Review of American Airlines flight Paris New York in Business

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA45
Class Business
Seat --
Aircraft Boeing 777-200ER
Flight time 08:15
Take-off 28 Aug 21, 12:15
Arrival at 28 Aug 21, 14:30
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
KévinDC
By SILVER 4151
Published on 17th October 2021

introduction


Hello and welcome to this new 2-flight series of pandemic-era reviews. There is a TWA Hotel bonus at the end of this review for anyone who may be interested. 

After spending the summer in southwestern France with family, it was time to head home to the U.S. before the little one was due to begin preschool. Unlike the 3-segment routing on the way to France, which got us to a closer airport (Toulouse), we flew a simpler 2-segment routing back to San Diego; however, we would be departing from Paris, a 7-hour drive away. We took the opportunity to visit with close friends and tour the city, which was pleasantly uncrowded–a perfect time to introduce our 2-year-old son to the City of Lights. 


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Routing


Flights in this series:


Routing


photo routing

pre-flight & check-in


The morning of departure, we had planned on arriving at the airport about 3 hours before departure as we had a rental car to return. Pulling up to the terminal, we sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for a good 25 minutes, just to get to the rental car return. What a difference from the empty roads and terminals the last time I'd flown through CDG in November 2020! 


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Luckily there was some good #AvGeek scenery as we sat in traffic ✈


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Unfortunately, after fighting traffic to get to the Terminal 2A/B rental car lot, we discovered from a note posted on the office window that the lot was temporarily closed! An important piece of information that the rental company had neglected to pass on. There were several others in the same situation–needless to say, no one was thrilled with this news. 

So we sat in traffic for another 20 minutes just to drive a few hundred metres to the Terminal 2E/F rental car lot! Walking would have been much faster…


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Good thing we'd planned on arriving early as we'd lost an hour with the terminal traffic and rental car return fiasco. And now, being parked at Terminal 2F, we had to make the long walk back to terminal 2A.  


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Then we lost another 15 minutes queuing for a lift as only one of two was working–CDG can be such a mess at times!

When all was said and done, we arrived at the check-in desks just under 90 minutes before departure. Luckily, there was no wait in the priority queue and several fantastically helpful agents got us on our way quickly. It was evident we were among the last to check-in.


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We were through passport control and security rather quickly thanks to the "Accès No. 1 " fast track lanes. 


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Caught a view of an Air Transat A321neo just after the security checkpoint. 


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Unfortunately, all of the airline lounges in Terminal 2A/C were still closed at the time. Lounges are open in other terminals, so I don't quite understand why these remained closed. We wouldn't have had much time to spend in the lounge anyway.


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We headed straight to the gate area as boarding was due to begin shortly. 


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boarding


Our gate was in the circular flying saucer-like pier on the far end of Terminal 2A–which couldn't have been any further away from where we parked at T2F.

We could see our 777-200ER as we approached the gate. 


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The red carpet is a bit reminiscent of the TWA hotel JFK. 


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As we were running a bit behind, boarding had already started before we arrived at the gate. We were able to board immediately through the priority lane, skipping ahead of the long queue in the standard main cabin boarding lane. 

Upon scanning my boarding pass, it beeped with a message for the agent. I thought uh oh, it can't be an upgrade since we're already in Business and there's not First cabin on the 777-200ERs. 

We were asked to step aside where another agent explained that the in-flight entertainment was not working at my seat and offered to move my seat to the row in front–the only open seat. I declined as I needed to be seated by my 2-year-old son–in this seat configuration, I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him from another row.

Oh well, I'll survive!

Nice views of our aircraft on the way down the jet-bridge. 


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We entered the aircraft through the beautiful Business class bar area before turning right into the second Business cabin. 


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As usual, I'd selected seats in the last row of business class. 


