APFA President claims credit for AA drop of Coach beverage service (until 2021)
Dec 1, 2020, 9:53 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
DL wins for us right now (and maybe in the near future too) because it's otherwise a superior travel experience in every way. We love that they've committed to blocking seats through March. Board a DL A220 someday and ask yourself what Dougie would think. He'd be mortified at the 18+ inch seats with greater than 29 inches of pitch. Not to mention the PTVs which AA thinks no one uses!
Dec 1, 2020, 3:33 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
As long as we're in the middle of the deadliest pandemic in 100 years, I couldn't care less about airplane food.
DL wins for us right now (and maybe in the near future too) because it's otherwise a superior travel experience in every way. We love that they've committed to blocking seats through March. Board a DL A220 someday and ask yourself what Dougie would think. He'd be mortified at the 18+ inch seats with greater than 29 inches of pitch. Not to mention the PTVs which AA thinks no one uses!
DL wins for us right now (and maybe in the near future too) because it's otherwise a superior travel experience in every way. We love that they've committed to blocking seats through March. Board a DL A220 someday and ask yourself what Dougie would think. He'd be mortified at the 18+ inch seats with greater than 29 inches of pitch. Not to mention the PTVs which AA thinks no one uses!
Dec 1, 2020, 7:16 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: ORD, sadly...
Programs: AA Exec Plat
Posts: 599
As long as we're in the middle of the deadliest pandemic in 100 years, I couldn't care less about airplane food.
DL wins for us right now (and maybe in the near future too) because it's otherwise a superior travel experience in every way. We love that they've committed to blocking seats through March. Board a DL A220 someday and ask yourself what Dougie would think. He'd be mortified at the 18+ inch seats with greater than 29 inches of pitch. Not to mention the PTVs which AA thinks no one uses!
DL wins for us right now (and maybe in the near future too) because it's otherwise a superior travel experience in every way. We love that they've committed to blocking seats through March. Board a DL A220 someday and ask yourself what Dougie would think. He'd be mortified at the 18+ inch seats with greater than 29 inches of pitch. Not to mention the PTVs which AA thinks no one uses!
I suppose my liver would prefer I go to DL, at least for now...
Dec 1, 2020, 8:47 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,232
Empty middle seats is a gimmick?! 
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
Dec 1, 2020, 9:29 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Empty middle seats is a gimmick?!
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
The advantage program, for all it's faults actually makes up for a lot of shortcomings that AA has.
Dec 1, 2020, 9:30 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Alan Joyce has shown that it's possible to make it happen. You just have to really want to do so. AA leadership doesn't seem that interested and therefore the stalemate continues.
Dec 1, 2020, 9:57 pm
#37
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,501
Empty middle seats is a gimmick?!
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
The lack of shoulder space is my SINGLE BIGGEST issue with flying coach in general, pandemic or not. So hell yeah, I'll fly the airline that won't make me sit next to a stranger. And won't fill their planes to the max (statistically decreasing the likelihood of an infected passenger on board). Gimmick??
Dec 2, 2020, 4:27 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: ORD, sadly...
Programs: AA Exec Plat
Posts: 599
Yes gimmick. Delta is not ensuring the middle seats are empty, they are ensuring flights aren't filled up over a certain percentage, so on the planes like the CRJ or E175's or the A330 or 767 you can still have a stranger sitting next to you. Also you still would have someone sitting directly behind and in front of you, it doesn't make a difference. If it scares you so much you shouldn't be flying right now.
Dec 2, 2020, 8:27 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Blocked seats is a gimmick? Is that a joke? You do know how COVID-19 is spread right? Let me guess - masks and social distancing guidelines are also a gimmick? This kind of attitude is exactly why the US has been so badly hit compared to other countries. While it's true that you could still end up next to a stranger (especially on RJs), they make it very clear at the time of booking. We hadn't planned on traveling at all at least until getting vaccinated (which fortunately we should be in line to receive the vaccine this month), but family issues forced us to travel earlier than we'd liked, so DL was the safest choice. And while it's true that you can't truly distance on planes anyway because of the rows ahead and behind you, the fewer people you're exposed to, the less likelihood you'll contract COVID-19. It's not that complicated. And clearly people are willing to pay higher fares to fly DL, or they wouldn't have extended the policy.
Dec 2, 2020, 8:30 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Similar boat - AA is by far the biggest legacy carrier at our home airport (OKC) so that's kept us loyal. Fortunately we fly mostly for leisure and not because we're weekly road warriors so it would be more doable for us to jump ship potentially. But no OKC-LAX or OKC-SEA nonstops on DL really puts a damper on their appeal. Will just have to see how this next year goes I guess!
Dec 2, 2020, 8:37 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
That's a totally different story, but doesn't have anything to do with whether seats are or aren't blocked on board the aircraft. Hence why I don't really feel in any more danger on board AA than I do on DL.