Chris330

I started a thread over at the Delta board that eventually morphed to American Airlines, so i'm continuing it here. I've never flown first class on AA before and someone over at the other thread mentioned the first class level of comfort varies on American Airlines by planes.

The flight i'm interested in is this plane....32Q-Airbus A321neo flying from MCO to PHX. I had a TERRIBLE coach experience on AA last week where an enormous man sat in the middle seat that cause me to have to squeeze up against the window for 4+ hours. I am planning to buy first class on AA to avoid any possibility of being in that situation again and feel it's well worth the extra few hundred spent.

Can anyone verify that plane above and if the first class seat is ok on it? As long as no one's body can infringe into my seat space, i'll be a very happy flyer. That's really all I care about after last week's experience.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

In no F seat on AA should someone's personage infringe on your personal space. On that flight you will get some kind of meal. There's no IFE on that a/c although there's power at every seat. Nothing special but better than having some spilling over into your lap.

HiAperture

The A321neo is a brand new plane and they all have the same first class seat. No personal entertainment, but a holder for a phone/tablet that wasn't present on the 737MAX/OASIS planes, power in the center armrest, streaming entertainment to personal devices (install the AA app in advance). There is definitely no chance with those seats of having someone in your space, with the wide central armrest. Short of that consider paying for a window exit row seat, as the fixed inboard armrest at least limits someone intruding your space below the waist.

Chris330

Thanks for the info on the seats. It sounds perfect for my needs so i'm going to choose this. I was debating buying 2 coach seats to keep someone from infringing into my seat, but it seems just getting a first class ticket is the easier option and it also comes to about the same price too.
I can't sit in the exit row due to my disability so that's out of the question. And besides, width of the seat is my main concern. This person last week was literally spilling into my seat....legs, arms, shoulders....it was an unbearable 4 hours and knowing there's a wide central armrest in between the first class seats gives me a huge sigh of relief that it's impossible for that to happen again.

I think that experience has permanently turned me off to coach seating forever.

iplaybass

I can understand that. Unfortunately, that's pretty much a risk on any airline in coach with shrinking seats and more rows of 6 across being the standard. It's enough of a risk that I just budget for F when traveling. Not worth playing upgrade roulette (now that I'm a kettle, I can't even do it), almost impossible to use miles to upgrade domestically, (also not the best use of miles IMO), so I take one of the first pieces of advice I got from the experienced AA flyers here: "Want first, buy first."

ijgordon

It's a risk, but also most airlines have policies that customers who intrude on other passengers space need to buy an extra seat. However, enforcement is effectively up to the passenger who is being impacted by a "customer of size". You need to tell a flight attendant. This obviously can be awkward for everyone involved, but the airlines have these policies for a reason. Unfortunately you never know how it will play out in the moment, the FA could insist (against policy) that if you don't want to fly then you can get off the plane without even any assurances of when you could be rebooked. In the end, it's really up to you to speak up if you're being prevented from sitting in the full seat you paid for. Here's AA's policy: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...jsp#extraspace

I think others have mentioned it either here or the original DL thread, this is not that common of an occurrence. Millions of people fly coach every day without being squished laterally by a customer of size who didn't make appropriate arrangements. But if you're, say, broad-shouldered yourself (as I am), you might still be uncomfortable next to another broad-shouldered person that isn't technically a customer of size. So it's certainly your prerogative to book an extra coach seat or pay for FC. If you're flying alone, FC usually isn't that much more expensive than 2x coach, but if you're flying with a companion, buying 3 coach seats for the two of you is usually much more cost-effective than 2 first class seats. And even if you're tall and legroom is normally an issue, that empty middle seat will let you (wo)man-spread which helps a lot too.

AA100k

I know it’s highly annoying but it’s not a common experience. In my decades of flying economy, thousands of flights, it’s happened only twice that I can recall. And on one of those, I asked for a seat change and was moved. As for first class, you will never have that issue on that aircraft.

Chris330

Both flight attendants clearly saw how scrunched up I was up against the window and that I had to lean forward for the entire flight just to have some space because the man's shoulders were well into my seat, as well as his tree trunk legs. Neither one did anything to try and rectify the situation, so I felt it was pointless to even bother saying anything as i've read all the horror stories of complainers on airplanes being quickly shut down by mean flight attendants. I also figured there must have been no other available seats or they would have tried to accommodate one of us to be more comfortable....wouldn't they?.....I honestly would've taken ANYTHING over the seat I had....even a middle seat just to get away from that large person.

I'm also profoundly deaf and though I speak clearly, I prefer to write in public with people I don't know and I literally was unable to use my hands to write on pen and paper to let the attendant know I was uncomfortable. I couldn't even accept the drinks when they came around because it would have been physically impossible to use my hands to hold the cup.

So I just sucked it up and made the best of it saying to myself, "It's only 4 hours" and just shut down and prayed for time to pass quickly, which it thankfully did. Afterwards, I did send an e mail to AA telling them about the situation just to let them know how poorly the flight attendants were in handling the situation.

I did receive a quick reply from them and they credited me with a pitiful 2,500 AA miles and an apology. I swore up and down to myself i'd never fly with them again, but the first class fare for the trip I want in Dec is lower than all the others so I guess i'm going to give them another try.

I only travel once a year for my Vegas trips, and while this incident surely isn't the norm as i've been flying since 1985 and never experienced this hell in all those years, the fact is that people are getting larger while coach seats are getting smaller. It's a mix for trouble and I believe the chances of these incidents happening again will only continue to grow and I don't want to take that gamble of being in that situation ever again.

So for once a year flying, I can just save the extra few hundred and ensure that I fly in comfort. The older I get (i'll be 50 in March) the less patience I have for these things and I just can't see myself ever flying in coach again. If I have to pay double of what i'd pay in coach, it's well worth it to have basic comfort and a little personal space.

cmd320

I was stuck flying on AA in Y+ yesterday (10A on an A321). Shocked that in 2020 the aircraft had no power and no adjustable headrests. I had flown in F on DL the same day so perhaps my expectations were too high.

JDiver

AA uses the Rockwell Collins MiQ seats in your aircraft (and is installing them pretty much throughout the non-premium narrowbodies fleet, as well as as Premium Economy on widebodies).,

Rockwell Collins MiQ seats in A321neo, c/o The Points Guy

Chris330

Thanks for this pic. If this is the seat on that plane then i'm definitely getting the first class ticket. It's perfect and I love the big gap between the seats ensuring that a larger person couldn't seep into my seat space. The console in the middle also ensures waist and leg space. This is well worth the extra money for me.

sassysan

All the AA A321neo "32Q" have power at every seat. You were probably on an A321 "32B". It sucks that they don't have power, but that's a different plane than what this thread is about.

Chris330

Is it true that with AA first class ticket, you also get priority screening at security? Do they have their own separate lines that make you go through faster?

JDiver

In this instance, no. Three class First Class and some other status passengers may use Flagship Checkin, which puts one into the front of the security queue. In other airports there may be a Priority queue.

sassysan

Some airports have a general Priority queue at security that is accessible on Domestic First tickets. This line is also accessible by all AA and oneworld elites, so it's not particular exclusive since you share it with even bottom tier elites, and in some airports crew and staff will cut in front of you regularly. The PreCheck line is usually faster if you have access to that. If you don't have PreCheck for whatever reason, Priority is much better than nothing though.

There is a more exclusive "Flagship First" queue in some airports that you wouldn't have access to just by sitting in this particular "First" seat. It only comes with a "Flagship First" seat (or top tier elite) which are found on planes with separate first and business class cabins.