I was conflicted as to whether I would enjoy the scenic view from our extremely high cruise altitude of 40,000 feet or rest my exhausted body. After looking outside and not seeing much of anything, I made my bed with the plush linens on the ottoman.

The seat itself within the Flagship Suite is upholstered with both leather and cloth fabric. The perimeter of the seatback, entirety of the of the headrest, and legrest are coated in leather, while the center of the place where your back leans against as well as the "seating area" are covered in cloth textiles.This, coupled with the fact that the seat itself is quick to warm up and already quite soft in its padding when I first sat down on it during the boarding process, means my first resting experience in the suite was highly enjoyable.

One potential problem in relation to the way I position myself when I visit dreamland, however, is premium-class lie-flat bed seat headrests. I'd say that approximately 95% of the time when I have an inactive period of siesta, I lie downward on my stomach with my arm placed below the pillow (left or right, depends on the situation), finally laying my head down on the "pillow sandwich." With a headrest jutting out of the tip-top of the seatback, my preferred sleeping method is probably not achievable because I can't stick my arm under most airline seat headrests.

Of the various lie-flat hard products I've experienced in the last few years, the Delta re-skinned-in-blue-leather former Northwest Airlines World Business Class angled-flat seats ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/222820 ), the US Airways Envoy Suites ( http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253048 ), and the pre-bankruptcy American Airlines angle lie-flat reclines ( 757-200 / 752 : http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/253053 , 767-300 / 763 : http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/257473 ), only the DL BusinessElite seat has not had enough room for me to avoid the headrest (those seats are now replaced with Suites without headrests). Luckily, in the American Airlines Flagship First Class Suite, there is enough room on the dining-partner ottoman to extend my legs and place my pillow away from the pesky headrest.



Made my bed, good night!


American Airlines - branded pillow.

I awoke about two hours and a few minutes later to the clankclankclank of porcelain dishes, just in time for Richard's hot, fresh-baked cookie service. Richard asks if I'd like milk with my cookies, I decline and opt for some freshly-brewed coffee instead. Both services are utterly delish, the two warm, molten chocolate chip cookies even melted in my mouth. The coffee tasted hot and fresh, with more than enough cream and sugar provided.


Near the Texan boarder, IAH, BMT, and BTR.


Full size water bottles were distributed before the cookie service as well.


I wonder what airport that is down there?


Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport ( IAH / KIAH ).


I'm guessing the tiny plane on the left is a UA 777.


Melty Chocolate Chip cookie--yes, I had several more of these!


A final hot towel after the cookie service.


Swinging over a stretch of desert and what's that? Mountain ranges? Something we never see anywhere near FLL


Getting really close now!


Except for me and that other guy, everyone is working or sleeping in First Class.


This dirt airstrip probably hasn't been in use for awhile.


Palm Springs, California, where my fathers' parents live. The temperature in this city is regularly 100-115 Fahreinheit--when I went there in July 2009 (FLL-SLC-PSP-SLC-FLL, FLL-SLC-FLL DL route now terminated) it was so hot, I couldn't even feel it-the heat numbed my skin! My whole family is about 85% from Cali, including me, born and raised in Danville, California. (not FLL as many people seem to think! > )


Palm Springs International Airport (IATA: PSP / IACO: KPSP), airline terminal is the circular building with attached jetways near the middle of the image--note how <i>very</i> close the airfield is to the mountains. Though I don't remember those mountains being there because we came in from the south. This airport has received a lot of new service recently, with Air Canada Rouge (low cost subsidiary of the Canadian airline giant), Alaska Airlines, Alaska Airlines operated by Horizon Air, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, United Express, US Airways Express, Virgin America, and Westjet all providing service to this small strip--clearly Palm Springs has some marketable attractions!


A lake with an island with a mountain on it near other mountains--now that is awesome!! Would love to swim there!!


Random USAF (United States Air Force) airbase.


