Good flights from New York to London
Written: Aug 29 '09 (Updated Aug 29 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice terminal at JFK. Comfortable seats. Good web site. Nice crews.
Cons: Steep mileage requirement for a stopover under an Award.
The Bottom Line: American is very efficient on the ground and in the air. COmfortable seats, easy check in and nice crews.
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| samiambar's Full Review: American Airlines |
I just flew from New York JFK to London on American. The flights were on a comfortable 777 in economy class.
Agents on the phone were polite, efficient and patient. The web site was very easy to navigate. I was able to see which flights were available on a free Mileage Award with no difficulty. I was able to pick my seat with ease.
However I could not have access to British Airways flight availability even though they work together.
Terminal
The terminal at JFK is brand new and very pleasant. The self service machines were easy to use and there were enough available. However the toilets were dirty around the gate area. They should find a way to keep them usable especially during peek hours.
Check in on the return from London was very quick with no lines.
The Trip
The seats were comfortable and there was sufficient legroom between seats. Each seat had a video screne with a choice of movies and music. I found the choice of movies boring but the music was fine and varied.
The food was good in both directions. A salad, chicken and rice. What I liked was that they now started to offer cheese which a year ago they were not offering. Also the size of the rolls were of a decent size this year. Last year they were mini rolls.
The desert was a delicious oat meal bar; rich and filling. During the flight one could get water and juice with ease. Before landing we were served a good croissant.
On the return: a similar meal with a good sized chocolate cake. For the snack a very good pizza and a cookie. They no longer served the grapes but it was fine.
The crew were polite and pleasant.
Frequent Flyer Program
I was able to get a free award ticket in the peek July period for 60,000 miles. United Europe Awards require 55,000 miles. Delta 60,000 and Continental 50,000.
However a London stopover is no longer allowed. I had to give up another 10,000 miles to be able to do that; a total of 70,000 miles. They never advised members of this change as far as I know. I used my Award to continue to Geneva on British Airways.
Up to about 5 years ago they allowed travel to "any 2 European cities." Then they dropped it to 1 stopover at the connecting city. Now they eliminated this and only allow "one city." However the 2nd stop is allowed for additional miles; in my case 10,000.
Other airlines allow "one additional stop." I find this a disadvantage. However AA also give European Awards for 40,000 miles if one travels between October 15th and May 15th which is a good option. Other airlines only offer this at times.
Warning: Try to avoid connecting in London. The taxes are outrageous. My sister who used a Continental Award to Geneva payed $80 in taxes. I had to pay about $160. This is the reason British Airways are so uncompetitive on the USA to Geneva route. Taxes connecting in Paris are also very high which makes AIr France also uncompetitive.
Conclusion
I was very pleased with both my flights. I highly recommend American Airlines to Europe.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
samiambar
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Member: sami
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 1 member
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