Any airline can have a bad day with service. However, if you are 6'4”, it cant be a surprise to you that an economy class seat is gonna be tight for you. Most airlines have the option for wxtra legroom and/or Premium Economy yet you choose to book the cheapest and then whine about what you surely already knew would happen. Dont give up you ur say job...
I'm from Brazil and haven't been in the U.S. or flown on American in many years, but you should see the reputation they have here and the even worse service they provide on their South American routes. And mind you, they have improved, as they now fly those routes with newer 787s and 777s. When I flew them, it was on vintage 767s and 757s that were old even for that time. Hard benches with worn upholstery that wouldn't recline more than some two inches, overhead CRT monitors, inedible greasy food, and the worst part: the cabin crew. They seemed to have been trained at the same kennel where the Gestapo trained their man-eating Rottweilers - at least, they barked the same to the passengers! Never, never a smile, meal trays literally THROWN at your table, they seemed to always be reminding you that you were an annoyance that they were not paid enough to tolerate. Later I flew United to the U.S. and it was MUCH better, light-years ahead of AA. To their credit, I've had better experiences with their services within the U.S., and they were very well organised on the ground, but remember that this was many years ago. They at least used to be very reliable back then, without the many horror stories of too frequent cancellations and delays that now plague AA's reviews (and even more importantly, HOW they deal with those disruptions). Recently a very well known Brazilian journalist and podcaster was stuck for THREE DAYS at JFK because his AA flight back home was overbooked, and they only placed him on a subsequent flight three days later, with the whole ordeal being shown live on his social networks with millions of followers. AA didn't even give him a hotel, he had to sleep on the airport benches. And instead of offering some compensation or at least an apology, AA later sent him a "cease and desist" letter threatening legal action for slander if he didn't remove the posts, but he showed the letter on his social networks as well, making their PR disaster even worse. The posts weren't removed, and as far as I know, they didn't sue him.
Good video, I enjoyed watching… But, you get what you pay for. From a value standpoint it would appear you did pretty good for under $600US. You flew Trans Atlantic, watched a movie, had a meal and arrived safely and didn’t look to worse for wear. While I agree AA sucks, you do have to consider value and on that standard I think you came out on top!
Remember when travel was fun? It hasn't been in years and, yeah, American should probably be called Ameri-CAN'T. I took a flight several years ago from LAX to Minnesota. I was near the front of the line in the boarding process, yet when I reached the entrance to the jetway, a very unpleasant female gate agent snapped, "You'll have to check your carry-on. The overhead bins are full." I didn't see how that was possible, but she refused to let me enter with my bag so I went ahead and checked it. Upon boarding the aircraft, I couldn't help but notice that there was ample space remaining in the overhead bins -- they were nowhere near full. As the same woman passed through the plane to check on things, I got her attention and pointed to the overhead bins to let her know there was indeed space above. She just looked away as if to say, "Oh well." Long story short, when I claimed my bag upon arrival, they had broken one wheel off my roller bag, which I had to pay to repair since airlines won't repair handles or wheels. Happy travels!
Perhaps you should have taken her ID number and filed a complaint to her superiors and then demanded at the very least an apology from her. If she has been rude to other passengers in the past then there will be a record of her behavior in her personal file it might have been worth a try.
I have flown more than msot posting here. On the longest ultra long haul flights as well. I fly business or first. If you are buying a standard coach ticket and expect first class it is not going to be the case. Any and every airline is the worst when something goes wrong. One bad interaction and its bad. Its been proven that customers buy on price. So if American is alot cheaper than lets say British Airways, you will still like most custoemrs go for the cheapest. Furthermore especially in coach , paying more for that ticket doesnt mean its better in any way. I have experienced both good and bad crews on all airlines except the best is Qantas, Singapore AIr, Emirates, Cathay Pacific. If flying coach the goal is to get you were you want to be. It wont be any special experience. Flat beds on the business and first products. Virgin still has some planes with old crappy business class seats 30 yrs designed. That can be on 787 and A330s. The A350s have a new seat in business. If you dont like coach pay for Premium economy. Just realize that the ticket can be alot more.
Why is a guy who spent US$150k on a Porsche golf cart that makes him miserable not flying business class and instead flying miserable coach being miserable? He must love misery.
I've heard from many people that fly a lot that AA business class is overpriced and not worth it. Also the cost of business class on a lot of US carriers is more expensive than on any british carrier - even for the same route, often i've found that to be the case. I could fly Business class for instance with BA from Heathrow to Los Angeles for around £2,400... but when I looked at Delta or AA it was more like £3,500-£6,000.
It's just a shrieking hollow tube with chairs to sit on. I just want it to get my butt there safely. I disappear into noise cancelling headphones and eat my own snacks. I want to stay frosty for any emergencies, so no alcohol. Could not care less about customer service. I wish we could deplane from all exits though.
Have no reason to say much about AA, which has earned its reputation for "meh" flight experience. On the other hand my experience with BA long haul, has been very good. A couple of World Traveler/Economy but mostly WT+/premium economy, where the airport as well as the on board was great, especially when I needed "special " favors and they went above and beyond
A very authentic reflection of airline travel in the 21st century! And as for personal space, there's no other place outside of a plane where we'd sit that intimately close with a complete stranger for so long! And I think they'll just keep squeezing more people in until we're basically just cattle. I see you got the cattle feed anyway so we're half way there already. Cheers for this, reminds me why I tend not to fly long haul anymore.
Not quite as bad as Air Canada. We flew Montreal to Heathrow overnight last September. Airport Ok airside but very uncomfortable landside. Boarding system chaotic, seats cramped as usual. 2 hours delay for takeoff. Evening meal OK, breakfast appalling - small tub of yoghurt and a croissant shaped bread roll that had never even heard the word "butter" - and that was it. The staff were most noticeable by their absence. We did fly back to Vancouver with Air Canada which was a little better but that was a day flight and at least was on time. We had stocked up on snacks for the journey and we know both the airports so had no problems there. American Airlines seems to be just like the rest of their systems.
I flew AA to New York and the main meal was a dried up hotdog. Service was appalling. The flight attendants were rude. Anyone daring to question anything was met with, "Are you going to co-operate with me?" My partner fell asleep and his head was sticking out a little bit into the aisle. He was woken up by, "Sir, take your head out of the aisle." I would never fly AA by choice.
if your partners head was sticking out into the aisle, what part do you NOT understand that your partner MUST be told to put his head back into the seat range? or your partners head would just obstruct everyobody else? some people are really sheep.
@@kernow9324 It’s absolutely awful and has been particularly bad since 9/11. I remember flying LAX to SJU to join a ship and not even anything available for purchase to eat. When I enquired with the steward he just made a face and shook his head. It was a 7 hour + flight and I was ‘wedged’ into the seating.
When I first flew to the US with AA back in 2004, they were very good. However my last trip with them was an absolute nightmare. The plane was one of the oldest in their fleet, an old Boeing 767 that had no in flight entertainment system, not a good start. As we taxied to the runway, the Captain announced that there was a technical fault and we then had to return to the gate to get the problem fixed which delayed is by about an hour. As we were about to depart, one of the stupid flight attendants announced in a very loud voice 'These planes are really old and we have faults all the time'. We were then informed that a passenger had a panic attack and decided to be off-boarded! This caused another long delay while they looked for her luggage. This meant we missed our connection in Dallas for Las Vegas causing a further delay. As a treat I had booked a suite in the Bellagio Hotel as my niece was collecting us early next morning. By the time we arrived at the hotel we had about 4 hours in a room that I had paid aound £700 for. As you can imagine, I have never flown with American Airlines again!
