No, I will not throw away a First Class ticket to London even if it is on American
May 5, 2017, 1:52 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Charlottesville, Va. USA
Posts: 1,752
I too read ahead. Great TR as usual. I was blown away by the F menu. I haven't flown AA Int. F since Jan. 2015. I flew ord/pvg and the food was horrible. Hard to believe they will keep up this level of catering.
May 5, 2017, 9:04 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,487
Looks really decent. Honestly, I'd give a pass to AA for the temporary lounge. Yes, it's s**t but it's temporary, no? 
The F&B on AA looks really rather decent, I had no idea they served LPGS in F! I know that on some routes AA and BA have harmonized their product offerings in premium cabins. For a while on transatlantics BA were doing the made to order sundaes in F. I've also had the dessert wine listed on QF in First.
Pro Tip:
Star Alliance Golds get free FC upgrades on the Heathrow Express. Just buy a standard class ticket and show your *G card when seated in F onboard...also you mentioned £32 return, that's actually the one way fare for FC. It's supposed to be £55 return.
http://heathrowt2.staralliance.com/offers
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares
Whilst you lauded it the HEX actually gets a fair amount of stick in the UK, primarily over the cost relative to the distance/time. When compared to a car service/taxi it's not bad, but it takes you to Paddington which isn't handy for a lot of London and compared to other train services, which admittedly are less convenient (Tube/Heathrow Connect) it's several multiples more expensive.
The F&B on AA looks really rather decent, I had no idea they served LPGS in F! I know that on some routes AA and BA have harmonized their product offerings in premium cabins. For a while on transatlantics BA were doing the made to order sundaes in F. I've also had the dessert wine listed on QF in First.
Pro Tip:
Star Alliance Golds get free FC upgrades on the Heathrow Express. Just buy a standard class ticket and show your *G card when seated in F onboard...also you mentioned £32 return, that's actually the one way fare for FC. It's supposed to be £55 return.
http://heathrowt2.staralliance.com/offers
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares
Whilst you lauded it the HEX actually gets a fair amount of stick in the UK, primarily over the cost relative to the distance/time. When compared to a car service/taxi it's not bad, but it takes you to Paddington which isn't handy for a lot of London and compared to other train services, which admittedly are less convenient (Tube/Heathrow Connect) it's several multiples more expensive.
May 5, 2017, 9:24 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
American First Class to London
The short walk back to Gate 41.
Los Angeles LAX to London Heathrow
American AA 136
777-300ER (77W)
7:40p-2:15p +1
May 1, 2017
Departed 8/8
Seat 2A
Wow, T-35 and we're already on Group 9. When I booked this flight some six months ago, I had Mrs. SFO777 in 1A and I was in 2A. Fast forward to yesterday and I'm now in 1D with 2A assigned to someone else. No idea whether this was a FAM thing or what. When Mrs. SFO777 decided that she was not going to come along, I cancelled her ticket and moved over to 1A. Lo and behold I board and the doufuss in 2A is sitting in 1A. Huh? When the FA intervened and we found out that his boarding pass said 2A, I told him to stay there and I took 2A. Definitely not a FAM type so no idea what that was all about.
Pleasant cabin with 1-2-1 staggered configuration.
Seat was comfy but not very private as you're pretty much exposed to the rest of the cabin, and vice versa.
Lots of pillows, duvets and blankets clogging up the seat.
Service tonight was excellent. Friendly, professional and impressive.
But then there was Mr. Detroit Piston in 2D, yapping on the phone the entire time prior to push telling his friends that he was in First Class. He was no doubt also trying to impress the world with his sense of fashion.
Tonight's menu...
OK, this is encouraging. But let's see how this translates into the real world at 35,000 feet.
And the wine list. Whoa Nellie. Pinch me. This is American Airlines??
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle? Are you kidding me? Etude? And a 1er cru Chablis?
Yep, still going strong in 2D.
Like the Energizer Bunny.
The AA amenity kit.
Different packaging and colors from last week's JFK-LAX flight, but the same basically useless stuff.
And we're off.
What a gorgeous night for flying.
One cool feature the AA continued with the new International First Class seat is its swivel capabilty which let's you turn your space into an office, especially with Wifi, $19 for the entire flight.
Showtime, AA style. And the same old tiny hot towel.
Jeez, they try so hard and then cheap out on a dopey salt and pepper shaker.
Despite having had dinner 2 hours ago, I decided to sample the menu. Apparently working backwards on the menu, the Tomato and Lentil soup with Grilled Cheese Crouton was first. This was delicious with just enough kick to make the dish really memorable.
