Review of American Airlines flight Los Angeles San Francisco in Domestic First

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA 209
Seat 6F
Aircraft Boeing 737-800
Flight time 01:24
Take-off 23 Dec 15, 14:00
Arrival at 23 Dec 15, 15:24
AA   #69 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 591 reviews
NGO85
By SILVER 1880
Published on 24th January 2016
Background:

This series covers my pilgrimage home to San Francisco for Christmas. For a detailed background, please refer to Part 1 of this series. As a reminder, the routing is:

Part 1 – NGO-ICN [OZ 121, Airbus A321, Business] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12681.html
Part 2 – ICN-LAX [OZ 202, Airbus A380-800, Business Smartium] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12897.html
Part 3 – LAX-SFO [AA 209, Boeing B737-800, First] – You are here
Part 4 – SFO-PHX [AA 477, Airbus A321, First] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13075.html
Part 5 – PHX-LAX [AA 509, Airbus A319, First] – Coming soon
Part 6 – LAX-ICN [OZ 203, Boeing B777-200ER, Business Smartium] – Coming soon
Part 7 – ICN-KIX [OZ 114, Boeing B777-200ER, Business (First)] – Coming soon

This report will cover the flight from Los Angeles to San Fransisco. There will be a spotting bonus at the end.



Pre-flight:

After spotting at In-n-Out Burger for a couple of hours, I walked back to LAX about 2 hours before departure. Knowing that I had no AA Lounge access, there was no point in getting there sooner (even if I was tempted to try and trick them with my OZ printed boarding pass to see if they noticed the tickets weren’t connected for an international transfer). Walking down the street towards LAX, keeping it classy. Spare tire anyone?

photo 72photo 1

Some billboards along the way.

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Arriving at LAX. AA operates out of Terminal 4 mainly.

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Not wanting to get my precious boarding pass on OZ cardstock defaced by TSA, I stop by the priority counters for AA to get a new boarding pass. When will AA enter the 21st century and lose the matrix dot printer style BPs? I also asked the agent about my bag to make sure it was in their system (back in Part 1, OZ had tagged my bag all the way to SFO for me).

photo 71

Aerial shot of the check-in area from the priority access security check point.

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Even though it is peak holiday travel time, the priority access check-in lines were very efficient and quick and I was airside in less than 5 minutes, which is excellent for US standards. On the other side, I get a nice view of this AA B738 in tin can livery.

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Walking to my gate, I stop and admire Kevin’s favorite LAX Christmas tree.

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Spotting is very limited in Terminal 4 and most of the windows give the fishbowl “blue” effect.

AA A321.

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AA B738.

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JL B788 heading to KIX.

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I sat by a gate for a plane heading to KOA while I waited for my flight to leave. As expected in the US around holiday time, some passenger was screaming at the AA ground staff at the counter about how she missed her flight and it was all AA’s fault and she was going to sue them for every penny they have. Ahhh, welcome to America.




——————————-

American Airlines, AA 209
Equipment: Boeing B737-800 [N832NN, delivered April 2010]
Departure: 14:00 (ATD: 14:26)
Arrival: 15:24 (ATA: 15:29)
Flight time: 1:03


My plane, couldn’t get a better shot.

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The gate was a complete mess and I couldn’t get anywhere close to the priority boarding line. I finally squeezed my way through and headed down the jetbridge.

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Entrance shot.

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There was no welcome board, the FAs were in the galley getting pre-departure beverages prepared and just ignored passengers coming on. I was the last F cabin passenger to board and the cabin was full so no seat shot. Here is a view of the seat back pocket and the pitch. It will be the old AA F product on this new livery plane. Pre-placed on the seat was a packaged blanket.

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The pretty much useless cup holder in between in the seats.

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The tray tables fold out from the middle console, which also contains the audio controls.

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Recline button is on the right armrest.

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A slot for storage of personal items (?), not really sure what use this is.

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Power ports are located on the front of the center console.

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Despite the lack of a welcome aboard, the male FA working our cabin came out and greeted me with a smile and took my pre-departure drink order. He promptly returned with my gin and tonic.

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View out the window shows a BA B77W arriving from LHR.

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And then a CI B77W arriving from TPE.

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As we push back on time, the safety video plays on the overhead monitors.

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As we taxi out around TBIT, we get some nice spotting of all the heavies.

CI B77W.

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BA B77W.

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KE A380.

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LH A380.

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KE A332 in ST special livery.

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SQ A380.

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CX B77W.

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BR B77W arriving from TPE.

