Review of American Airlines flight Miami New Orleans in Domestic First

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA 1269
Seat 2A
Aircraft Airbus A319
Flight time 02:05
Take-off 05 Jan 16, 10:55
Arrival at 05 Jan 16, 12:00
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 2140
Published on 26th February 2016
Welcome to this short report on a flight that I took at the beginning of the year in which I had the chance to fly a new plane in AA's fleet - the A319. I decided to escort my little nephew back to MIA after visiting us during the holidays and then I would return to SFO right away. My schedule was as follow:

AA SFO-MIA in Y - not reported since this was a boring red eye flight.
AA MIA-MSY in F - you are here.
AA MSY-DFW in F - not reported. Same A319 on a short segment.
AA DFW-SFO in F - http://flight-report.com/en/report-13378.html


I arrived in MIA late due to a delayed dept. out of SFO and after waiting for my aunt to pick up my nephew, I walked right back to the terminal for my return trip. The terminal was full of people this morning and it was very chaotic (a typical day in MIA). The lines through security were long and upon presenting my boarding pass to the agent at the premium line I was waived in. There was a lady talking to another agent nearby saying that she's been waiting for a wheelchair for 45 min. and finally decided to walk with her elderly companion. I confess that the thought of requesting a wheelchair in MIA has crossed my mind before and once I arrive at my destination a "miracle" would happen and I would just walk off the plane, but judging by how effective requesting one is and most importantly, being restrained by a sense of morality and ethics, I have refrained from doing that. ;)

In the meantime, the line moved slowly and there were the usual suspects in the queue - the DYKWIA business type with their air of self importance, the couple on vacation dressed casually, a lady sporting a Gucci bag making sure that it was displayed ostentatiously for everyone to see, the gentleman going through mid life crisis and dressed with a slightly unbuttoned shirt showing his hairy chest, or the Miss Universe "wannabe" with her tight outfit thinking that she is God's gift to mankind (speaking of beauty queens, I once saw Barbara Palacios, the Venezuelan ex-Miss Universe in MIA customs with one of the officers devoting his full attention to her). Oh and let's not forget those passengers with a complete lack of BCBG style (Bon chic bon genre for those not familiar with this term). And then among this group there are some who are the epitome of good taste and "bella figura". Locals here can really dress well when seen in public compared to most other places in the U.S. (NY and San Francisco are exceptions that come to mind). Perhaps it's the Cuban influence and the wealthy immigrants (particularly Latin Americans) who have taken residence in the "capital of the sun". Americans who visit MIA for the first time are "culture shocked" by the latinos that they encounter here. They don't fit the preconceptions that they had in mind. Ah MIA, some things never change.

I have to be honest and say this about AA in MIA - It's a big and challenging hub with more than its share of indifferent agents, despite the very few great ones that I had the pleasure to deal with. If I get this type of attitude as a "high" EXP, I'm scare to think of the treatment that the average Joe gets. I always get a kick out of people's reaction when I start addressing them in Spanish with a heavy local accent. It's like they are taken by surprise and off guard by this panda that people think belongs in Sichuan. ;)

I was placed in the upgrade list for this MSY flight and after a stop at Cafe Versailles for some Cuban pastelitos and a medianoche sandwich in my bag, I handed my boarding pass and it beeped when it was scanned. The agent gave me a new boarding pass with a big smile. I thanked her profusely and made my way to the plane.


A FA greeted me upon entering and first thing I noticed is that this is a small F cabin with only 2 rows and 8 seats. Yep, free upgrades are going to be tough on this baby.




The screens were big which is a plus.

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Around the seat.

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As expected, the F cabin was full and the FA offered pre-dept. drinks. I took a glass of water.

It was rainy and dark outside and when the door closed we pushed back to taxi. I managed to take a few spotting shots of dubious quality.




The engines roared and we lifted up.




Hello sunshine!

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Not much offered on this short flight to MSY. The snack basket was passed.

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A while later I rang the call button to request another snack but nobody came. FA's did their job and were friendly, but not answering the call button was a minus.

Finally we began to descend in MSY.




Another A319 parked next to us.

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Verdict

American Airlines

7.3/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering5.0

Miami - MIA

7.9/10
Efficiency6.5
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0

New Orleans - MSY

8.8/10
Efficiency8.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0

Conclusion

It was nice to finally experience AA's A319. The F cabin is small with only 8 seats but the big IFE screens and plugs to charge one's electronics help to compensate for that.