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I was surprised to discover that this aircraft was equipped with the "Concept D" seats, which are laid out in an alternating forwards-backwards configuration. Though the number of seats is the same in this configuration as the Super Diamond-equipped cabins, these "Concept D" cabins are usually identifiable on the seat maps with arrows showing backwards facing seats. 

We had booked months in advance so it's not surprising that the 772 subfleet changed from the time we originally made the reservation.  Though I prefer the Super Diamond cabins as I find the seats slightly more spacious, these cabins are still very nice with full-flat seats and aisle-access for all passengers. 


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My seat was a forward-facing seat on the right side. All outer forward-facing seats face the windows…


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Whereas backwards-facing seats face the aisles.


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In the centre section, forward-facing seats are oriented inward at the feet, while backwards-facing seats are oriented towards the aisle like the window-side seats. 


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The little one quickly made himself comfortable in his spacious quarters…too many fun buttons and lights!


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Boarding was completed well ahead of time


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During boarding, cabin crew had distributed noise-cancelling headphones. An amenity kit and printed menu were already at the seat upon entering the aircraft.


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Sanitising wipes were also distributing during boarding. I've been in the habit of carrying my own pack of wipes since the very beginning of the pandemic, especially when travelling with a small child who naturally feels to need to touch and explore new surroundings. 

It's a nice gesture, and I'm glad most airlines do this, though the aircraft already looked and smelled fresh and spotlessly clean, as has been my experience on a vast majority of flights in the pandemic-era.  


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The are plenty of power-up options with 2 USB ports and 2 110V AC outlets at each seat. 


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The touchscreen seat control panel, in-flight entertainment remote, and reading light are located nearby. 


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Though I was aware and accepted that the IFE would not work for this flight, I wasn't aware that the power was not working either. None of the USB ports or AC outlets worked throughout the flight–luckily, the seat controls did work!


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The traffic outside the window was much more active than the last time I'd been though CDG in November 2020, in the middle of a strict lockdown. It was nice to see the airport buzzing with activity again! 


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The New Air Canada livery looks great on a big 777-300ER!


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Very good legroom, as can be expected in long-haul Business class. 


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Crew confirmed boarding was completed, but it was too early to close the doors as we still had about 20 minutes to go before scheduled departure time. 


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Let's have a look at the menu in the meantime.


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Can't say the corned-beef and cabbage option sounded particularly appetising in August, and it just felt out of place on a flight from Paris.


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I appreciated the creativeness of the the options, mixing eastern and western-influenced dishes


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The alcoholic drinks menu felt reduced compared to pre-pandemic times, but still decent. 


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A decent wine list, though it's unfortunate that there were no French wines, aside from the Champagne. However, I like that AA always carry at least one Port option. 


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Here's a look at the contents of the amenity kit. In comparison, the Iberia amenity kit on the flight over to Europe were much better. 


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the flight


The doors were closed about 10 minutes prior to departure. It appears we couldn't leave any earlier despite boarding wrapping up 25 minutes early and all baggage loaded due to a short flying time over to New York. 


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As I heard the safety video begin, during push-back, I instinctively opened up my screen….oh right, it doesn't work!


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Hopefully I'll get to fly on one of these beautiful Air Tahiti Nui 787s once day! French Polynesia is one of those bucket list items I still haven't checked off, and now living in Southern California means it's only an 8-hour flight away. 


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After a short taxi time, by CDG standards, we were off.



A video on enhanced cleaning measures and air filtration in the Covid-era was shown shortly after takeoff. 


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We quickly reached the French coast during climb out. 


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As I mentioned earlier, the inop IFE and power issue did not affect the seat controls themselves, thankfully. So I could still change position and fully recline as normal. 


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Though at the time AA had still not reinstated pre-departure drink services, a bottle of water had been given to all passengers in Business towards the end of boarding. 


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Shortly after takeoff, there was a drink service with a snack–or as my people would say, an apéritif


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I enjoyed a generous pour of the champagne, but ugh…the plastic cups have got to go away in long-haul premium cabins! Glassware is slated to return this fall. 


