American Airlines Passenger Reviews and American Airlines Customer Trip Reports

I travelled from FRA over Dalles-Fort Worth to San Diego and it was my third flight with American Airlines. I'm sure this will be my last flight with them. The interior is very old-fashioned and does not look very hygienic. The entertainment was horrible - only one small TV screen for each sector in the middle of the rows. You can watch two movies at pre-determined times - and two movies is not very much if flying ten hours from Frankfurt to Dallas. I recommend people take a Netbook or a Tablet with them! Food was ok, but during my second flight with AA I got a foodbox where the aluminium wrap was damaged. The personnel didn't change this. I will pay 150$ more for my next flight to the US and choose a better airline.

I was flying from Tampa to Seattle via Dallas. Flight #659. I could not select my seats or print a boarding pass before going to the airport. The online system would not let me. I called customer service and was told that I would have to do that at the airport. At the Tampa airport ticket counter, it was a free for all. No line structure. Just a lot of passengers jockeying for the next available computer screen - with too few employees to help with bag tags and printing boarding passes. Upon arriving at the gate, we were told that a flight attendant had not yet arrived and we were delayed (could not board) until she did arrive. The delay was 30 minutes. American Airlines lost my luggage. It arrived at my home 18 hours after I landed.

12 Oct 2012 LAX-MIA. Chaos at the departure gate as passengers heading east to MIA and west to HNL converge on the same gate at the same time.T he reason is the HNL flight has been delayed, but the departure boards have now re- allocated the gate for MIA. Eventually, after some MIA passengers tried to board the HNL flight, we are told to go to another gate. Boarded at another gate and sit on aircraft for just under 2 hours waiting for intercom fault to be fixed. During the flight our seat rows (22) are subjected to a freezing blast of cold air from the air con. Told the cabin crew 4 times, with the reply that they reset the system and nothing else could be done. Meanwhile we are all wrapped up in coats and blankets trying to get warm. Arrive late and miss my connection flight. An unhappy and unsmiling agent told me I've been rebooked on a flight that will leave in 20 hours time. They gave me a voucher to stay in the Miami Airport hotel (smallest room I've ever stayed in ), but refused to return my luggage. So I stayed in the same clothes for 2 days. My overall assessment is that the staff are just not interested anymore and are tired and worn out, as are their aircraft.

Had 4 internal flights with AA - the experience with AA was the lowest of the low! Of the 4 flight only 1 departed on time and 2 of our flights were so late that we missed our connecting flights. My suggestion is avoid at all cost. Even if they offered me free flights from now on I would refuse.

LHR-MIA-LHR. Checked in online the evening before departure. We decided not to bother with selecting the offered "preferred seats" for a premium (around £38 each), but were given the same seats (23 F/G) anyway as we went through the online check-in process. At the airport, a 15-minute queue at bag drop at Terminal 3, no queues at security. Boarding swift with friendly welcome from crew. B777 configured 2x5x2 in our section, aircraft clean and tidy, blanket, pillow and headsets provided on our seats. No problem with overhead locker space for two holdalls. We were given the two outer seats of the central group of five seats, fortunately nobody was seated in the centre seat (23 E). Seats reasonably comfortable, I'm 5/11 and had no real issues with the leg room. Small personal TV with a choice of around 8 fairly new movies. Other programming and games available. If you have your own ear/headphones I would suggest taking them as the ones provided on board are low-quality. Two drinks services and hot lunch (chicken or pasta) shortly after take-off. Food quality and quantity satisfactory, but as expected, not exceptional. Further drinks service. Washrooms kept tidy and stocked throughout the flight. Last drinks service and pizza given around 1.5 hours before landing. Crew members working in our section were friendly and chatty. Arrived in Miami about 20 minutes behind schedule, waited less than 5 minutes to clear immigration and approx. 15 minutes waiting for cases to start coming out on the carousel. Overall, a very pleasant flight. Return flight, checked in at the airport. We had about 10 pounds of excess baggage so we put some in our carry-on baggage so as not to incurr any additional charges. Check-in agent was friendly and dealt with us in a light-hearted manner. Boarding was completed efficiently, and again, we were greeted with a smile and warm welcome. Allocated seats were 32 H/J. As with the outbound journey, seats were perfectly adequate, with supplied pillow, blanket and earphones. A new selection of movies as we were travelling back at the start of a new month, two drinks services, dinner then lights out. Breakfast 1 hour prior to landing; consisted of a croissant and yoghurt and hot/cold drinks. Arrived back into LHR more or less on time. Disembarkation swift, used the ePassport facility at immigration so no queuing. Suitcases came out after a 10-minute wait. We both found AA perfectly satisfactory on this route and have booked to fly with them again on the same route next spring.

