AA first class experiment
 

I've flown Delta for years, but last week I needed to go to Grand Cayman and Delta only has 1x per week flights. So, I decided to try AA. I purchased a ticket in first/business IAD-MIA-GCM and return. I thought I'd share my impression of their product vs. Delta.

Seats: Standard 737, but I prefer the cloth seats on AA, opinions may vary.

Drinks: Service on the 4 flights had no consistency for pre-flight beverages. On two, there were none offered, on one, water or orange juice, on the last, full cocktail service. No correlation between domestic and international legs.

Food: Similar to Delta, except they called the "snacks" "light appetizers"

Lounge: Caribbean premium tickets don't qualify for complimentary lounge access, but I bought a day pass just for research. I ordered a bourbon and water. The bartender asked if I wanted their house bourbon, I asked what it was. He showed me a bottle of something I've never even seen before, so I asked for Maker's Mark (which I saw on the shelf behind the bar). I was about to walk away and he called me back and presented me with a bill for $12. Free food was carrots and celery with dip or pretzel mix, but they had chips, sandwiches and so forth for a hefty price. Overall, made me feel like a rube for paying $50 to get in (the cost of a day pass).

In-flight service: One leg was probably the best I've ever experienced, the other three were average to poor.

Overall, I'd say the lounge is where they truly differentiate themselves, and not in a good way. Their service to Caribbean destinations is the positive, although being the only choice for a route is a questionable marketing strategy.

Ta!

DL lounges are a pretty similar experience with the Luxury Bar that's being rolled out... though without the food for sale option.

Which lounge did you access?

Definitely no expert alcoholic here (that's a good thing!) but based on FT comments, seems like DL's free "house" brands are a step above the others. Personally enjoy JD but don't think AA/UA offer it as a free brand. Guess this is really a personal pref thing.

But was the Admirals club as jam packed as the SC's?

For UA depends on the lounge. UC pretty run of the mill. GFL very good selection.

I have been in DL, AA, US, AS, and UA lounges domestically and while none are exceptional, I prefer DL. Until recently AA offered no free booze. Also, if you weren't an admirals club member they charge for Internet. (I access clubs with my Amex so not a club member)

In terms if First class, I used to fly AA almost exclusively until a couple of years ago when I switched to DL. I often found the experience nice, but nothing special. I also don't care for AA's Stone Age fleet. If you think DL planes are bad, try AA.

Thanks for the assessment. I do like AA's frequencies to the Caribbean and wish DL would improve their schedules.

Agree. I think DL's free liquor, while not premium, is certainly more than acceptable, although YMMV. Don't drink wine, but I understand that is highly more subjective.

Yes, certainly. $12 for a Maker's is ridiculous when SkyClubs are serving up Woodford for free.

For $12 he should've given you a pint of it. Pretty absurd to charge that much.

The GFL is a whole apples-to-oranges comparison to the UC. SkyClub is more aligned with UC, given that both sell memberships to it, certain credit card holders and elite status levels get in, etc. GFL only happens if you're in International or p.s. F.

Only one or two SCs (CVG and I've heard rumors of IND but never been there) are serving Woodford for free. The rest are Jim Beam, if it's even available, otherwise Jack.

I fly AA here and there, almost always paid J. I found the rules a bit more nuanced in terms of booze and internet. As Paid J I always received internet and drink certificates. I liked some AA clubs better than some of the DL clubs, in particular some of the converted PMNW clubs. Though I have a disdain for the AA's MIA clubs. Crowded, noisy, no really noisy, plus clearing customs in MIA is a real PITA.

And like DL, a lot of Caribean destinations are considered domestic F. No club, not all that much to differentiate from any other carrier. In true J to central and south america AA has a nicer soft product in my opinion. Hard product will depend on if you're talking narrow body or wide body. In particular if it's a DL route still running the 2x2x2 767s (ugh).

Jim Beam or Jack are still preferable to some of the house brands I've run across on some Caribbean isles. Some of that stuff is just plain nasty.

I much prefer DL Skyclubs as the presentation of the snacks just look nicer to me than say the high school dispensers found at the UC.

Also the oatmeal in the mornings are a nice alternative to the Sarah Lee pre-packaged "checmicalized" muffins and bagels at the UC.