I flew JFK to Heathrow in Sept of ‘22. The seat was so narrow I had black and blue bruises on my hips from squishing into the seat. It was horrible. Then the Queen passed and all my tours were cancelled. It was impossible to get around the city because of the Que. Even the black cabs couldn’t get me near things because of roads blocked off. On the way back I upgraded my seat just to survive. I’m afraid to go back to London in case Charles dies.
Whether i go to an airline, a doctor, a lawyer, the dentist or tomorrow, an Enrolled Agent, I take a pad, pen, book to read. I go to the bathroom before I leave home, when I arrive at the airport, before boarding the plane last. I wait until everyone leaves the plane before getting up - dumb clucks don't understand that their bags arrive on the carousel at the same time as the first class bags. Go to the bathroom before going through customs. If you want first class service, pay for first class seating. If you want better food or seats at the airport, pay for the airline club membership.
Back in 2002, we flew with American, from Manchester to Chicago. It was a nightmare. No inflight entertainment. Seats were so so uncomfortable, which didn't help my wife at all, who is disabled. But when we flew from Manchester to Philadelphia about 5 years ago, it was the complete opposite. Comfortable seats, inflight entertainment, and the cabin crew were great. Luck of the draw I suppose.
I have flown AA business and first to London recently. I have not flown this route coach in more than 30 yrs. I can tell you to expect similar from Virgin and British Airways as far as seat space. Feel free to look that up and you will see. The old space you got in the 1990s is now Premium economy roughtly. Maybe Premium Economy is slightly larger than the old coach.
I’m 84 I have been flying as a passenger since I was 12. Between 19 81 and 2007 I files almost weekly within the USA. When the airlines deregulated everything went downhill in the name of cheaper fares. Then came 911 and regular flying became a nightmare. I lived 20 miles from EWR so by the time I retired I had to leave home 3.5 hours before a flight just to be sure to get through security. Long gone are the days when a gold pass would get you through security. I’m glad I no longer ever need to fly again. Last year I realized that I had enough frequent flyer miles left from my old travelling airline that I coulf fly our family of four first class around the world. Then I thought all those American airports and gave the points to charity. Well like politics you get the government you deserve. You get the Airlines you deserve. With apologies to Singapore, Qantas, Lufthansa, Cathy Pacific, Air we Zealand. And many other excellent airlines. Tip you can’t help the American airports but if you leave from an international Airport like JFK. Look for a foreign airline to fly on. It will usually be a much better flight.
I think I see a problem with how you booked your ticket. Since you booked your ticket with BA, it is policy of BA to charge for seat assignments no matter where they are at on the plane. AA on the other hand doesn’t charge for a regular seat assignment unless you book a MCE seat or even a preferred seat.
I last flew American in 2001, (777 Glasgow - Tampa and return leg) they were alright then. Economy is always going to be economy so I don't know why you were surprised about the shitty meal or the shitty seat to be honest! Speaking frankly I would sit on the floor if it meant I was getting somewhere decent, but I know most aren't of the same thinking!
It seemed you had made your mind up before you had got to the airport. Seating looked no worse than any other airline in economy. The flight video looked ok out the window but the upbeat jazz music didn't really portray the tortuous flight that was highlighted in the title. Was rather underwhelmed by the video.
There's a saying... You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
American Airlines have no control over the TSA security process. They have no control over costs of products in the airport. Much of what you were complaining about in the first part of the video weren’t things in control of any airline. I agree that flying in the sardine class (aka coach) is absolute hell. That is a U.S. airline industry issue. If British Airways coach service is better than U.S. counterparts, I understand your anger at being put on a substandard flight for what you purchased. My only suggestion: upgrade next time.
Great video Lee, you looked knackered, thank for the great output....And to the people who clap when the plane lands, get a grip it's the pilots job he doesn't need a round of applause.
We flew from Manchester with American Airlines. The first plane had a technical problem so we waited for another. The second was "faulty". Eventually, 3/4 hour later we were able to board the third plane. Coming back, late at night, even worse - the plane also had a "problem", couldn't be replaced and we had to be put up in a hotel miles from the airport. Surprisingly, I refused to travel with them the following day. Thankfully, our insurance sorted us seats on a British Airways flight to Heathrow where we had to change for Manchester, but at least we had a comfortable, and safe, flight home.
The pay for seat assignment scam is all too prolific. But I think BA may be the worst offender of all. Buy a business class seat, but pay £150+ for a seat assignment! That’s right. Scam even more money out of your highest paying customers. A business school case study in making an effort to keep customers away.
Hi Lee :) Great video as always. I live in Melbourne (although a Pom who grew up in Stoke on Trent and have travelled via Emirates A380 to Manchester and Qantas B787 to San Francisco. I founf the Dreamliner comfortable with the lower air pressure and the plane was quite new and not bad room in economy. I agree though, the A380 is beautiful and so much more room in economy. My daughter was with me and didn't realise we'd takem off until about 3,000 feet :P It was that smooth. Maybe I'm spoilt because Emirates crew were excellent and overall better than Qantas, sad to say. I think Qantas has profits ahead of passenger welfare. Just my humble opinion. Love your matter of fact, down to earth, normal person travelogues. Keep em up brother.
what was with the clapping? must be a thanks to Boeing for not having something fall off the plane... I've travelled once in a Dreamliner, most uncomfortable journey ever and will never fly with the airline involved again.
On this route you are going to tell me Virgin or BA will be better? Will they also be cheaper? I have flown BA, Virgin and American. All business or First class (American). Anyone who doesnt like coach should buy Premium Econ or pay for comfort plus if that is available.
Great food? on Virgin. I fly Virgin Upper Class and I find the food not great. Its ok and similar to BA. Better than American Business/First but not great. Genrous seating on Virgin coach? Do facts matter? The seat space on Virgin is 17-17.9 width depending on the aircraft and 31 inches pitch. American is roughly 16.2-17.1 and 31-32 inches of pitch. Is there any huge difference. Maybe a fraction of an inch or nothing, gyet you say generous seating? You have flown once to the states? I have flown Miami to London at least 60 times. I know this route well. Some of the Virgon planes still have the old entertainment system and screens. You probabkly dont know that. The new A350s are better especially up front. Coach is a similar experience on all these carriers. The only exception would be JETBLUE. The space there is the biggest.
I flew with American on my US trip, but didn’t really have any problems apart from the seats being cramped & the American food they give you. Pretzels make me wretch. One thing I love about the 777 is the sound from the GE90 engines. The largest & most powerful on any passenger aircraft, I’ve heard.
You showed about 100 reasons why I don't fly economy anymore, I swapped to business class as I don't fly so often so use the saved cash for comfort. My route Saigon to London or Birmingham is best served by Qatar or Emirates, have tried Vietnam but they advertised a direct flight but on boarding found that direct only means the flight number. Did a one way on Air France and they lost my luggage. My company sent me to Canada on Canadian back in 1994 they were great, but the local bus flight on Air Canada was a no thank you. Pam Am was good even in economy back in the 1970s on a 747. I've now settled for Emirates as they have a limo service for the to, from airport runs. But the main reason is the A380 Dubai to UK it's fantastic, though I do have to put up with the B777 Saigon to Dubai. The Qatar lounge is the best but hey the A380 out ranks that.