I was booked for a flight on American Airlines from San Fran (SFO) to Miami (MIA). The aircraft arrived late into SFO which pushed our boarding back about thirty minutes. The crew boarded the aircraft but we were told that there was a maintenance item that needed to be resolved first. About forty-five minutes later the gate agents advised us that the flight would be delayed four hours while an engine part was located and fixed. After about five hours, we were told the part was located and being tested on the engine. About six hours after our original departure time, the gate agent told us the aircraft was grounded and the flight would be delayed another two hours while a replacement aircraft was flown in from New York. About thirty minutes later, the flight was cancelled. (The morning flight to Miami had also already been cancelled). I was lucky enough to have already been re-booked for the red-eye flight to Miami that evening. That aircraft arrived early into SFO. However, it too had a maintenance issue and boarding was held off. We were then told about an hour later that the aircraft was also grounded and a new plane would have to be flown in from LAX. A replacement aircraft was finally flown in and after a lengthy delay we did depart- just shy of 12 hours from my original departure time to Miami. During my twelve hours in SFO, I noticed not one American Airlines flight that left on time (or within 30 mins of scheduled departure time). American Airlines needs to get their operation under control. It is unacceptable and compared to their competition, they are a joke and extremely unreliable. I would not recommend flying on American until their maintenance and labor issues are resolved. You have a very high chance of not making it to your destination.

My flight was cancelled 5 hours before departure (Newark - Miami). Without my approval they rebooked me in another flight leaving from a different airport. The message indicated that I should call to confirm. I was able to speak to AA one hour later I was notified. The agent told me that if I wanted any changes they would charge me. No transportation provided from one airport (Newark) to the other airport (LaGuardia). I had to incur an additional charges to get to LGA. They lost my bag too. No wonder why they are going out of business.

Booked through BA Glasgow-London-Chicago. Flight to London was fab then our flights from hell began. We boarded the flight to Chicago on American Airlines, on boarding the plane we were dismayed to see the state of the plane. The interior was old and and there was 1 TV to watch (that we couldn't see cause it was too far away). They ran out of food, then we asked if we could have a drink only to be told they had run out and there was nothing left (we had 2 drinks by this point). The staff were rude and just sat at the back of the plane. But the flight out didnt prepare us for the flight from hell home - flight home should have taken 9 hours but we eventually got home 2 days later. We took off late, the pilot stopped off at another airport cause somebody was ill, we were on the tarmac for 3 hours before resuming our journey. 40 minutes from landing we landed in Shannon Airport, there was nobody at the airport to keep us informed, we were there for 4 hours before they decided to put us in a hotel for the evening - least said about the hotel the better. We boarded the plane at 10am the next day and the captain said we would be taking off in 5-10 min but wanted to shut the engines off to save fuel. They wouldn't give us anything to eat or drink, the plane eventually took off 3 hours later. On arriving at Heathrow we were given 1000 dollar compensation for all the trouble we had, but it was 1000 dollar coupon to put towards a flight on American Airlines - I honestly thought they were having a laugh.

On my September 29, Santa Cruz (Bolivia) to Miami flight, American Airlines invented a new way of messing up. After we had boarded and taxied to the end of the runway, the pilot announced that he had not yet received "his numbers" for take off. After a considerable delay, he admitted that the passenger manifesto for our flight had been applied to another AA plane (at that airport); and that it was not possible simply to retrieve that copy and apply it to our flight. We had to wait three hours before that simple copy/paste operation was complete, at which time the pilot announced that he and the flight crew had now been on our plane too long and that a new crew and pilot was being brought in - which took another hour. Four hours sitting on the tarmac because some clerical worker had hit the wrong key on his computer! The result of course was that most of the passengers on our flight missed their connections. And, as many other commentators on this website have noted, the AA flight and ground crews could not have been less interested in providing us with information about our connecting flights or in helping us to make those connections. Indeed, the standard response to any request for information or assistance was indifference at best, outright rudeness at worst. To top it off, the agent who re-booked us on a later flight did not think to check whether our original connecting flight had been delayed. As it turns out, it had been delayed for two hours (which we only found out later), meaning that we could have made that flight despite the four hour delay in arriving. That thoughtless error cost AA our hotel bill in Miami; and cost us a lot of grief next day trying to re-book our further connecting (non-AA) flights.

