bullroot

With the exception of the FA comment, you could say same for BA F in any below average experience...

IAN-UK

You can't have it both ways! We are happy to recognise AA (two-class domestic) first as equivalent to business-class in terms of fares...
....but even happier that the airline designates it as First when it comes to TP collection.

If you want to experience First-first on AA you need to stump up a significant premium and fly the key transcon routes.

BA, ever the realist, considers AA first as business-class in terms of TPs: equivalent to its very own CE product. So it doesn't seem at all silly to compare the two products.

And in that comparison the AA product generally wins. Hands down. For me the big negative is every seat is occupied on AA, something that really does impact on the feel of the cabin: but that's AA's business, and on most aircraft the premium seating is much more comfortable than the economy product, and more comfortable than CE.

As for food.... well, it's America and things are done differently. But on longer flights I've got no complaints at all.

The same goes for the attention you get from the cabin crew. Perhaps I'm easy to please, but I usually enjoy the service I get on AA. It can be frantic on shorter flights, but on the longer ones I really don't begrudge crew their "downtime" between rounds of service.

thejohn

having flown 8 Dom first legs on AA over a year I have to agree with Liamrugby I have nothing less than a great service and having never flown BA First I have no comment. But compared to BA euro J AA is head and shoulders above BA with LCY crews above LHR & LGW, and as said many times before CWLCY crews are by far the best crew I have had the pleasure to fly with.
John

themapelligroup

AA is fine for short haul, seats are comfortable and MCE is enjoyable when not flying F. Free snack for OWE is a good benefit too, wifi works pretty well.
On long haul apart from the 77W I'd rather walk to my destination than having to take AA.
I really don't like AA crew and ground staff, they seem to do just the minimum they can do and then they disappear.
Yesterday I was at the Admiral Club in MIA: an agent was very rude to an old lady who thought she could access the club because she was flying F, I was quite upset so I decided to guest her. The agent told me I was crazy and I couldn't do it, I pointed out the oneworld rules and she had to let us into.

paul4040

The CWLCY crew are Gatwick based!

Tobias-UK

Have you eaten food on AA in the last 3 months? On those flights (where food is still served) it has been appalling, there has been a significant downgrade in the quality of the food served. Without doubt the food served on AA is the worst I've experienced on any airline, the crew say they are embarrassed by the food offering and they receive complaints regularly - especially in F on the transcontinental service.

I used to enjoy AA meals, now I often leave what's put in front of me and ask to buy something from the economy menu or eat on arrival.

thejohn

yes your right of course but I was referring to the fact that the service is better on the BA crewed LCY service than BA crew from LGW and both are classed as J and from 28th April as you well know that will be even on tier points as well....
John

alexwuk

Have you ever actually looked at AA domestic F pricing vs BA CE pricing? I think you'll find AA nowadays cost much less per mile than CE.

So actually, yeah it's pretty relevant when BA's shorthaul "premium" product is worse than now every one of its alliance partners. I remember the days when people used to say of CE "oh well, at least its better than AA domestic F".

Now's BA's pretty much rock-bottom of the pile *is* news.

IAN-UK

My last flurry of activity in the US was November, and my last AA flight was a crack of dawn service SFO to Miami. I admit to stocking up at the deli (Napa Foods?) in front of the AA lounge, but more because I'm a sucker for the loveliness of what they offer.

Hand on heart, I have no recollection of food on AA, except for the ghastly sundaes (which I'm hoping have finished) and doughy cookies and milk they offered.

FCO36

I fully agree. AA use to have good food and service until the changes due to the AA/US merger. The other week I flew LGA-DFW in F (4 hours flights) at 11.00 am and this is what I got:



Some dry beef enchilada as main, gummy chicken "salad". As for dessert it was a tasteless tiramisu I did not finished. The FA asked me why I did not finish it. When I told her it was not very good her answer was "hey, you're on an airplane..." Not inflight entertainment on the 737-800 but pay per view streaming on Ipad or laptop.