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Special meals were served first as always. I definitely appreciate that as the timing allows me to assist my son with his meal, prior to sitting down and eating myself.

Wow, once again huge portions for a child meal! 


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My son enjoyed the child meal, but it was obviously way too much food for a 2-year-old. The only items he was happy to finish were the Kinder chocolate bar and Madeleine pastry, haha. I do appreciate that the child meal was mostly composed of healthy foods. These child meals cater to children from 2 up to 12-years-old, so the size is meant to accommodate that large age range, but it would be nice to have a toddler option for the younger children to avoid food waste. 


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I had already pre-reserved my meal online a few weeks before the flight. I always try to pre-order, especially since I like to sit in the last row of Business, which often gets the last choice of meals on board. And I DID NOT want to get stuck with Corned beef and cabbage in the summer! 🤣


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Per pandemic-era sanitary protocols, all food is served with covers intact. 


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I had pre-order the Fried Paneer because I love Indian food–it was technically the vegetarian option.  


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Appetiser: 

Vegetable Antipasti
Baby leef, zucchini, grilled artichoke, eggplant purée 


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Main:
 
Fried Paneer
Makhani sauce, dal tadka, basmati rice and paratha bread 


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Dessert:

Lemon Tarte 


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Views of the southern coast of Ireland during the meal. 


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Cabin crew were through the cabin regularly during the meal service offering drinks.

I had a Port with the dessert.  


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Overall the meal was good, though pandemic-era cost-cutting was evident. Meals served on one tray were only found on overnight flights prior to the pandemic. Day flights like this had properly coursed out meal services with several dessert and cheese plate options, and of course, the famous ice cream sundaes. As a Frenchman, I missed having the option of a cheese course. 

My son went to sleep shortly after eating during for his normal nap time, which allowed the grown-ups a few hours of relaxation.  This is one of biggest reasons we continue to fly Business whenever we can find a decent deal–a well-rested child is a happy child and a happy child means happy parents! 


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Quiet cabin after the meal service.


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The bar area was already set up, just minutes after the meal service was over. 


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There were self-serve snacks and water bottles. The biggest noticeable difference from pre-pandemic times was no alcohol or other drink options. 


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The screens showed some nice scenery from Paris. 


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I was able to have a quick nap myself and woke up as we were passing the southern tip of Greenland approaching North America.


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Once my son woke up from his nap, we switched seats so I could check out the IFE for a bit. He always prefers the familiar animated programmes loaded on his own tablet. 


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As always there is a good amount of content. The only major difference in IFE content from pre-pandemic times is that Live TV channels were unavailable for more than a year, but have recently returned. 


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Content can be searched in a list view, for those who know what they are looking for… 


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Or in the traditional library view with thumbnail images for better browsing


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There are many international films and programmes in a multitude of languages, which I always appreciate. 


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New release blockbusters, children's programming, sci-fi, rom-coms, documentaries–there's something for everyone. 


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There are also a few simple games. 


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As I can never really 100% concentrate on watching a movie when travelling with my kid, I put on a big destruction movie full of special effects and action with a simple plot that is easy enough to follow along when starting and stopping multiple times.

Although this scene was reminiscent of the evacuation of Kabul that was happening at that time, it was a scene from Greenland


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About an hour before arrival, the pre-arrival meal was served. 


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I went for the barbecue beef and brie sandwich option, which was served hot. The burnt cheese on the plate wasn't great visually, but it was pretty tasty. I also appreciate the hot option for a pre-arrival meal on a short TATL flight, as most European carriers tend to serve a cold "tea time" style light meal.


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I feel like I've been getting this same dessert for years on westbound TATL flights with AA. Nevertheless, it's quite good so I'm not complaining. 


