Review of American Airlines flight Los Angeles London in Business

Airline American Airlines
Flight AA136
Class Business
Seat 15A
Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
Flight time 12:30
Take-off 09 Mar 14, 19:50
Arrival at 10 Mar 14, 15:20
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
Leadership
By BRONZE 14247
Published on 11th May 2014
Dear all,

It’s now time to fly back to Europe but in style, for this flight we could have taken British Airways with their A380 or American Airlines, we choose the later because AA is now using their latest 777-300ER on this route, main asset being the famously known Cirrus reverse herringbone seat for their Business Class passengers.
I am fond of this seat since I tried it with Cathay Pacific, it’s IMHO the best available seat on the market today and I can’t wait to try the Air France’s version later this year.

Our routing:

  1. Paris ORY - Madrid (Iberia, Business, A321)
  2. CLICK HERE
  3. Madrid – New York JFK (Iberia, Business, A330-300)
  4. CLICK HERE
  5. New York JFK – Los Angeles (American Airlines, Business, A321)
  6. CLICK HERE
  7. Los Angeles – London LHR (American Airlines, Business, B777-300ER)
  8. [YOU ARE HERE]
  9. London LHR – Paris ORY (British Airways, Club Europe, A320)
  10. [LAST]

We just arrived from JFK with the new transcontinental service, and we have 4 hours de kill before our flight to Heathrow, as we are not expecting much from lounges here we headed to the In N out to sniff some fresh jet fuel XD

photo 1

A380-800 Singapore Airlines

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A330-200 Hawaian

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B787-8 United

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Back to American Airlines terminal

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Security took quite a bit of time (15mn)

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And let’s visit their lounge

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It’s a very big lounge with an airy feeling

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There is a bar

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And shower facilities

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But of course don’t expect anything from the buffet, we are in US afterall.



My nibble

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We did some advertising too :)

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Our magnificent aircraft is getting prepared right bellow us.

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Boarding priorities are well respected.

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We are warmly welcomed aboard and directed to our seats.

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My seat

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Bose headsets

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Amenity kit, slippers and water

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The seat is a copy of the CX version, only colours differs.

PDB soon offered by our cheerful crew, OJ for me

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Comfortable duvet + pillow

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Amenity kit is basic but with useful items such as tissues and pen

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Safety video played

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And GE90-115B powered up! I will never get tired of these monsters.

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Airshow

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What I really like with the Cirrus seat is the amount of space you get with the side table and the full access.

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Tiny oshibori

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Beverage offered with warm nuts, this time Champagne (Gosset), which was pretty good I must say.

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Menu



Diner
Starter and salad presented on one tray

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Starter
Thai Chicken
With grilled five-spice pineapple, watermelon and Asian mint dressing

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Salad
Seasonal greens with fresh vegetables, feta and pepperoncini
With your choice of sour-cream and herb dressing or premium extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar


photo 52

Crew are doing a good job by keeping our glasses refilled at all time, unfortunately they changed my tiny Champagne glass for a lot less elegant pot, she probably poured half of the bottle in it, kind of a waste.

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For the entrées I wanted the Red Thai Curry Chicken but it was not available anymore, my second choice was the beef, hoping it will not be overdone.

Boursin Crusted Fillet of Beef
With wilted spinach, balsamic grilled tomatoes and whipped potatoes


photo 54

I prefer my meat more rare, but it was pretty acceptable

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Traditionnal Ice Cream Sundae
Vanilla ice cream with your choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry toppings, whipped cream and pecans


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Diner was pretty average: chicken, beef and ice-cream even if well executed are too predictive, they should give more choice in terms of starter and dessert, and serve cheese in addition and not as part of the dessert selection.

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Washroom

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Before getting to sleep we gathered at the fantastic bar, they just finished setting it up and it looks fantastic with some really tasty options (but we were full).



We wanted to celebrate this flight with some Champagne and the crew asked us how many glasses do we need, I said “3” and one of the FA said “no, 4, one for me” we found it hilarious and very appropriate as we were very enthusiastic. What a change from Iberia were you are asked to leave the galley.

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I slept well for 5 or 6 hours with no interruption

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Economy cabin in 3-4-3 configuration (Economy Extra in 3-3-3 configuration).

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As we are approaching Ireland, breakfast is served

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Breakfast

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Selection of fruit and breakfast breads

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American Breakfast
Three cheese omelette with poblano cream sauce, herbed potatoes, turkey sausage and roasted tomatoes.


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This is again basic but very well executed, the omelette was delicious with the melted cheeses.

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IFE

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Nice fleet

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Soon enough, we are approaching Heathrow from the west

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Parked at Terminal 3

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Our next flight is leaving from Terminal 5, and we are following the clear signage.

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Airside bus

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Video:
See more

Verdict

American Airlines

7.4/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew7.5
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering6.0

American Airlines Admirals Club

4.2/10
Comfort6.0
Meal/catering1.0
Entertainment/wifi4.0
Services6.0

Los Angeles - LAX

5.2/10
Efficiency3.5
Access7.5
Services6.0
Cleanliness4.0

London - LHR

6.6/10
Efficiency7.0
Access6.5
Services6.5
Cleanliness6.5

Conclusion

Once again we really enjoyed this flight, American Airlines stepped-up their product with their new aircraft, and along with their A321T they selected some of the finest cabin furnitures and seats available today.

Beside that Flight attendants were attentive, proactive and funny, which is exactly what I expect from an American crew, they were in good mood and seems happy to do the service despite a full cabin.

