Review of American Airlines flight Washington Los Angeles in Economy

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA1275
Class Economy
Seat 10A
Aircraft Airbus A321neo
Flight time 05:58
Take-off 27 Apr 21, 08:15
Arrival at 27 Apr 21, 11:13
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
ISTFlyer
By SILVER 1096
Published on 24th June 2021

Report No: 2021-403


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to this brand new series where I would present you a brand-new airline which would be revealed in the second episode of this series. Although, in the first one, I would cover a report of the American Airlines A321neo from Washington Reagan to Los Angeles in the Main Cabin Extra cabin.


Here is the routing for this series;



Loads for this flight

Domestic First: 100%
Main Cabin Extra: 30-35%
Main Cabin: 95-100% 


ONLINE CHECK-IN


About 24 hours before scheduled departure time, it was time to check-in online and I got this offer to upgrade for First Class.
As a oneworld Emerald member, I already have most of the benefits that First Class offers so I didn't want to pay for a larger seat, pre-packaged breakfast and alcoholic drinks.


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Here is the seat map, I have stayed in my pre-assigned seat.


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Here is the boarding pass for this flight


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Washington Reagan AIRPORT - DCA


About 1h15minutes before scheduled departure time, I have arrived at Ronald Reagan National Airport


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The airport wasn't that busy that morning


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For those wondering, here is the list of the open concessions at the airport; as travel demand picks up in the USA more concessions re-open every week.


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Security wasn't that crowded but as a post-COVID norm in AA terminals, there weren't any Priority lanes available for eligible customers.


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American Airlines ADMIRALS CLUB DCA C - Washington Reagan AIRPORT


After a 5 minute wait for security, I was airside and it was time to head to the American Airlines Admirals Club.


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After being welcomed by one of the agents at the gate, I have entered the club and took a seat, the club was empty that morning.


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The lounge has magnificent views of the apron but as the traffic in DCA is not that exotic, it's only possible to spot US carriers' aircraft or if you are lucky: Air Canada


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As printed menus are not available anymore, the menu is available through the QR code


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As American Airlines has eliminated the free premium drink perk for non-AAdvantage oneworld Sapphire/Emerald's, I wasn't interested in getting something premium from the menu. Although, for those who would like to browse the menu; here it is,


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There is a buffet where pre-packaged snacks and drinks are available. It's also nice to see that porcelain cups have returned to this Admirals Club location. Previously, only paper cups were available.


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The avocado toast station was also open, so as I knew that no proper breakfast would be served on my flight, I needed to have breakfast in the lounge; here is my selection for that morning.


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The bar


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GATE AREA & BOARDING


A couple of minutes before boarding started, I have headed downstairs to the departures level so I could proceed to my departure gate.


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N427AN was parked at gate 41. It would have been my first flight on this specific airframe.


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The boarding area was crowded and there weren't enough seats so many people were waiting boarding to be announced in a standing position.


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When time came, boarding had started with the respect of priorities. I have boarded with Group 2 as indicated on my boarding pass.


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Fuselage shot


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AA 1275 Washington Reagan AIRPORT TO Los Angeles AIRPORT


After being welcomed by the crew and being handed an hand sanitizer wipe upon boarding, I have headed to my seat 10A.


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As I was seated in a Main Cabin Extra row, the legroom really good.


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The seat has an USB port and a phone/tablet holder.


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As well as a power outlet under the seat


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Here is the hand sanitizer wipe that was provided upon boarding


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A view from the window, our neighbor was an American Eagle Embraer


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The overhead panel


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American Airlines is one of the rare carriers that hasn't eliminated their onboard magazine during the pandemic. Alongside with the safety card, the American Way magazine was present at the seatback literature pocket.


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The American Airlines fleet


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Terminal maps of DCA & LAX


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American Airlines destinations within North America


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On today's flight, personal device entertainment and free Apple Music was available


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As well as high-speed Wi-Fi


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So, when boarding has completed, I was lucky to have both seats next to me empty so I had the whole row to myself which meant that I was going to have a decent sleep in my Economy Class suite for the duration of this flight.


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While pushing back, here is another glimpse of our neighbor N130HQ


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The Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and an American Eagle Mitsubishi CRJ landing


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Here is a view of the brand new American Eagle concourse


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Another American Eagle Mitsubishi CRJ taxiing


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The Eagle Terminal from another angle


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After a short taxi, we have arrived at the runway


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And we have took off towards the south


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Some photos after departure


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On today's flight, personal device streaming and Wi-Fi was available


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The Wi-Fi options for this flight


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If you are a frequent flyer, you could also purchase a subscription although you need to be an AAdvantage member to purchase one


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Here is the personal device streaming menu


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Movie options


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TV show options


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Live TV was also available on this flight but the only channel available was Bloomberg. Unfortunately, American Airlines removed BeIN Sports from their free live TV options so this means that no more free live football ( soccer ) match streaming onboard. I really enjoyed watching European football on AA flights but unfortunately that era has came to an end.


