing.*
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VIDEO - American Airlines *777-223 Flagship First Class Suites Roll's Royce Trent 892 Takeoff from Runway 26L / Runway 26 Left at Miami International Airport VIDEO*
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*If you are having trouble viewing the above video due to slow loading times on Flickr, Click here / on this sentence to download it directly to your computer for viewing.*
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Pushback out of Gate D28 at MIA.


The safety demo / video began playing just before we started pushback and ended just as we pulled away from the gate under our airplane's own power.


Taxiing away from some fellow (smaller and larger) Boeing family members as the slats extend. Note the cantilever shape of the wing--it flexes due to being composed of composite materials such as carbon fiber.


Slowly crawling past the Envoy Air / American Eagle porta-terminal gates in Concourse E at MIA--the largest collection of Regional Jets you'll see in Florida. :-D


Turning onto Runway 26 Left.


90 knots...V1....Rotate... The pilots gun the two Roll's Royce Trent 892 High - Bypass Turbofan Engines and we slingshot down RWY 26L, meanwhile an impressive amount of water vapor condensation clouds the engine blades and fan cone.



Liftoff, look at that incredible wing flex!!! Down below we are leaving behind an American Airlines 738 Oneworld Livery Logo Jet, the threshold to Runway 26L / Runway 26 Left, and the DC-10 Den!



Swinging around Biscayne Bay to face California. The little tree-filled islands are lush with rare flora and fauna, and are protected by the USEPA (United States of America Environmental Protection Agency) and USFPS (United States of America Forest Park Ranger Service) as national parks. This is because more than once, a moronic rich person or gaudy celebrity has tried to purchase these Islands and turn them into their own private little hangout spot--thank you city of Miami for not giving into the demands of these ridiculous people and especially NOT destroying the poor little islands.



The artificial island below is North Bay Village, a very affluent community on the north end of Biscayne Bay,linked by the visible street of John F. Kennedy (JFK) Causeway. I've heard people will pay millions of dollars for a house on this island just to have the stigma of living in the middle of a large body of water. Of course, nearly all "affluent communities" have a golf course, and just like those ridiculously priced houses, people golf there at exorbitant prices just to say they golfed in the middle of a bay. Wonder how many Titleist Pro V1 / Titleist Pro V1 X golf balls are on the bottom of the lake -- ugh.



Miami Biscayne Bay Venetian Island Map It's really a wonder how fast those Trents can push us up to cruise! Great view of Biscayne Bay, the Venetian Islands, and the Miami City Center (visible at top right of image.) Also, more condensation!


Miami Executive Airport / Opa - Locka Executive Airport (IATA: OPF, ICAO: KOPF).

As we perused among the Floridian mainland, Richard begins handing out Bose QuietComfort headsets to all the First Class passengers, then retreatinalg to the galley to prepare our meals.

Unlike the garbage 2-prong headsets found in Delta Air Lines BusinessElite cabins worldwide, American Airlines uses name-brand single-prong Bose headsets which I am excited to see because I have a long, loyal history to Bose-their products have always lasted me a long time, and are generally very well built. Compare that to Beats by Dr. Dre, who I've realistically gone through about 30 pairs of headphones in the last few years from them. Never again!

Once all the noise canceling headsets are handed out, Richard begins the meal service. The first step in this rigamorale is to lay down a table cloth, and to receive your beverage of choice. Shockingly, as I am looking out the window, Richard brings two bottles of CHAMPAGNE to my suite--I can't tell if he doesn't know what age I am or if he is joking, but by the sound of his "Mr. McCormack, would you like Pinot Noir or California Chardonnay with your breakfast?" inquiry I think he is being quite serious. Anyway, I turn down his offer and order a Coca-Cola Classic instead. My choice of meal this morning would be the Bacon Quiche, Parfait with Granola and Strawberries, warm biscuit, and finally a micro-sized piece of cheesecake.


You can tell Richard loves his job by one thing: he never stops smiling!



SINGLE-PRONG Noise-canceling Bose QuietComfort Headphones, thank you AA for not ruining these by making them double pronged. I was I will probably buy a pair back in MIA, but they won't be as cool with no "American" logo...


I fold out both the first and second tables to make a very large "desk" while watching 007: SkyFall.


The integrated "banker's lamp" light at the end of the desk.


Coiled hot towel served from a shiny chrome platter before the flow of First Class food begins.


The service begins with Coke and Biscotti Cake Cookies.


The tablecloth is lied down by Richard (two are used when you are dining with someone, the table cloth used here is supposed to cover the table when it is folded, but I preferred the extra space)


Butter, a bread plate, salt and pepper shakers, an extra glass, a wine goblet, and table utensils are set down next. Everything is delivered one at a time up in First Class.


Next, the extra glass is filled with water, just like a restaurant would do it.


Coffee is served.


The bread basket, serving fresh bread warmed up by Richard. You could have as much as you want, but I only took a single biscuit, some cream cheese, and honey. Oh my gosh the bread was warm and chewy, and with honey......So delicious!


Starter: Fresh fruit slices (Richard brought a silver platter with "refills" of fruit slices around, in case anyone thinks that it is too little) and Yogurt Parfait with fresh fruit and granola. Sweet and good! Richard asked me if I like another parfait, and I ended up having two more...



After we finished our starters (and I had two more Parfaits at Richard's insistence ), Richard brought our main courses. This morning I'd be having a Turkey Bacon Quiche, which is sort of like a Chicken Pot Pie and an omelet combined. The pie crust shell tasted like it just came out of a bakery oven, and the eggs had bits of vegetables and meat in the soft eggs (but had no liquid yoke-Thank the lord!), I have no words to say other than this was the best food I've ever had on an airplane...


Richard comes around with the dessert tray. "Take as many plates as you like, I have many still left in the galley!" all said with a warm grin.


Top to bottom, left to right: Crunch Bar, Smores Graham Marshmellow charm, and a chef's large dice of cheescake. Including the one photographed, I had three of these! Despite being in a galley, the cheesecake tasted just like it does on the ground....I didn't want the meal service to end!


Hot towel service after dessert.


Intercepting Louisiana. Notice the reflection of the fuselage onto the engine nacelle.