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This is when the captain comes on and announces that due to ATC, we will have to wait 20 minutes for a takeoff slot. So we park in the corner of the tarmac. View of the cabin while waiting.

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The captain then comes on again and announces we have a takeoff slot and that we should still arrive at SFO on time. We start taxing again, which takes us past the 4 QF heavies (B747 x 2, A380 x 2) camping out for their nighttime departures.

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OZ B772.

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VA B789.

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As we wait at the threshold of the runway, an interesting sign on the ground for pilots.

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As we align on the runway, we can see the In-n-Out Burger in the distance.

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We lift up giving the iconic views of Santa Monica Beach.

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Santa Monica Pier.

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Malibu.

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Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.

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Naval Base Ventura County.

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Ventura.

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The FA comes through with the snack basket.

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Followed by drink service from a cart. Another gin and tonic for me.

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Flying along the coast.

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Seatback contents.

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Seeing my empty glass, the FA instantly proposes another gin and tonic.

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Another pass through the cabin with the snack basket.

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Continuing along the very dry coast.

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You can tell you are getting close to the Bay Area when everything suddenly turns green.

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Silicon Valley.

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Moffett Federal Airfield (recently leased to Google by NASA).

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In the distance is SJC and downtown San Jose.

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As we enter the bay, we lock onto an AS B739 that will be our landing partner this afternoon.

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I fell asleep after that photo so missed the final descent shots of Oakland, but woke up as we touched down at SFO. Here is our landing partner on the parallel runway.

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We then taxi by a LH A380.

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We pull into our gate next to our twin.

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Pictures of the seats deplaning.

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Casual goodbye from the crew and up the jetbridge we go.

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Follow the signs to the baggage claim where my dad is waiting to pick me up.

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I will leave off this series here as I begin my 3-day stop in SFO for Christmas. Thanks for reading this report and please stop by for the return legs!






—————————–
BONUS: Spotting from In-n-Out Burger at LAX.

Walking to In-n-Out, I get my first plane: a stunning NZ B77W in the new livery.

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Dedicated to Kevin, the DL B772 nicknamed “The Spirit of Atlanta.”

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VX A320.

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AA A321.

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AA A319.

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DL B752.

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WN B737 in “Maryland One” special livery.

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The shot that came out best even if the plane is half cut off: FJ A332.

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AC A320.

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DL B752.

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UA B739.

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SQ A380.

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AA ERJ-175.

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FX B757F.

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DL B717.

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QF B744.

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WN B737s in new and old liveries.

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RV B763.

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The AS B738 nicknamed “Salmon-Thirty-Salmon” in the “Wild Alaska Seafood” special livery.

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B6 A321.

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And to conclude, the KE A332 in ST special livery that followed me in from ICN.

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See more

Verdict

American Airlines

6.3/10
Cabin6.5
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi3.0
Meal/catering7.5

Los Angeles - LAX

8.1/10
Efficiency10.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness6.5

San Francisco - SFO

7.9/10
Efficiency8.0
Access8.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

Decent AA experience. The old cabin is pretty low on the US domestic F scale, but decent service onboard. The 20-minute wait on the tarmac to depart is far from ideal after a long day of traveling, but that's LAX for you.

Cabin comfort: Older B738 with no BSI and the older F seats. Full cabin. I don't find these seats that much more comfortable than an economy seat.

Crew: No welcome onboard, but was greeted later. They were friendly and kept the drinks/snacks coming on this short 60-minute flight so no real complaints from them.

Meal and catering: Pre-departure drink was full bar. Two drinks and two snack basket passes in a full cabin on a 60-minute flight is above my expectations for US F.

Entertainment: No newspaper offered. Standard seatback literature. I don't recall anything playing on the overhead monitors during the flight.

On-time performance: We left the gate on-time, sat on the tarmac for 20 minutes at LAX, and arrived a little bit behind schedule at SFO.

Information on the route Los Angeles (LAX) San Francisco (SFO)

21 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 156076 by
    socalnow 976 Comments
    Thanks for all of the great photos NGO85. It looks perfect light and clear skies at LAX that day.

    Is your half cut Fiji Airways an A330-200? The space between R1 and R2 make me think it is not the A330-300.

    Seems like a great crew on the flight as well. Multiple drink and snack runs is about the bet you can do on that type of flight.

    Thanks again and happy flying.
    • Comment 333610 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments!

      Is your half cut Fiji Airways an A330-200?
      - Corrected, the KE was also mislabeled and fixed that too.