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We began our descent as cabin crew were concluding the meal service 


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Since I didn't have a working IFE screen, I couldn't watch the moving map, but I could track our flight's progress on the AA app for free through the Wi-Fi.


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We were due to arrive at the gate over a half hour early.


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The weather wasn't great with some low clouds, light rain, and windy conditions. 


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The area had just been recently hit with some major flooding and was about to get some more from a Tropical storm, just a few days later. We were lucky to fly in and out of JFK when we did. 


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We ended up landing and arriving at the gate even earlier, after a short taxi time. 


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Ah JetBlue Mint…an amazing experience. If you missed my recent review of JetBlue's Mint Business class, you can check it out here.


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We parked at the gate at Terminal 8 almost 45 minutes ahead of schedule!


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With Global Entry and few international flights arriving at AA's Terminal 8 at that time, we were through Immigrations and Customs in minutes. Our bags were even delivered quickly, which is always hit or miss with AA. 

A nice welcome as you walk out of the customs area to the international arrivals hall.  


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We headed strait to the AirTrain to get to the TWA Hotel at Terminal 5.

There are signs indicating the direction to the TWA Hotel from all terminals. 


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We were on the train platform before our aircraft was even scheduled to arrive at the gate! 


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Thanks for reading! My second TWA Hotel review is below and ratings/conclusion of the whole flight experience further down the page. 


twa hotel review


Bonus : Click here display
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Verdict

American Airlines

7.5/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi6.0
Meal/catering7.0

Paris - CDG

7.4/10
Efficiency7.5
Access7.0
Services6.5
Cleanliness8.5

New York - JFK

7.4/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.0
Services7.5
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

The flight experience itself was generally pleasant for a pandemic-era flight with a lovely crew--and you can't beat a 45 minute early arrival into JFK!

Cabin - The cabin is comfortable, modern, and private, with fully flat seats allowing direct aisle access for all passengers, though this isn't the best cabin on AA long-haul metal. The Collins Super Diamond seats found on most of the 777-200 fleet and all 787-9s are a bit more spacious and all forward-facing.
Cabin crew - Very nice and attentive. They had fun with passengers and each other, but stayed professional. You could tell they took pride in their jobs and offered great service. We also enjoyed several friendly chats and I really appreciated comments about how well our son was behaved for his age! Proud Papa 😊
Entertainment - It wasn't working, so I had to deduct some points for that, but otherwise there's a good selection and nice Bang & Olufsen headphones
Meals - Tasty main meal, creative menu options (though Corned Beef in summer?), decent wine selection, and I always appreciate the snack bar set-up on AA. However, on the negative side, it's cheap to still use plastic cups in premium cabins over a year and a half into the pandemic. The cost-cutting was also obvious with the smaller portions presented all in one tray, whereas meals on daytime flights in pre-pandemic times were properly coursed with more dessert and cheese plate options.

Information on the route Paris (CDG) New York (JFK)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 146 avis concernant 6 compagnies sur la ligne Paris (CDG) → New York (JFK).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Air France avec 7.5/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 8 heures et 19 minutes.

  More information

10 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 583532 by
    ChrisB GOLD 3392 Comments
    Hi Kevin and thanks for the well documented and well written report as always!
    First your pictures of Paris are amazing, and so is this blue sky! Not so common!
    I wasn't aware you need to drop rental cars at the E/F Piers, it is indeed a shame to drive past the Flying saucer!
    Speaking of, I have never been there, and most of the reports to JFK leave from to terminal E so thanks for the virtual visit :)

    I don't want to sound arsh but I am really not a massive fan of the idea of facing backward - especially when every economy seat are facing the way you are naturally expected to face by any means of travel ...
    Shame for the mulfunctioning IFE, have they offered miles or any sort of compensation?
    The meal looks yummy, and especially the desserts !! That lemon tart !!
    Shame indeed not to offer french wine, but at least there is some variety with this Mendoza (yes I love Argentina!! XD). As you wrote it yourself, I guess one of the strong suit of the 3 major american carriers is the staff onboard - super friendly and yet professional.