Thanks for another enjoyable vlog, Lee. Airlines have been squeezing more seats into long-haul economy class (Y). Boeing designed its 777s to have 9-across seating but *most* airlines today have increased this to 10-across. Similar with the 787 (Dreamliner) Boeing intended airlines to install 8-across but almost all 787 airlines went for 9-across (including Qantas). As for comparing the A380 withe the 787 ... the former is universally praised by travellers whereas the 787 gets mixed reviews.
Why oh why do people applaud when the aircraft lands? I read an article about cabin crew recently and they said they find it really insulting. Still, if it’s a Boeing these days, maybe it’s just sheer relief nothing’s dropped off mid flight…
People applaud on landing because they are saying " thank you for giving us a safe flight and a good and safe landing " !!! Its called being polite !!!
A couple things about American (AA): 1) They’re a lot better on long haul flights than on shorter ones. On those, the seating is spartan and cramped. 2) You didn’t experience the patented AA Rolling Delay. That’s something they do where your boarding time comes and goes without notice and they quietly push your departure time back by 30 minutes. That time comes and goes without notice and they repeat the process. Over and over again, telling you as little as possible while you’re held hostage at the gate. This ends 2 ways…either you’re hours late or they cancel your flight at a time when it’s too late to make alternate plans. This is why I quit flying them (I used to be platinum) and am now happily with United. They aren’t perfect but are way way better and usually pretty good.
A torturous flight can't agree with you. My wife and I have flown over 20years with AA. Sometimes not the cleanest aircraft but with very good cabin crew. A month ago we flew JFK-LHR with fun crew. We seat in 43J/k the last two seats on the right in front of the loo the next to the kitchen. First class at the other end. We were offered two first class ice cream sundaes with everything, good meals that were hot and a hot breakfast. Not bad for zoo class!
well, that was an epic trip, i felt so uncomfortable for you squashed in that seat, and the food was rubbish, it was funny though when they clapped when it landed, glad to get away!!!
I recently flew from Delhi to Mumbai on Vistara Airline using upgraded economy. That was the best i have flown! New plane, enthusiastic flight attendants. They even served a nice meal on only 2.5 hour flight! I flew 24500 miles last year.
I honestly don't know how or why you do it to yourself. My parents lived for a while in the US and they tried to get me go over from the UK. I point blank refused to go. The thought of sitting on a plane for more than 2 hours makes me shudder. The furthest I can do on a plane is Cairo or Beirut. I made a point of learning to fly in the hope it would get over it, but no. I hate airports, the queues, the whole experience of it, then having to sit next to elephant on the the plane. I have upmost respect for the pilots and nearly all the cabin crew who deal with it all. But that's why I watch your channel so I don't ever ever have to endure a commercial aircraft again in my life! I have no intention of ever leaving the UK again. If it doesn't involve my car, I ain't going! Don't even get me started on St Pancras! I still have a house in Leicester and I have to endure that journey every so often!
@@stevetosh not only that, most sit on the aisle seat and put their bag on the window seat, completely blocking access and making someone actually have to explain to them how rude and ignorant they are, if they want a seat. I only have to ride the sky train from the staff parking lot to the terminal, two stops, otherwise I would surely tell them what I thought. I still might one of these days!
Talking about planes, trains and automobiles, my last journey back from Florida was a car from the hotel to the airport, a flight from Orlando to Atlanta, another from Atlanta to Manchester, a train from Manchester to Deansgate, then finally a coach from Deansgate to Bolton! 🤣
This reminds me of why I like coach holidays in Britain. I did the airport Spain / Tenerife when I was younger and I didn't like the queueing. And the cost of the passport and all the other things, what goes with it? Booking , airport taxis & paying for them , things like that. Where as a coach holiday It's cheaper / and you just get on a go..🏴
When I use to work in Boston use to go out of my way to fly British Airways back to the UK, even the Americans I worked with refused to fly AA it must be bad.
Flew over to vancouver on dreamliner, not very comfortable, the crew dimmed the windows half hour into flight. agree with you, a380 the best just came back from LA great flight
Glad I live on a different planet to the poster. I fly TATL very frequently and choose AA for all my TATL trips. BA are so unreliable. Sad AA are removing first at year end following Delta and United.
We travelled on American (booked BA) last year to LA. Space was awful, food terrible (and not enough for any amount of choice sat in the back as we were put), Crew were rude when they were about (not often), they made us go to sleep and treated us like children… I could go on…. I’ll never fly cross Atlantic with them again. Internally, a slightly different story. Earlier this year, the staff were amazing helping me navigate a cancelled flight, sorting flights, hotel and some vouchers for food. But the crew were still grumpy, and aircraft terrible. Avoid them like Lee says.
All American based airlines suck a big one! I'm a UNITED 2 million miler and if anyone should know, it's me! It's really the mid-east and Asian airlines that are the bet these days. I've done BA and Virgin and they seem to have gone to hell in a hand basket to me also!
Morning Lee hope you are well . we go home on Friday night . can't wait get out of here were there are so many small Ants o the work tops .. Love you too ❤xxx
Check in your own baggage, Self check at the Grocery store, Card versus cash, its all part of the same push to save these big companies money, the customer service element always suffers when you eliminate people because "People make the difference".
Thanks for the entertainment Lee , I must say that bloody seat looked ridiculous easyJet seats are bigger😂 really enjoyed your travels around New York , had a good laugh with the silver Focus😂😂 looking forward to your next Vlog 👍✈️👌 cheers mate 👍
I always think it very weird when people applaud after a flight. Only a recent thing and doesn’t happen on more commercial flights like emirates . My husband and I always make a face to each other when it happens 😊😊😊
I've found the opposite. The last time I heard an applaud on an airplane was around 2011... That said I only went abroad in 2012 and 2014 then didn't go abroad again until late 2023. Nowadays in my experience people don't applaud, whereas they used to.
It’s all a con less staff but no more discount. What amazed me they even reduced the quality of the boarding pass and sticky labels for the baggage. Much quicker and more pleasurable to arrive at the desk and be greeted by trained staff to help you
😮 6’ 4” in an economy seat?? I’m surprised you didn’t get a whole-body cramp after that flight! I’m a foot shorter and can do economy only for max of 2 hours or I will get muscle cramps! 😂 Oh, I didn’t think the food looked bad though.. perhaps rather small in portion but I’m not picky about food.
I used to work for a cruise line and they always used AA for the flights across the country and ALWAYS cramped unless you are a very petite person. I work for an airline and don’t even really bother going anywhere. The planes themselves are nothing special, not like years ago with DC-10s, L10-11s, 747s, comfortable and full of character. When we used to go coach to HNL from Vancouver, always Ceasars or Mai Tais served after departure; room to stretch and move about. Flight attendants friendly. It’s a whole different beast now.
Always enjoy the Flight ✈️ videos Lee,.... I must say it is always good to Land back in the UK. Like many people, this country has its problems and maybe some of these have been deliberately manufactured, but the Green landscape of Britain in the summer takes some beating and you have commented on this on quite a few occasions. 👍
Exactly. This is every economy flight in the western hemisphere. I would even rank it high because the entertainment system worked/you had one and no food poisoning. There is a reason low-cost airlines exist. Same sh,t lower prices.