      Seems like a great crew on the flight as well.
      - The lack of a welcome onboard was not a great start, but once they got into service both FAs were very attentive and friendly. I should have a picked a ERJ operated flight for the newer cabins.
  • Comment 156077 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    As the billboards show along Sepulveda, the competition in the LAX-Australia market is really heating up! This could make for some good fare wars in the near future!

    Walking to my gate, I stop and admire Kevin’s favorite LAX Christmas tree.
    - And the train. I like the train

    Even though it is peak holiday travel time, the priority access check-in lines were very efficient and quick and I was airside in less than 5 minutes, which is excellent for US standards.
    - Lucky you, seems like it's a clusterf*** everytime I go through LAX. IME priority lanes move faster during Holidays and summer because there is less business travel.

    some passenger was screaming at the AA ground staff at the counter about how she missed her flight and it was all AA’s fault and she was going to sue them for every penny they have
    - #Murica Yeah!

    The pretty much useless cup holder in between in the seats.
    - Maybe useless for cups, but it's a great place to put phones and other devices while they charge,

    A slot for storage of personal items (?), not really sure what use this is.
    - Great place to stow laptop for takeoff and landing.

    He promptly returned with my gin and tonic.
    - Again, lucky with the full bar PDB on PMAA metal...it's a unicorn!

    Always such good scenery while taxiing at LAX! Great aerials as well. Looks like it was a beautiful day for flying.

    3 G&Ts on a 45 minute flight. Nice!

    I need to take a planespotting trip to LAX--it's been too long!AWESOME planespotting pics as always!

    Dedicated to Kevin, the DL B772 nicknamed “The Spirit of Atlanta.”
    - Thanks! I See that bird everywhere, and have flown it of course




    • Comment 333611 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      the competition in the LAX-Australia market is really heating up!
      - With the number of heavies being sent by QF/NZ, and the expansion of routes deeper into the US, fares should drop hopefully^^

      And the train. I like the train
      - Too many people were staring at me so I just took the quick picture of the tree. But I liked the train too.

      IME priority lanes move faster during Holidays and summer because there is less business travel.
      - I just commend LAX for having a separate priority lane, whereas most airports funnel you back into the normal security line after ID check.

      but it's a great place to put phones and other devices while they charge
      - Maybe if you know your seatmate, but I'd feel awkward putting something there if I had a stranger next to me.

      Great place to stow laptop for takeoff and landing.
      - You are too practical Kevin!

      Again, lucky with the full bar PDB on PMAA metal...it's a unicorn!
      - I knew from your reports that PDBs are not full bar from your report, so I was only going to ask for water, but as soon my seatmate ordered a Jack and Coke, I just followed suit.

      Always such good scenery while taxiing at LAX!
      - Wait for the return on OZ, nighttime TBIT!

      3 G&Ts on a 45 minute flight. Nice!
      - Someone has to keep pace with you...

      I need to take a planespotting trip to LAX--it's been too long!AWESOME planespotting pics as always!
      - I find that in the morning, the lighting from In-n-Out is not great since the sun is behind the planes, so I was standing on the curb across the street for half the time.
    • Comment 333617 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
      'Maybe if you know your seatmate, but I'd feel awkward putting something there if I had a stranger next to me.
      - True, I don't often fly alone but I guess it could be awkward

      You are too practical Kevin!
      - Haha, yeah, I've flown a lot on these birds.

      Wait for the return on OZ, nighttime TBIT!
      - Night spotting! Heck yeah!

      I find that in the morning, the lighting from In-n-Out is not great since the sun is behind the planes, so I was standing on the curb across the street for half the time.
      - So true, the light is bad in the morning when the biggest heavies come in from Asia. sometimes I go to the bridge further down Sepulveda so that I'm not against the sun, but it's not the most interesting place to hang out.

    • Comment 333619 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      That's where I was for half the pictures. I just put an empty cup on the ground next to me while I stood there taking pictures on the side of the road :)
  • Comment 156078 by
    K2World 2191 Comments
    Thank you for this report.
    To be honest, I like the AA boarding pass style ^^
    You were quite thirsty, weren't you ? haha
    Nice spotting session at LAX
    • Comment 333612 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments!

      To be honest, I like the AA boarding pass style ^^
      - At least AA still uses real cardstock, DL and UA have this flimsy boarding passes.

      You were quite thirsty, weren't you ? haha
      - Had to get my money's worth on a paid ticket^^
  • Comment 156082 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Another great report, NGO85!

