3-class first being discontinued? [Twitter / travel blog reports]
Aug 28, 2022, 3:03 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton DMD, Hyatt Glob, Hertz PC
Posts: 267
A potentially amazing product that AA has never nailed.
FFD is amazing, but they don't seem to advertise it. They never once have told me about it during checkin when I've flown F, in fact many times I've had to ask specifically for an invite at the FL.
Skipping the meal on the redeye and then hitting FFD is my favorite way to cross the country. Second favorite is Jetblue Mint with a throne seat - good food in flight (at the cost of sleep time), and good cocktails, unlike AA.
The blaring commercials after takeoff and lack of upkeep of power outlets shows that they just don't care about making the plane a premium experience anymore.
FFD is amazing, but they don't seem to advertise it. They never once have told me about it during checkin when I've flown F, in fact many times I've had to ask specifically for an invite at the FL.
Skipping the meal on the redeye and then hitting FFD is my favorite way to cross the country. Second favorite is Jetblue Mint with a throne seat - good food in flight (at the cost of sleep time), and good cocktails, unlike AA.
The blaring commercials after takeoff and lack of upkeep of power outlets shows that they just don't care about making the plane a premium experience anymore.
Aug 28, 2022, 4:33 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,158
Lots of people sit down for breakfast around 8am. If you do that in JFK FFD, then finish at 8:45 and board the flight, that sounds perfect. How is 8am a bad time for breakfast?
Aug 28, 2022, 9:21 am
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,601
Aug 28, 2022, 10:56 am
#35
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 514
Breakfast isn't a big meal for me. I get a toasted bagel, some fruit, and bacon in the FL. For me, FFD is valuable if you can get a dinner/late lunch service. Seems weird to eat a large breakfast in FFD then get served the American Breakfast in F.
Aug 28, 2022, 11:37 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,222
There's a marked difference in quality between the two. Eat in the FL and skip the one on the plane.
Aug 28, 2022, 2:44 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,601
. That's kind of the point of FFD (designed primarily for long haul int'l) - eat now, rest on plane.
Aug 29, 2022, 9:33 am
#38
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
Programs: DL Plat 1MM, AA EXP 3MM, SQ Krisflyer Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 1,131
I would prefer they keep it - will I miss it much? No - I did like the time AA flights operated out of T5 in LHR and one could use the CCR for those. I had a couple flights this year where F was cheaper than J - especially if booked through BA
Aug 29, 2022, 2:45 pm
#39
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton DMD, Hyatt Glob, Hertz PC
Posts: 267
This could be OT from the subject of Flagship First Removal, but another compelling benefit of the "protected" F cabin is that one can often buy an F ticket for any flight of the day, and then, day of, switch to pretty much any departure, even when J is sold out across the day.
But there are certainly ways of emulating this sans-F - holding a few seats for changes day of and bumping fares up to F-level for those last few seats. But that's not as visible a way of doing it.
Not even sure if that's a widely perceived feature of FF!
But there are certainly ways of emulating this sans-F - holding a few seats for changes day of and bumping fares up to F-level for those last few seats. But that's not as visible a way of doing it.
Not even sure if that's a widely perceived feature of FF!
Aug 29, 2022, 5:45 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I haven't seen this from a reputable source yet (sorry, front page of FT, you don't qualify) but it would not surprise me too much if true. The Business Plus product doesn't really make that much sense in conjunction with F.
Having said that, I thought that AA's JV with BA required them to sell a true F cabin. How will their revenue splitting work if the cabins don't match up?
Having said that, I thought that AA's JV with BA required them to sell a true F cabin. How will their revenue splitting work if the cabins don't match up?
Aug 29, 2022, 7:54 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, DL UA
Posts: 457
This is supposed to happen as A321XLR's come on board in 2024. I happen to enjoy the extra space and less crowded cabin. I've had the privilege of flying F TATL on the 773. I'm seldom expect haute cuisine from any airline. Turkish is the outlier there. Amazing food. But their hard product is dated for sure. At 6'3" size 14 shoe many of the new PODS have small footwells. Again the exception in this case is JAL with their ottoman foot wells (777's). So I will miss the extra space. Maybe AA's upcoming hard product will offer something like Jet Blue, where Row1 will be/have a much bigger footprint. I'll bet
AA could monetize too. I'd pay for a bigger space for sure. Would you?
AA could monetize too. I'd pay for a bigger space for sure. Would you?
Aug 29, 2022, 9:47 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,685
I haven't seen this from a reputable source yet (sorry, front page of FT, you don't qualify) but it would not surprise me too much if true. The Business Plus product doesn't really make that much sense in conjunction with F.
Having said that, I thought that AA's JV with BA required them to sell a true F cabin. How will their revenue splitting work if the cabins don't match up?
Having said that, I thought that AA's JV with BA required them to sell a true F cabin. How will their revenue splitting work if the cabins don't match up?
Aug 30, 2022, 3:38 am
#43
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: 5,912
Aug 30, 2022, 3:54 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
When they announced Business Plus my assumption was that it is a transition product where they will stop selling First Class but allow Business Plus passengers access to First Class seats and FFD until they are fully retrofitted out of the system. That seems like a pretty common tactic (e.g. full-fare J customers on Asiana can select the formerly first class suites as their seats on the A380, but those on discount business class fares can't).
Aug 30, 2022, 3:56 am
#45
formerly rt23456p
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 1,210
I just never understand the economics of running reverse herringbone onboard narrowbody at 1-1, why not run Apex instead, Apex provides way better passenger comfort as it is originally designed as a high-density first class seat compared to reverse herringbone yet can achieve higher density on a narrowbody.