30 yers ago AA prided themselves on having the most efficient, smart friendly staff with an on time airline. What has happened, is it the airline management who’ve cut the costs of food costs and lost touch with their staff at the ‘coal face’. All very sad. Maybe one of your floggers used to work for AA and can throw some light on what has caused such a deterioration. Great flogging Lee, keep it up nd take care of your health.😊
Years ago we went to the USA by British Airways. One of our group could not go at the last minute. We paid for four seats and wanted to claim the fourth for our comfort. BA sold it but refused to give us a refund. We got the worst seats all the way in the back. So before I even listen to the whole blog I already don't consider your comments as valid
I’m retired from the airline industry after a 43 year career and don’t miss flying one bit. The hassle to and from the airport is a joke and the airports themselves are an embarrassment to what they used to be like. American Airlines are what a 3rd world airline used to be like back in the 70/80’s they are shocking and their food onboard in economy is nothing short of crap. These days I try and avoid air travel which has gotten worse over the years.
I flew on AA from Heathrow to JFK in May last year and then back in June. Honestly, the service was quite good. The flights were on time, and we arrived at JFK an hour early and at Heathrow 30 minutes early. On both flights, the food was good, and throughout the flight, the attendants offered drinks, etc. Also, if you book the main cabin, you can choose a window seat for free; I have tried it myself.
Let's face it ... planes today are not built for comfort ... they are built to make the most money possible ... and if that means jamming another couple of seats in ... that's what they will do.
I have done that trip so many times (including the follow on to Nottingham). I don’t judge them like you did anymore. I look at the safe departure transit and landing. Your flight was incredibly efficient and professional. You’re safely back and you even met up with your bag.
Uhmmm.... Looks like you flew in "economy" class. Thus the narrow seat and cheap everything.....😮 you want a better experience, you have to pay up for "business" class seats and better food.
I have flown Preimum Economy from NY to London by AA & BA. Both are decent, but the big difference is the crew. AA was uncaring and miserable & BA was pretty good...
Have flown with American Airlines twice on my last two visits to NYC. The first time was a hastily booked flight when British Airways (who we'd booked with) cancelled our return flight in December 2022 due to weather, but we got an extra day/night in New York which BA refunded us for (Bonus). That flight however, was a nightmare. A problem with the planes A/C system meant returning to the gate after taxi-ing, and sitting onboard the plane whilst they waited to fix it, then had to refuel, all which took just over 3 hours!!! Second flight was in March this year, going out from Heathrow to JFK, and in fairness, that flight was better than the previous, no delays and all on time, and pretty comparative to a BA flight service (in my experience). So I've had both sides of American Airlines, good and bad, but I always tend to book and fly BA anyway, as their Flights + Hotel package always works out the best price/convenience option for me, as it includes connecting flights from/to Newcastle-Heathrow. Onwards my friend, and welcome back to Blighty!
From Heathrow you should off got off at terminal 3 or 4 got on the Elizabeth line bigger batter trains better journey to Farringdon road then circle line 1 stop to kings x
Regarding trains, last time I flew in to Heathrow was April 1st 2020:on the last BA flight from Sydney (not allowed to get off in Singapore whilst cleaning/restocking plane and was on it for 24 hours, horrible but I digress) and because the holiday was cut short for obvious reasons, meant we had to try and book a train at short notice from Euston to Birmingham and Avanti wanted over £300 each for two of us. My father in law in the end drove down to collect us on the very empty and quiet roads. Doing a trip to Toronto and New York in September flying back from Newark (staying in NJ near the Holland Tunnel) and driving down and parking at Hounslow to avoid mucking about with trains again. Great video as per usual.
They have people at the bag drop just in case you're over your allowance and they can charge you more. I am Executive Platinum with AA and I detest having to fly them. The flight attendants ARE miserable and in many cases too old to be flying. They look like they've been on a bender and reported to work hungover. Currently in Asia and have flown Singapore Airlines in economy. Hot towel. Real metal cutlery. Decent food. Flight attendants are lovely and smiling. American Airlines simply stopped caring some time ago. Their motto used to be, "Something special in the air", but now I say, "Nothing special in the air". BA is a much better choice.
The domestic U.S. airlines (Southwest being the only possible exception) all treat their employees like shite, as do most American businesses. This is reflected in their customer service. Sadly, most of us Americans are so used to it by now that we don't even notice it unless they do something really egregious. It's just part of the monopoly economy that has replaced the once-thriving competitive market in which the customer was king. Now the customer is cattle and the employees disposable slaves.
"They put me on an AA flight"? Does BA website not indicate that at time of booking? Surely from flt no.s given at time of booking, you can work out if it's a BA or AA flt? 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
3 4 3 is standard seating in economy on a 777 for most airlines nowadays. Being 6 feet 6 tall I always have an aisle seat so that I can spread out length wise and width wise....
Any airline can have a bad day with service. However, if you are 6'4”, it cant be a surprise to you that an economy class seat is gonna be tight for you. Most airlines have the option for wxtra legroom and/or Premium Economy yet you choose to book the cheapest and then whine about what you surely already knew would happen.
Dont give up you ur say job...
I'm from Brazil and haven't been in the U.S. or flown on American in many years, but you should see the reputation they have here and the even worse service they provide on their South American routes. And mind you, they have improved, as they now fly those routes with newer 787s and 777s. When I flew them, it was on vintage 767s and 757s that were old even for that time. Hard benches with worn upholstery that wouldn't recline more than some two inches, overhead CRT monitors, inedible greasy food, and the worst part: the cabin crew. They seemed to have been trained at the same kennel where the Gestapo trained their man-eating Rottweilers - at least, they barked the same to the passengers! Never, never a smile, meal trays literally THROWN at your table, they seemed to always be reminding you that you were an annoyance that they were not paid enough to tolerate. Later I flew United to the U.S. and it was MUCH better, light-years ahead of AA.
To their credit, I've had better experiences with their services within the U.S., and they were very well organised on the ground, but remember that this was many years ago. They at least used to be very reliable back then, without the many horror stories of too frequent cancellations and delays that now plague AA's reviews (and even more importantly, HOW they deal with those disruptions).
Recently a very well known Brazilian journalist and podcaster was stuck for THREE DAYS at JFK because his AA flight back home was overbooked, and they only placed him on a subsequent flight three days later, with the whole ordeal being shown live on his social networks with millions of followers. AA didn't even give him a hotel, he had to sleep on the airport benches. And instead of offering some compensation or at least an apology, AA later sent him a "cease and desist" letter threatening legal action for slander if he didn't remove the posts, but he showed the letter on his social networks as well, making their PR disaster even worse. The posts weren't removed, and as far as I know, they didn't sue him.
Good video, I enjoyed watching…
But, you get what you pay for. From a value standpoint it would appear you did pretty good for under $600US. You flew Trans Atlantic, watched a movie, had a meal and arrived safely and didn’t look to worse for wear. While I agree AA sucks, you do have to consider value and on that standard I think you came out on top!
As a 6’4” man you should travel premium economy.
Remember when travel was fun? It hasn't been in years and, yeah, American should probably be called Ameri-CAN'T. I took a flight several years ago from LAX to Minnesota. I was near the front of the line in the boarding process, yet when I reached the entrance to the jetway, a very unpleasant female gate agent snapped, "You'll have to check your carry-on. The overhead bins are full." I didn't see how that was possible, but she refused to let me enter with my bag so I went ahead and checked it. Upon boarding the aircraft, I couldn't help but notice that there was ample space remaining in the overhead bins -- they were nowhere near full. As the same woman passed through the plane to check on things, I got her attention and pointed to the overhead bins to let her know there was indeed space above. She just looked away as if to say, "Oh well." Long story short, when I claimed my bag upon arrival, they had broken one wheel off my roller bag, which I had to pay to repair since airlines won't repair handles or wheels. Happy travels!
