48 Hours In NYC, Comparing the "Old" American with the "New" (AA Y+ & Y)
Sep 20, 2013, 9:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: AAdvantage Silver
Posts: 4
48 Hours In NYC, Comparing the "Old" American with the "New" (AA Y+ & Y)
Hello there all,
My name is MET1555; long time reader, first time poster so go easy on me.
Anyway, on with the show:
I have flown many flights across the Atlantic in my few years that I have been on this Earth and most of them have been with AA. I have always thought rather poorly of AA I must admit and started laughing when AA heralded it's 77W as the newest thing in Aviation when I had already flown it several times with EK.
However, my Grandfather decided to have a wedding (his fourth to be exact) and so that meant flying out of London on Thursday night, partying all weekend then flying home Sunday morning ready for school the next day. The outbound flight (AA107) was to be flown on their new 77W and the return flight (AA142) was to be flown on the old 772. One that I have flown on many times and enjoyed very few times.
Getting to the airport we chose to bring the car as we would be bringing 6 bags with us (being a family of 6 travelling light is no option). We used the pre-book system and parked in the multi story short stay car park located just across from the main entrance to T3 and only meant a lift down to the main level and a brisk walk to get to check in.
I always find check in at T3 a bit of a mess as there are so many different airlines flying out of it that it feels like all the check in desks are just crammed in. The only airline who actually has it good is VS in terms of check in area at T3, American used to have an entire section to itself but those days are gone now and it now shares it with Air Berlin (please do correct me if I am wrong). Check in was quick and there was no need to 'pull rank' with my Mother's AA gold card as there were only a few people ahead of us in the main cabin. After check in which took about 10 mins we went upstairs to a very quick moving security. Maybe it was the fact that we were flying out on a Thursday but the security area seemed pretty dead and we were all airside within 5-10 minutes of first joining the queue. So far, so good!
Next stop, the admirals lounge! The admirals lounge is positioned very nicely in T3 just below the VS lounge and next to the BA lounge. It is by far and away the nicest American lounge I have ever set foot in or read about in a trip report. Take a look:
It also has amazing views out on to the tarmac and of the ATC control tower:
The lounge is also quite expansive and has very nice and comfortable seating, 2 different sets of computer stations, main power points everywhere, 2 sets of drink fridges, a T.V room and a small buffet area.
On the menu that night was curry with rice, sandwiches and a delicious soup that was so good I forgot what it was. All of it was very good. However, I wouldn't expect dinner from there but rather more of a snack before boarding the aircraft. Another incredible thing in the Admirals lounge is the showers there, there are about a dozen or so separate shower rooms and all of them are pretty big and spacious. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have enough time to grab a shower this time but I went there and snapped a few pics anyway:
Once that was done I killed another 10 minutes using the WiFi there before leaving the lounge and walking about 300m to my gate. 10 points to anyone who can spot my plane hiding in the photos above. As I was waiting to get in to the gate I heard a rather funny encounter happen a few people ahead of me in the queue where a man had thought that this gate was for the flight to Chicago which was actually departing a few gates down.
After that it was another 5 minutes or so before Group 1 was called and we walked down the jet bridge and in to the planes. I have to say that when I boarded the plane I really did feel as if I was stepping on to a brand new plane from a top flight airline not the usual AA I was used to at all! I quickly found my seat in the last row of premium economy and called dibs on the window seat immediately. It was another 20-30 minutes or so before we finally pushed back but that wait really didn't feel that long as the seat back TVs are set up so that you can use it on the ground.
DSCF3633 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3634 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3635 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3636 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3638 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3640 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3641 by MET1555, on FlickrAfter quite a long taxi and a whole lotta waiting behind other traffic it was finally our turn to depart: http://youtu.be/imTvikRLZHE
End of Part 1.
My name is MET1555; long time reader, first time poster so go easy on me.
Anyway, on with the show:I have flown many flights across the Atlantic in my few years that I have been on this Earth and most of them have been with AA. I have always thought rather poorly of AA I must admit and started laughing when AA heralded it's 77W as the newest thing in Aviation when I had already flown it several times with EK.
However, my Grandfather decided to have a wedding (his fourth to be exact) and so that meant flying out of London on Thursday night, partying all weekend then flying home Sunday morning ready for school the next day. The outbound flight (AA107) was to be flown on their new 77W and the return flight (AA142) was to be flown on the old 772. One that I have flown on many times and enjoyed very few times.
Getting to the airport we chose to bring the car as we would be bringing 6 bags with us (being a family of 6 travelling light is no option). We used the pre-book system and parked in the multi story short stay car park located just across from the main entrance to T3 and only meant a lift down to the main level and a brisk walk to get to check in.
I always find check in at T3 a bit of a mess as there are so many different airlines flying out of it that it feels like all the check in desks are just crammed in. The only airline who actually has it good is VS in terms of check in area at T3, American used to have an entire section to itself but those days are gone now and it now shares it with Air Berlin (please do correct me if I am wrong). Check in was quick and there was no need to 'pull rank' with my Mother's AA gold card as there were only a few people ahead of us in the main cabin. After check in which took about 10 mins we went upstairs to a very quick moving security. Maybe it was the fact that we were flying out on a Thursday but the security area seemed pretty dead and we were all airside within 5-10 minutes of first joining the queue. So far, so good!
Next stop, the admirals lounge! The admirals lounge is positioned very nicely in T3 just below the VS lounge and next to the BA lounge. It is by far and away the nicest American lounge I have ever set foot in or read about in a trip report. Take a look:
It also has amazing views out on to the tarmac and of the ATC control tower:
The lounge is also quite expansive and has very nice and comfortable seating, 2 different sets of computer stations, main power points everywhere, 2 sets of drink fridges, a T.V room and a small buffet area.
On the menu that night was curry with rice, sandwiches and a delicious soup that was so good I forgot what it was. All of it was very good. However, I wouldn't expect dinner from there but rather more of a snack before boarding the aircraft. Another incredible thing in the Admirals lounge is the showers there, there are about a dozen or so separate shower rooms and all of them are pretty big and spacious. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have enough time to grab a shower this time but I went there and snapped a few pics anyway:
Once that was done I killed another 10 minutes using the WiFi there before leaving the lounge and walking about 300m to my gate. 10 points to anyone who can spot my plane hiding in the photos above. As I was waiting to get in to the gate I heard a rather funny encounter happen a few people ahead of me in the queue where a man had thought that this gate was for the flight to Chicago which was actually departing a few gates down.
After that it was another 5 minutes or so before Group 1 was called and we walked down the jet bridge and in to the planes. I have to say that when I boarded the plane I really did feel as if I was stepping on to a brand new plane from a top flight airline not the usual AA I was used to at all! I quickly found my seat in the last row of premium economy and called dibs on the window seat immediately. It was another 20-30 minutes or so before we finally pushed back but that wait really didn't feel that long as the seat back TVs are set up so that you can use it on the ground.
DSCF3633 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3634 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3635 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3636 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3638 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3640 by MET1555, on Flickr
DSCF3641 by MET1555, on Flickr
End of Part 1.
Sep 29, 2013, 5:53 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
(though 77W is better if I want to use an eVIP and have a ticket from continental Europe to avoid UK tax.)