Round The World and other travel

Flight Log 2: AA137

London Heathrow (LHR) - Los Angeles (LAX)

ABOVE: American Airlines' striking new external image. Would the effect be repeated inside?

I boarded this flight with a huge amount of anticipation, a statement that defies conventional wisdom given that the carrier was US-based. However I knew both from Internet chat and from the first-hand experiences of a trusted friend that I might just be about to be impressed. That trusted friend was none other than Bruce, in whose company I would be spending most of the trip and thanks to whose generosity with his system-wide upgrade vouchers I was enjoying this Business Class experience for the price of an Economy ticket.

Within seconds of arrival in the small, two-row cabin immediately behind First Class, I was seriously impressed. This new 'hard product' struck me as absolutely superb and almost as good as First. The seats were in a herringbone pattern but, in contrast to many other airlines, were angled towards the windows rather than away from them. Every seat had direct access to the aisle. Best of all, even in an aircraft as large as the 777-300ER, the transverse layout was 1+2+1. This seemed incredibly generous compared to BA's 2+4+2, but was partially made up for by the overlapping layout along the length of the cabin. In order to give some sense of comparison, in the main cabin between doors 2 and 3 AA has 44 seats on the 777-300ER while BA manages to squeeze 56 into the same area.

As my eyes continued to survey my surroundings, I almost found myself breaking into a satisfied grin. The footstool was huge and had ample storage underneath for a blanket and large pillow. A large screen folded out above this. A nifty little shoe drawer was fitted at floor level and talking of footwear, what was this I saw - a pair of slippers, in Business Class? Really?! Moving up a level, there was a huge amount of roughly triangle-shaped surface area between myself and the window, which I was sure would be extremely useful for all the bits and pieces that I tend to want within easy reach during a flight. The amenity kit was already in place in this area. Next I discovered a little door that opened to reveal a compartment containing a bottle of water, a set of Bose headphones and, for those who worry about such things, a vanity mirror. Next to that was a panel that featured a spotlight, the seat controls, an international power point, audio/video/USB connections and the usual remote control for the IFE. Finally, on my 'aisle' side, the armrest could be raised (once airborne) to a sensible height which also served to increase the sense of privacy. (This was already impressive, as the window seats and centre seats were both offset and angled away from each other.)

I managed to crystallise all that into three short words and almost spoke them aloud: THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

While all this was going on, I had been offered a choice of champagne, orange juice or - presumably for the indecisive - a mimosa cocktail. They were all in plastic cups, but we were still on the ground, after all. The flight attendant who would be looking after my side of the cabin came and introduced himself, which I thought was a nice touch, and also asked how he should address me. I briefly wondered what it would be like to reply to the effect that 'Your Royal Highness' would be adequate, before coming to my senses and instead opting for first name terms, which somehow seemed like the proper American thing to do. My jacket was taken away to be hung up and menu booklets were distributed.

Ten minutes after the scheduled departure time, the captain informed us that Air Traffic Control delays would mean another 10-15 minutes sitting at the gate. I decided to put the time to good use by getting to know the in-flight entertainment system. It quickly became apparent that the movie selection was huge, covering everything from classics to new releases. One mildly irritating feature of the system was that by default it would display the new releases only; a bit of work was needed to access the full selection. Pushback finally came at 1225 and around the same time the expected flight time was given as an improbably precise 10hrs 54mins. The taxi was short in terms of distance, but took an inordinately long time to complete. At last, the flight deck issued a single 'bing' to mark our entry onto runway 09R. We finally left Heathrow behind at 1250 local time and made a sharp U-turn to the right to take up a more appropriate westerly heading.

