ARCHIVE: 2015-17 AA Premium Economy / PE / PEY on widebody a/c announced
Nov 7, 2016, 9:31 am
#602
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
How a picture show how the seat feels?
Nov 7, 2016, 9:36 am
#603
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Moving on...
Dec 15, 2016, 4:45 pm
#604
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
Good synopsis.
My initial review between DL/AA is this:
Look/Feel of the seat and cabin - DL wins. The DL branding on the head rest, and stitched leather just looks SO much better.
Power ports - AA wins. I don't like how DL put them in the area in front of you. People are going to trip over those cords getting out, etc. AA's placement is odd (tucked down, under the armrest), but that seems more accessible if I am charging my iPhone, etc.
Catering / Amenities - AA wins. I think AA's food has really stepped up. And getting Bose QC headphones is always a winner.
Footrests - AA wins. I don't like extendable footrests on these "domestic F" style seats. I would rather have the footrest under the seat in front of me.
I hope AA follows a similar SWU protocol. One win to DL is that the PY cabin will be bigger, so if your Y to J SWU doesn't clear, you have a very good chance at a W seat. That might be more of a fight on Elite-dense routes on AA.
I definitely think DL loses here by getting rid of Comfort+. I am very glad AA decided to keep MCE on the W-offered planes. That makes such a big difference if I am flying with my family on vacation and can live with the extra 5" of Y legroom on a TATL flight.
DL taking Comfort+ out is a real loss for their Elites, IMO.
My initial review between DL/AA is this:
Look/Feel of the seat and cabin - DL wins. The DL branding on the head rest, and stitched leather just looks SO much better.
Power ports - AA wins. I don't like how DL put them in the area in front of you. People are going to trip over those cords getting out, etc. AA's placement is odd (tucked down, under the armrest), but that seems more accessible if I am charging my iPhone, etc.
Catering / Amenities - AA wins. I think AA's food has really stepped up. And getting Bose QC headphones is always a winner.
Footrests - AA wins. I don't like extendable footrests on these "domestic F" style seats. I would rather have the footrest under the seat in front of me.
I hope AA follows a similar SWU protocol. One win to DL is that the PY cabin will be bigger, so if your Y to J SWU doesn't clear, you have a very good chance at a W seat. That might be more of a fight on Elite-dense routes on AA.
I definitely think DL loses here by getting rid of Comfort+. I am very glad AA decided to keep MCE on the W-offered planes. That makes such a big difference if I am flying with my family on vacation and can live with the extra 5" of Y legroom on a TATL flight.
DL taking Comfort+ out is a real loss for their Elites, IMO.
Looking at the FT threads thinking about this, it is not good enough for AA to offer PEs with aggressive pricing models against DLs and all other carriers. With the revenue-based programs in US3, who in the right mind would pay for PEs to get slightly better but still dreadful services in AA, and get petty RDMs and EQDs? In Premium fare threads, people keep gunning for CX/BA/JL PE fares to get qualifying dollars and RDMs. For MRs/mileage-aware travelers, it just does not make sense to pay for AA PEs. So, let's say you have JFK-SYDs PE RT, and let's say AA prices it the same as QF/CX, $2k USD, AA is immediately in the worse end because QF offers similar routing, whereas CX offers longer routes but with better routing rules(Stopovers so on and forth), and both carriers give way more RDMs and EQDs(QF 30k EQMs, 4k EQDs, 46k - CX 38k EQMs, 5k EQDs, 55k RDMs - AA 30k EQMs(presumably), 2k EQDs, and 22k RDMs), based on EXP calculation.
Premium fares are easier and cheaper to get than a decade ago, with so many Chinese and Asian carriers competing for each other for marquee routes that AA flies. AA could sell PEs, but their prices have to be even lower than CX/QF/JL so people stay in AA.
When others argue you could upgrade to J in AA with eVIPs, please do not forget that the upgrade list will be heavily dependable upon EQDs. The public would have to blindly purchase AA fares to jack up the EQDs to put themselves into higher priority lists.
With AA current ops and CS, DL superior ops, CS and inflight service, UA's overall improved ops/service, and other competitive carriers/partners hard/soft product+service, I just don't see it happening.
At least I know where my money would go if I am asked to make a choice of PE between AA and all other carriers.
Last edited by PaulInTheSky; Dec 15, 2016 at 4:51 pm
Jan 18, 2017, 11:18 am
#605
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
I'm booked on AA 37 in Y on 4/10 from MAD-DFW. It looks like there's PE (2-3-2 layout) in rows 9-11, but EF is showing those seats as blocked. The website won't let me pick those seats, and a phone agent on the Plat line wouldn't assign me the seat.
I'm confused because I thought elites were able to pick PE seats before they are being formally sold?
edit: the plane is a 789
I'm confused because I thought elites were able to pick PE seats before they are being formally sold?
edit: the plane is a 789
Last edited by ralphs; Jan 18, 2017 at 11:35 am
Jan 18, 2017, 1:31 pm
#606
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I'm booked on AA 37 in Y on 4/10 from MAD-DFW. It looks like there's PE (2-3-2 layout) in rows 9-11, but EF is showing those seats as blocked. The website won't let me pick those seats, and a phone agent on the Plat line wouldn't assign me the seat.
I'm confused because I thought elites were able to pick PE seats before they are being formally sold?
edit: the plane is a 789
I'm confused because I thought elites were able to pick PE seats before they are being formally sold?
edit: the plane is a 789
Jan 18, 2017, 1:34 pm
#607
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Isn't it that elites were able to pick PE seats on flights that fly before the date when PE will be formally sold on flights? Ie, just because PE may not be sold today doesn't mean tit won't be sold by 4/10 and AA may want to wait to see if they sell any before giving any away.
Jan 18, 2017, 1:59 pm
#608
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, National EE
Posts: 1,204
Thanks for clarifying. I wonder how AA will handle comp upgrades (if at all) from Economy to PE. Some official guidance would be nice.
Jan 18, 2017, 2:11 pm
#609
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-upgrades.html
Feb 13, 2017, 6:07 pm
#610
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,256
Unrelated to the above, but does anyone else think the grey is drab and unimaginative?
JAL has a nice red.. wonder why AA didn't go that route.
JAL has a nice red.. wonder why AA didn't go that route.
Feb 13, 2017, 11:30 pm
#611
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
This thread is dedicated to Premium Economy (currently only available on the Boeing 787-9).
Discussion of the 777/772 (which at this time has no Premium Economy seating) has moved to http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...iscussion.html
/Moderator
Discussion of the 777/772 (which at this time has no Premium Economy seating) has moved to http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...iscussion.html
/Moderator
Feb 23, 2017, 9:04 am
#612
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Silver
Posts: 88
Can the routes currently flown with PE be included in the wiki? Would be nice for planning purposes (e.g., selecting one route over the other if PE is available).
Feb 23, 2017, 10:08 am
#613
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
DFW-MAD
DFW-CDG
DFW-GRU
...I believe that's it. And I don't know if those change with summer schedules or not.
Feb 23, 2017, 12:22 pm
#614
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I've added econometrics' data to the Wikipost.
Feb 28, 2017, 10:53 am
#615
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
It's now Feb 28. I guess PE is not going on sale in February after all?