Dan

I currently fly both AA and DL in F a lot. While I like AA they have certainly slipped from their perch as the premier domestic carrier to the middle of the pack these days.

Hubs: Aside from DFW their domestic hubs are nothing to write home about. JFK and LAX have limited service while MIA is too out of the way. ORD is fine but they rely heavily on RJs at this hub, which brings up...

Aircraft: I think the plane I flew last week was the one the Wright brothers used. Planes are very dated and depressing looking. Pitch in F is a bit better and they are catching up on wi-fi. My issue is that most of their RJs are E-145s and they use them on flights in excess of 2 hours. No seatback IFE on domestic flights. International planes also need a lot of love. Only lie-flat seats are on 777s.

In-Flight Service: VERY hit and miss. Their crews are disgruntled about the labor situation and it shows. I have had some excellent service and some horrible service. Pre-departure beverages seem to be at the whim of the FAs. Meals are bland and do not change much. I do like the ice cream sundaes, the occasional shrimp cocktail and the fact that they serve full leams on shorter flights than DL.

Lounges: Dated. Crowded. Limited power ports. Complimentary liquor is rot-gut. As crowded as the SCs are they are better. That said, AA does have "Flagship Lounges" at ORD, JFK, MIA and LAX. These are premium lounges for international biz and first passengers. Very nice, small, quiet. Top shelf everything. Would be nice if DL went back to these...especially at JFK and ATL.

Technology: Complain about DL all you want but they are way ahead in the tech race. AA's tech feels like's it's a couple of tin cans and a string. That said, their fare and award search functions are better and I actually trust what I'm seeing


All in all, DL is a much better airline than AA at present. AA is a better airline than UA ans US.

I believe there are 3. BOS has it for sure.

except that DL clearly lets you know that your ordering top shelf booze.

BOS used to also have champagne/mimosas until the luxury bar came and killed that. Not paying $15 or whatever for a split.

Nahhh. The quality of the wine isn't subjective - the free stuff is objectively bad at the lounges for all of the US carriers.

Science can be expensive!

Too bad you didn't bother to ask anyone on the AA forum about the Admirals Club free alcohol policies (or look them up yourself on the interwebs) before you paid a $50 cover charge for the privilege of ordering a $12 boubon. Ouch. Had you asked before you "exprimented," someone would have warned you that the only free alcohol is the cheap stuff and that name brand drinks would cost you plenty.

Think about it for a minute though - do you really think AA would sell day passes to the lounge for a mere $50 if there was an unlimited open bar for that price?

I honestly don't see what the Admiral's Club offers aside from internet and cleaner bathrooms. Complimentary food is virtually nil and the free booze is stuff from a plastic bottle that even a dog wouldn't even drink.

And if you choose to pay for a premium food/drink item, prepare to get charged out the @$$ for it and in the case of liquor, have it carefully measured out so you don't even get value for your money. And you can't even bring your own food in to make up for the lack of offerings.

DL's free booze selection is excellentin the grand scheme of domestic lounges: Tanqueray for gin, JD/JB for whiskey, Skyy for vodka (and especially so in the self-serve SCs so you can make yourself a stiff one if you want). And their food selection isn't half bad either. Though I don't get the olives...do that many people eat olives that the choice has stuck around for this long?

Indy has woodford, and BOS had it a month ago

I don't understand the olives. But my wife loves them for some reason, has to be her favorite thing about the SCs.

While not wine, I do appreciate that DL often has local beers on tap in their SkyClubs. ATL, SLC come to mind.

I also agree with comments that AA crews seem to be disgruntled.

Yes, my dog only gets top shelf booze. :confused:

Did you mean to say cheap stuff "that even a homeless bum wouldn't drink"?

For me, the annual membership fee is worth it on those few terrible-weather days in Chicago or DFW when snow/ice/lightning/hail shuts down the airport and the gates resemble refugee camps. The Admirals Clubs can get a little more crowded during those times, but they're 10X better than sitting at gate K11. On top of that, for the last several years, my children have consumed at least $300/yr worth of free snacks and beverages, more than paying for the membership.