The Lump Crab salad seemed to be missing the crab. Nevertheless, it was nice and very fresh.
The Lobster Salad Deviled Eggs were different but very tasty.
For my main, the Slow-Braised Lamb Osso Buco was spectacular.
Melt in your mouth and extraordinary flavor with lots of spices that was simply a knockout.
But wait, it gets even better. The Warm Louisiana Praline Bread Pudding was to die for. OMG.
Our FA proactively asked whether I wanted the bed made and she made it as I changed in the lav.
I slept like a baby for 5 hours.
The snack counter in the First Class galley. No I did not have anything more to eat. LOL.
Presumably this is the Business Class snack bar but for the life of me, I cannot remember taking the pics. Memo to self: too much alcohol not good.
And Lily O'Brien's chocolates handed out on our descent.
The forward Business Class mini cabin as we exited thru 2L.
The long trek from our gate to customs and passport control.
Fast track worked great and I was officially in the UK a few minutes later.
Other than the sorry excuse for a temporary First Class Lounge, this was one very impressive day with American. Excellent service, great food and wines. But is this the kind of service anyone can consistently and reliably expect on American? I lucked out tonight with a great crew, but others report a much different experience. Unfortunately, there are far too many senior AA flight attendants just mailing it in. If AA can weed out those bad apples and continue with this kind of catering, there may be hope. On this flight alone, AA cracks the Top 20 International First Class products and certainly ahead of BA. But I've also heard reports that this type of enhanced service may be route specific. If that is indeed true, that is just a special kind of stupid.
The short walk back to Gate 41.
Los Angeles LAX to London Heathrow
American AA 136
777-300ER (77W)
7:40p-2:15p +1
May 1, 2017
Departed 8/8
Seat 2A
Wow, T-35 and we're already on Group 9. When I booked this flight some six months ago, I had Mrs. SFO777 in 1A and I was in 2A. Fast forward to yesterday and I'm now in 1D with 2A assigned to someone else. No idea whether this was a FAM thing or what. When Mrs. SFO777 decided that she was not going to come along, I cancelled her ticket and moved over to 1A. Lo and behold I board and the doufuss in 2A is sitting in 1A. Huh? When the FA intervened and we found out that his boarding pass said 2A, I told him to stay there and I took 2A. Definitely not a FAM type so no idea what that was all about.
Pleasant cabin with 1-2-1 staggered configuration.
Seat was comfy but not very private as you're pretty much exposed to the rest of the cabin, and vice versa.
Lots of pillows, duvets and blankets clogging up the seat.
Service tonight was excellent. Friendly, professional and impressive.
But then there was Mr. Detroit Piston in 2D, yapping on the phone the entire time prior to push telling his friends that he was in First Class. He was no doubt also trying to impress the world with his sense of fashion.
Tonight's menu...
OK, this is encouraging. But let's see how this translates into the real world at 35,000 feet.
And the wine list. Whoa Nellie. Pinch me. This is American Airlines??
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle? Are you kidding me? Etude? And a 1er cru Chablis?
Yep, still going strong in 2D.
Like the Energizer Bunny.
The AA amenity kit.
Different packaging and colors from last week's JFK-LAX flight, but the same basically useless stuff.
And we're off.
What a gorgeous night for flying.
One cool feature the AA continued with the new International First Class seat is its swivel capabilty which let's you turn your space into an office, especially with Wifi, $19 for the entire flight.
Showtime, AA style. And the same old tiny hot towel.
Jeez, they try so hard and then cheap out on a dopey salt and pepper shaker.
Despite having had dinner 2 hours ago, I decided to sample the menu. Apparently working backwards on the menu, the Tomato and Lentil soup with Grilled Cheese Crouton was first. This was delicious with just enough kick to make the dish really memorable.
The Lump Crab salad seemed to be missing the crab. Nevertheless, it was nice and very fresh.
The Lobster Salad Deviled Eggs were different but very tasty.
For my main, the Slow-Braised Lamb Osso Buco was spectacular.
Melt in your mouth and extraordinary flavor with lots of spices that was simply a knockout.
But wait, it gets even better. The Warm Louisiana Praline Bread Pudding was to die for. OMG.
Our FA proactively asked whether I wanted the bed made and she made it as I changed in the lav.
I slept like a baby for 5 hours.
The snack counter in the First Class galley. No I did not have anything more to eat. LOL.
Presumably this is the Business Class snack bar but for the life of me, I cannot remember taking the pics. Memo to self: too much alcohol not good.