    As per your conclusion, and I don't want to blow my own trumpet, I often heard - at least in the UK - that french parenting is somehow more effective / disciplinary.

    And finally the TWA hotel is just WOW!!
    Thanks again !
    See U! Chris
    • Comment 583565 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hey Chris, thanks a lot for your comments!

      First your pictures of Paris are amazing, and so is this blue sky! Not so common!

      Thanks! Yeah, that's why I like Paris in August...it's super quiet with all the Parisians on vacation and the weather is much nicer (usually)!

      I wasn't aware you need to drop rental cars at the E/F Piers, it is indeed a shame to drive past the Flying saucer!

      Apparently it's been like that for a year...I had no idea. And the way the circular roads at T2 are designed it's maddening because you have to hop back in awful traffic to loop around, just to go a few hundred metres--they should've had a road that connects the 2 lots directly.

      I don't want to sound arsh but I am really not a massive fan of the idea of facing backward

      I usually don't mind facing backwards. I'm used to it from having flown BA Club World many times. It get a little nauseous during takeoff and landing, but otherwise it gives you a great view of the wings!

      Shame for the malfunctioning IFE, have they offered miles or any sort of compensation?

      Nope! They specifically told me that my record was annotated as having declined to be moved to a seat with working IFE and I would not get any comp since it was my choice--though it wasn't because I couldn't be moved away from my 2-year-old! He's not exactly old enough to take care of himself...it wasn't a battle worth picking because I knew I'd just frustrate myself for no reason.

      I often heard - at least in the UK - that french parenting is somehow more effective / disciplinary.

      That must be it haha

      And finally the TWA hotel is just WOW!!

      It's beautiful...too bad the service was crap and that they make you pay $50 to go to the rooftop bar after already paying $300+ for your room to stay there.

      Thanks for stopping by!
  • Comment 583610 by
    marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
    I was sadly not surprised by the description of the traffic jam mess in CDG: the road access is woefully under-dimensioned, possibly in part because public transportation is such crap that all passengers who can afford a taxi or the parking lot chose that solution.
    It's amazing that AF could (I'm unsure if they still do) propose a dozen special meals (low salt, low carb, half a dozen religions, etc.) and have a single "size fits all" child meal.
    The architecture of the hotel is spectacular, but it feels from your description that its operation has aged badly. I would not pay that amount of money, despite the convenience.
    Thanks for sharing !
    • Comment 583792 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hi Marathon, appreciate your comments!

      I was sadly not surprised by the description of the traffic jam mess in CDG: the road access is woefully under-dimensioned,

      Indeed, and poorly designed. there could easily be a roadway leading directly between the two lots on the ground level, but I suppose it's rare to need to go between the two being so close.

      possibly in part because public transportation is such crap that all passengers who can afford a taxi or the parking lot chose that solution.

      Absolutely! The RER is awful and inconvenient unless you can catch the rare direct trains, which is just luck of the draw. There really needs to be a separate direct rail connection. I used to often take the Air France coaches, which were a good compromise of convenience and price, but I don't think those run anymore.

      The architecture of the hotel is spectacular, but it feels from your description that its operation has aged badly. I would not pay that amount of money, despite the convenience.

      Exactly. It's lost much of its magic because of mismanagement--truly unfortunate!

      Thanks so much for stopping by!
  • Comment 583625 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Looks like a great flight with AA. I'm impressed with how well your son does - I will have to make sure we take our son on a trip when he reaches two like this, as he's a good traveler as well, but have yet to do a flight longer than 4 hours so far.

    Thanks for sharing.
    • Comment 583793 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Appreciate your comments as always!

      Looks like a great flight with AA.