Catering is still the weak point, I did not get my first choice and it was pretty bland and uninspiring, breakfast was good though but only one choice of warm dish (omelette).

Wine list was ok, with the noticeable presence of Gosset for champagne, if only they served it in proper glasses lol!

Thanks for reading.

Information on the route Los Angeles (LAX) London (LHR)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 23 avis concernant 4 compagnies sur la ligne Los Angeles (LAX) → London (LHR).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Virgin Atlantic avec 8.2/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 10 heures et 26 minutes.

  More information

14 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 108774 by
    AirCanada881 1616 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this qualitative report, your pictures as always are stunning, I'm really surprised to see such a large jet parked so close to the terminal building, the clearance seemed quite small, impressive nonetheless.

    The lounge looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye but the food offering leaves alot to be desired by international standards.

    AA's business cabin is in ;y opinion very classy. I like the colors better than those of CX as I find the tones more sober. The implicit presence of wood on the tables make for an even classier experience and the seat looks as you stated, best in class.

    The food offering seemed above average for an american carrier, I would've been disappointed not to try the Thai chicken, would've been my choice as well. The potions and quality seem to be there however and I think this takes precedence over a too frivolous offering. The breakfast certainly looks filling.

    I enjoyed reading the report, it will be interesting to compare CX, AA and AF once the new cabin is rolled out.
    • Comment 295032 by
      Leadership TEAM BRONZE AUTHOR 5461 Comments
      Thank you William, I agree with you, lounge is nice but food selection is a joke, they could at least offered some sandwiches.
      I am a big fan of this cabin and it would be interesting to compare it with AF.
      Catering was ok, lack of choice is an issue nonetheless.
  • Comment 108785 by
    Scott05 570 Comments
    Thank you for this report.
    It is still surprising that in the country where food is almighty you are not able to eat correctly in the airports' lounges.
    Hard product looks fantastic, the meal is okay (I laughed at the boursin crusted beef, sounds weird but it looks good though) but for me ice cream is a bit of a childish dessert for a premium cabin.
    I'm waiting for your FR on AF then :)
    • Comment 295033 by
      Leadership TEAM BRONZE AUTHOR 5461 Comments
      Thanks, some airlines like DL are going the extra mile with a second type of dessert like a cake, but AA only stick with their ice-cream only, you do have some sweet stuffs at the bar though.
  • Comment 108797 by
    indianocean SILVER 7572 Comments
    I just can't believe you opened the Flight Report kakemone in the AA lounge. Well done!!!

    The main meal you chose looks more attractive than the one yd75 ate. I would have prefered the meat rare cooked just like you. The new Cirrus seat is just amazing.

    You should send the bottoms up picture to No picture airline Iberia. That proves that their crew just sucks.

    Thank you Leadership
    • Comment 295035 by
      Leadership TEAM BRONZE AUTHOR 5461 Comments
      The roll-up idea was not mine but I found it brillant and funny.
      I think I have never seen a rare meat on a US airline ^^
      Thank you once for taking the time to read and comment this FR!
  • Comment 108812 by
    pititom GOLD 11489 Comments
    I won't comment the whole of the report as I just did it on Yd75's version of that flight.

    It's a good product, you can't be over-enthousiastic for it but you also can't be totally deceived. It's making the job done.

    But what is more important is a radical change for the frequent flyer. For a long time, if you wanted to fly oneworld from LAX to LHR, you would have taken BA without a doubt. And now, I think this product is over the Queen's carrier one. It does make a difference.

    Thanks for sharing !
    • Comment 295036 by
      Leadership TEAM BRONZE AUTHOR 5461 Comments
      Probably this is why we dediced to try AA over BA, even if you can fly with the whalejet on the later.
      Still there is a consitency issue with AA and you have to carrefuly select flights operated with 777-300ER only, and none of them are flying to Paris for eg.
      See you.
  • Comment 108840 by
    airberlin GOLD 1872 Comments
    You seems enthusiast by the crew but just give a 7.5. What's the point?
    I'm just curious because I'm planning to have my next transatlantic flight on American and I start therefore to look into the details ;-)
    Thanks a lot for your sharing - the pictures were just amazing, specially from the mid-flight buffet :)
    • Comment 295037 by
      Leadership TEAM BRONZE AUTHOR 5461 Comments
      Thanks,
      7.5 is a good grade for me, but I need to penalise as I was not given my first choice for the dinner, and I found that the service lack of elegance, for eg when they served me the champagne in an unproper glass.
  • Comment 108846 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Beautiful report as usual. The lounge is pretty decent for a US lounge. At least you got real cheese, not the plastic wrapped stuff in the DL Sky Clubs, lol. The 77W J product is just Amazing. It really is a game-changer. DL, of course, had Cirrus way before AA and full-flat seats on the entire long-haul fleet, but DL's seats look cheap and bare in comparison. AA went on the way with all the finishings and decor--the cabin has a much more luxurious feel than DL's. The catering is predictable for a US carrier, as you mention, but they did make some effort with the presentation, sides, and the appetizer looks interesting. I don't think we'll even see foie-gras on a US carrier in J. On DL I usually get cheese and a desert, I'm sure you can on AA as well if you ask. I also wonder why only 7.5 for the crew when they sound like they were great? I've become a huge fan of the new AA livery; it is very fresh and modern and really represents AA's transformation.
  • Comment 108989 by
    Denzee 1755 Comments
    Thanks Leadership for this great FR.

    As said in the FR written by yd75, the food seems better than from EX-LHR but it's still average.

    Very nice buffet !!

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