Perhaps you should have taken her ID number and filed a complaint to her superiors and then demanded at the very least an apology from her. If she has been rude to other passengers in the past then there will be a record of her behavior in her personal file it might have been worth a try.
I have flown more than msot posting here. On the longest ultra long haul flights as well. I fly business or first. If you are buying a standard coach ticket and expect first class it is not going to be the case. Any and every airline is the worst when something goes wrong. One bad interaction and its bad. Its been proven that customers buy on price. So if American is alot cheaper than lets say British Airways, you will still like most custoemrs go for the cheapest. Furthermore especially in coach , paying more for that ticket doesnt mean its better in any way. I have experienced both good and bad crews on all airlines except the best is Qantas, Singapore AIr, Emirates, Cathay Pacific. If flying coach the goal is to get you were you want to be. It wont be any special experience. Flat beds on the business and first products. Virgin still has some planes with old crappy business class seats 30 yrs designed. That can be on 787 and A330s. The A350s have a new seat in business. If you dont like coach pay for Premium economy. Just realize that the ticket can be alot more.
Why is a guy who spent US$150k on a Porsche golf cart that makes him miserable not flying business class and instead flying miserable coach being miserable? He must love misery.
I've heard from many people that fly a lot that AA business class is overpriced and not worth it. Also the cost of business class on a lot of US carriers is more expensive than on any british carrier - even for the same route, often i've found that to be the case.
I could fly Business class for instance with BA from Heathrow to Los Angeles for around £2,400... but when I looked at Delta or AA it was more like £3,500-£6,000.
@@navajojohn9448 All for content as he's a massive narcissist, simple as that
It's just a shrieking hollow tube with chairs to sit on. I just want it to get my butt there safely. I disappear into noise cancelling headphones and eat my own snacks. I want to stay frosty for any emergencies, so no alcohol. Could not care less about customer service. I wish we could deplane from all exits though.
Personally I think American Airlines and British airlines are equal when it comes to bad service. That partnership goes well together.
@@windanthonystream Yes I think so too. AA and BA are both as bad as each other. Tbh BA is among the worst (I am British btw).
Have no reason to say much about AA, which has earned its reputation for "meh" flight experience.
On the other hand my experience with BA long haul, has been very good. A couple of World Traveler/Economy but mostly WT+/premium economy, where the airport as well as the on board was great, especially when I needed "special " favors and they went above and beyond
Nah mate. BA blows AA away. Not even close. I'll personally never fly back over to America with AA again.
@@Tzvi092 agree.
A very authentic reflection of airline travel in the 21st century! And as for personal space, there's no other place outside of a plane where we'd sit that intimately close with a complete stranger for so long! And I think they'll just keep squeezing more people in until we're basically just cattle. I see you got the cattle feed anyway so we're half way there already. Cheers for this, reminds me why I tend not to fly long haul anymore.
Whats next seats on the wings
The last time i returned from the USA to the UK was with American Airlines.
It was an evening flight, no food or drinks were served.
Never again !
Just see a private jet go form london city Airport to Luton Airport.
Genuine question. How do people afford to live? $15 for liquorice, world has gone mad
Might have to start making your own or go to a cheaper country
Thailand is pretty cheap as well as india
@@roadrunnerj I live in the UK dumbass
Not quite as bad as Air Canada. We flew Montreal to Heathrow overnight last September. Airport Ok airside but very uncomfortable landside. Boarding system chaotic, seats cramped as usual. 2 hours delay for takeoff. Evening meal OK, breakfast appalling - small tub of yoghurt and a croissant shaped bread roll that had never even heard the word "butter" - and that was it. The staff were most noticeable by their absence. We did fly back to Vancouver with Air Canada which was a little better but that was a day flight and at least was on time. We had stocked up on snacks for the journey and we know both the airports so had no problems there. American Airlines seems to be just like the rest of their systems.
I flew AA to New York and the main meal was a dried up hotdog. Service was appalling. The flight attendants were rude. Anyone daring to question anything was met with, "Are you going to co-operate with me?" My partner fell asleep and his head was sticking out a little bit into the aisle. He was woken up by, "Sir, take your head out of the aisle." I would never fly AA by choice.
if your partners head was sticking out into the aisle, what part do you NOT understand that your partner MUST be told to put his head back into the seat range? or your partners head would just obstruct everyobody else? some people are really sheep.
Good point, obviously delivered by a clown.
@@kernow9324 It’s absolutely awful and has been particularly bad since 9/11. I remember flying LAX to SJU to join a ship and not even anything available for purchase to eat. When I enquired with the steward he just made a face and shook his head. It was a 7 hour + flight and I was ‘wedged’ into the seating.
When I first flew to the US with AA back in 2004, they were very good. However my last trip with them was an absolute nightmare. The plane was one of the oldest in their fleet, an old Boeing 767 that had no in flight entertainment system, not a good start. As we taxied to the runway, the Captain announced that there was a technical fault and we then had to return to the gate to get the problem fixed which delayed is by about an hour. As we were about to depart, one of the stupid flight attendants announced in a very loud voice 'These planes are really old and we have faults all the time'. We were then informed that a passenger had a panic attack and decided to be off-boarded! This caused another long delay while they looked for her luggage. This meant we missed our connection in Dallas for Las Vegas causing a further delay. As a treat I had booked a suite in the Bellagio Hotel as my niece was collecting us early next morning. By the time we arrived at the hotel we had about 4 hours in a room that I had paid aound £700 for. As you can imagine, I have never flown with American Airlines again!
Ha, Ha, ha! F*cking AA
When Ryanair looks more comfortable you know its bad
Looked very cramped and uncomfortable on that plane 😮 Thanks for the vids, Lee, very interesting 😊
I flew JFK to Heathrow in Sept of ‘22. The seat was so narrow I had black and blue bruises on my hips from squishing into the seat. It was horrible. Then the Queen passed and all my tours were cancelled. It was impossible to get around the city because of the Que. Even the black cabs couldn’t get me near things because of roads blocked off. On the way back I upgraded my seat just to survive. I’m afraid to go back to London in case Charles dies.
Whether i go to an airline, a doctor, a lawyer, the dentist or tomorrow, an Enrolled Agent, I take a pad, pen, book to read.
I go to the bathroom before I leave home, when I arrive at the airport, before boarding the plane last. I wait until everyone leaves the plane before getting up - dumb clucks don't understand that their bags arrive on the carousel at the same time as the first class bags. Go to the bathroom before going through customs.
If you want first class service, pay for first class seating. If you want better food or seats at the airport, pay for the airline club membership.
It could have been worse.....you could have had Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins sat next to you, drinking Cinzano....!!!?
Back in 2002, we flew with American, from Manchester to Chicago. It was a nightmare. No inflight entertainment. Seats were so so uncomfortable, which didn't help my wife at all, who is disabled. But when we flew from Manchester to Philadelphia about 5 years ago, it was the complete opposite. Comfortable seats, inflight entertainment, and the cabin crew were great. Luck of the draw I suppose.
I have flown AA business and first to London recently. I have not flown this route coach in more than 30 yrs. I can tell you to expect similar from Virgin and British Airways as far as seat space. Feel free to look that up and you will see. The old space you got in the 1990s is now Premium economy roughtly. Maybe Premium Economy is slightly larger than the old coach.
