International F service on AA
International F service on AA
Jan 11, 2022, 8:50 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,013
You get a degree of heightened "exclusivity" since your cabin is separate with 8 seats. Plus you get a rickety chair and a bowl of Sysco soup.
#goingforgreat
ETA. To be fair you'll get access to the flagship lounge. I would eat and knock back everything you can there as it might as well been a different company. It's very nice and the food is great. It's nothing remotely compared to the F&B you'll get on board from your friendly flight attendant.
If I were you I'd save your money and go for J. It's a 6 hour flight and the menus are the same. You might get a better wine than mad dog in F but you'll still get Titos and good noise cancelling headphones (that get ripped off your head somewhere over Glasgow
) You wont' get Flagship Dining at JFK but still get FL access.
#goingforgreat
ETA. To be fair you'll get access to the flagship lounge. I would eat and knock back everything you can there as it might as well been a different company. It's very nice and the food is great. It's nothing remotely compared to the F&B you'll get on board from your friendly flight attendant.
If I were you I'd save your money and go for J. It's a 6 hour flight and the menus are the same. You might get a better wine than mad dog in F but you'll still get Titos and good noise cancelling headphones (that get ripped off your head somewhere over Glasgow
) You wont' get Flagship Dining at JFK but still get FL access.
Last edited by enviroian; Jan 11, 2022 at 9:01 am
Jan 11, 2022, 10:01 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,562
It's a short overnight flight. If it were me, I would seek to travel in F on the LHR-JFK segment. You'll get Concorde Room access at LHR and, if you are connecting beyond JFK, FFD at JFK.
Jan 11, 2022, 5:52 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,213
You get a degree of heightened "exclusivity" since your cabin is separate with 8 seats. Plus you get a rickety chair and a bowl of Sysco soup.
#goingforgreat
ETA. To be fair you'll get access to the flagship lounge. I would eat and knock back everything you can there as it might as well been a different company. It's very nice and the food is great. It's nothing remotely compared to the F&B you'll get on board from your friendly flight attendant.
If I were you I'd save your money and go for J. It's a 6 hour flight and the menus are the same. You might get a better wine than mad dog in F but you'll still get Titos and good noise cancelling headphones (that get ripped off your head somewhere over Glasgow) You wont' get Flagship Dining at JFK but still get FL access.
#goingforgreat
ETA. To be fair you'll get access to the flagship lounge. I would eat and knock back everything you can there as it might as well been a different company. It's very nice and the food is great. It's nothing remotely compared to the F&B you'll get on board from your friendly flight attendant.
If I were you I'd save your money and go for J. It's a 6 hour flight and the menus are the same. You might get a better wine than mad dog in F but you'll still get Titos and good noise cancelling headphones (that get ripped off your head somewhere over Glasgow
) You wont' get Flagship Dining at JFK but still get FL access.EDIT: OP was talking J in the paragraph I referenced. Didn't read it close enough! So sorry!
Last edited by Madison Guy; Jan 12, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Jan 11, 2022, 7:43 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Jan 11, 2022, 8:09 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 179
I just bagged a unicorn (to me) first redemption LAX-LHR for 85,000 miles. Only 7,000 more than J so I figured it's worth it for flagship first at the very least.
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Jan 11, 2022, 8:33 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,106
I just bagged a unicorn (to me) first redemption LAX-LHR for 85,000 miles. Only 7,000 more than J so I figured it's worth it for flagship first at the very least.
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Jan 11, 2022, 8:34 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
I just bagged a unicorn (to me) first redemption LAX-LHR for 85,000 miles. Only 7,000 more than J so I figured it's worth it for flagship first at the very least.
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Anyone know what spirits they offer on board? I couldn't find a list anywhere. Is the champagne at least decent?
Champagne though has been drinkable these days... check the international meal thread but I feel like I've seen at least Lanson-level stuff.
Jan 11, 2022, 8:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 179
Sadly the spirits are just the normal ones (Aviation, Tito's, Woodford, Glenlivet, Jack...) plus maybe Courvoisier cognac (can't recall whether it was VS or VSOP), Disaronno, and a couple others. The US carriers have never in my lifetime, to my knowledge, offered dramatically enhanced F spirits like JL/CX/EY/QR etc.
Champagne though has been drinkable these days... check the international meal thread but I feel like I've seen at least Lanson-level stuff.
Champagne though has been drinkable these days... check the international meal thread but I feel like I've seen at least Lanson-level stuff.
Honestly I'm just glad I was able to redeem miles after all these years without 3 connections, 2 overnights and a journey time triple the direct flight they offer multiple times a day. Or 57k miles plus the huge BA surcharge plus a fee to reserve your seat.
Jan 11, 2022, 9:29 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,013
Sadly the spirits are just the normal ones (Aviation, Tito's, Woodford, Glenlivet, Jack...) plus maybe Courvoisier cognac (can't recall whether it was VS or VSOP), Disaronno, and a couple others. The US carriers have never in my lifetime, to my knowledge, offered dramatically enhanced F spirits like JL/CX/EY/QR etc.
Champagne though has been drinkable these days... check the international meal thread but I feel like I've seen at least Lanson-level stuff.
Champagne though has been drinkable these days... check the international meal thread but I feel like I've seen at least Lanson-level stuff.
lol
Jan 12, 2022, 12:56 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
-FlyerBeek
Jan 12, 2022, 2:39 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Do the Admirals Clubs still dole out drink chits? Thankfully they don't do that in the flagship lounge!
Jan 12, 2022, 3:10 am
#14
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,179
I’d rather have older and smarter than younger and dumber as I had on a recent DFW- HNL where the Lead was well in the race for the Nora Nobrains prix de 2021. I have had old and snappy, and I am too old and too intolerant myself to allow a woman who was doing the strict minimum in the cabin (HNL-LAX) and could be [bothered] to do PDB s or anything that required her to put herself out. We should have been humbled by her deigning to serve anyone at all.
I deal with these people by tackling them in their lair when I am level with them and not being spoken down to. This leads us to International F on AA. It is hit and miss. I’ve rarely had a bad JFK crew. Lord, have I had some horrors out of LAX but they were minorities Frankly until you have someone who is an Inflight Manager and paid us such, who has the authority to give directions and reprimand if needs be, this will never change. I cannot see AA doing that any time soon.
I deal with these people by tackling them in their lair when I am level with them and not being spoken down to. This leads us to International F on AA. It is hit and miss. I’ve rarely had a bad JFK crew. Lord, have I had some horrors out of LAX but they were minorities Frankly until you have someone who is an Inflight Manager and paid us such, who has the authority to give directions and reprimand if needs be, this will never change. I cannot see AA doing that any time soon.
Last edited by Microwave; Jan 12, 2022 at 3:42 am Reason: Profanity and profanity placeholders are not allowed on FlyerTalk
Jan 12, 2022, 4:12 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,248
Yep. That and promotions become merit based and not purely on time served.