Review: American Airlines 777-300 First Class Miami- Los Angeles
Intro
Well, well, it's been a long time with no posts and a long time without interacting with you all. I'll have to write about what I got up to soon, but honestly, it's been tough getting back in the groove. 35 flights in 48 days really took a toll on me, haha.
Anyways, following my time in Belize, it was time to head back up to California. The first segment consisted of a short hop up to Miami (not reviewing because I slept the whole way) on a 737-800 in Business Class and then an overnight before taking the 777-300 in First Class from Miami to Los Angeles.
The routing for this trip is as follows:
CM473- Los Angeles- Panama City- Business Class- 737 Max 9
CM280- Panama City- Belize City- Business Class- 737-700
2M2064- Belize City- Caye Caulker- FO Chair- Cessna Caravan
AA700- Belize City- Miami- Business Class- 737-800 (Not Reviewed)
AA23- Miami- Los Angeles- First Class- 777-300ER (You are here)
AA2201- Los Angeles- New York- Business Class- A321T
AA976- New York- Santa Ana- First Class- A321T
The American Airlines Flagship First Class product on the 777-300 is the best way to fly across the United States. Flawless service, a decent seat, and an elevated ground experience. Let's get into it!
Route-Miami- Los Angeles
Plane- Boeing 777-300ER
Seat- 1A
Flight Number- AA23
Date- April 29th 2024
Flight Time: 5 Hours 13 Minutes
Price Paid- 471$ (2 legs)
How I Booked
Deal of the century? Perhaps. I was able to secure a Business Class ticket from Belize City to Miami to Los Angeles for 471$. Originally, I had paid 671$, which isn't too bad, but a few days before, the fare dropped, and AA gave me a credit within an hour!
So Jettoajet? This is in business, though, and is this a first-class report? Well, one of my family members had an expiring SWU, and I waitlisted it for this segment.
As I woke up in Colinda Cabanas after a crazy night (hungover off my head), the SWU cleared! Talk about some luck!
Check-In/Lounge
I arrived at 6:30 am for our 9 am departure from Miami airport. One of the family members is concierge key, so we have used the First Class check-in many, many times here.
Even if there was a long line, someone from the American Airlines team escorted me right to the front of the queue. Talk about the best ground experience in the US??
Once through security, I made my way to the American Airlines flagship lounge, which I have reviewed here.
Sadly, the Flagship First dining doesn't open until later in the day around 1 pm.
After relaxing for a few hours, it was time to head over to our gate for today, just a few minutes walk away.
Boarding
Surprisingly, I was a tad late to boarding due to the conversations I had with some people in the lounge.
We passed the mini-cabin of Business Class consisting of rows 3 and 4. This Business Class will have a report coming soon, as I flew it less than 3 weeks after this flight on perhaps the best flight of my life (for business class)!
I easily found my seat 1A (pretty hard to miss) and laid my jacket up to be hung.
First impressions: I love the seat. Sure, it's not the most private, but the space is incredible!
My jacket was hung up swiftly, and a PDB was offered. Naturally, I went with a cheeky glass of champagne🙃.
At that point, I decided to take a little stroll to the cockpit, where I chatted with Captain Craig and FO Vic for about 15 minutes😳. Got a bit carried away 😂
They showed me the flight plan and informed me of the flight time of 5 hours and 2 minutes. Showed me all the equipment and walked me through the whole flight path. Really, really nice people.
Departure
We pushed back a minute early, and I had to make my way back to my seat 😅 (sadly).
Sometimes, you're lucky in Miami, and sometimes you're not. Today, we had a short 13-minute taxi.
We departed East at 9:18 am local time with some sublime views.
The Seat/Cabin
The American Airlines 777-300 First Class consists of 8 seats, laid out across in a 1-2-1 configuration with 2 rows.
If you are travelling solo, there are 4 window seats offering direct aisle access, as First Class should. This is one of the only times I would recommend 2A, 2J over 1A,1J. Due to the staggering in the seats, they seem to be more private.
They are not the most private in the US, unlike Polaris and the Delta One Suites, but they are by far the most spacious.
This took a little bit to figure out, but in order to control the seat, you have to use the panel on the side by the window.
There are multiple positions which the seat goes into, but for most of the flight I put it into the relax mode.
Of course, the seat goes fully flat as well. Very spacious and no footwell to cram your feet into.
However, my favorite part... It turns against the window to form a desk!
This worked well, as I had to do some work for college and editing.
Meal Service
15 minutes after takeoff, the main flight attendant came around to take our orders for the flight. The menu is as follows.
Hot towels were distributed as well. Amazing service.
A couple of minutes later, the table was set.
What other way to start a day, then... CHAMPOFFEE!
Champagne and coffee are my go-to drinks on an airplane, no matter if it's morning, noon, or night.
Since I don't eat eggs or Avocado, I opted for the cheese plate. After a hearty breakfast in the lounge, this proved to be perfect.
Before landing, I was offered not one but two warm chocolate chip cookies. This is the best part about flying American Airlines First Class.
As well as another hot towel.
American Airlines has polished up its First Class offering compared to the previous times I have flown with them. Flutes are in first class, double hot towels are used, and the presentation is decent and more. Seriously, I am impressed with a US carrier on a domestic hop.
Amenities/IFE
The amenities offered were extensive for a domestic flight...
The Bang and Olufsen headphones were perfect to watch my movies later in the flight.
There was a plush comforter along with two pillows.
As well as the classic Shinola amenity kit. However, I just flew on them a few days ago in F and these have been updated!
My one little problem with American Airlines is that they collect the headphones about 30 minutes from landing. At least it was nice that they provided this pair for me! 🤨
My only small issue is the 25$ for Wifi, a little bit too rich for my blood😅.
Service
This was an interesting flight when it came to service, as there was a royal family in the rest of row 1 from the Middle East. I ended up getting into a conversation with them later that flight. The main purser started off a little "tired", but later warmed up as the flight progressed. However, the other flight attendant working from Puerto Rico could not have been nicer. He went above and beyond in every aspect to the point where I had a glass of champagne while the plane landed.
Simply stellar service, and I am so sorry I forgot your name. We had a chat for about 30 minutes in the galley about the future of the 777-300. He even went so above and beyond for the royal family by hanging a blanket from the top of the overhead bins to offer them more privacy. Wow...
Thank you for being such an amazing person. ❤️ Made this flight very special.
Arrival
Just shy of 11 am local time, we began our descent back into LAX. As mentioned earlier, the kind flight attendant gave me a plastic cup with some of the Ferrari (someone drank all the FC champagne, wonder who😉).
We touched quite a bit ahead of schedule at 11:23. However, another aircraft was still occupying our gate 41, therefore we sat and sat.
Finally, we arrived at our gate 2 minutes ahead of schedule at 11:49 am Pacific time.
The flight attendants bid me farewell, and I made my way over to the Flagship Lounge (review coming soon) to freshen up and grab some lunch for a long day ahead.
Final Thoughts
I am sad to see the First Class on American Airlines going away soon because this was truly a spectacular flight. Let's start with the negatives: expensive wifi, not much privacy with the seats, and taking the headphones away before landing.
However, with a dedicated private check-in area, fabulous service, above-average food (for US carriers), and a large seat that swivels, this is a fantastic product. Considering. the price I paid was not too shabby at all, either.
Once again, another fantastic American Airlines flight.
Meal Service | 8/10 |
Seat (1A) | 8/10 |
IFE | 8/10 |
Lounge | 9/10 |
Overall Service | 10/10 |
Total | 43/50 |
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