They are dreadful, insolent and threatening. You'd never get that kind of service with TWA and Pan-Am
I’m 84 I have been flying as a passenger since I was 12. Between 19 81 and 2007 I files almost weekly within the USA. When the airlines deregulated everything went downhill in the name of cheaper fares. Then came 911 and regular flying became a nightmare. I lived 20 miles from EWR so by the time I retired I had to leave home 3.5 hours before a flight just to be sure to get through security. Long gone are the days when a gold pass would get you through security. I’m glad I no longer ever need to fly again. Last year I realized that I had enough frequent flyer miles left from my old travelling airline that I coulf fly our family of four first class around the world. Then I thought all those American airports and gave the points to charity. Well like politics you get the government you deserve. You get the Airlines you deserve. With apologies to Singapore, Qantas, Lufthansa, Cathy Pacific, Air we Zealand. And many other excellent airlines. Tip you can’t help the American airports but if you leave from an international Airport like JFK. Look for a foreign airline to fly on. It will usually be a much better flight.
I think I see a problem with how you booked your ticket. Since you booked your ticket with BA, it is policy of BA to charge for seat assignments no matter where they are at on the plane. AA on the other hand doesn’t charge for a regular seat assignment unless you book a MCE seat or even a preferred seat.
I last flew American in 2001, (777 Glasgow - Tampa and return leg) they were alright then. Economy is always going to be economy so I don't know why you were surprised about the shitty meal or the shitty seat to be honest!
Speaking frankly I would sit on the floor if it meant I was getting somewhere decent, but I know most aren't of the same thinking!
It seemed you had made your mind up before you had got to the airport. Seating looked no worse than any other airline in economy. The flight video looked ok out the window but the upbeat jazz music didn't really portray the tortuous flight that was highlighted in the title. Was rather underwhelmed by the video.
There's a saying... You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
American Airlines have no control over the TSA security process. They have no control over costs of products in the airport. Much of what you were complaining about in the first part of the video weren’t things in control of any airline.
I agree that flying in the sardine class (aka coach) is absolute hell. That is a U.S. airline industry issue.
If British Airways coach service is better than U.S. counterparts, I understand your anger at being put on a substandard flight for what you purchased.
My only suggestion: upgrade next time.
TSA Pre comes for free on Global Entry. Much better than British security and immigration at Heathrow
Great video Lee, you looked knackered, thank for the great output....And to the people who clap when the plane lands, get a grip it's the pilots job he doesn't need a round of applause.
We flew from Manchester with American Airlines. The first plane had a technical problem so we waited for another. The second was "faulty". Eventually, 3/4 hour later we were able to board the third plane. Coming back, late at night, even worse - the plane also had a "problem", couldn't be replaced and we had to be put up in a hotel miles from the airport. Surprisingly, I refused to travel with them the following day. Thankfully, our insurance sorted us seats on a British Airways flight to Heathrow where we had to change for Manchester, but at least we had a comfortable, and safe, flight home.
The pay for seat assignment scam is all too prolific. But I think BA may be the worst offender of all. Buy a business class seat, but pay £150+ for a seat assignment! That’s right. Scam even more money out of your highest paying customers. A business school case study in making an effort to keep customers away.
Hi Lee :) Great video as always. I live in Melbourne (although a Pom who grew up in Stoke on Trent and have travelled via Emirates A380 to Manchester and Qantas B787 to San Francisco. I founf the Dreamliner comfortable with the lower air pressure and the plane was quite new and not bad room in economy. I agree though, the A380 is beautiful and so much more room in economy. My daughter was with me and didn't realise we'd takem off until about 3,000 feet :P It was that smooth. Maybe I'm spoilt because Emirates crew were excellent and overall better than Qantas, sad to say. I think Qantas has profits ahead of passenger welfare. Just my humble opinion. Love your matter of fact, down to earth, normal person travelogues. Keep em up brother.
Entertaining video Lee. Bit harsh not speaking to the woman next to you till landing - or was that her choice 😂
Great vlog lee, even though your flight wasnt good,, nice views from the window. Glad you got back safely
what was with the clapping? must be a thanks to Boeing for not having something fall off the plane... I've travelled once in a Dreamliner, most uncomfortable journey ever and will never fly with the airline involved again.
I'm Asian American from NYC but work in the city in London. Whenever I land in London, I always sigh in relief like "ahhhh back to civilization" 🤣
But do u stay in londonstan..no civilization there
Flown once to the States. Virgin Airlines economy. Brilliant in every way; generous seating, great food, staff, in-flight ent., all top notch 🇬🇧🇺🇲
On this route you are going to tell me Virgin or BA will be better? Will they also be cheaper? I have flown BA, Virgin and American. All business or First class (American). Anyone who doesnt like coach should buy Premium Econ or pay for comfort plus if that is available.
Great food? on Virgin. I fly Virgin Upper Class and I find the food not great. Its ok and similar to BA. Better than American Business/First but not great. Genrous seating on Virgin coach? Do facts matter? The seat space on Virgin is 17-17.9 width depending on the aircraft and 31 inches pitch. American is roughly 16.2-17.1 and 31-32 inches of pitch. Is there any huge difference. Maybe a fraction of an inch or nothing, gyet you say generous seating? You have flown once to the states? I have flown Miami to London at least 60 times. I know this route well. Some of the Virgon planes still have the old entertainment system and screens. You probabkly dont know that. The new A350s are better especially up front. Coach is a similar experience on all these carriers. The only exception would be JETBLUE. The space there is the biggest.
I flew with American on my US trip, but didn’t really have any problems apart from the seats being cramped & the American food they give you. Pretzels make me wretch. One thing I love about the 777 is the sound from the GE90 engines. The largest & most powerful on any passenger aircraft, I’ve heard.
Just a thought, maybe you could upload two versions of your videos, one with and one without the accompanying music.
That would satisfy both sides. 😀
You showed about 100 reasons why I don't fly economy anymore, I swapped to business class as I don't fly so often so use the saved cash for comfort. My route Saigon to London or Birmingham is best served by Qatar or Emirates, have tried Vietnam but they advertised a direct flight but on boarding found that direct only means the flight number. Did a one way on Air France and they lost my luggage.
My company sent me to Canada on Canadian back in 1994 they were great, but the local bus flight on Air Canada was a no thank you. Pam Am was good even in economy back in the 1970s on a 747.
I've now settled for Emirates as they have a limo service for the to, from airport runs. But the main reason is the A380 Dubai to UK it's fantastic, though I do have to put up with the B777 Saigon to Dubai. The Qatar lounge is the best but hey the A380 out ranks that.
I can’t believe your home already, felt like a short one. Lee Davey you are single handedly responsible for sea temperatures rising….
Thanks for another enjoyable vlog, Lee. Airlines have been squeezing more seats into long-haul economy class (Y). Boeing designed its 777s to have 9-across seating but *most* airlines today have increased this to 10-across. Similar with the 787 (Dreamliner) Boeing intended airlines to install 8-across but almost all 787 airlines went for 9-across (including Qantas). As for comparing the A380 withe the 787 ... the former is universally praised by travellers whereas the 787 gets mixed reviews.
Im a bit lost as to what was "torturous".
No wonder you were fed up. All around the airport and even on the plane, that awful music seemed to be following you. Nightmare
Would be a boring world if we all had the same taste in things.
@@TheMacMaster Indeed it would. Keep up the good work. Fish and chips are not going to eat themselves
😆
Why oh why do people applaud when the aircraft lands? I read an article about cabin crew recently and they said they find it really insulting. Still, if it’s a Boeing these days, maybe it’s just sheer relief nothing’s dropped off mid flight…
The Europeans always seem to applaud. I do find it odd.