    Looks like a good flight with AA in F on a short flight. My wife and I are going to Los Angeles for a few days of vacation in early May, and I'm anxious to do a bit of spotting while I'm there. Looks like you got some great photos of all the LAX activity!

    Looking forward to the next installment.
    • Comment 333613 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments Matthew!

      My wife and I are going to Los Angeles for a few days of vacation in early May, and I'm anxious to do a bit of spotting while I'm there. Looks like you got some great photos of all the LAX activity!
      - LAX is a great place to spot because of the diversity and weather. There are other places better to spot at LAX from what Ive read, but I was on foot so just went to the closest one.
  • Comment 156084 by
    dw55 45 Comments
    Wow, you walked all the way from In-N-Out to T4? That must be a long walk!
    The new livery is pretty deceptive. The seats look really old. Good that you had great service.
    Thanks for taking me through the great natural IFE along the coast!
    • Comment 333614 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments!

      Wow, you walked all the way from In-N-Out to T4? That must be a long walk!
      - About 30 minutes, it was a nice winter morning (60s and sunny), good to stretch my legs after the TPAC. As Kevin says, there is no crying in planespotting so I had to just suck it up and walk there.

      The new livery is pretty deceptive. The seats look really old. Good that you had great service.
      - LOL, it is very bait and switch, but the service was good even if the cabin is old. Your ERJ cabin looked much better.
  • Comment 156089 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10416 Comments
    Merci Michael !

    (even if I was tempted to try and trick them with my OZ printed boarding pass to see if they noticed the tickets weren’t connected for an international transfer) -> I thought only French pax would have tried that. :P

    Another classy domestic flight with the high end snack basket. ;)

    One LH A380 at LAX and another one at SFO : West coast is quite a big market for European carriers (same for LX which sends two A343s to LAX and SFO).
    • Comment 333616 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thanks for your comments Clement^^

      I thought only French pax would have tried that. :P
      - True, I should have gone in and talked with a heavy French accent and animated hand gestures.

      Another classy domestic flight with the high end snack basket. ;)
      - Look what you get to look forward to on UA^^ All the popcorn you can eat^^

      One LH A380 at LAX and another one at SFO : West coast is quite a big market for European carriers (same for LX which sends two A343s to LAX and SFO).
      - Plenty of premium passengers originating from LAX/SFO, not surprising to have large demand. BR/CI combine to send 4 B77Ws from TPE everyday.
  • Comment 156097 by
    Aubin 231 Comments
    Great pictures!
  • Comment 156179 by
    aussenrist 225 Comments
    Thanks for this report! Excellent plane spotting in LAX with very good weather! I really love it! ^^
    For this short flight I am quite impressed with the catering service (continuous drinks refill with chips provided ^^).

    some passenger was screaming at the AA ground staff at the counter about how she missed her flight...
    - if it happened on CX, it must becomes certain newspaper headline on next day in HK :P

    Look forward to your next report!
    • Comment 333618 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your continued support!

      Excellent plane spotting in LAX with very good weather! I really love it! ^^
      - Blue skies always make planes look good. LAX is only good for spotting from outside of the airport though, not like HKG where you can walk around and see everything.

      For this short flight I am quite impressed with the catering service (continuous drinks refill with chips provided ^^).
      - HKG-TPE is almost the same length and they get real meals :(

      if it happened on CX, it must becomes certain newspaper headline on next day in HK :P
      - I could never picture this in Japan either, lol^^
  • Comment 156204 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing another fantastic FR with us!

    My plane, couldn’t get a better shot. - This shot was way better than what I'm usually able to get, haha.

    You were unfortunate to get the older product, the seats don't look fancy. Doable for a one-hour flight though.

    Absolutely fantastic spotting shots from LAX, amazing aerial shots as well!

    Great spotting at LAX!

    Have a good one, see you!
    • Comment 333620 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thanks for stopping by with your continued support^^

      This shot was way better than what I'm usually able to get, haha.
      - It's not a bad shot, but the windows have the blue effect so it looks like a fish bowl. The other AA B738 photo I got was through a security door that didn't have any tint on it.

      You were unfortunate to get the older product, the seats don't look fancy.
      - As I said, they are very similar to European J since they aren't much more comfortable than a Y seat. I booked F seats on this segment for the mileage and free baggage (which balanced out the fare difference between F and Y so not a big deal). I was just peeled to the window the entire flight, CA topology along the coast is great.

      Absolutely fantastic spotting shots from LAX, amazing aerial shots as well!
      - If only LAX had an observation deck... then it would be perfect.

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