Erik Jacobsen

I was looking at a red-eye from LAX-JFK in mid-July and I noticed that AA has their premium (Lay-Flat) Transcon product on sale from both SFO and LAX to JFK for $659. I was going to go with B6, bit AA was actually cheaper. (I prefer AA's product for sleeping, so this was a pleasant surprise.) Example: https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...;sd:1;t:f;tt:o

It looks like there's at least some availablity almost every day from July 8 to July 31.

FOrgot to add, this is an I-class fare

nickohrn

What is the price usually like on this fare? I haven't flown AA transcontinental business but have flown transcontinental Mint - is AA really a better experience than Mint?

cbrown5294

oneworld82

Kacee

Yep. There's been a variant of this fare offered by all three legacies ever since B6 introduced Mint. It's been as low as $559.

SFO777

seldnflyer

I'm with you here - despite no lounge B6's product is phenomenal for a transcon

rrrrrich

SFO777

Yes, 140 TP for Business. 210 TP for First.

Markie

You can upgrade these fares with AA BusinessExtra certificates/points to First, if A class is available. Although you only get the 140 TPs.

RichardInSF

I can pretty much always find SFO-NYC with a flat bed seat available for this price or less. Sure, the wine quality will vary a bit but that isn't very important to me. This fare level is available way too often to be a "deal."

fish3d

Took this trip JFK -SFO and JFK-LAX a mumber of times last year. Allows access to the Flagship Lounge at JFK and now LAX. Paid 1100.r/t but had to book well in advance. Not sure if 659 OW is a good deal.
Also biz class seating is 2- 2 first is 1-1 so if you are in first you cannot speak to your travel mate /Business associate.

George84

Erik Jacobsen

You might want to check before you post... There is no $399 LAX/SFO to JFK on B6 in July. Lowest I see is a couple Saturdays at $559, but the majority of the B6 flights are in the $700-$799 range.

Given that I usually see this o/w for ~$800 on AA, and that B6 is more expensive on most of thsoe dates... Seems like a decent deal to me.

Erik Jacobsen

I'm going to disagree with you, here... Personally, I find AA Business Transcon a better product than Mint, especially if you're sleeping. Personally, I'll pay up to $50 more to fly an AA J Transon over B6, up top $100 if it's a red-eye. Reasons:
a. Hard Product, the 2+2 in Mint is not as comfortable for me as AA J Transcon whether sleeping or on a day flight.
b. Mard Product ctd. the "Mint Suites" aren't that great if sleeping. Sure, they're more private, with the door but the actual seat is way less comfortable when flat and the footwells are tiny. (I have small feet and yet I have to flex them to fit in the footwell.)
c. Food and Drink, in my experience has typically been better on AA J Transcon. (Not always, but often.)
d. Lounge Access: This fare on AA gives you access to the Flagship Lounges at LAX and JFK. B6 give you access to the Mint lounge... Oh, wait... there isn't a Mint lounge.
e. Status: This earns 2x EQMs on AA towards status, but only the normal rate for Base Points on B6 towards Mosiac.
f. Upgrades: Because AA flys 3-class on this route, there are various paths to upgrade to first (1+1 and the single most comfortble transcon red-eye out there).
g. YMMV

That said, B6 has way nicer amenity kits right now, despite having been downgraded last year. Of course, they seem to forget to cater them on about every fourth Mint flight I take...

Don't get me wrong, I fly plenty of B6 Mint flights, either because they're on routes where the competition is a standard domestic F (Like SEA-JFK) or they're more than $100 cheaper o/w than AA (The point at which the savings are worth more--to me--than the reasons above).

Besides, there's only about 6 days in all of July where B6 is less than this fare.