JDiver

AA once had 362 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 “Super 80” models, reaching its apex after absorbing TWA MD-80s. The once ubiquitous Mad Dog served on any number of mid-con routes. Even those who once hated them are beginning to miss them for their comfortable domestic First Class seats and better padded Main Cabin 2x3 rows of seats - particularly as we enter the “Age of Awaysis” with Project Oasis bringing heretofore unfelt pains with the new ultraslimline seating, reduced seat pitch and “Mini” lavatories. MD-80 had old school non-slimline well padded seating, lavs that could accommodate most, 15 VDC cigar lighter power for many, community IFE on tiny overhead screens, and slower-than-sludge GoGo WiFi in recent years.

In First, it was quiet except for the wind noise. Aft by the lavs, if you were sitting next to the engines you were overwhelmed with noise and impervious to any other, disembarking with your hearing taking a while to recover to normal.

The beloved-to-many “Mad Dog” has been retired incrementally, but now it seems we will have our last rides in 2019. is down to

2 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
28 McDonnell Douglas MD-83

AFAIK, these are mostly, if not all, ex-TWA birds. I probably did ride some SMF-ORD as TWA.

Gone:

McDonnell Douglas MD-81 (all)
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (most)
McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (some)
McDonnell Douglas MD-87 (all)
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 (all)

My find memories were of many SMF-ORD, SMF-DFW and most recently DFW-SAT trips. But now SMF is served by 738s. A320 and A321S on occasion. And my last SAT-DFW was on an A321S.

3 or 4 E or F were my favorites in F, at least after one closet was removed in the A-B side and replaced by two seats reducing seat pitch on that side compared to the EF side.

21A or B in Main Cabin were my faves, 31 or 32 F my absolute bane.

If you want to be assured a view of dozens of AA MD-80s you can’t go to DFW any more. They’re there, like silent sentries awaiting their fate - sold to a small airline in the farther parts of the globe, or more likely breaking up into component parts and scrap metal.

Goodbye, old friend. I’ll miss you, but like the DC-3, -6 and -7, the L-188 Electra, the BAC 1-11, Convair 240, 440 Metro and CV-990, Boeing 707, 720, 727 and 747, Fokker F-100, DC-10 and MD-a lemon you’ll live on in the fleet of my memories.

Mad Dog: great, good, meh, bad. What was it for you? Why? Any special memories?

chicagoflyer1976

video on overhead screens? When did they ever that?

20D will always be my seat. Back in the days when I was a lowly gold or platinum, and didn't always request upgrAAdes, 20D was my favorite seat. Tons of legroom, and not too narrow, despite the tray tables being in the arm rest.

I'll miss these Mad Dogs, hope to get a ride on the last flight.

elperro

MD-90s had 'em

JDiver

I may be mis-remembering, but now that you mention it it may have been a 757 I bashed my head on so hard the metallic taste in my mouth persisted a while. My usual IFE was pulp-based, so I never paid much attention to IFE until we got some in seatbacks. Though I do think... gracias, elperro.

IADCAflyer

I almost booked a trip outof IAD next week instead of DCA just to fly it one more time. But, unfortunately, scheduling interceded.

My last one was OKC-DFW and it was a nice ride up front.

ksweeney

Good catch on the MD-90s - those were ex-Reno Airlines planes and weren't in the fleet for very long. Now that AA is down to 30 MD 80 series jets, Delta has like 80 MD90s - mostly discards from China Eastern and China Southern.

lobo411

Loved the 2x3 seating in Y, and the seats were more comfortable all around.

For the record, the F seats on the Eisenhower 757s were also more comfortable. At least with airlines, "newer" is usually "worse."

thunderlounge

Had one last spring on DFW-MFE-DFW, with two more coming up on DFW-STL.

DCP2016

Comfortable in the front, comfortable in the back, great engines, and a sleek design with AA's silver livery. They will be greatly missed, especially with the MAX City Busses coming into service.

jpmcdonough

We miss them too, always tried to get the '2' side when traveling with my wife. It was the closest thing to first class in a coach seat. Flew it between DFW and SAN more times than I can count.

radiowell

My first memory of AA MD-80 was figuring out what was so "super" about this Super 80 (per safety information card) when I first stepped on to this bird

I've never had any issues, and all my rides have been fine. Too bad they are not replacing them with A220's.

Catbert10

Ahhh, sitting in 3E and sipping a double Glenlivet on the rocks...good memories

JDiver

My Glennie was neat, water on the side. Glad they brought it back.

The “screwdriver” tail cones saved fuel over the rounded ones and were both fabricated and installed at Alliance, iirc.

davesam12

Mine was GT or a VT. Many miles on this bird. Was the main AA equipment at my home airport for years. FC cabin so comfy and "quiet". Sadly, I started to try and avoid them in the later years because of the frequent MX delays. Our favorite memory on an MD 80 was many years ago coming home from Hawaii with a plane change (MD80) at ORD (when ORD had the daily HNL non-stops). Sitting in the boarding area, we look up and our long time close friend AA Captain was looking at the print out reports at the desk. He was flying us home. Total surprise and coincidence. Odds of that randomly happening were thousands to one. Fun.

allset2travel

It has been a while since I flew on a Mad Dog. We have one coming up (DFW-CMH), currently selected seats 4AB. Based on your info, should we change to 4EF?