Booked on AA1668 to Miami and connecting to New Orleans on AA1059 from Port of Spain on Sunday September 30th 2012. AA1668 was delayed twice, once due to a late inbound flight from Miami and the second delay by a maintenance issue. After 42 minutes, the decision was not to change the tyre but board and fly. By that time my connecting flight was not possible due to the late arrival into Miami and the next connecting available flight was at 4.35pm on Mon Oct 1st. I will have to go to a gate agent upon arrival into Miami to obtain a hotel. I decided not to fly. The ground staff were very polite and understanding but were very frustrated by the delay. I fly frequently and I have noticed a spiralling downhill with American Airlines. The airplanes are old, interiors worn, toilets in need of repair and the most serious problem is the cleanliness of the aircraft. I have to clean seats, tray tables many times not to mention avoiding the filthy toilets. I cannot rate this airline anymore.

DFW-LGA - return. Since the ticket was non-refundable, I opted to take the flights and hoped that none of them were cancelled. I flew GDL-DFW on American Eagle and then had a 4 hour layover and got the connecting flight to LGA. The plane was a 737 and was half-empty. The plane was an hour late leaving due to a minor maintenance issue. The flight itself was comfortable. The seats in coach seemed to me to have a little more room than on some airlines with greater distance between the rows. The return flight from LGA to DFW was on a smaller plane, but it was also a comfortable flight. Overall, I must admit I was impressed with the service on American and American Eagle and would definitely take them again.

Overnight Seattle - Miami in First. Whilst the plane was nearly 2.5 hours late taking off, the on board experience was better than expected given some of the reviews I have read which did cause to think had I made a mistake. The flight attendants were very polite and attentive without being intrusive and snack provided of cheese and fresh fruit very palatable given the overnight nature of the flight. The cabin on the 757 we used was showing it's age but the seats were comfortable for the 6 hour flight and having purchased the tickets some months in advance I thought they represented good value when compared with some other domestic airlines. Overall a positive experience.

We had a 17.00 scheduled departure from Cancun on 25 Sep, 2012 on Flt 1108 to DFW. A full 757. The inbound aircraft arrived late at the gate. There did not appear to be any urgency to get things moving along. The actual boarding process was slow and no effort was demonstrated by airline staff to expedite it. Once everyone was in the aircraft the external power failed. The captain informed passengers that the crew had to await a new power cart. The crew did get an air conditioner connected. After a 30 minute delay they started engines and finally departed the gate 1 hr 15 minutes late. Almost all passengers had connections at DFW - hardly unknown to crew. During the ground delay the captain informed passengers he could make up some time en route and upon landing take another 5 minutes to taxi in. It is well known that DFW has some of the longest taxi times in the business. The flight actually took longer than the planned scheduled flight! Upon landing he taxied at a slow speed. These staff did not care that passengers were stressing about connections. The Immigration officials separated incoming passengers into US citizen and non-US citizen lines. The citizen line had one agent and the other appeared to have four. Aside from this very long delay, those of us trying to make the OMA Flt 1994 connection in another terminal ran to make the connection. The agent did not hold the gate for us and we indeed got there four minutes late only to be told - too bad. The agent did give us a voucher for an overnight hotel and a boarding pass for Flt 1997 the next morning.

I flew to Atlanta earlier this week with a layover in Dallas. I went online to check-in for my flight and found that it had been cancelled, I called the airline to get another flight and ended up having to take a flight that left Austin at 5.45 am, giving me a 2.5 hour layover in Dallas. I had to be in Atlanta at a certain time, so I could not take a later flight. Returning, my flight from Dallas to Austin was delayed 3.5 hours, then when we were halfway through boarding, the pilots called in an unnecessary maintenance request delaying us another 30 minutes. The service on American Airlines has gone from bad to impossible, and I will no longer fly this airline. I would rather take another carrier to an alternate airport and drive the rest of the way then fly American Airlines.

LHR-BOS on the dreaded 757. Flight left and arrived on time. Crew was helpful and friendly; food and drink were fine. But in spite of renovations to the restrooms and the improvement of the overhead monitors, the 757 in current configuration and seating is very uncomfortable for a seven and a half hour flight. In particular, the seats are hard and badly pitched.

First class Chicago to Shanghai. Just had knee surgery so requested wheelchair. It never showed so I walked from check in to flagship lounge. Food allergies so ordered special meal which AA called 2 days to confirm. No special meal and if not for the purser I would not have eaten for the whole flight. American Airlines never cease to amaze me - so I changed my flight back via HKG in Cathay first class.

