Coast-to-Coast on American Airlines’ A321T
Flagship Business Class on American Airlines’ Coast-to-Coast service.
Welcome drink served on AA’s flagship service from JFK to SNA
Cabin Class: Flagship Business Outbound; Main Cabin Extra (more legroom economy) Inbound
Route: New York to Orange County, CA. Return.
Aircraft: Airbus A321T
These unique transcontinental (signifying the ‘T’ designation in the aircraft type) configurations in the American Airlines fleet will soon be a thing of the past. The stretched narrow bodies are configured with a 3-class layout, First: lie-flat suites akin to what one would find on the airline’s international Flagship Business class, Business (pictured): arranged in a 2-by-2 configuration, also with lie-flat beds though not in single suite form (as in the former, First), and Economy (including Main Cabin Extra, the more legroom seats towards the front of this cabin). You’ll find these solely on coast to coast flights usually flying from NY - JFK to LAX/SFO/SNA and Boston & Miami to LAX.
Why I’ve enjoyed flying these planes: Being a premium-heavy configuration it means they’re far fewer passengers onboard so boarding’s quite swift no matter what cabin you’re in, and service tends to be more attentive, oftentimes. Light fare (as opposed to the terribly uninspiring pretzels) is also offered in Economy - as of this writing - and of course full course meals are served in First and Business.
What’s changing? American is debuting new ‘Flagship Suite’s on new, upcoming aircraft. These will essentially eliminate First, as we know it, combining both classes, First and Business, into a single premium experience. On the one hand, logically it makes sense, as often the feedback’s been there isn’t that much of a distinction between the customer experience in First vs. Business—oftentimes folks in the former cabin getting the shorter end of the stick in my opinion. So, yes, a unified experience would make sense. Plus it’s the only one of the ‘Big 3’ to still offer an arguably differentiated First cabin.
Bottomline: Somewhat of a bummer to see the elimination of a true First cabin but excited to see what the unified ‘Flagship Suite’ experience brings.
Wheels-up, Up Front
Premium Cabins remain more popular than ever with airlines upping the ante to woo coveted customers.
Dinner Service Aboard British Airways Club World (Business Class)
Let’s face it, provided the means, one would be hard-pressed to find a reason to elect to fly in the back cabin vs. upfront where it’s much roomier with added luxuries and creature comforts.
With fully-flat beds in (in some cases) fully enclosed suites, gourmet chef-inspired meals, premium beverages, lounge access and so on, it’s no wonder these come w/ hefty price tags.
The savvy traveler however can oftentimes workout how to circumvent some of these hefty costs via leveraging alternative currencies (credit card points), to secure upgrades or pay for the entire trip outright (another topic entirely), so it certainly isn’t beyond reach.
Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to try some of these premium cabins - some we’ve enjoyed more than others (they certainly aren’t all created equal, so be mindful). To inspire a future trip, we’ve featured a handful here including Emirates, Etihad, British Airways, Swiss & Iberia.
Iberia Business Class: New York - JFK to Madrid Barajas - MAD
On approach to Madrid on the hop across the Atlantic from JFK, with a look at the impressive flex of the A350 wingtip flex.
What’s it like to fly @iberia Business Class transatlantic? Overall, a decent option. No particular standouts and on the other hand not necessarily at the bottom of the pack either.
The hard product: This particular flight was operated with their flagship A350-900 aircraft (note, the other option would typically be the older A330), so it was a quieter and generally more comfortable ride, owing to nextgen technology on these aircraft series.
The soft product: While ironically I’ve had much better, more personable service on previous flights, in Economy, the crew on this flight seemed mostly disinterested—performing their duties adequately though somewhat remotely.
In the same vein, meal and beverage offerings were mostly fine though nothing terribly earth shattering. Once again, ironically, I’ve had just as good in the back of the plane.
Overall, a decent option especially if priced right. At times discounted upgrades are offered close to departure. It could be well worth it if for nothing else at least, the chance to have a sleeper suite.