8 USAF B52 Bombers--very niceee!


Wow, a pile of props at another airport--what airport is this? Look at the two DC-3s parked on the grassy patches, I hope they're airworthy! And all those other aircraft!!!! Really, what airport is this!?!?!?!? I see a ton of cars, maybe an aviation convention / airshow is going on?


Mountains sticking out over the clouds? I am now addicted to mountains, when can I move out of FLL?


Sweet serenity in Flagship Suite 4A. {veryhappy}

30-35 minutes before the end of the flight, Captain Kerry grabbed the intercom receiver and announced our descent into LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) through some overcast conditions that were coating the L.A. metro area, ending the announcement with a reminder that we were going to park at one of the remote terminals, politely telling us to follow all the instructions of American Airlines rampers / ramp agents on the ground. The approach into LAX was amazingly scenic, passing through several large stretches of desert broken up by incredibly high mountain ranges.

As promised, after hopping over one last set of mountains, an extremely thick comforter of clouds completely obscured the ground below. Surprisingly, when we pierced through the cumulonimbus blanket, all window suite () passengers were treated to a spectacular view of the Los Angeles metro, suburbs, and the surrounding mountain ranges. Our approach took us west into a straight-in landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Touchdown was actually pretty smooth, it was like a feather weighing less than a gram striking a carpeted floor as we smoked the pavement and the flight crew subsequently engaged reverse thrust and deployed the spoilers /speedbrakes. The pilots taxied us into a far flung corner of the airport, and we deplaned into one of the remote terminals.

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VIDEO - American Airlines *777-223 Flagship First Class Suites Roll's Royce Trent 892 Overcast Approach into Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX) - VIDEO

*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 Overcast Rollout on the Runway AND Taxi into Remote Gate 214 at a Remote Terminal in Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX) - VIDEO

*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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Mountains poking out of the overcast as we begin the approach.


Nowhere to go but down from here.


20 miles out....



We're going in--hang on!!!



Just hang in there--we're almost out!!!


Whew! We made it, with the slats drooping off the leading edge and the wings flexing!


Developments of the suburbs and some sort of dirt racetrack, with the wingspan building up some impressive condensation.


An actual racetrack (don't know the name or what races there?).


I forgot the name of the highway (was it Sepulvida ), but note that very big "The Simpsons" billboard on the side of that office building, I could clearly read it before we crossed the highway.


Just like at ORD, Avis and other car rental agencies plus a large portion of the parking lot / car park are all located just before one of the most heavily-used runways.


More wing flex and the "LAX" Letters Sign--I didn't even realize that I had a pictures with the letters until I was writing this sentence--somebody asked me on my previous report why I take thousands of photos--well, if I didn't snap away right at this moment, I would have missed the sign entirely!


Over the blast zone on the runway (black pavement with very wide golden chevrons) on VERY short final.


Almost there, with a Great Lakes Aviation B1900D, another company you'll probably never see on the east coast. One of my favorite trip reports: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/245123


Touchdown, while the ZK B1900D behind begins its takeoff roll.


Reverse thrust and spoilers deployed--while the Beechcraft behind soars away (above the spoiler). Notice THREE A380s in the background: Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Air France.


Make that SIX A380s. Apparently, a lot of Aussies love Cali and L.A. !


Taxiing into a remote area of LAX.


Pulling into Gate 214 at one of the remote terminals at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).


Air Tahiti Nui came either from CDG (Paris - Charles De Gaulle International Aiport, Paris, France) or PPT (Aéroport International Tahiti Fa'a'ā, Tahiti, French Polynesia), a carrier I would love to try--of course in J--to Bora Bora which has an outright amazing approach. If by some miracle I ever did this, the routing would be MIA-LAX-PPT-BOB-PPT-LAX-MIA all in Business Class--certainly not a daytrip though! Also, an AS 737 takes off in the background.


Parked next to a foreign competitor airframe (Airbus, with their A343 against our Boeing 772ER).