I feel like I’ve been so uncharitable to American Airlines lately on Live And Let’s Fly, but it’s not deliberate…I’m rooting for AA to boomerang back as a competitive premium carrier in the USA and hope the new 787-9 deliveries accelerate that process. But my transcontinental 737-800 flight in first class was a reminder that American Airlines still has a long way to go.

American Airlines 737-800 First Class – A Rather Pathetic Transcontinental Flight

At this point in the year, I’ve flown American Airlines much more than United Airlines (my long-term go-to carrier). These days, I’m a free agent and buy based on schedule and price. As I mentioned last week, I chose American Airlines for a business trip to Pittsburgh because it offered convenient nonstop service and did not charge a premium for the nonstop flight…the cost was about $540 one-way in business class.

It was a beautiful morning in LA as I boarded my flight and settled into seat 6F. No pre-departure beverages were offered, but we took off on time.

I noticed immediately, though, that the cabin was not clean. There was dust and bits of garbage all around my seat and my tray table had not been wiped clean.

Internet costs $28 on AA…I find that absurd, considering it’s free on Delta and $8 on United. While American Airlines will roll out free internet next year, why not now? Why not lower prices to reflect competitive pressure? There’s nothing premium about spending so much for Wi-Fi.

Breakfast was served: a small cheese omelet with a side of fruit and a rock-hard cinnamon roll (which I’m sure my body thanked me for leaving on the tray). The omelet was fine, but not more than a few bites, and the fried potatoes were quite greasy. But really, the breakfast was a bright spot…

I got up to use the lavatory after breakfast and found it like this:

(wet floor, brown liquid on the seat, toilet paper in the bowl…)

Shame on the previous passenger for leaving the lavatory like that, but if AA wants to be premium, its flight attendants should get used to checking on the lavatory often. Before I used it, the lavatory had been unoccupied for 15-20 minutes.

What annoyed me most about the flight was that the flight attendants disappeared for the remainder of the flight. No roaming the cabin, no additional drinks, no nothing. While Delta and United offer a pre-arrival drink service on mid-con flights even in economy class, the (very senior) flight attendants working this flight could not even be bothered to check on their first-class passengers during the flight.

I mention “senior” only as a descriptive term: over and over, I’ve seen that age does not correlate positively or negatively to good service. But this domestic flight is very senior because the crew makes a quick turn in Pittsburgh back to LA, meaning they get 10 hours of flying in a single day and can still sleep in their own beds at night.

CONCLUSION

I’m not sure whether I’ll publish a full review of this flight or not…this pretty much sums it up: inattentive, indifferent service and dirty cabins and lavatories with ridiculously-priced internet. AA may not be able to add seatback screens or radically improve its soft product, but it certainly can offer more gracious service and clean the aircraft between flights.

On the other hand, of course, I arrived safely and on time…though I’m not sure that is praiseworthy as much as something that is always to be expected when you step onboard any commercial airline flight.

Thankfully, Joe & The Juice was near my gate and I was able to hydrate after landing:

AA is in a malaise and here’s the problem: I’m going back to United next time and making a stop. I’d rather fly United or Delta with a stop than AA nonstop…that says a lot.