Tobias-UK

Have you looked over at the American Airlines forum for information?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...advantage-733/

Globaliser

Do you really mean VA (which does have premium economy), or - given your routes - do you actually mean VS?

Here are a couple of of the threads which you may have been thinking about:-

• BA WT+ or AA Premium Economy?
• Virgin Atlantic now my choice of carrier for premium economy

fransknorge

Geordie405

I have also posted a couple of times on this, including a comparison of BA, AA and JAL

DarkHelmetII

In 2018 I flew one round trip LAX/SYD on Virgin Australia and one round trip LAX/SYD on American both in Premium Economy. Virgin Australia certainly a better soft product in my personal experience. Meal service felt very close to business. American felt like a shade above regular economy. On Virgin flight attendants just more pleasant, business-like, and there's the little snack bar too which was lacking on American. Also position of lavatories / galley I found more bothersome on American in bulkhead (which was a 787 / 2-3-2 config).

Not sure if OP meant to reference Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Australia. Regardless, to me this is yet another example of the soft product of an "American" airline generally being inferior to that of airlines domiciled in other countries (if such a generality can be be drawn).

mjh0

Recently flew MAN-PHL in AA Premium Economy on the 330-200. Hard product pretty good. I found the seat very comfortable for the 8 hours I was on the plane. Didn't finish up with any aches, etc. Better than BA and on a par with the VS PE seat. 110V AC and USB power. Stable & reboot-free IFE, with a really diverse selection of films and good picture quality. Explicit/graphic films generally in unedited form.

Food was okay, edible, though the plastic wrapped freezing cold roll, etc., took the edge off the premium and reminded you that you were in an economy product. Drink selection quite good, including offering beers other than mass-market pilsners. A choice of Fat Tire Belgian White, Goose IPA, and a beer from the Sam Adams range, along with Dos Equis, Heineken and Bud. Decent selection of spirits. Wine, just a choice of red or white, served from enormous 1.5L bottles, into plastic. A cut below in that sense.

The cabin crew I'll call "Crabby Crew". For the most part miserable as sin, at best just disinterested and disengaged. The senior/in-charge, downright foul. I'm sure they would have help save my life if something went horribly wrong, but I feel they would do so wearing a snarl. Apparently, "legacy US" long haul crews come with a risk of that. Expect better on the 787, this will be a "legacy AA" crew.

CKBA

I'll echo the numerous other threads on WT+/PE comparisons. Also, as far as I know the 787-8 has always had 2-3-2 seating in WT+/PE.

as the above post notes, the AA cabin crew are very odd... - they just seem to be cabin crew....

Mama

What's " vertically challenged"? Tall? Short? Can't stand up? Or?

HiAperture

I flew BA WT+ some years ago (as well as AZ and AF) and recently completed a trip in AA PE. Here is what you can expect on AA.
Pros:
-Priority check in, boarding, and baggage delivery
-2 checked bags
-Domestic first class style seat with a decent blanket, pillows, and suitable over ear headphones if you don't have your own noise cancelling pair.
-Edible and well presented meals (nothing from business class like WT+, but much better than economy). I will say AA had the best pre-landing meal of any PE carrier I have flown.
-Great IFE screen and selection
-Beat the masses off the plane to immigration

Cons:
- Shared lavs with Economy, not very premium.
- No dedicated/J FA's, basically for service expectations, you are in economy but they start each service with you, don't expect any extra check ins or personal service.
- No snacks out. Most PE airlines I flew had snacks out somewhere that we had access to, not AA.
- No divider from economy, yes there is a bulkhead but they cannot even be bothered to hang a curtain up, which ruins the private feeling of PE's mini-cabin.

Mixed:
- The plus is the seats have good recline, the minus is when the person in front of you reclines their seat full back the moment you get in the air for the entire flight, things feel a lot less "premium" real fast. If you can live with the IFE on the little swing arm, I would recommend securing a bulkhead row seat, with the added plus of a real legrest instead of the little ratcheting footrest.
- There is just a general lack of any personality in this product, on paper it is competitive, but there are just a combination of things about it including the above points that leave it missing anything special. Choices like giving you a real napkin and cutlery but sticking with plastic cups.

In the end I would fly AA PE again if the fares were competitive, but I wouldn't go out of my way to fly them again if another PE option was available for the same or less cost.

nyc6035

Added to Wiki state of 787-8 refit.

Appears N800AN is back in DFW - awaiting first flight to confirm seatmap/conversion. N811AB went to SAT on 9/27 as prior bird returned. Assumption is conversion is underway as Boeing runs a facility out of SAT.

FlightNurse

Just to be fair here, there are no 788 that has PE, the first bird should be out anyday. It only had MCE that was 3-3-3 the same with Y.

econometrics

JDiver

Eagle-eye econometrics strikes again! ^

At least this will bring the 772 fleet to just two variants: Zodiac andB/E Super Diamond J class.

Definitas

it's another way of saying short! (genetically engineered for flying Y with budget airlines!)

Nomorepretzels

Well, when the mods are done with the Zods the confusion of what aircraft has which seats will be a little harder since both will now have 37 J's.
(Correct me if I'm wrong).

Bookmark Flightradar24 for the flight's Aircraft Registration and American Fleet Site for the J seat reference - have them ready.