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Airline: American Airlines (AA)
Flight Number: AA49
Route: CDG-DFW
Class: Business Class
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Registration: N-841AN
Delivered: February 2019
Flight Duration: 9 Hours 40 Minutes
Distance: 4,948 Miles
Overall Impression:
Just like on the outbound, we had another great flight on American. I noticed that the service on these international flights has actually improved since the beginning of the pandemic. Pre-departure beverage service, hot towels, and the ice cream are back. Isabel, the DFW-based purser working the flight was amazing! She addressed us by name, and was very charming during the in-flight service. The other flight attendants we interacted with also took good care of us during the flight and constantly checked if we needed anything. The seats on the 787-9 are the same B/E Aerospace seats like on the outbound, but I noticed that the storage and tables are slightly smaller on the 787 due to the narrower cabin.
The in-flight catering out of Paris was better than the outbound in terms of taste and freshness, but the presentation could be improved.
What I liked:
The seats – The B/E Aerospace seats are comfortable for lounging, dining upright. For sleeping, I found that I tended to hit hit the pullout table while rolling over to my side. Not a problem for shorter people like me, but could be a huge nuisance for taller folks. I also liked that there were personal air nozzles available to keep me cool during the flight.
The onboard service – The crew on this flight was good. Isabel and the other attendants we interacted with onboard were charming and delivered quick and efficient service during the flight. Pre-departure beverage service is back along with hot towels.
The IFE – AA’s Panasonic IFE is among my favorite in the sky. The interface is intuitive and responsive. There was also plenty of media content and my favorite Voyager moving map app to keep me occupied during this transatlantic flight.
The Admirals Club at CDG – Though there are better Oneworld lounges at CDG airport like Qatar and Cathay Pacific’s, I was pleasantly surprised with the Admirals Club in CDG. The lounge was not crowded and offered plenty of seating to relax before the flight. The food offering was also plenty and on par (if not better) with AA’s Flagship Lounges in the states.
What I didn’t like:
The catering – As I mentioned above the catering out of Paris was just OK on this flight. The salad and salmon nicoise appetizer were great, but the grilled sirloin steak main that I pre-ordered did not look very appetizing and was almost burned. My companion also didn’t like the prawn machbous that he pre-ordered, which he said tasted off. The highlight of the meal service was the ice cream sundae, which was delectable. The BBQ sandwich for the pre-arrival meal was actually pretty good. No snackbar setup on the 787-9 though since the cabin does not have that feature.
Expensive WiFi Service – In-flight WiFi used to be $20 for the entire flight, but it appears the price has gone up almost double to $35.
It was OK…I guess:
The Amenities – AA offers a Shinola business class amenity kit, which I am not a fan of compared to their previous kits. Bang and Olufsen noise canceling headphones (collected 45 minutes before landing), bottled water, and a full-size pillow and duvet set were also provided. No slippers or pajamas on this route though…
americanairlines #businessclass #cdg #dfw #boeing #787 #7879
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