And Lily O'Brien's chocolates handed out on our descent.
The forward Business Class mini cabin as we exited thru 2L.
The long trek from our gate to customs and passport control.
Fast track worked great and I was officially in the UK a few minutes later.
Other than the sorry excuse for a temporary First Class Lounge, this was one very impressive day with American. Excellent service, great food and wines. But is this the kind of service anyone can consistently and reliably expect on American? I lucked out tonight with a great crew, but others report a much different experience. Unfortunately, there are far too many senior AA flight attendants just mailing it in. If AA can weed out those bad apples and continue with this kind of catering, there may be hope. On this flight alone, AA cracks the Top 20 International First Class products and certainly ahead of BA. But I've also heard reports that this type of enhanced service may be route specific. If that is indeed true, that is just a special kind of stupid.
Last edited by SFO777; May 9, 2017 at 4:45 pm
May 5, 2017, 10:25 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
Great report so far, SFO777 as always! Looks like you had a good flight with AA in F. Food looks good and glad you had a nice flight with them after your last JFK-LAX flight. My wife and I are planning on going to London later this year - it's been a while since I've been, and she's never been. Getting excited for this trip after seeing your pics. Thanks for sharing!
Agreed. Tough to do better. It also has my vote.
The QF F lounge food is better than AA will ever put out, and that's not really a major shot at AA. Heck, it is probably better than almost any airline's current F food . It's a low single digit number if any are better for sure...
The QF F lounge food is better than AA will ever put out, and that's not really a major shot at AA
. Heck, it is probably better than almost any airline's current F food . It's a low single digit number if any are better for sure...But you knew that before you even went in. I suppose you just wanted (1) photos for drama's sake; (2) the jealous masses who were waiting in the AC to only wish they had AA F lounge access, and (3) to hear a million tiny violins play for the lawsuit-worthy trauma you suffered by even having to look at the AA Buffay. 
Yet somehow, I have a feeling that you will almost have enjoyed your flight to LHR, even if the AA Caviar Service isn't quite to your liking.
Yet somehow, I have a feeling that you will almost have enjoyed your flight to LHR, even if the AA Caviar Service isn't quite to your liking.
I had much the same as you in the QF lounge.
Wasn't keen on the raw fish - prefer the salt and pepper squid.
The Korean dish was ok. Meat was a little bit crunchy and not enough spiciness. The kimchi was cold or is it supposed to be like that?
The cake was nice although my mango slices were hard and I prefer them really really soft. The champagne really does help things along though
There are a few nice items in the AA Flagship lounge but no idea how long some of them have been left out for. Handy drinks fridge and prefer the mochas from the AA machine than what QF do.
Wasn't keen on the raw fish - prefer the salt and pepper squid.
The Korean dish was ok. Meat was a little bit crunchy and not enough spiciness. The kimchi was cold or is it supposed to be like that?
The cake was nice although my mango slices were hard and I prefer them really really soft. The champagne really does help things along though
There are a few nice items in the AA Flagship lounge but no idea how long some of them have been left out for. Handy drinks fridge and prefer the mochas from the AA machine than what QF do.
Agree on wondering how long some of those dishes in the AA Flagship Buffet had been sitting out.
The fact that this is best they could be for a temporary lounge tells you a lot about AA.
Couldn't resist reading ahead on the blog. As always, great photos and attention to detail! All I can say about the onboard F&B is "WOW!" It seems like you got the almost-nonexistent double-rainbow unicorn of great catering and great service.
I flew AA F from LHR-DFW earlier in the year and was similarly impressed. The FL at LHR has improved and the onboard catering seemed significantly better. I had a pork belly dish which was spectacular, and the rest of the meal was great. No LPGS, but drinkable champagne nonetheless.
The chintzy pre-arrival "meal," on the other hand, was an embarrassment (I bet you could find it with the other Great Value products in the frozen section at Walmart).
Service was good, but no offers for turndown service. Perhaps it is because it was a day flight, but I've yet to see this consistently offered (or, rather, offered at all).
As an aside, I LOL'd at the side shots of ole boy in 2D. Great TR!
I flew AA F from LHR-DFW earlier in the year and was similarly impressed. The FL at LHR has improved and the onboard catering seemed significantly better. I had a pork belly dish which was spectacular, and the rest of the meal was great. No LPGS, but drinkable champagne nonetheless.
The chintzy pre-arrival "meal," on the other hand, was an embarrassment (I bet you could find it with the other Great Value products in the frozen section at Walmart).
