My Latest Pathetic Flight In American Airlines “Flagship” Business Class…
Oh, American Airlines…you have such potential, but you have to get the little things right. My latest “Flagship” business class light on the A321T from New York to Los Angeles is another case study of AA not even trying…
Another Pathetic Flight In American Airlines A321T “Flagship” Business Class: These Planes Are Literally Falling Apart Inside
After several weeks of work in Pennsylvania, I flew home from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles via New York on American Airlines, which meant a lie-flat seat in business class on the Airbus A321T from JFK to LAX. I am always thankful for a lie-flat seat on a transcontinental flight and as I embrace free agency in 2025 (rather than pure loyalty to United Airlines), I’m going to be flying on more carriers this year.
I booked rather close to departure and assigned myself seat 6D, a bulkhead aisle seat in business class, because there were no window seats left. An added advantage of the bulkhead is a bit more space for your feet. I rose at 5:00 am to get to PIT and spent three hours working in the Admirals Club there then another four hours in the Greenwich Lounge in JFK.
My objective was to relax on the flight: to watch a movie, which I had not done in many months.
Onboard, I found my seat cushion broken…
And my power port did not work…
Some of you may be thinking, haven’t I read this before? Yes, you have…because last August I flew on the same aircraft type in the opposite direction and had the same two issues. On my last A321T flight from LA to Boston my power port also did not work.
But this flight was even worse…the screens also did not work.
I asked a flight attendant if she could reset my system and she said, “Oh, didn’t they tell you?”
Tell me what?
“These screens have been written up: they don’t work any longer. You can use your phone…”
You can try to reset the system yourself by holding down the power button, but it did not work…
AA Should Be Ashamed Of Itself For Failing To Maintain A321T
Not one, not two, but three flights in a row with a broken power port? Three flights in a row with a loose cushion? And a screen that does not work on a six-hour “Flagship” flight.
There is no excuse. I know AA is retiring these aircraft soon and therefore has little incentive to pour a lot of time and money into maintenance. But this is still ridiculous…a business class passenger should (at the very least!) expect the seat, screen, and power outlet to function.
If AA ever wants to earn a revenue premium (and goodness knows it certainly needs to with its high-cost structure), it must get the little things right.
I did not request compensation for the previous two flights, but I really should, right? At least for this one? I’ve never asked AA for compensation in my life…what does it generally offer for stuff like this? Really, the FA should have proactively offered me and my seatmate something…
And AA does have potential…the meal on the flight was actually very good (nice appetizer, salad, and halibut and a beautiful ice cream sundae). The service was generally good. We arrived at LAX 45 minutes and this time (unlike this time) we did not have to wait an hour for a gate…
So it’s not like AA does everything wrong…
CONCLUSION
American Airlines will never be great if it cannot do small things like maintain its aircraft. This is my third transcontinental flight in a row without power…there is no excuse.