When the flight attendants were released from their seats, I was intrigued to see that the newly closed curtain between First and Business classes was made of a see-through mesh, no doubt to satisfy TSA requirements. After a distribution of hot towels, it seemed like a good time to have a closer look at the menu that had been handed out on the ground:

LUNCH MENU		WINES
Starter		Champagne
Salmon Cheesecake with balsamic glaze, capers and		Gosset Brut Excellence
mascarpone
		White wine
Salad		Muga Blanco, Rioja
Seasonal greens with fresh vegetables, fennel and fava		Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino, Sardegna
beans, with Greek vinaigrette or premium extra virgin olive
oil and balsamic vinegar		Red wine
		Infinitus Malbec, Patagonia
Entrées		DeLoach Vineyards Heritage Reserve Merlot, California
Grilled Fillet of Beef with porcini mushroom butter and
bordelaise sauce, poached olive oil potatoes and		Chase's Choice
vegetable medley		Please ask your flight attendant about this wine choice

Maple Dijon Chicken accompanied by garlic mashed		Dessert wine
potatoes and sautéed vegetables		Bodegas Lustau Sherry, Jerez
		Senhora do Convento Vintage Port
Cilantro Coconut Curried Shrimp offered with Hainan rice
and baby bok choy

Sautéed Gnocchi with herbed butter and lemon roasted
artichokes

Dessert / Cheese
Traditional Ice Cream Sundae - vanilla ice cream with your
choice of hot fudge, butterscotch or seasonal berry
toppings, whipped cream and pecans

Gourmet Cheese Plate - an assortment of fine cheeses
with garnishes

The lack of choice for the starter seemed unusual to me, but what was a little more worrying was that when I mentioned to the FA that I had pre-ordered my main course, he said there was no record of this, adding: "It happens". Happily, though, he said that he would gladly keep a portion of the chicken for me. (Under the FEBO system, they'd be starting at the back on this odd-numbered flight.) With that settled, I started up the first of four movies that I would manage to get through, in this case the recently released Now You See Me.

Service began in traditional AA fashion with drinks and warmed nuts. I chose champagne and was somewhat taken aback when it appeared in a tumbler. Black tablecloths appeared next and I was pleased to find that, although my table was not supported at the aisle side, it was sufficiently solid and well enough attached at the window side so as not to bounce around disconcertingly. The meal trays were presented with the rather minimalist starter and a more substantial salad and a choice of pretzel bread or baguettes was given. A further pass was made through the cabin to offer drinks top-ups and more bread.

I then had the chicken main course delivered and asked for a glass of "the white Rioja". My request was met with a blank look, followed by: "OK, I'm going to bring you the two bottles and you're going to point to the one you want"! I struggled to imagine cabin crew on any major European airline being so wrong-footed by what I thought was a simple request. In contrast to numerous flights on British Airways and Lufthansa where the main course had turned out to be the low point of the Business Class dining experience, this one was nicely presented and most enjoyable. I rounded off the meal with cheese and port, followed by coffee.

I spent the main part of the flight watching movies. When the first one was finished, I saw Red 2 (2013), A Few Good Men (1992) and Strangers on a Train (1951), with a little nap slotted in after Red 2. When I felt thirsty I had my bottle of water available and occasionally asked the FAs for some apple juice.

With about 1.5hrs to go, it was time for the second meal of the flight.

LIGHT MEAL

Entrées

Uno's Farmer's Market Pizza, topped with seasonal roasted vegetables and served with a green salad

Grilled Chicken Breast served chilled with tabbouleh kebab salad, pita with tzatziki, kalamata olives and feta cheese

Dessert

Banoffee Cheesecake

Despite liking the sound of the second choice, I decided that in the interests of variety I would have to go for the pizza. It wasn't a bad choice at all; I thought it was just right for this stage of a long flight. In an unexpected touch, the FAs made a final pass through the cabin offering glasses of sparkling water with a choice of lemon or lime!

We touched down at LAX at 1552 local time, then needed to make a long taxi followed by the customary power-down and tow to the gate.

Overall, I thought this new hard product from American was stunningly good. It seemed to me that it was positioned somewhere between traditional Business Class and First, and I expect it to be a game-changer across the Atlantic. The service, on the other hand, still showed a few rough edges, particularly where anything to do with wine was concerned.