AA's First Class service on B767-300's does not well compete with International products, but is certainly good for a short hop from LAX-DFW. The flight was only 3 hours, but service was exceptionally higher than comparable-length flights and other US domestic flights (from all US airlines). The crew referred to passengers personally (by name), and food served was tasty. Drinks were served frequently, including before takeoff. AA also operates B737-800's on the same route later each day, but when they operate B767's on morning flights, flying just 3 hours on angled lie-flat seats is an non-typically-found comfort. I can understand, from other (even transcon) planes without even angled lie-flat first, why AA is only a 3-star airline. The crew service and seating I received on my connecting flights on an MD-80 and a new CRJ-700 were not nearly as comparable, including food. If every AA domestic flight was as good as their B767-300 domestic ones, then this airline should at least be 4-star.

In sufficient food in Premium cabin - I flew DFW-SCL in business class on 23rd Sept. On selecting my dinner I was told that there was none left - a full business class cabin but only 7 of the meal selection loaded. How does saving a few $'s in the premium cabin where PAX have paid $'000's to fly encourage repeat business? It is bad enough that the plane was of old configuration (DL and AA seem to compete to who can put the worst plane on the route) but saving food bills - ridiculous. I will not be flying AA on that route again until fleet is modernised and service improves.

Took a flight from Dallas to KC on Sep 22, 2012. We got there 1.5 hours early. We got to the gate about 30 min before boarding. After about 10 min at the gate my daughter noticed that this gate said it was a flight to Florida. We looked up at the monitors and it still said the flight was to KC at this gate. Apparently they changed not only gates but terminals. So we rushed to the new terminal and waited. They then had everyone waiting on this flight to change gates again. Needless to say, there was no plane for our departure time. It was 2 hours late in getting in.

767-300 service from SFO-DFW. It's nice having widebody service on a relatively short sector (3.5hours). The First Class seats, while old, are very comfortable and have a great recline. The cabin crew were mediocre - not bad, but definitely didn't go out of their way to make the experience special. There were no pre-departure beverages served. Warmed nuts and warm towels were distributed. Considering this was First Class, the food options were very poor. The options were between a chicken fajita salad and a hot turkey and beef sandwich. The sandwich was disgusting. The dessert option has been downgraded to just a warm cookie. Inflight entertainment is from an overhead monitor that shows one movie and some NBC shows. I choose AA because they fly where I need to go at the times I need to travel. But don't expect anything special or a crew that will provide any kind of memorable service.

On 20 September, I took a non-stop from EWR to LAX on new 737. The real problems were that: the electricity plug didn't work, and the staff was not yet familiar in operating the electric and electronic systems of the airplane. On the former, spotty outages of the power plugs in AA planes has been true for years, but I accept it with the old planes and as long as they do not advertise this feature. Now that they are promoting more "powerports" in their new planes, they need to make sure that they work. On the second point, the flight crew had trouble controlling the videos, didn't seem to know how to reboot the powerports, and when we landed, took some minutes to figure out how to turn on the cabin lights. They were apologetic about all this, but it was still disappointing. I like AA and want to be a loyal customer, but this was not an impressive debut for the renewal of AA.

TUS-Dallas-FRA flight 70, this was my return trip from flight 71 on 29 June and we had the same mechanical failure we had on the initial flight. The staff in Germany were friendly and easy to work with however the staff in the states were terrible and the cabin crew even worse. My seat on the way back was broken as was the monitor for entertainment and the pull out tray arm rest. The bathrooms were filthy. On both legs (to and from) the instrument panels failed. We had an emergency landing in London which left us stranded in Heathrow overnight. On both trips the captain gave sarcastic comments about the equipment failures and I was told by a stewardess that this is a common event. When I finally got to Dallas on the front end of the trip I was told my connecting flight was cancelled because they couldn't staff the flight, a kind employee put me on a flight in first class, when I got to the gate a surly female employee told me I was not entitled to first class and took me off. The delay on the trip back was for the same reason, the instrument panel/computer was broken and had to be replaced. We were left on the tarmac while it was fixed. We were given a drink of tap water and a granola bar while we sat on a hot airplane. The pilot gave some speech that sounded sarcastic and flippant. I will never fly A.A. again.

I am an American who now lives in New Zealand. This perspective, for me, just highlights how horrible the US Airlines are compared to their overseas counterparts. I recently missed a flight on United and they re- booked me on an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. I had already traveled from NZ that day and cleared the customs/security gauntlet that is LAX Airport. At American Airlines, I had a voucher in hand with a seat assignment from United, but was told to get in the "ticketing" aisle. With just 20-30 people in this line and 3 staff, I waited for almost an hour before I started to panic about 40 minutes before the flight was to take off - and I still had to clear security and get to my gate. I asked an employee if they could prioritise the line so that people catching earlier flights would get ticketed. The response I got was that, I would just have to wait in line and that United Airlines had been "doing this to them all day". By the time I got to the front of this ticketing counter, the flight had 15 minutes until departure and I was told had been, "closed for boarding". I went back to United and caught the next flight but I missed my connection in Las Vegas and had to stay overnight.

