MAH4546

I am not in error. There are multiple 772 flights on MIA-LAX (some times, but rarely, as many as three daily). One of them changes a lot, the other has not changed since 2006 with one exception for seven weeks one summer when the plane operated an MIA-EZE daylight. This plane is purposely scheduled as a back-up for the Shanghai/Narita departures, hence why the schedule never changes. It usually does an LAX-MIA-LAX turn, but sometimes goes onto/arrives from Shanghai and/or Tokyo.

You are perfectly justified in being upset at AA if they refuse to move you to a 3-class flight. You shouldn't have trouble being accommodated, and if an agent gives you trouble, try again.

linglingfool

This.

Keep in mind that AA has a "placeholder" schedule for lights more than 3 months out that allows them to approximate the service they anticipate operating, subject to changes. The actual schedule is loaded once a month roughly 90 days from departure, at which point it should remain fairly constant. If you're booking more than three months out, expect some changes.

There is very little rhyme or reason to AA's rebooking algorithm, other than it will reaccommodate you using Price is Right scheduling (as close as possible to your original departure, but not later if possible), and in case of connections, will try to minimize your connection time. If you can take a deep breath and check your reservations once a month, then by all means fly AA. If you don't have 10-20 minutes to spare to fix any problems that come up, consider giving your business to another airline.

linglingfool

If your original flight is still operating at (approximately) the same time, be polite but firm that they should give you the itinerary that you booked. That may entail a call to revenue management to open up space for you, or rebooking you into a revenue bucket, but there should be a way to get it done.

ThreeJulietTango

While I understand that the airline technically reserves the right to change equipment/schedules/routing, the issue for me in this case is:

On MIA-LAX, AA charges a premium for F on a 3-class flight. The J fare on the 3-class flight is typically equal to the F fare on the 2-class flight.

If AA can't rebook the OP onto another 3-class flight, they should refund the fare difference between the 3-classs F fare the OP paid and the 2-class F fare for the flight the OP was moved to.

Exec_Plat

Be nice if there was a flag in a record that says "high value pax, CALL before (or when) flight schedule changes"

Not everyone, but lets say you are EXP and/or paying over 1000 a seat and/or in a 'special priced 3 cabin F'

hiima

Original flight is still operating, but with a different flight number. Same flight time.

N1120A

Actually, they do charge a premium for the 3 class F on that route. Not to mention the give added benefits, which would disappear with a plane type change.

eponymous_coward

Then I would suggest not paying the premium for your advanced bookings on AA three-class F on LAX-MIA-LAX, until such time as the schedules are "locked in" (which is apparently a month out). This makes it such that it becomes relatively irrelevant if they switch you to 763 F or 757/738 F from 77W J (which is what I would assume you get in this instance). In fact, you could completely avoid the 77W flights until fairly close in, knowing that they are likely to cause inconvenience for you due to AA equipment schedule changes, due to your well-in-advance ticket purchases.

It doesn't seem to make much sense to pay a premium for a product that is causing you inconvenience because of your needs (need to book well in advance, up to 6 months, very much unlike most passengers, need premium class, want the fancy international longhaul seats) and AA's operational needs (don't finalize equipment schedules until 30 days out or so to match what they think they need to do) don't work very well together.

Presumably the difference in price between three-class F on the 77W LAX-MIA and F everywhere else on LAX-MIA is one that could be paid later, if you really DID think the premium was worth it once you knew what equipment was flying?

FrenchInLondon

Hi All,

I have upgraded a LAX-MIA ticket from domestic business to domestic first (this is on a 3-class old 777).

Obviously the seat will be much different. On the soft product side, is there any difference for the meal and/or in terms of service onboard ? (is it similar to the 3-class offering on a transcontinental for instance?)

Thank you for your help
F-I-L.

rjw242

It is the 3-class offering on a transcontinental, by definition

I think the only distinguishing factor over and above business class is an additional entree selection and perhaps an amuse-bouche.

FrenchInLondon

Thank you !

Thanks for clarifying that a LAX-MIA on a 3-class 777 is by definition a 3-class offering on a transcontinental ;-) I thought this name was reserved for the A321T liaisons...

FlyerBeek

A couple of other minor differences off the top of my head...

- slightly better wine list, including non-vintage Champagne and Port
- additional starter selection
- plating of meals is better (they're not pre-plated like in J)
- ice cream sundaes served in real sundae bowls
- in theory, service should be slightly more personilzed in a 8F(77W)/16F(772) cabin compared to the large J cabin, but this is highly crew dependent

That's about it, as best I can remember.

-FlyerBeek

MarkedMan

The amuse bouche is gone. The wines are usually better, yes. FlyerBeek is correct on the other points: The plating and service is usually the main difference, much more like International F, you should not see a cart, for example, or a tray, nor will there be any paper S&P packets

In the end, though, the seat really is the main difference. While it's not such a big deal on the odd 77W you get from LAX-MIA, it's a nice upgrade seating-wise on the 777 for sure and IMO and more contentiously, on the A321T, the latter especially on a red-eye.

SJC AA

F gets a choice of appetizer (J just gets whichever one they have that day).

F gets Flagship Lounge access.

uclacolumbiaunc

I haven't seen any review on LAX-MIA first/business class on the new 77W aircraft. I am just curious if you will receive the same premium class perks on this domestic route as the international route?

I mean, same type of meal, same amenity kit, etc. I believe they're doing this on JFK routes, so I am just curious if the same will be applied on the cross-country flight between LAX-MIA ?