Review of American Airlines flight Dallas/Fort Worth San Francisco in Domestic First

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA 37
Seat 3D
Aircraft Airbus A321
Flight time 03:45
Take-off 16 Jan 16, 18:45
Arrival at 16 Jan 16, 20:30
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
jetsetpanda
By 2287
Published on 21st February 2016
Hi and welcome to this return segment of my 1 day trip from SFO to DFW.

SFO-DFW in F - http://flight-report.com/en/report-13226.html
DFW-SFO in F - you are here


After I arrived in DFW, I sat down to recharge my electronic equipment and then took the connecting tram and wandered aimlessly like a lost soul in purgatory. I returned to gate A17 just in time to board the flight and was the first passenger to enter the aircraft.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (1) - Copyphoto AA 37 DFW-SFO (2) - Copy


I was warmly welcomed again by the purser that I had on my outbound flight and settled in my seat. A blanket and earplugs were by the seats.




At one point, my neighbor who was traveling with his child asked me if I was willing to switch seats since he was sitting next to me and his daughter across the aisle - perhaps a last minute upgrade or booking. I didn't mind taking the window seat across and the grateful father shook my hand in appreciation. They say that good deeds do not go unnoticed and I was glad that my instrumental assistance allowed a child to be sitting next to her father. God if I can hit the lottery….

The view from my new seat.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (10)photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (12)


I saw a mechanic by the galley playing around with one of the ovens that did not seem to be working properly. The purser spent a great amount of time talking to him in order to get it fixed and at one point I saw her switching dishes and rearranging things in the other oven. As result of this unforeseen problem we were only offered water as pre-dept. drinks this time. This was completely understandable and it was not a big deal to me.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (14)


Once the door closed we taxied to the runway and after taking off the service started with hot towels.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (15)


Beverage service with warm nuts. I had my usual 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 cranberry mix.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (16) - Copy


No linens were provided for this flight, so the tray was delivered as is. I had the stuffed pasta which was pre-ordered and acknowledged.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (17) - Copy


And here is the vegetarian appetizer. I find it ironic that the lunch appetizer on my outbound was better than this dinner one.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (18) - Copy


Salad.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (19) - Copy


Main dish.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (20) - Copyphoto AA 37 DFW-SFO (22) - Copy


Dessert was sundae with pretzels and chocolate shavings.

photo AA 37 DFW-SFO (24) - Copyphoto AA 37 DFW-SFO (25) - Copy


Service was great and drinks refilled. Soon we began our descent into SFO and once we landed I visited the DL Lounge again to check out the offerings during the evening.


DL Lounge.

The agent allowed me to return and the evening buffet consisted of salads, an assortment of veggies, a vegetarian chili and pho soup. The menu has a strong Asian influence and I understand that the dishes were created by chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass.




Dining room.

photo DL Sky Club @SFO (96) - Copyphoto DL Sky Club @SFO (99) - Copy


BONUS.

During the holidays I had a relative visiting from MIA so my family decided to spend a few days in downtown and we stayed at the two Intercontinental hotels - the IC San Francisco and the IC Mark Hopkins.

IC San Francisco.

This was a nice and modern property that is located by the Moscone Center right in the downtown area. A few blocks away is a very sketchy area where with low income housing and questionable character, so I would exercise caution at night. You should be fine as long as you don't walk too far to the west of the hotel. One night I drove past the hotel and there was a person relieving himself in a street corner under the light.

photo DSC01023 - Copyphoto DSC01033 - Copyphoto DSC01056 - Copy


Room.

photo DSC01012 - Copyphoto DSC01005 - Copyphoto DSC01003 - Copy


View from the room.

photo DSC01039 - Copyphoto DSC01042 - Copy



IC Mark Hopkins.

A classic property located in Nob Hill and within walking distance to Chinatown and North Beach. I have stayed many times here and it's always a pleasure to come back. Little has changed since my first visit back in the 1990's.

photo DSC01116 - Copyphoto DSC01086 - Copy


Room.

photo DSC01082 - Copyphoto DSC01083 - Copy


View from the room.

photo DSC01080 - Copy
See more

Verdict

American Airlines

8.0/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering7.0

Dallas/Fort Worth - DFW

9.0/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0

San Francisco - SFO

9.2/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

I had another good flight on AA with a great crew despite the lack of pre-dept. drinks which was caused by the oven malfunction during boarding. I don't blame the FA for focusing on the problem and trying to get it repaired.