      Minus the IFE not working :)

      I'm impressed with how well your son does

      Thanks! And we've been flying long-ish pretty regularly lately so he's not getting out of the habit of flying. We've done 2 transcons in the past month and have upcoming flights to Chicago next week (4.5h from SAN).

      I will have to make sure we take our son on a trip when he reaches two like this, as he's a good traveler as well,

      Though I miss the free or greatly reduced tickets when he was under 2, my son is HUGE for his age and having his own seat has made the experience much more enjoyable for all of us.

      but have yet to do a flight longer than 4 hours so far.

      Understandably, considering you are in the Midwest where basically everything in North America is maximum 4h flight away. I guess living in SoCal and having family in Europe and the East Coast has been a good recipe to get my son used to long-haul travel from a young age.

      Thanks for stopping by and looking forward to future Flight-Reports flying with you son!
      Cheers
  • Comment 583890 by
    NewYorker 194 Comments
    Hi Kevin, thanks for an awesome report as always! Looking forward to seeing how this series progresses. I always love reading reports on American carriers and seeing how they keep improving!
    Unfortunately, all of the airline lounges in Terminal 2A/C were still closed at the time.

    Lame! In August 2021, I'd expect lounges to not only be open, but also provide semi-normal catering. I guess in this case, your delayed arrival was a blessing in disguise, as you didn't have to roam the airport or sit in the gate area...
    We entered the aircraft through the beautiful Business class bar area before turning right into the second Business cabin.

    It certainly is beautiful! AA outdid UA on that section of Business Class, for sure.
    I was surprised to discover that this aircraft was equipped with the "Concept D" seats, which are laid out in an alternating forwards-backwards configuration.

    I may be in the minority, but I actually love rear-facing seats in J. Do you know what % of AA's 772s have those seats vs. the Rockwell Collins seats? While the design of the other product is a bit nicer, I'm sure this seat was very comfortable, too.
    Can't say the corned-beef and cabbage option sounded particularly appetising in August, and it just felt out of place on a flight from Paris.

    Haha! On the one hand, it's out of place on a flight from Paris, but on the other hand it's a nice dish to offer folks on the way to New York. Though as a New Yorker, I'm slightly offended that they'd serve it as a main dish and not as a sandwich on Rye! 😜
    The meals looked tasty, and while the plastic glasses are annoying, it looks like AA is really making an effort on their long-haul product. I'm not fan of AA for domestic travel, but internationally I've only had great experiences with them. The cabin is beautiful, and you had a great crew, which is wonderful. It's a shame that you didn't have entertainment, but it's nice that the gate agents proactively offered you a new seat. AA's service seems on-par with UA's (maybe slightly better food-wise), and both are levels ahead of what LH offers. It's funny (and kind of sad) to see LH & Co. getting worse and worse, while UA and AA keep improving. While my allegiance is with UA, I'd definitely give AA a try across the pond again. Love the TWA Hotel bonus, I gotta book myself in/out of JFK sometime! Thanks again for sharing, and looking forward to your future reports! 😃✈️
    • Comment 584019 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hey NewYorker, thanks for your comments!

      Lame! In August 2021, I'd expect lounges to not only be open, but also provide semi-normal catering.

      Exactly! If AF can open multiple lounges with normal catering in T2E and F, the pandemic can't really be used as an excuse. IMO it's a short-staffing problem.

      It certainly is beautiful! AA outdid UA on that section of Business Class, for sure.

      This is something AA does better than most other carriers...well, except the ME3 and VS with actual bars/lounges

      I may be in the minority, but I actually love rear-facing seats in J.

      I do too actually. It's fun because it's different. I assume you got used to rear-facing on UA, like I did on BA.

      Do you know what % of AA's 772s have those seats vs. the Rockwell Collins seats?

