AA critique

[codash1099]

AA doesn't come out of this looking all that good.

American's Problem: Management is Out of Touch With Customers - View from the Wing

 

[Blackswan]

For the past 7 years I've flown AA every time I've visited the US (once to twice a year). Always domestic F. The last trip (LGA-ORD 30 Dec 17 and ORD-SFO 3 Jan 18) were the last time I'll ever fly them. Next time I will try DL.

Catering has progressively got worse, to the stage where I don't touch it - and I'm not fussy. But it was the attitude of the staff that did it for me. The check in desks at ORD were massively understaffed - it was a 50 minute wait in the priority line (I heard that the non-priority line was 2 hours plus). There were only two agents working, with eight counters closed. The 'Supervisor' literally shrugged her shoulders and walked off when people in the line started complaining.

 

[Jamie R]

Had the completely opposite experience with AA (Dom Y) recently - SFO to RIC in Dec and JFK to LAX in Jan. Having warned the family of the potential horrors that awaited them flying in the US, we had what felt like two of my best US flying experiences ever (and I usually fly F for business and am QF WP). Checkin in both SFO and JFK were fast, efficient and friendly. The Admirals staff allowed me to guest my family into the lounge (4 of us v. 1 guest entitlement) and the JFK Flagship Lounge was an oasis of calm compared to the QF First lounge in LAX. We flew in Airbus both ways and while, its still Y (actually Main Cabin Extra), the onboard service was excellent.

All that said, wow a 50min wait to checkin, I'd be p*ssed as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess for me the relevance of the article looks like frequent AA flyers... first class going out empty because elites aren't at the gate early enough when upgrades are being processed (preference being given to on-time departure rather than processing free upgrades for late comers). And 'at seat power'. Neither of those affect me.

I'm with Jamie R - I fly AA almost exclusively in the US and have only had one bad-ish flight. But that was down to a fellow passenger. Might be a different story if I was flying them every week in coach though

 

[serfty]

I fly both DL and AA in premium cabins and AA soft product has severely deteriorated since the parasitic internal absorption by USair.

It's not the crew, generally they are fine (other than a seemingly maniacal obsession with not providing pre departure beverages in "First" on AA.)

Three years ago I looked forward to my AA flights over DL, now it's the opposite.

 

[RooFlyer]

parasitic internal absorption

Eww, yuk!