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Airline: American Airlines (AA)
Flight Number: AA95
Route: MAD-JFK
Class: Business Class
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER
Registration: N778AN
Delivered: June 1999
Flight Duration: 7 Hours 10 Minutes
Distance: 3,589 Miles
Overall Impression:
This flight from Madrid to New York was being operated by an almost 27-year old Boeing 777-200ER, which was refurbished with the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond Business Class Seats. Despite the aircraft’s advanced age, we still had a comfortable and on-time flight across the Atlantic. The cabin crew who worked our flight were overall efficient, professional, though not particularly friendly. We were offered pre-departure beverages and hot towels, as well as the standard business class amenities for this route. While the inflight meals were edible, sadly they were not particularly memorable. Similar to most of our flights on American, our overall experience for this flight was mostly satisfactory, but missed out on some soft touches that would have elevated the premium flight experience even more.
What I Liked:
The Seats – American Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ERs feature 37 Collins Aerospace Super Diamond Business Class seats arranged in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration. The seat is spacious and offers ample storage, making it ideal for both lounging and dining. However, taller passengers may find their knees brushing against the pullout table when shifting during sleep. For shorter travelers like myself (I’m 5’7″), this wasn’t an issue. I especially appreciated the personal air nozzles, which helped keep me cool throughout the flight. Overall, the seat felt comfortable, roomy, and sufficiently private for a restful journey back to the States.
The onboard service – The onboard service from our New York-based cabin crew was satisfactory. During the meal service, the flight attendant assigned to our section was friendly and attentive to our needs. We were offered pre-departure beverages and hot towels, which added a nice touch. Overall, the crew performed well, though there’s still some room for added polish and refinement.
The IFE – American Airlines’ Panasonic inflight entertainment system remains one of my top choices. The interface is intuitive and responsive, making it easy to navigate. There’s also a strong selection of media content, including my favorite Panasonic Voyager moving map feature. It was an excellent way to stay entertained throughout the transatlantic flight.
The Iberia “Sala de Velázquez” Lounge in Madrid – The “Velázquez” Lounge by Iberia in Madrid is, in my opinion, the best lounge at the airport. It’s spacious, well-lit, and offers a wide variety of comfortable seating options.
The selection of beverages, snacks, and hot food is impressive, making it a great place to enjoy a proper pre-flight meal. Overall, it’s an excellent lounge and well worth visiting if you have time before your flight.
What I didn’t Like:
Expensive and Unreliable In-flight Wi-Fi – The cost of in-flight Wi-Fi on American Airlines was an eye-watering $35. Unfortunately, the service itself was both slow and unreliable throughout the flight. I had hoped to catch up on work emails, but was only able to send and receive a handful of messages. At that price point, a much more consistent and functional connection should be expected. Hopefully, connectivity will improve—and ideally become complimentary—once the airline fully rolls out its high-speed Wi-Fi across the fleet.
It was OK, I guess…
The Amenities – As part of its business class offering, American Airlines provides a solid range of amenities, including an amenity kit, slippers, Bang & Olufsen noise-cancelling headphones, bottled water, and a full-size pillow and duvet. However, it’s worth noting that pajamas and mattress pads were not provided on this route, which slightly detracts from the overall premium experience.
The catering – The catering out of Madrid was decent, starting with a fresh and light appetizer of seasonal greens and roasted queso fresco. Unfortunately, my pre-ordered beef short rib main course was dry and overcooked. As is often the case on my AA flights, the highlight of the meal was the ice cream sundae dessert, which was indulgent and satisfying.
Mid-flight, the crew set up a self-serve snack bar behind the forward business class cabin, offering a selection of light bites and water.
However, the pre-arrival meal was underwhelming and not even listed on the menu. We were served chicken gyoza dumplings that were overly saturated in soy dressing, making them excessively salty. The meal was accompanied by fresh fruit, potato chips, and a small pot of pomegranate cheesecake.
Bottom Line:
This was a solid but ultimately unremarkable transatlantic business class experience with American Airlines. The comfortable seat, reliable entertainment system, and decent lounge experience helped make the journey enjoyable, but inconsistent catering, pricey and unreliable Wi-Fi, and a lack of refined service touches held it back from feeling truly premium. While it delivered on the basics, there’s still room for improvement—especially for an airline aiming to compete at the higher end of the business class market.
TravelingFoody.com 