$50 for a one-day pass for a single visit from someone thinking they'd get free Maker's Mark isn't a terribly good value, no matter how you measure it. Most of the MIA terminal is very spacious and with bad weather being a rarity there, escaping the masses at the AC isn't as important as in ORD or DFW.

The "no outside food" rule at the Admirals Clubs was officially rescinded several years ago (2007?), I believe around the time that AA began selling hot food at the clubs. The historical rationale for the rule was related to the smell, decorum, potential mess, etc, all of which went out the window when the clubs began selling food several years ago.

Delta are Twice the Airline of AA

You need Twice the PesoMiles to get a Standard award

and Twice the PesoMiles for a First Class Award.

And International Full Service First Class....Forget it.:td:

I spent 35,000 sky miles on a mixed F/Y award ticket this year. A similar ticket would have cost 37,500 on AA, and no FC on the RJ legs.

I'll stick with DL and the complimentary mid-shelf liquor in the Sky clubs...

The OP was expecting (or hoping) that, for $50, they might offer a product comparable to what you can buy from DL for $50. I think that was the point, don't you?

Domestic F is terrible but better than flying Y.
I would have just drank onboard rather than in the lounge.
Besides, on AA my miles actually have value.

^ a big +1 - what I miss about being based in IND

My miles have value, too. Not nearly as much value as my time and comfort, though.

Nothing particular against AA - they are okay if their limited network aligns with yours - but this notion that more valuable miles justify taking second-best is something I can't relate to. DL simply offers, to my mind, a better travel experience, and that would hold true even if AA were not a bit of a basket-case right now.

Delta does exactly this, so I don't think it's unreasonable at all to expect unlimited halfway decent alcohol to be available after paying $50 for a day pass.

Having spent a lot of time in both Delta and American lounges, the AA lounge experience is inferior in almost every way.

Correction: The Flagship lounges (while very nice) are only available if you are flying international first class. International business doesn't cut it.

Correction: AA EXP has access to Flagship when flying internationally regardless the class of service. Even Y is O.K.
You can also access Admirals Club and/or Flagship when flying certain transcons in J or F:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/trans-con-access.jsp

I think AA does a good job for what they have got. A bunch of old planes, older employees and higher costs make it tough for them to be competitive. Look at their 763s and their international product.....it really isn't up to par with DL. I'm just curious to see if the A321s ever come with the configuration they are claiming and if the 777-300s all have the promised product. If AA emerges from BK solo, I expect all of those announcements will come to be. However, if US and AA merge I am imagining all those plans to go out the door and the new airline to look more like US who is a legacy carrier but acts like a low cost carrier.

Assuming AA emerges solo from bankruptcy I think they will probably end up having the best product in a few years of any domestic carrier since all their planes will be new and their premium routes will actually have premium seats. AA would (hopefully will) be a very strong player once they get their costs in line and all of the older planes retired and regional flying from Eagle chopped/spun off. As it stands now though, the product really lacks and its in many ways sad to see what has become of AA in New York. B6 has just chewed away at their share and now DL has gone in for the kill in NYC. I feel like the same thing is happening in Texas and Florida too as competitors sense weakness and go in and expand. NK, B6, WN, UA all have grown in Florida and Texas markets as AA just tries to stay afloat and protect their fortress hubs. It will be interesting to see what happens with AA in the next few years. I personally am rooting for them and think they will emerge from bankruptcy as a very strong competitor.

I'd rather have a widebody on the tcons but if the narrowbody improves the product then I'm OK with it.

Last time I went to Costco, a handle of Makers ran me $36. Since I have no other hard figures, I'll assume it would cost the airline the same amount despite massive volume. Even someone who hits the alcohol moderately hard and packs away, say, 6 drinks during a 2-3 hour layover would consume about $5 worth. Sure, you could compare it to an airport bar and say that tab would have run $75, but the fact that the day pass visitor "only" pays $50 isn't why they don't serve better liquor. It's because of the members who they serve the stuff to all year long for a rate much lower than what the day pass visitors are paying.

You got me on the EXP access, but business class doesn't get you access to the Flagship Lounge; only first.

MIA D30, the larger one, then MIA D17 - still decent size and I do have to give them credit, neither of the lounges seemed as crowded as most sky clubs.