People applaud on landing because they are saying " thank you for giving us a safe flight and a good and safe landing " !!! Its called being polite !!!
A couple things about American (AA):
1) They’re a lot better on long haul flights than on shorter ones. On those, the seating is spartan and cramped.
2) You didn’t experience the patented AA Rolling Delay. That’s something they do where your boarding time comes and goes without notice and they quietly push your departure time back by 30 minutes. That time comes and goes without notice and they repeat the process. Over and over again, telling you as little as possible while you’re held hostage at the gate. This ends 2 ways…either you’re hours late or they cancel your flight at a time when it’s too late to make alternate plans.
This is why I quit flying them (I used to be platinum) and am now happily with United. They aren’t perfect but are way way better and usually pretty good.
A torturous flight can't agree with you. My wife and I have flown over 20years with AA. Sometimes not the cleanest aircraft but with very good cabin crew. A month ago we flew JFK-LHR with fun crew. We seat in 43J/k the last two seats on the right in front of the loo the next to the kitchen. First class at the other end. We were offered two first class ice cream sundaes with everything, good meals that were hot and a hot breakfast. Not bad for zoo class!
Great how being on the same flight can give different opinions 😉
Really enjoyed the whole journey Lee, felt like we was there with you.
well, that was an epic trip, i felt so uncomfortable for you squashed in that seat, and the food was rubbish, it was funny though when they clapped when it landed, glad to get away!!!
I recently flew from Delhi to Mumbai on Vistara Airline using upgraded economy. That was the best i have flown! New plane, enthusiastic flight attendants. They even served a nice meal on only 2.5 hour flight! I flew 24500 miles last year.
Why does everyone say lets get an Uber??.
They screwed our Taxi trade up in London.Use proper taxis,especially in London.,""""
I have never used Uber and never will.
I honestly don't know how or why you do it to yourself. My parents lived for a while in the US and they tried to get me go over from the UK. I point blank refused to go. The thought of sitting on a plane for more than 2 hours makes me shudder. The furthest I can do on a plane is Cairo or Beirut. I made a point of learning to fly in the hope it would get over it, but no. I hate airports, the queues, the whole experience of it, then having to sit next to elephant on the the plane. I have upmost respect for the pilots and nearly all the cabin crew who deal with it all.
But that's why I watch your channel so I don't ever ever have to endure a commercial aircraft again in my life! I have no intention of ever leaving the UK again. If it doesn't involve my car, I ain't going!
Don't even get me started on St Pancras! I still have a house in Leicester and I have to endure that journey every so often!
You are braver than me, no chance of getting me to Cairo or Beirut! Would happily fly to Australia or New Zealand though
Couldn't agree more. 2-2/5 hrs is my max on any aircraft.
In the US we call this "revenue maximization".
The most shocking thing about this video was the amount of ignorant people with their bags on the seats when you boarded that train.
Nearly every one of those seats shown had a bag sitting in the spare seat. Selfish people are everywhere these days.
@@stevetosh not only that, most sit on the aisle seat and put their bag on the window seat, completely blocking access and making someone actually have to explain to them how rude and ignorant they are, if they want a seat. I only have to ride the sky train from the staff parking lot to the terminal, two stops, otherwise I would surely tell them what I thought. I still might one of these days!
My wife and I flew AA once, never again. They are the absolute worst airline.
That's what unions do.
You need to fly more if you think AA is the ‘worst’ airline.
When booking flights - pay attention to the flight numbers. If a number consist of 4 digit - that flight is operated by a sister airline.
Talking about planes, trains and automobiles, my last journey back from Florida was a car from the hotel to the airport, a flight from Orlando to Atlanta, another from Atlanta to Manchester, a train from Manchester to Deansgate, then finally a coach from Deansgate to Bolton! 🤣
Horses. For the coach? 😂❤
This reminds me of why
I like coach holidays in Britain. I did the airport Spain / Tenerife when I was younger and I didn't like the queueing. And the cost of the passport and all the other things, what goes with it? Booking , airport taxis & paying for them , things like that. Where as a coach holiday It's cheaper / and you just get on a go..🏴
When I use to work in Boston use to go out of my way to fly British Airways back to the UK, even the Americans I worked with refused to fly AA it must be bad.
I love the window to be open so I can see were we are going . plus see what it's like over the landscape xxx❤
Flew over to vancouver on dreamliner, not very comfortable, the crew dimmed the windows half hour into flight. agree with you, a380 the best just came back from LA great flight
Delightful to hear the applause on landing! I get looks when I clap and cheer, and actually my Cabin Service Director has said I shouldn’t do it 😂
Glad I live on a different planet to the poster. I fly TATL very frequently and choose AA for all my TATL trips. BA are so unreliable. Sad AA are removing first at year end following Delta and United.
We travelled on American (booked BA) last year to LA. Space was awful, food terrible (and not enough for any amount of choice sat in the back as we were put), Crew were rude when they were about (not often), they made us go to sleep and treated us like children… I could go on…. I’ll never fly cross Atlantic with them again. Internally, a slightly different story. Earlier this year, the staff were amazing helping me navigate a cancelled flight, sorting flights, hotel and some vouchers for food. But the crew were still grumpy, and aircraft terrible. Avoid them like Lee says.
All American based airlines suck a big one! I'm a UNITED 2 million miler and if anyone should know, it's me! It's really the mid-east and Asian airlines that are the bet these days. I've done BA and Virgin and they seem to have gone to hell in a hand basket to me also!
Morning Lee hope you are well . we go home on Friday night . can't wait get out of here were there are so many small Ants o the work tops .. Love you too ❤xxx
Check in your own baggage, Self check at the Grocery store, Card versus cash, its all part of the same push to save these big companies money, the customer service element always suffers when you eliminate people because "People make the difference".
Thanks for the entertainment Lee , I must say that bloody seat looked ridiculous easyJet seats are bigger😂 really enjoyed your travels around New York , had a good laugh with the silver Focus😂😂 looking forward to your next Vlog 👍✈️👌 cheers mate 👍
I always think it very weird when people applaud after a flight. Only a recent thing and doesn’t happen on more commercial flights like emirates . My husband and I always make a face to each other when it happens 😊😊😊
I've found the opposite. The last time I heard an applaud on an airplane was around 2011...
That said I only went abroad in 2012 and 2014 then didn't go abroad again until late 2023.
Nowadays in my experience people don't applaud, whereas they used to.
It’s all a con less staff but no more discount. What amazed me they even reduced the quality of the boarding pass and sticky labels for the baggage. Much quicker and more pleasurable to arrive at the desk and be greeted by trained staff to help you
The 777 was originally 9 across in economy but now they are 10 across to sell the extra seat.
Great vlog lee thx for sharing with us👍👍
😮 6’ 4” in an economy seat?? I’m surprised you didn’t get a whole-body cramp after that flight! I’m a foot shorter and can do economy only for max of 2 hours or I will get muscle cramps! 😂 Oh, I didn’t think the food looked bad though.. perhaps rather small in portion but I’m not picky about food.
I used to work for a cruise line and they always used AA for the flights across the country and ALWAYS cramped unless you are a very petite person. I work for an airline and don’t even really bother going anywhere. The planes themselves are nothing special, not like years ago with DC-10s, L10-11s, 747s, comfortable and full of character. When we used to go coach to HNL from Vancouver, always Ceasars or Mai Tais served after departure; room to stretch and move about. Flight attendants friendly. It’s a whole different beast now.