By the way, access to the following four news websites is free onboard.


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Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew came for service. On today's flight, the only service is a snack service which only consists non-alcoholic beverages and a Biscoff. Nothing else was offered on this flight, however, additional drinks could be requested from the rear galley.


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After a while, I have slept until the preparations for landing has started.


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And shortly later, we have arrived at LAX


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Cargo aircraft were visible at the cargo area


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A MasAir cargo aircraft


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American aircraft at Terminal 4


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TBIT was empty that day


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However, it was possible to spot this Japan Airlines 777-300ER


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After a very short taxi, we were going to park at gate 45 next to this Dreamliner


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After the seatbelt signs have been turned off, passengers were asked to maintain social distancing throughout the deplaning process but the number of passengers maintaining a 1.5 meter ( 6 feet ) distance with other passengers was close to zero.


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Los Angeles AIRPORT - LAX


After leaving the aircraft, I have found myself inside Terminal 4.


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Here is two last photos of N427AN before I head towards the exit


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And after leaving the terminal, I have headed to the LAX Shuttle station as I was going to take a bus to my final destination in Los Angeles.


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After a 10 minute wait, bus C to the City-Bus center had arrived


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And shortly later, we have arrived at the City Bus center where I would take another bus.
For those who like spotting, the City Bus center is a great place to spot aircraft landing at the Northern runway pairs. 


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So, this report has come to an end.
Thanks for reading and hope to see you in another report.

The series would continue with a very exclusive report. 

See more

Verdict

American Airlines

6.6/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering3.0

American Airlines Admirals Club - C

7.0/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering6.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Services7.0

Washington - DCA

8.4/10
Efficiency8.5
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.0

Los Angeles - LAX

7.5/10
Efficiency7.5
Access7.5
Services7.5
Cleanliness7.5

Conclusion

To conclude this Flight-Report, I could tell that the flight was nothing special than an ordinary AA transcontinental flight; although, I'll admit that the smell of the brand new aircraft and the comfort of having 3 seats to myself, increased the quality of the journey.

Information on the route Washington (DCA) Los Angeles (LAX)

2 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 575165 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Hi ISTFLyer, thanks for sharing this latest report! I flew this route on the 321neo just a few weeks before you in MCE as well and had pretty much the same experience, except my flights were totally full both ways.

    Unfortunately, American Airlines removed BeIN Sports from their free live TV options so this means that no more free live football ( soccer ) match streaming onboard.

    This is a shame, especially with the UEFA Euro cup right now! The beIN sports channel was there on my flight in January, but gone in April. I don't have any AA flights coming up so it's all good...and I'll be back in France when we (France) win 😁

    I'm glad AA brought back real drink services, but I really wish they'd bring back some sort of BOB like DL and UA have. 6h is a long flight to not have any food options. I made sure to bring a bunch of snacks for my son on the flights and bought some food in the terminal, but I would have much preferred the ability to buy something onboard.

    Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 575166 by
      ISTFlyer SILVER AUTHOR 399 Comments
      Hi Kévin and thanks for stopping by,

      This is a shame, especially with the UEFA Euro cup right now! The beIN sports channel was there on my flight in January, but gone in April. I don't have any AA flights coming up so it's all good...and I'll be back in France when we (France) win 😁

      - After the disappointing performance of Turkey losing 3 games in a row, I am now neutral in my EURO 2020 predictions and think that France has a slight chance but the semi-final against Belgium, Portugal or Italy would be really tight for France. Wishing good luck to all 16 remaining countries and I hope the remaining 15 matches in the tournament would be exciting and entertaining.
      - If I return to subject, yes, it's sad for us, football ( soccer ) fans that beIN Sports is removed but that might also be associated to beIN Sports losing rights of La Liga in the USA where they probably get the most viewers from. By the way, the EURO's are broadcasted on ESPN ( English ), Univision ( Spanish ) in the USA; however, watching highlights and prediction shows onboard on beIN Sports might also be some good entertainment.

      I'm glad AA brought back real drink services, but I really wish they'd bring back some sort of BOB like DL and UA have. 6h is a long flight to not have any food options. I made sure to bring a bunch of snacks for my son on the flights and bought some food in the terminal, but I would have much preferred the ability to buy something onboard.

      - Exactly, it's disappointing for an airline to encourage people eating at the airport or bring their own food on a 6h long flight like this one. Especially when you have time constraints or have children, you definitely wouldn't want to deal with overcrowded airport merchants. Let's see what would happen in September, will AA restore BoB or not?

      Once again thanks for your comment.

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