Originally Posted by
only1percent
Flagship First has never had seriously differentiated soft product. Back in the day it had a nicely differentiated hard product, because Business was not lie flat, and up to half the Business class seats depending on A/C lacked aisle access. It was worth paying something to avoid a 12-hour flight in a middle seat that didn't lie flat. Once Business went lie-flat, it was pretty much over, given that AA was never going to step up to the Asian and Middle East carriers' First Class standard.
Well said. AA F was decent only because AA J had a garbage decade-behind product.
I believe that AA F could have survived in some fashion. My expectations were never that AA would compete with the ME or Asian carriers - just that they'd try to be in the realm of the EU carriers.
Instead, AA F chose to be the Raygun of F class.