The individual screens in the F cabin of the A321 are nice and the cabin was comfortable, although I think that the pitch on the 738's are a bit more generous.

Catering was average and I thought that the appetizer for a lunch flight was better than the vegetarian option on this dinner flight.

Information on the route Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) San Francisco (SFO)

9 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 158078 by
    marathon GOLD 10116 Comments
    So if I get it right, you traveled in Seat 3A, not 3D. This would be the seat I would reference in the FR's heading, but does it really matter ? :)
    Europeans grumble about the naming of the (Domestic) First in the US, but the fact is that the seats are better than European Business, where they simply don't sell the middle seat in a 3+3ayout.
    Is it me, or is the catering in the DL Lounge one notch above the US average ?
    Thanks for sharing !
    • Comment 335215 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      Personally I like to use the original seat number because that was the one that was intially assigned. If I change seats later then it stays as a reference point.

      The only good European business seats are those operated on fifth freedom routes and TK when they use a widebody or renovated A321.

      The catering inside this particular DL lounge is a bit more susbtantial and better presented than the average AA or UA domestic lounges.

      Thanks you for your comments Marathon.
  • Comment 158144 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Good report! It looks like a nice flight with AA in domestic F. AA must be the only airline in the US that allows you to pre-order a meal online prior to the flight; very nice touch!

    Thanks for sharing.
    • Comment 335218 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      It's a really nice feature and kudos to AA for implementing it. Even if the food is not that great at times, at least one knows what to expect. No more running out of choices unless you really book at the last minute.

      Thanks 757Fan.
  • Comment 158219 by
    indianocean SILVER 7572 Comments
    God if I can hit the lottery....--> No way, don't tell me you are the lucky guy who won 1 billion bucks.

    Once the door closed we taxied to the runway and after taking off the service started with hot towels.--> how can you call that towel?

    I had the stuffed pasta which was pre-ordered and acknowledged.--> I thought you were on a diet.

    Dessert was sundae with pretzels and chocolate shavings.--> my goodness, no room for a third topping?

    I remember that you told me about the two ICs in SFO and I concur that I much prefer the Hopkins one.

    There's something I don't get. How can yoy get into the DL lounge after your trip from DFW. The chilli soup cauldron reminds me the one Mrs Jack had during her stay at AF lounge in CDG. Not tempting...

    Thank you Adan.
  • Comment 158246 by
    jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
    No way, don't tell me you are the lucky guy who won 1 billion bucks.
    - I haven't disappeared yet. ;)

    how can you call that towel?
    - In the world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Erasmus.

    I thought you were on a diet.
    - That is right. I am on the see-food diet. :P

    my goodness, no room for a third topping?
    - Oh no, I wouldn't want the addtional calories. Besides, the contrast between salty and sweet is already achieved, so you don't want to mess with the balance of flavors. ;) I am waiting for the day that U.S. carriers will start serving the cheese course with honey. :P

    I concur that I much prefer the Hopkins one.
    - You are a man with great taste my dear Bernard.

    How can yoy get into the DL lounge after your trip from DFW.
    - All you need is ask and you shall receive.

    The chilli soup cauldron reminds me the one Mrs Jack had during her stay at AF lounge in CDG. Not tempting...
    - Chili is an American culinary tradition. :P One of the many ways that one can remember a visit to the U.S.

    As always thank you Bernard for your comments.
  • Comment 158725 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    It's nice you got a bird with the newer cabin. The cabin looks good with a modern IFE system.

    The presentation of the meal looks good IMO, especially of the main dish.

    Overall it looks like you had a pretty good flight with AA, the catering could've been better I guess.

    Thank you for the beautiful bonus!

    Have a good one, see you!
  • Comment 158843 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1963 Comments
    Thanks for sharing Adan!

    wandered aimlessly like a lost soul in purgatory
    - Oh the fun of no lounges or observation decks^^

    They say that good deeds do not go unnoticed
    - You should have handed out a tip jar... or just asked for a blank check.

    As result of this unforeseen problem we were only offered water as pre-dept. drinks this time.
    - When similar galley problems happened on my PHX-LAX flight, the FA still managed to push out PDBs.

    The salad and starter are the same one you had on the other DFW-SFO report ;) The joys of flying the same route in the same month :) The beef/pasta you had on the other flight looked better than this stuffed pasta. Was it just spinach and ricotta inside?

    The agent allowed me to return
    - Same day allowed? The food offerings at SFO crush what I saw at DTW's Sky Clubs (standard soup/salad offerings).

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