Originally Posted by
bgasser
I can speak to the A321Ts. While AA is ripping out F, it is essentially replacing J with F. You wont have 2x2 seating, each seat will have direct aisle access. This is what you get on Delta One, Polaris and the new B6 seats to LHR. You wont have FFD, but that isnt a massive loss. The ticket price may creep up $200, which is usually the premium difference between J and F.
Exactly. New J on AA transcons will effectively be current F. Assuming my employer/client already has to spring for paid J on flights of transcon length, for me shelling out out of pocket or using miles to upgrade from 2-2 to 1-1 is an easy decision. There's just no comparison. But now that the new product will be direct aisle access at all seats...
On international aircraft, it is disappointing though that AA is installing a product that is thought to be not very good. Don't QR passengers go out of their way to avoid the older QR biz class seats?
The bigger point for this thread is that AA's overuse of Flagship branding for a lot of different things is confusing.
Flagship First Dining when first class no longer will exist? Flagship lounges that aren't only available to "Flagship" pax. Whatever Flagship pax are anyway since none of us have a consistent answer...
Rebrand the FFD room in the FL to something else and call the add-on product to a business class ticket something else.