AA 90
ORD-LHR
Seat 4H
Boeing 787 N817AN
This flight over to Heathrow is on American’s Business Class product on a 787 Dreamliner. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flight, for a few reasons. First, believe it or not, I have never flown American mainline before. Secondly, I have pretty much stuck with Asia for international travel, it has been much easier to access being closer to the West Coast.
Based on the crowd at the gate, the load was nowhere near full, however business class was at 100%. We boarded by group and were directed to our seats, the cabin in a 1-2-1 configuration. Mrs. AKDan and I took two seats in the center. On the seat was a menu, a pair of Bose headphones, amenity kit, and comforter/pillow package.
The seat is set at an angle off the aisle and is narrow without feeling cramped. The IFE screens were good sized, perhaps 15” and were set up in a viewing position. Underneath the screen is an ottoman and a shoe storage area. Along the center of the seat is a magazine stowage with the safety card and American Way magazines, as well as a small space that you could probably fit a phone. A holder on a hinge, I assume for newspapers, is also present.
On the center area of the seat is a counter space where a large tray is stored. There are two USB outlets and two regular AC outlets and another storage area for phones or small items. Below this area is a deeper storage area. However, this is really the only true storage in this seat, it lacked space for a laptop or other items you may wish to have at your seat.
Pre-departure beverages were a choice of sparkling water, sparkling wine, or orange juice served in plastic glasses. Newspapers were also offered. Boarding was completed relatively promptly. An interesting note that Mrs. AKDan put her bedding up in the overhead compartment. The FA was looking for some room for an elderly couple that was seated at the last minute, she asked her if she wanted the bedding, when she said yes the FA said “Let’s just put this here” and literally tossed it on the floor in front of her, between her feet and the ottoman. It was rather alarming unprofessional treatment, I don’t think one given intentionally but not at all refined.
The amenity kit was Cole Hahn branded and contained the following items:
Colgate Toothpaste
Bigelow Mouthwash
Earplugs
Eyeshade
Pen
Socks
Tissues
Toothbrush
Body Lotion
Lip Balm
The menu:
Starter: Roasted Tomato Tart
Salad: Fresh Fruit Salad
Main Plates:
Smoked Salmon Hash
Chicken and Waffles
Chorizo Enchiladas
Charcuterie Plate
Dessert: Strawberry Ice Cream or Gourmet Cheese Plate
First of all, I understand that this is a 9:30 departure, but I am of the opinion that breakfast food has no place after about 10am – especially considering it will probably be another hour before the meal is served. Oh well. By the time they got to my row they were out of the Enchiladas, I went with the Chicken and Waffles which weren’t too bad, but not great either. I honestly at this point was too tired to care that much, so declined dessert and immediately headed to sleep.
After about an hour I felt better, but was unable to get back to sleep – the plane was rather warm and I have trouble sleeping on planes as it is. I connected to the wi-fi for $19 and explored the IFE. The wi-fi was decent but seemed to go offline quite a bit of the time. It would come back, but it just seemed spotty. I don’t know if that is normal for AA’s system.
The IFE had some good choices to it, but I found the interface to be a little difficult. There was a touch screen that worked well, but required you to lean forward in your seat. There was a remote control but that interface was not a touch screen, and the interface was not very clear or intuitive. It didn’t always do what I wanted it to do. Overall, a good system with a flight map, audio, TV, and movie selection. There were some games and other miscellaneous features that I did not try.
The pre-arrival meal was a choice between Chicken, Apple, and Brie Sandwich and a pasta salad. I got the salad which came with a quinoa salad and strawberry ice cream. The salad wasn’t bad, I didn’t care for the sauce used in the salad, and didn’t finish it.
After the meal, arrival cards for London were handed out. There was no fast track or priority given. Luckily, there was not a line at immigration and we were through in less than five minutes. We headed towards the train station, heading for Terminal 4 and our hotel.