Review: American Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Dallas to Hong Kong

[Click above for the video review.]

• Flight: AA125
• Route: DFW-HKG
• Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER
• Cabin: Business Class
• Seat: 3J/4J

It’s time to do an updated review of American’s longest route, their Dallas to Hong Kong flight. Clocking in at over 16 hours travel time and 8123 miles, it was a very long flight, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

We arrived at DFW airport from San Francisco about 2 hours before our connection to Hong Kong. We were departing from gate 23 in the D terminal, so we decided to go next door to the Admirals Club to grab a bite to eat, and freshen up.

We were greeted by a friendly lounge attendant, who scanned our boarding passes and handed us out passes to the First Class Dining Section. The First Class Dining area offers an expanded food and beverage selection available for First Class passengers and Oneworld Emerald members. We took the elevators up to the lounge, and walked over to the First Class Dining area. The room is actually the old smoking room, which was converted into a dining area when DFW went completely smoke free. At the door was a lounge attendant who asked for our passes and admitted us into the small-ish dining room.

We arrived in the morning, so they offered some hot and cold breakfast items on the buffet, as well several wine and beverage options at the bar. Since we just ate from our previous flight, and we were also pacing ourselves for the upcoming in-flight meal, we decided to just have some fruits and made ourselves some mimosas while waiting.

We also went to take a quick shower to freshen up before the long flight.

About 45 minutes before departure, we walked down to gate 23. We waited for about 10 minutes before boarding started. Concierge Key and First Class passengers were called first, followed by Business Class and Executive Platinum passengers. We walked down the long jet bridge and at the plane door, we were greeted by a Senior flight attendant who pointed us left to the mini business class cabin.

I was seated in 4J, while my companion was in 3J on the starboard side of the plane. Waiting at our seats were the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones, Amenity Kit, Slippers, and a bottled water.

American has 52 flat bed business class seats on this plane, laid out in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. As you probably know by now, I’m a big fan of reverse herringbone seats per my previous reviews. They are comfortable, spacious and very private. As a matter of fact, I actually prefer these seats over AA’s First Class seats on the 777-300ER.

Upon settling in, a flight attendant offered us some pre-departure beverage. I opted for a glass of champagne, which as usual was served in a clear plastic champagne glass. We also requested for a pair for pajamas, which are available on request.

Soon boarding was complete, and doors were closed. The Captain came on the PA to welcome everyone on board and announce our flight time of 16 hours and 20 minutes to Hong Kong.

We pushed back from the gate, and the safety video played. During taxi, one of the flight attendants came by to confirm our pre-ordered meal.

It was a quick taxi to the end of the runway, after which the captain asked the crew to take their seats. The GE90s engines revved up and we had a smooth takeoff roll and ascent. It was a fairly nice day in Dallas, which made for some great views of the vicinity.

About 10 minutes into the flight, the captain switched off the seatbelt sign and the crew began preparing for the in-flight service.

First came the beverage cart. I ordered a glass of still water, and some champagne, which was served with AA’s signature warm nuts.

Then the meal cart came. The first course consisted of some mixed greens and cold char siu duck appetizer, both of which were served in one tray. A selection of warm breads were also offered. The salad was still frozen – yuck, but the duck was very flavorful and I enjoyed it.

Next up was the main entrée, I pre-ordered the beef short ribs. The picture didn’t do it justice, but it was quite delicious.

For dessert, I asked for an ice cream sundae and some Baileys on the rocks. Both of them were heavenly!

After the meal service, I decided to visit the lavatory to freshen up and change into my pajamas. For those who need a little extra space to change, make sure to use the starboard side lavatory between the mini cabin and the main business class cabin as that’s probably the biggest lav on the plane. The lav was huge and stocked with lotion and hand wash.

After getting back to my seat, I decided to recline and flip through the entertainment selection. There was a good amount of movies, TV programs (even live TV), music, and games available on demand. Though, I eventually gave up and just put on the moving map. It’s worth noting that WIFI was also available on this flight for about $20 for the entire flight.

About mid way through the flight, the flight attendants came by to do a snack service. I ordered some wagyu sliders which very good.

At this point, I was already exhausted so I just made my bed and slept for about 5 hours.

Upon waking up, I decided to check-out the walk-up snack bar. There were a good amount of snacks available from sweet to savory. There were also some bottled waters available, which I appreciated very much since I was feeling thirsty.

About 90 minutes before landing, the flight attendants started their pre-landing meal service. It was a breakfast service, and I ordered the scrambled eggs. It was served in a tray along with some yogurt, a small bowl of mixed fruits, and a selection of pastries, which I opted for the croissant. The scrambled eggs were…forgettable.

After the meal service, I changed out of my pajamas and got ready for landing.

Soon the captain announced our initial descent into Hong Kong. The sun was just setting was we started our descent which made for some good views outside.

Our descent was smooth and our landing even smoother. Taxi to the gate took about 10 minutes. We then said goodbye to the crew and disembarked.

Overall impression was excellent. The seat was very comfortable even for an ultra long haul flight. The food was a bit of a hit or miss. I really enjoyed the short rib entrée, and the ice cream sundae, but the rest of the food was kind of blah. Service on this flight was definitely above average. The Cole Haan amenity kit, slippers and pajamas were a welcome sight which made the flight even more comfortable. I give this one a very good 8.5 out of 10!