      Just under half of the fleet (18 frames) was outfitted with this Zodiac "Concept D", which was a customised denser version of the Zodiac Cirrus they had on the 77W. The contract was dropped due to ongoing delays (common as Zodiac before it they were bought out by Safran). Then AA were able to very quickly outfit the rest of the fleet with the Collins (previously B/E Aerospace) Super Diamond, which worked out since those seats, even "off the shelf" are a nicer design and don't really take up more floor space.
      But yes, the Zodiac seats are quite comfortable and spacious as they are.

      I'm not fan of AA for domestic travel, but internationally I've only had great experiences with them.

      I love and hate this about AA at the same time. Pre-pandemic, they'd really stepped up their Intl J game and have brought back a reasonable level of service--there's definitely been effort there. They'll even be bringing back glass-ware and PDBs shortly, but Domestic F has been largely ignored. Plated meals are slowly coming back to domestic F, but it's mostly the same cold content they had in the boxes previously, but slapped on a plate, whereas UA, DL, AS are bringing back hot meals on most routes that were getting them pre-pandemic.

      Love the TWA Hotel bonus, I gotta book myself in/out of JFK sometime!

      Especially now that UA flies there! haha

      Appreciate you stopping by!
  • Comment 584057 by
    YGeorgeW GOLD 273 Comments
    Thanks for the report Kevin!

    So we sat in traffic for another 20 minutes just to drive a few hundred metres to the Terminal 2E/F rental car lot! Walking would have been much faster…

    -This is why I go out of my way to avoid rental cars if possible.

    Very good legroom, as can be expected in long-haul Business class.

    -The nice part about these older seats is that the footwell area is very open and spacious.

    Shortly after takeoff, there was a drink service with a snack–or as my people would say, an apéritif

    -At least there's tablecloth to go with the plastic bag!

    I enjoyed a generous pour of the champagne, but ugh…the plastic cups have got to go away in long-haul premium cabins! Glassware is slated to return this fall.

    -What champagne is AA serving these days?

    Wow, once again huge portions for a child meal!

    -American-sized portions

    I had pre-order the Fried Paneer because I love Indian food–it was technically the vegetarian option.

    -More often than not, the vegetarian option tends to be the one that's decent on any US airline. Overall, your meal looked alright. The lemon tart actually looks appetizing.

    I went for the barbecue beef and brie sandwich option, which was served hot. The burnt cheese on the plate wasn't great visually, but it was pretty tasty.

    -Comfort food options are usually not all that visually appealing on airlines, but often not bad. Glad to hear it tasted fine.

    I feel like I've been getting this same dessert for years on westbound TATL flights with AA. Nevertheless, it's quite good so I'm not complaining.

    -What exactly is this?

    Looks like you've been having a few good trips across the Atlantic lately, looking forward to reading more.
    • Comment 584060 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER AUTHOR 6668 Comments
      Hi George, appreciate the comments!

      This is why I go out of my way to avoid rental cars if possible.

      I used to, but now with a kid and all the extra stuff to haul around that it entails, it's just easier.

      The nice part about these older seats is that the footwell area is very open and spacious.

      Yes for sure, it's nice not to have restricted foot space.

      At least there's tablecloth to go with the plastic bag!

      Hah yeah, that makes it fancy.

      What champagne is AA serving these days?

      It was an H. Blin Brut. I'd never heard of the brand, but it was decent...though it would have tasted better in a real glass

      More often than not, the vegetarian option tends to be the one that's decent on any US airline.

      It's true. I'm not even close to being a vegetarian, but I often find myself ordering the vegetarian option because it's usually something with a lot of spice, which I love.

      Comfort food options are usually not all that visually appealing on airlines, but often not bad.

      Exactly. Having gone to college in the South I can appreciate American comfort food.

      What exactly is this?

      It's a dark chocolate mousse. I looked back on several older reports and there is was. They've been serving it for years haha

      Looks like you've been having a few good trips across the Atlantic lately, looking forward to reading more.

      Yes, it's nice to be mostly back to our old pre-pandemic Transatlantic lives. Many more to come!

      Thanks again for your comments!

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