24.5 year old Boeing 777. Shocking to have such old aircraft on long distance flights.
Maybe by design, as it was properly screwed together in the olden days...
Always enjoy the Flight ✈️ videos Lee,.... I must say it is always good to Land back in the UK.
Like many people, this country has its problems and maybe some of these have been deliberately manufactured, but the Green landscape of Britain in the summer takes some beating and you have commented on this on quite a few occasions. 👍
Think you need to stay home......is this your first flight in 10yrs. ts all like this now.
@@gerardmccarthy2432
Only happens when flying cattle class, which I stopped doing in 2009. Only had lovely flights ever since.
Exactly. This is every economy flight in the western hemisphere. I would even rank it high because the entertainment system worked/you had one and no food poisoning. There is a reason low-cost airlines exist. Same sh,t lower prices.
In coach yes. It got him to London. Thats the goal.
You obviously don't watch the channel as he was only in Australia a few months ago and did a review on QANTAS.
I fly premium economy, it’s so much better. Cheers.
30 yers ago AA prided themselves on having the most efficient, smart friendly staff with an on time airline. What has happened, is it the airline management who’ve cut the costs of food costs and lost touch with their staff at the ‘coal face’. All very sad. Maybe one of your floggers used to work for AA and can throw some light on what has caused such a deterioration. Great flogging Lee, keep it up nd take care of your health.😊
That was quick America trip! Food and travel with a sprinkling of EV
Years ago we went to the USA by British Airways.
One of our group could not go at the last minute.
We paid for four seats and wanted to claim the fourth for our comfort.
BA sold it but refused to give us a refund.
We got the worst seats all the way in the back.
So before I even listen to the whole blog I already don't consider your comments as valid
I love Lee when he whinges. He is the best whinge-master in the world
Amazing how he Survived Arse-traylia 👍
I call him the Moaner Lee Sir 😂
@@bootburner4544He has plenty of EV issues to Moan about when he gets back.
@@MeaHeaR yeah, real test is whether Lee would have survived Kazi- h-Stan
Not really unless he is on about EV's infrastructure
I’m retired from the airline industry after a 43 year career and don’t miss flying one bit. The hassle to and from the airport is a joke and the airports themselves are an embarrassment to what they used to be like. American Airlines are what a 3rd world airline used to be
like back in the 70/80’s they are shocking and their food onboard in economy is nothing short of crap.
These days I try and avoid air travel which has gotten worse over the years.
American Airlines is like the Amtrak of the skies. Horrible.
Us have a good point!
I flew on AA from Heathrow to JFK in May last year and then back in June. Honestly, the service was quite good. The flights were on time, and we arrived at JFK an hour early and at Heathrow 30 minutes early. On both flights, the food was good, and throughout the flight, the attendants offered drinks, etc. Also, if you book the main cabin, you can choose a window seat for free; I have tried it myself.
Let's face it ... planes today are not built for comfort ... they are built to make the most money possible ... and if that means jamming another couple of seats in ... that's what they will do.
I have done that trip so many times (including the follow on to Nottingham). I don’t judge them like you did anymore. I look at the safe departure transit and landing. Your flight was incredibly efficient and professional. You’re safely back and you even met up with your bag.
So doesn’t matter if it crap as long as you get back, . Food can be awful. Madness
Uhmmm.... Looks like you flew in "economy" class. Thus the narrow seat and cheap everything.....😮 you want a better experience, you have to pay up for "business" class seats and better food.
Thanks Lee for taking us with you enjoyed you're vlog 👍hope you have a safe journey back to blighty welcome home mate!!!
🤔hmmm... Seems that plane seats get the same description as handcuffs! ... "They are not built for comfort!" 🤪
Loved the comment from your fellow passenger upon landing, Its really Joyful to not have the slides come out !!! A beaut !
Save your breath. They are the worse airlines. I stopped flying them years ago. They laugh at the concept of customer service. 👎
I have flown Preimum Economy from NY to London by AA & BA. Both are decent, but the big difference is the crew. AA was uncaring and miserable & BA was pretty good...
Does it annoy anyone else when people clap when you land?
Used to, but perhaps justified now if you get on a modern Boeing?😕
The first time I ever experienced it was on a Ryanair flight from London to Rome. All the Italian people clapped. I thought it was adorable.
I think you responded to the wrong person.
Have flown with American Airlines twice on my last two visits to NYC. The first time was a hastily booked flight when British Airways (who we'd booked with) cancelled our return flight in December 2022 due to weather, but we got an extra day/night in New York which BA refunded us for (Bonus). That flight however, was a nightmare. A problem with the planes A/C system meant returning to the gate after taxi-ing, and sitting onboard the plane whilst they waited to fix it, then had to refuel, all which took just over 3 hours!!!
Second flight was in March this year, going out from Heathrow to JFK, and in fairness, that flight was better than the previous, no delays and all on time, and pretty comparative to a BA flight service (in my experience). So I've had both sides of American Airlines, good and bad, but I always tend to book and fly BA anyway, as their Flights + Hotel package always works out the best price/convenience option for me, as it includes connecting flights from/to Newcastle-Heathrow.
Onwards my friend, and welcome back to Blighty!
The catering on your AA flight would obviously be loaded/sourced in London, just as his was sourced/loaded in NY.!
From Heathrow you should off got off at terminal 3 or 4 got on the Elizabeth line bigger batter trains better journey to Farringdon road then circle line 1 stop to kings x
Regarding trains, last time I flew in to Heathrow was April 1st 2020:on the last BA flight from Sydney (not allowed to get off in Singapore whilst cleaning/restocking plane and was on it for 24 hours, horrible but I digress) and because the holiday was cut short for obvious reasons, meant we had to try and book a train at short notice from Euston to Birmingham and Avanti wanted over £300 each for two of us.
My father in law in the end drove down to collect us on the very empty and quiet roads.
Doing a trip to Toronto and New York in September flying back from Newark (staying in NJ near the Holland Tunnel) and driving down and parking at Hounslow to avoid mucking about with trains again.
Great video as per usual.
dont you just hate it when you get on a busy train and people put something on the seat next too them so you cant use that seat
That looked like a very uncomfortable journey. Good video Lee!
I think you need to take a break from travelling. That was one of the whingeist and moaning vlogs ive seen.
They have people at the bag drop just in case you're over your allowance and they can charge you more. I am Executive Platinum with AA and I detest having to fly them. The flight attendants ARE miserable and in many cases too old to be flying. They look like they've been on a bender and reported to work hungover. Currently in Asia and have flown Singapore Airlines in economy. Hot towel. Real metal cutlery. Decent food. Flight attendants are lovely and smiling. American Airlines simply stopped caring some time ago. Their motto used to be, "Something special in the air", but now I say, "Nothing special in the air". BA is a much better choice.
The domestic U.S. airlines (Southwest being the only possible exception) all treat their employees like shite, as do most American businesses. This is reflected in their customer service. Sadly, most of us Americans are so used to it by now that we don't even notice it unless they do something really egregious. It's just part of the monopoly economy that has replaced the once-thriving competitive market in which the customer was king. Now the customer is cattle and the employees disposable slaves.
"They put me on an AA flight"?
Does BA website not indicate
that at time of booking?
Surely from flt no.s given at time of booking,
you can work out if it's a BA or AA flt?
🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
3 4 3 is standard seating in economy on a 777 for most airlines nowadays. Being 6 feet 6 tall I always have an aisle seat so that I can spread out length wise and width wise....