justforfun

So the only acceptable option is to do absolutely nothing?! How about at least call maintenance and TRY to fix the problem and at least inform the affected passenger. The only thing more ridiculous is to assume that the only other option is to cancel the flight.

beachfan

Easy to say from the peanut gallery but I�d consider refusing to sit down. Then the captain would know.

(I guess I might be booted though).

Jeff767

They are required to inform the Captain about maintenance issues. If the power is out to all seats that is normally fixed by a maintenance reboot of the system. Takes about 10 minutes. It’s extremely odd they made zero attempt to fix it and the Captain was not notified. The flight attendants may have assumed the Captain would take a delay to have it fixed and did not want to shorten the layover in Paris.
If you see the Captain head out on his break you might nicely ask if he was aware the seats were inoperable before the aircraft pushed and the flight attendants were aware. It’s likely that would be considered an illegal dispatch by the FAA. The aircraft can be dispatched in that configuration but likely requires a logbook entry and the item to be deferred.

DMPHL

You can't?

USFlyerUS

How do we know this wasn't done? It's very possible the part needed was not on hand in JFK, and I doubt FAs would be kept in the loop about the specifics of the maintenance fix. I am also doubtful the cockpit crew had no idea there was an issue like this.

Antarius

Even if it was, there's no excuse for not proactively communicating. Left hand, right hand doing their own thing as usual isn't an excuse. The lack of communication is a regular, constant complaint and issue with AA; we see it multiple times a week on this forum.

I had a 77W from LHR to DFW with no IFE at all (or internet) a few years ago. The aircraft flew a few legs with it broken and an entire overnight at LHR, and yet AA elected to not tell anyone until it was part of the boarding announcement; by which time, everyone was in LHR T3's gate area with zero opportunity to go buy a book, magazine, etc. It's the only time I've actually gotten seriously angry at an AA employee - I had them call the LHR station manager and asked him why they couldn't tell us at check in like any competent, sane organization and exactly what his job was, if everyone just did whatever the heck they felt like in their own silo.

People pay thousands, tens of thousands for these seats. Yet AA manages to be worse than McDonald's. Even they can communicate to me that the McCafe machine is broken before I get to the counter to pay.

carlosdca

I am going to guess that the issue is with the electronics/technology, not that each seat needs to be individually serviced.
Still unacceptable, for sure.

Like those hotels (or houses) where EVERYTHING has to be done through a dedicated touchscreen (like turning on the light). Touchscreen doesn't work, nothing working in the room/house

USFlyerUS

That's fair. I'm reacting to the statements about dispatching a plane with all the seats not working properly. I'd much rather get to CDG than take a cancellation or extended delay waiting for a part that might not be in JFK. Yes, AA sucks at communication. No argument there.

MarkOK

And cars.
Seems insane to put the entire functionality of a car on a single touch screen. And yet, here we are, using technology against us.