Great codeshare on AA
 

I needed to use the last ORD-LHR flight that arrived yesterday, which meant I reluctantly picked the AA operated 767 to get me home.

While the seat arrangement is not brilliant, it's not awful either, and although not lie flat, i got some good sleep too. I think you get a little more space if you sit in the middle pair on the 767.

But the crew were really nice - couldn't have been more enthusiastic and kind about the service (Basically have as much of, or more or both of anything on the menu), and the food was quality too.

I really enjoyed the chilled bone dry Oloroso with marinated cheese and warm nuts as the aperitif. We could do with something like that on Club World too.

Weirdly the one disappointment - odd for an American carrier I thought - brand new tablet based on demand in flight ents, but loaded with really old or second rate films.

So in summary, the one area I expected AA to be better than BA was actually not, but many where I expected AA to be worse were in fact as good as.

One problem I experienced - id be interested if anyone else has had the same - is on line check in. The BA check in (it was a BA flight number) took me to the AA site for check-in. But i seemed to get caught in a loop of updating passenger information. Despite trying all perms, it kept saying there was an error. So i had to give up. Consequently i was the last to check in and get a seat. There was no way to pre-reserve a seat either. This is a bit of a flaw in the codeshare because I ended up at the bottom of the pile...

I am glad you had a good flight...

I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised with the AA crew, and think they come in for a lot of stick sometimes...

I think, maybe the only way to ensure you secure a seat is to get your AA record locator from your BA booking using CheckMyTrip and log into the AA website to select your seat? Don't know if that would have worked?

Sadly not - it was billed as a "One World" flight within my AA record and thus not open for seat assignment. I even phoned their call centre. Only my internal AA flights were open for the usual on line check in / seat assignment privileges.

Oh... Thats a bit crap.

I don't know any other way around it I am afraid. Sorry you ended up with the last seat choice.

As I found out from here earlier this week, the Finnair website seems to do the trick, and have been consistently impressed by the handful of AA domestic F flights i've done over the last 5 years or so.

My BA coded AA domestic flight now has seats assigned!

Have to say that my recent domestic flights with AA have been great. Quality service, quality food. Not had the courage to try TATL yet but I'm tempted.

We came back in AA Business from Miami earlier this week. I had the same experience. Great crew. Very enthusiastic and bubbly. Holly even brought samples of all wines over so we could choose for starter, main and desert. And of course no trays like in CW, but a properly laid table. And at the end the crew even thanked us for being such great guests!!! While the hardware and the IFE are way below BA standard, some of the BA dragons should be send over to learn how to turn "I don't f**king care about you, dear guest" into "I don't f**king care how much you drink or eat, dear guest".

agreed ^^^^^

Looking forward to my domestic f from JFK to MIA in April. Never flown AA before.

I have done J on AA's 767s and was quite pleased with the food and service. Strangely, the 767 in J offers a slightly enhanced service over the 777 J service, such as the olives and cheese with the drinks round. Apparently 767 J was enhanced when they reconfigured the planes and lost F. Seems odd, but wondered why the service was different, there are threads on the AA forum about it.

I thought the AA washbag, while not aspiring to be as luxurious as BAs came out much better, ie something that might be useful too.

Definitely an option worth considering, if the times/availability suits.

AA's food and crew can be very good.

However for me, longhaul business class passes or fails on the seat hardware and especially my ability to sleep. AA is an epic fail there. Probably the worst wedgie seat I've flown on.

Agree on both points -- food and crew-wise usually better than BA. And had an awful shock when I flew J for the first time last year, didn't sleep a wink. But having done a few more sectors in J now, I've learnt how to get decent sleep. Still prefer a horizontal flat bed, but for me, ability to use e-VIP to get J seat on Y fare trumps it.

tb

Looking forward to trying them too - got LHR - LAX on AA Business (for the same price at WT+) when looking for a WT+ return to LAX. Will be my first AA mainline flight (my only other experience was with American Eagle).

I'm hoping it'll be good. The bed is what worries me most, as I'll be trying to sleep - but good food and service always helps!

Correct. On TATL flights, two class J has a slightly higher standard of service and catering than three class J. The downside is that the J seats on the 763s are narrower than on the 772s. Therefore, when I travel in J and have a choice of those aircraft, I try to pick the 763s for daytime flights (since I'll be awake to enjoy the higher standard of service), and the 772s for overnight flights (since I'll appreciate the extra width for sleeping).

However, keep in mind that some people consider the 75Ls (not the 763s or the 772s) to have the best J product in the AA fleet. There are many reasons for this (better crew to passenger ratio, the widest seats, a private cabin environment during boarding and while in flight, higher quality of catering, and the best installed IFE); a more comprehensive overview is available in the following thread:

75L (NGBC "international" 757) 2009-10 (and onward - consolidated)

Those who are accustomed to longhaul 747s on BA might find a narrowbody jet on a TATL route to be laughable (if it doesn't depart from or arrive at LCY), and the aircraft does have its disadvantages, but it's now my preferred machine when flying TATL in J on AA.

Haha. Don't get your hopes up :p