On-Time Service and Professional Employees
Written: Jan 07 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very reliable, on-time, first class food, employees
Cons: No free snacks in coach, old airplanes, lack of gate information
The Bottom Line: Above average airline because of customer service and reliability.
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| cs2005's Full Review: American Airlines |
American Airlines (AA) is the largest US Airline with service throughout the country. Over the last few years I have flown AA and American Eagle more than most other airlines and I find the experience to be very consistent and generally positive. While I mostly fly economy, my recent trip from New York (LGA) to Mexico was in first class. In this review I will describe mostly the recent trip in first, with some observations about economy at the end.
Booking/Reservations
Tickets can be easily booked online like with other airlines. You can get a list of flights based on price or schedule and then select your seats. AA also offers flight notifications where you get status updates if there are any changes in schedule - you can sign up for those when booking the flight. For more complex changes, I have called reservations and the agents are in the US and very helpful and professional.
Check-in/Boarding at LGA.
The first flight was early in the morning and there was no line at the first class counter and not too bad a line in economy either. The AA agent checking us in was friendly and efficient. Boarding started on time and the gate agent was informative and clear with her announcements. The boarding process was orderly and moved quickly.
Flight from LGA to Dallas
The MD-80 airplane was old and not that spacious in first, but it seemed clean enough and was very quiet. We were offered juice or water before boarding by the attendant. Shortly after takeoff, a full beverage service was offered along with hot towels. Next an omlette or cereal were offered for breakfast. Both came with fruit and a choice of bread. I wasn’t too hungry but I had a bagel and the fruit plate which was well-presented and of high quality. The omelette wasn’t great but the food on the other flights was much better. The attendant was pleasant but wasn’t very attentive for the rest of the flight. We landed 20 minutes early.
Flight from Dallas to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico:
Upon arrival, there was no information on the monitors or our tickets for connecting gate information. Also, the monitors were small and hard to read. I asked an agent at a nearby podium for the gate and she provided the information. The next flight was in the international terminal (connected by a train) which is much nicer and more comfortable. When we arrived at the gate, there was no indication that our flight was taking off there; the screens just showed a generic message. The agent verified that it was the correct gate, but destination/time information was never put up, which was very unusual. Boarding was on time and gate agents were friendly enough. The flight was the same type of aircraft but the crew was more attentive. We were offered water before departure and then a full lunch service despite the late flight time (2 PM) and short flight (just over 2 hours). I rarely fly first but I have seen that many other airlines only serve snacks in first class on flights of this length. To start we got warm mixed nuts, hot towels, and a choice of drinks. Next we were offered chicken or beef; the chicken was served with a spicy tomato sauce, rice, and a tortilla underneath. The meal was excellent for airline food and seemed more like a real restaurant meal. There was also a side salad, cheese and crackers, and warm cookies for dessert. We were offered drink refills throughout the flight as well as mints before landing. The attendant and service on this flight were among the best I have had. We landed on time and baggage service/customs was very easy and fast.
Check-in/Boarding in Mexico:
This was a morning flight and the line was relatively short for first and economy. Checked bags were examined by security guards before being taken by the agents. There were a combination of uniformed AA agents and generic-looking airport employees behind the counter. The AA agent who checked us in was friendly and professional; she served us relatively quickly and we proceeded to security. Just before the boarding time, the same woman who checked us in arrived at the gate to start boarding. Boarding was fast and orderly and we departed on time.
Flight from Mexico to Dallas:
The attendant was friendly and attentive like the one on the previous flight. We got water or juice before takeoff, then a full breakfast service with the same choices as the first breakfast flight. This omelette was much better this time and the potato and fruit were also very good. We were offered drink refills throughout the flight and arrived about 20 minutes early.
Flight from Dallas to LGA:
We had to pick up bags at the carousel to go through customs, although the bags were already tagged for LGA. Bags came out right away and customs was fast. After customs, there was an agent who took the bags to be placed on the proper carousel to go to LGA. Boarding was on time with professional agents. The attendant was again friendly and offered water before takeoff. Again, this was a mid-afternoon flight but we got a full lunch service with the same options as the first lunch flight. The attendant was attentive throughout and the food was equally good as the two previous ones. We arrived about 20 minutes early again. Bags came out about 20 minutes after we arrived at the carousel, but this was better than previous years and we were still out of the airport earlier than expected.
Economy Experiences:
While AA’s first class is very strong relative to other airlines, the economy service is usually very limited. There is usually just a beverage with no free snack. Larger packaged snacks (candy, chips, sandwiches) are generally offered for a fee. Attendants are professional and sometimes drink refills are offered, especially on the smaller American Eagle airplanes. Once, an attendant offered everyone free snacks after a diversion, and another attendant offered everyone water before departure on an American Eagle regional jet. Overall, the employees seem to care about the customers and making the flight a relatively positive experience. The agents in the airports are generally helpful in allowing passengers to change flights if there are delays, although one or two of them have been curt and dismissive. While AA’s economy service isn’t great, they are very reliable and I have never experienced rude in-flight service.
Conclusion:
I recommend American Airlines in either class as long as the price and schedule are reasonable. My flights with them are almost always on time or close and I have never experienced a cancellation with them. While first class on the shorter flights is probably not worth the money on a regular basis, it’s a good experience and better than most other airlines. Economy service could be enhanced, but the generally friendly and professional employees make AA a good choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cs2005
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Location: Long Island
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 10 members
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