Seats are bigger and different than BA CE, but I 100% prefer my recent 2 hours + flights on BA CE as for food and service.

scillyisles

I really struggle with your posts about food Tobias-UK.
On one hand you mostly insist that the CCR at LHR T5 serves great food always hot and the staff service is great. You post that BA F food is always good and the service is great.
... and now you post that the food particularly in F on AA's transcontinental flagship service is awful.
I fly exactly the same planes and visit the same CCR at LHR T5 and wonder if we are in separate parallel universes. However in my universe, BA food in F is normally pretty bad (I posted photos of how bad it was a couple of weeks ago), service from BA cabin crew in F can be sometimes great(~25-30%) sometimes good (~40% )and sometimes bad ( ~30-35%).
Of all the meals I have had in the CCR I can only remember one that was served hot and was of 3 star restaurant quality - all the rest have either been cold or poor quality or both. Service in the CCR I find very hit or miss and mostly miss.
On the food on AA's transcontinental flagship F on the A321T, I had the best fillet steak ever on a plane from JFK to LAX the other week and my breakfast back from LAX to JFK was very good. The AA F A321T seat I find to be more comfortable as a bed than BA F on any of their planes including A380 (which I fly a lot).
The one area where our universes seem to converge is the food on AA's 2 class F service planes including longer trancontinentals say LAS to JFK or MIA to LAS and HNL to LAX etc has deteriorated markedly since the AA/US merger. I would agree that the food can be very poor and indeed on one flight both of us had different dishes but both were awful (one pasta dish and one chicken dish)

NickB

If these are your expectations, then you are bound to be disappointed. Even in lounges that provide very good food (eg: QF F lounge at SYD or LH FCT at FRA), this will not be anywhere remotely near 3* quality.

stewaran

With these expectations you should be well impressed!!

IME the crew in AA domestic F and Delta domestic F are every bit as good as CE on BA.

ukgooner

I too have generally have had good to excellent food on BA F. Can't comment on CCR as I only normally have boiled eggs (if anything) - but they are good too. I certainly wouldn't be expecting 3* standards though. It is after all an airline lounge. without the brigade of chefs found at a top restaurant kitchen. Id say its wonderful you have had a dish you'd associate with a 3* kitchen though.

But to get back on topic (surely we don't need to revisit BA F food again?) I like AA, and very happy to fly with them. Typically do 20-odd F domestic sectors and few interconti's too. Generally in domestic F (And there isnt any difference between transcon food in F (where J & F get the same meals) and 2 class F), the food can be quite heavy. Its often red meat or something cheesy. The salads are now often shredded iceberg with little else.

AA crew in F are much more friendly and approachable than coach. I assume they have more time to engage - and I have never thought service has been indifferent. If I have wanted anything, they have been there in a shot.

The one thing AA really does beat BA on - and Im surprised this is never commented on - is glasses! i wish BA would ditch the tiny glasses they use. Its great to get on AA a proper drink in a proper glass with loads of ice.

PUCCI GALORE

Crews can and do differ widely. Mostly they are good at both carriers but you only need on to sour the whole perception. I had one Purser out of LHR travelling to CPH who was truly dreadful. He had an extra crew member even though there were only 18 passengers in CE - probably the return sector had 21. He decided that the meal be served before drinks on a Band 3 sector and closed the bar 15 minutes before landing.

One person who protested was told

"If you don't like it - by all means go ahead and complain"

This person was I might add stone cold sober and as he was chatting to me, I knew that he had not drunk much, so that excuse can go the way of all things.

Charming! I just hope that they did as I have done. What a disgraceful way to talk to your clientele. For those who decide that sitting under a blanket is the way to serve your guests, I find that the call bell strategically rung at random intervals can put paid to that. I would never have dreamed of behaving like that - it is totally unprofessional.