I would have preferred to receive something more than a snack basket on this route, but there is not much competition between these two cities and AA can afford to just stay with the basket and save some money.

Related

8 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 158545 by
    lagentsecret 12186 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR

    What an obliging uncle :)

    there were the usual suspects in the queue
    Great satirical description of your fellows passengers but you forgot the mileage runner already looking at his FFP's account and/or frantically photographing everything and nothing :p

    Not much offered on this short flight to MSY
    Rather disappointing but you still had your Cuban pastelitos and your medianoche sandwich

    See you soon for the next leg
    • Comment 335438 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      What an obliging uncle :)
      - Well, let's just say that there was more than one incentive for me to make this trip. ;)

      Great satirical description of your fellows passengers but you forgot the mileage runner already looking at his FFP's account and/or frantically photographing everything and nothing :p
      - That was yours truly giving you the description of his experience.

      Rather disappointing but you still had your Cuban pastelitos and your medianoche sandwich
      - A seasoned traveler is always prepare.

      See you soon for the next leg
      - Oh just wait until you see what I have prepared after this series. Tomorrow I will be leaving for paradise and there will be a new airline in my book. I already had my status matched and upgraded to F, but no seat assignment so I have to request it at the airport - I'm getting slightly nervous. ;)

      Thank you Gilbert.
  • Comment 158549 by
    marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
    Not all travelers have your sense of ethics. A Flight Report recently posted in French mentioned a lady being wheelchaired through the usually harrowing connection in LAX from PPT, and effortlessly walking out of the plane at destination in CDG.

    The last picture under the clouds after takeoff is great !

    Thanks for sharing !
    • Comment 335439 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      A Flight Report recently posted in French mentioned a lady being wheelchaired through the usually harrowing connection in LAX from PPT, and effortlessly walking out of the plane at destination in CDG.
      - A perfect candidate for the Hall of Shame if you ask me. Perhaps she couldn't contain her excitement when she arrived in CDG and her will became stronger than her legs. ;)

      The last picture under the clouds after takeoff is great !
      - I have a dramatic inclination and sometimes seek those qualities in the landscape. :P

      Merci Marathon.
  • Comment 158839 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1963 Comments
    Thanks for sharing Adan!

    the DYKWIA business type with their air of self importance
    - These are in abundance in the US. Had a great run-in with one the other day. Wouldn't get up to let me into my window seat because typing his e-mails was more important. I had to crawl over him to get into my seat. Just disgusting.

    I was placed in the upgrade list for this MSY flight
    - You didn't pre-request the upgrade? Mine have been clearing at the 72-hour mark.

    Yep, free upgrades are going to be tough on this baby.
    - Also related to the fact that it is ex-MIA, a common premium mark hub.

    I like the new cabins look, I see the retained the fold-down cupholder between the seats. IFE is a great addition to the narrow-body fleet.

    Haven't seen too many wide-bodies still in the tin-can livery so surprised to see that B767 like that in MIA.

    Standard catering, is the nut blend a new addition? Don't remember seeing that in the snack baskets last time.

    Great aerials, the arrival shots remind me of home. Refining industry and the Mississippi ;) Also, like the Centurion Air Cargo MD-11Fs you got on departure for some nostalgia^^
    • Comment 335821 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      I had to crawl over him to get into my seat. Just disgusting.
      - He's lucky that you didn't step on his toes. With all that tight space accidents can happen. ;)

      You didn't pre-request the upgrade? Mine have been clearing at the 72-hour mark.
      - I was but it didn't clear until I showed up at the gate. Perhaps the upgrade gods don't love me as much. :P

      Also related to the fact that it is ex-MIA, a common premium mark hub.
      - I don't know how premium MIA is. There isn't a Flagship lounge there yet.

      Standard catering, is the nut blend a new addition?
      - I've been seeing them often, even on LAX-SFO.

      Thanks Michael.
  • Comment 158972 by
    socalnow 976 Comments
    Thank you Jetsetpanda for this report.

    I will echo the other readers in saying I really enjoyed your descriptions of the various characters in the security screening line. Well played and relatable to those who fly with some frequency.

    Really sharp looking cabin on the newer 319. Stark contrast ot he USAir plane I was on last week.

    Thank you again and happy flying.

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