Service was good, but no offers for turndown service. Perhaps it is because it was a day flight, but I've yet to see this consistently offered (or, rather, offered at all).
As an aside, I LOL'd at the side shots of ole boy in 2D. Great TR!
Looks really decent. Honestly, I'd give a pass to AA for the temporary lounge. Yes, it's s**t but it's temporary, no?
The F&B on AA looks really rather decent, I had no idea they served LPGS in F! I know that on some routes AA and BA have harmonized their product offerings in premium cabins. For a while on transatlantics BA were doing the made to order sundaes in F. I've also had the dessert wine listed on QF in First.
Pro Tip:
Star Alliance Golds get free FC upgrades on the Heathrow Express. Just buy a standard class ticket and show your *G card when seated in F onboard...also you mentioned £32 return, that's actually the one way fare for FC. It's supposed to be £55 return.
http://heathrowt2.staralliance.com/offers
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares
Whilst you lauded it the HEX actually gets a fair amount of stick in the UK, primarily over the cost relative to the distance/time. When compared to a car service/taxi it's not bad, but it takes you to Paddington which isn't handy for a lot of London and compared to other train services, which admittedly are less convenient (Tube/Heathrow Connect) it's several multiples more expensive.
The F&B on AA looks really rather decent, I had no idea they served LPGS in F! I know that on some routes AA and BA have harmonized their product offerings in premium cabins. For a while on transatlantics BA were doing the made to order sundaes in F. I've also had the dessert wine listed on QF in First.
Pro Tip:
Star Alliance Golds get free FC upgrades on the Heathrow Express. Just buy a standard class ticket and show your *G card when seated in F onboard...also you mentioned £32 return, that's actually the one way fare for FC. It's supposed to be £55 return.
http://heathrowt2.staralliance.com/offers
https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares
Whilst you lauded it the HEX actually gets a fair amount of stick in the UK, primarily over the cost relative to the distance/time. When compared to a car service/taxi it's not bad, but it takes you to Paddington which isn't handy for a lot of London and compared to other train services, which admittedly are less convenient (Tube/Heathrow Connect) it's several multiples more expensive.
Last edited by SFO777; May 5, 2017 at 11:02 pm
May 5, 2017, 10:44 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
Always the wise guy Eastbay1K. But you definitely nailed it on #1 . I did indeed want to document how bad it was.
May 5, 2017, 11:56 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,606
Another great TR so far - looking forward to the rest! I'm surprised that Mrs SFO777 eschewed the trip, considering La Premiere for the return. Did AF have another premium sale for LHR-CDG-LAX? I fear they don't use their La Premiere for SFO but think $3k would be worth La Premiere on the better plane.
May 6, 2017, 12:10 am
#22
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,525
Eagerly anticipating the Air France report....I feel like it's the one product I have left outstanding that will blow me away and make me question my love of Lufthansa and Cathay....
May 6, 2017, 12:35 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPLAT, AS MVP 75K, Star Alliance Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, SPG GOLD, HH Gold
Posts: 108
SFO777 such a pathetic excuse for a flagship lounge, was hoping (clearly not happening) that the F dining experience would be completed by the time the fiancee and I leave to LHR via DFW mid June. Your report gives me some hope on our upcoming RT to LHR just not sure if it will be catered identically (assuming not) but minus the Pistons fan of course no thanks! LOL
Keep up the great work and appreciate the updates!
no thanks! LOL Keep up the great work and appreciate the updates!
May 6, 2017, 6:57 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
The Flagship check-in area looks nice, so I suppose there's hope for the lounge. Still, I'm surprised that AA even has that space open given the state of it. For crying out loud, I've been in VFW halls with better ambience and cuisine, LOL.
Still, the onboard service in your trip reminds me of better days when AA was the premier domestic airline in terms of F standards. And for oneWorld, which your report tends to confirm, I'll still take AA F over BA F any day. Thanks for sharing, SFO777!
Still, the onboard service in your trip reminds me of better days when AA was the premier domestic airline in terms of F standards. And for oneWorld, which your report tends to confirm, I'll still take AA F over BA F any day. Thanks for sharing, SFO777!
May 7, 2017, 11:05 pm
#28
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
You know the first time First Classers as their true identity is revealed when they can't work out how to pull out their tray table!
May 7, 2017, 11:08 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
May 7, 2017, 11:22 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,606
I have the same trouble - I don't understand how to post pics on FT while using only an apple phone. I'd love to do TR but just can't comprehend how to post pictures.