[Click above for the video review.]
Airline: American Airlines (AA)
Flight Number: AA37
Route: MAD-DFW
Class: Business Class
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Registration: N829AN
Delivered: August 2017
Flight Duration: 10 Hours 10 Minutes
Distance: 4,965 Miles
Overall Impression:
For this transatlantic journey, we flew business class with American Airlines aboard their Boeing 787-9 from Madrid to Dallas. While American’s long-haul product isn’t the newest in the sky, it’s a well-established offering that aims to balance comfort and consistency across its international routes.
This flight provided a good opportunity to experience the full journey—from the ground experience in Madrid’s Iberia lounge to the onboard service, seating, and catering across the Atlantic.
What I Liked:
The Seats – American Airlines’ Boeing 787-9s on this flight from Madrid to Dallas feature 30 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 Dallas-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, and the lavatories did not have any additional toiletries like lotion and face mist like other carriers, which slightly detracts from the overall premium experience.
The catering – The catering out of Madrid was decent, starting with a beverage service served with warm mixed nuts right after take off.
Next came the fresh and light appetizer of seasonal greens and roasted queso fresco, with a selection of warm breads.
For my main, I pre-ordered the Mushroom Ravioli Giganti, which was actually pretty good.
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. We were served rustic chicken focaccia The meal was accompanied by fresh fruit, potato chips, and a small pot of passionfruit cheesecake.
Bottom Line:
This flight with American Airlines delivers a comfortable and dependable business class experience. The Super Diamond seat remains a strong and practical product, the lounge in Madrid is excellent, and the overall service is solid. However, areas like inconsistent catering and overpriced, underperforming Wi-Fi keep the experience from feeling truly premium. Overall, it’s a reliable way to cross the Atlantic—but there’s still room for refinement if American wants to compete with the best.
TravelingFoody.com 