Transcon Flagship First vs. Flagship Business
 

Any real difference besides the seat and access to the Chelsea lounge in New York? Flying SFO to JFK and no Flagship Lounge in SF.

1-1 configuration versus 2-2 and a soup course.

It was never worth paying the difference, but even less so now with the removal of Flagship First Dining.

By no means a guarantee, I find the service to be much more attentive, but the catering nearly identical. I adore a 1-1 narrow body and it’s my favorite cabin in the fleet. Not worth the cash layout if it’s my dime, but a fun way to burn an expiring SWU.

Done both, worth the money to take the in-app UG IMHO.

I quite like the op-up on the return leg.

That is a sweet-spot for a much better overall experience for marginal extra cost. The delta flying WB is augmented by the ground experience. I’ll occasionally op-up if on the EB red eye but I tend to avoid such short overnighters when I can avoid it.

I have never paid but take the opup every time I am offered ;)

Well except the one time I was with a companion…the lucky person next to my companion got a F seat instead.

I use my BusinessExtra upgrades here when travelling on a revenue AA ticket.

I actually love the 1-1 seating in first.. And since I am a JFK based flyer, really find that because of my trans con frequency I am in first most of the time.. But when I travel in business class , as a CK , I get into the Chelsea Lounge which is excellent IMHO.. It is the extreme privacy in first that I cherish

Lots of trip report content out there (written and video) about transcon F and J...perhaps worth a quick review so you can see it for yourself if you're into that kind of thing. In SFO, the ground experience is the same for business and first. The lounge is the Admirals Club which is nice but isn't what you'll have at JFK. When I flew out of there last summer, check in was crazy busy and the ground staff was so-so....no special treatment at all...typical security and lines...fantastic onboard experience in business (one of the best FAs I've had in years). If you're with a partner, business might be better IF you want to sit next to them and chat because you won't really have that option in first. Either way, it's the best domestic premium cabin in the fleet.

I think transcon F is a really nice way to cross the country. I probably make 3-5 trips a year. Don't mean to be precious, but I've only done J a few times. I'd never pay serious extra money to be in F. But I've usually gotten a cash upgrade either in app or at the airport in the region of $250-350 (record low was like $240 on a 6am Sunday morning SFO-JFK) and I think that's well worth it for the extra privacy on longish flight. Somehow the crews on these flights tend to be more fun than the frostier ones on TATL F.

That will be nothing compared to when it learns to create its own email accounts and then use them for MFA on logins for other sites. I presume it already could do this if it was allowed to.

Is flagship First transcon dine on demand. I have a 6:30am and really would prefer to eat towards the end of the flight

theoretically yes you can always ask them to "save your meal for later" but how well it holds up is another question

I would avoid using the term "dining" in association with American's transcon breakfasts. Dining sets far too lofty of an expectation.

FWIW I always ask for a delayed meal on AM westbound transcons and I have never been denied, whether on transcon J or just regular domestic F.
It’s a nice courtesy on the early AM departures I do appreciate. I tell the FAs I am trying to get a few more hours of sleep. Even on midcons (like to LGA-DFW) I often don’t ask, but preorder something cold and the FAs bring it to me when I wake up.

Maybe it helps that I also prefer the cold breakfast, but have had hot before and FAs warm it up. I quite like the AA oatmeal gruel (lol) and the lox. I haven’t seen the oatmeal in a while though nor the lox on transcon J.

What?

It's a quote from The Office by Prison Mike (Season 3,Episode : The Convict)

I thought AA had discontinues first class service...but I see BOS-LAX and LAX-HNL offering lie flat first on what looks like a 3 class A321-neo.

Is this a true premium international first class product? What about Flagship Dining wither in BOS or on arrival or before departure in LAX?

You won't see any lie flat seats on the NEO, but you will on the A321T. LAX-HNL is a watered down business class.

So this says that there are live flaxseeds in business and first only and that there’s both a business class and first class… Which implies to me that there is a fancy first class for a premium trans con flight? Is that not the case? And you’re saying the Honolulu services us even worse?

if the New York to JFK first class a better first class?


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...382325039.jpeg

Don't discount the soup course in Flagship F (which only shows up about 50% of the time) and the slightly better wine (~$15/bottle price point instead of <$10/bottle)!

-FlyerBeek

Is this flight really flagship F?

$15/bottle?

But it is already discount soup :D

Hawaii gets the regular recliner A321s. Only lie flat is from DFW and seasonal PHX flights. Don’t expect any over the ocean WiFi from the A321 to Hawaii.

Hawaii gets the regular recliner A321s. Only lie flat is from DFW and seasonal PHX flights. Don’t expect any over the ocean WiFi from the A321 to Hawaii.

The 321T is almost always used on Trans con flights LAX/SFO-BOS/JFK. These are currently 3 class aircraft. LAX-Hawaii is almost always the NEO. BIg difference in service and seating

Got it. I didn’t know about the T.

I have never been served live flaxseeds on these routes. I have enjoyed gin and tonic severed with lime. Once I had the chocolate mouse cake for dessert.

isn't Chelsea lounge essentially Flagship First Dining though?

I have yet to visit the Chelsea Lounge (may try to go in August), but the consensus is that Chelsea Lounge is a far cry from JFK Flagship First Dining. I had two visits to JFK FFD before it shut down, and my experience was remarkably better than what the reports on Chelsea are saying.

I suppose it's a personal opinion then. I have been to both. the Chelsea Lounge is much bigger, nicer bar, more seating options, with the similar a la carte dining menu. Negative aspect is the lack of windows, but everything else is improved from FFD, IMO.

Is it possible to buy up from a J award to F at check in? I really enjoyed my previous F flight and would be happy to experience it again before they retire the fleet

[QUOTE=TravelingZoomer;35620978]Is it possible to buy up from a J award to F at check in? I really enjoyed my previous F flight and would be happy to experience it again before they retire the fleet[/QUOTE

deleted, bad info

Unlikely. J to F on paid tickets get buy up offers (as low as $250), but I haven't seen them on award tickets in any cabin.

That said, F largely is unsold, resulting in regular op ups. I've gone from Y to F (complimentary upgrade to J and op up to F) on award tickets on the transcon.

Discount J gets buy up offers as well.

Nope.

I always asked for delayed breakfast on the eastbound transcon J, I have never been denied. But more often than not, I’ve gotten that extra serving of attitude.

is dine on demand written down anywhere by AA? Or is that the old days.

Extra serving of attitude sums it up well.

I don’t believe it is a policy or written down.

Commentary is for F — I’ve had some FAs proactively ask when I’d like to eat (perhaps staggering meals helps them maintain sanity when it is one FA working a full cabin), most who are fine with delaying service and one who said she was firing all meals at once so I’d get a cold breakfast if I wanted to wait (6 am westbound where I was the only paid customer; other nine were non-rev’s).

In J, I go with the flow.