I flew from London Heathrow to New York JFK and back. First time with AA and never again. I am average size but the seats were narrow, uncomfortable and impossible to move in without potentially switching off your neighbour's entertainment. The entertainment was old-fashioned - dated seat back screens with a limited number of movies and TV shows playing at timed intervals and not on request. Food unpalatable on the way out and on the way back the sandwiches being handed out were still frozen. But then the cabin temperature was way too low and seating in a freezing breeze for 7 hours is no fun. AA constantly remind passengers that they have a choice and to tell family and friends about the experience, well, my choice will be never to fly with them again and to warn off others.

My first experience of American Airlines and I was impressed. Their ground staff in Medellin, Colombia are a great credit to the company. We were delayed but we were properly cared for. Free drinks and food. The flight attendants were polite and easy going. It made for a good flight. Drinks and food were adequate. The one thing missing on the 737's is inflight entertainment but the flight out of Miami to Medellin and return is only 3 hours and time went past well. The seats were comfortable.

My flight from Nashville to Dallas/FTWorth was delayed. No explanation, no apology, no concern by AA. My flight from D/FT was delayed 1.5 hours. Again, AA never apologized and no one seemed to care about the passengers' delays and questions. I saw no interest from AA to help us travelers.

LHR-ORD Business. Plane pushed back and then captain announced they had a problem with a fuel pump and had to come back to the gate. Left 2 hrs late but assured connections would be managed by the time we got to Chicago. Flight crew were good and good humored. Food and wine excellent. Prior to landing in Chicago, announcement made that connections were made and in some cases some passengers would be put into a hotel because there were no connections available. Off the plane, AA did a great job having prioritized connecting flights with tight connections.

September 14 From LAX-DFW, then from DFW-IAH. No baggage fee as I checked my bags with China Southern in Guangzhou and they carried over. Flight from LAX was delayed for an hour at first, then we boarded. We where then informed we would need to wait for the pilot and first officer for our plane to arrive as they were arriving on another late flight. Ended up waiting in the airplane for an additional hour for the crew to arrive sitting in a cramped 737. I am 6'5. 2 hour delay caused me to miss my connection. The captain gave no announcements for flight time, arrival time, or final descent during the flight. I tried to ask the service crew in the galley about arrival time or flight time and was quickly dismissed while they went back to reading their magazines. In flight entertainment consisted of looping commercials about how American Airlines values their customers. Despite the excessive delay, inquiring about any kind of food was met with a suggestion to purchase snacks. Upon landing I was directed to wait another 2.5 hours for the next available flight. Boarding for the next flight was also delayed, then delayed an additional 45 minutes once boarded. The crew from DFW-IAH was much more courteous, giving announcements to arrival time, turbulence warnings, and weather conditions. Very unsettling experience considering how much better I was treated by a different airline just a few hours earlier. I would recommend choosing a different airline even if it means paying a little more.

Chicago - Rome in 767. Economy seats are OK but the plane did not have individual AVOD. Given the age of the plane I doubt American will ever change the seats. Food was good and plenty of wine available. Crew were very good, cheerful and attentive. Overall, not bad for an overnight 8.5hr flight.

I paid to check my bag. If I'd realized you could gate-check bags for free, as several others ahead of me were doing I would have done that instead of paying $50.00. On the flight from Chicago to Dallas, I was requested to keep my backpack out of the overhead bin as a courtesy to other passengers with larger carry-ons. These "larger" bags were the size of my checked luggage! With very little leg room already, I was made to sit with the backpack between my feet the entire flight. Then, to add insult to physical discomfort, while we sat on the tarmac waiting for an available gate, we were informed not to worry, that we'd still make our connections. Well, when it was time to disembark, several passengers ahead of me took so long trying to dislodge their oversized carry-ons from the overhead bins that I lost another 10 minutes. I ran to my gate and missed my connection by about 50 seconds. Just to tick me off even further, it seems, when I rebooked for the next available flight and told the agent I had paid for my seat selection and I would appreciate a similar seat, the agent smugly informed me that she could not do anything for me. So today I called American to try - at the very least - to get my luggage fee refunded, since I'd been treated so poorly. I talked to 2 different people and they both were rude and basically told me "tough luck." They have completely lost sight of the fact that their customers are human beings.

We tried to book with British Airways but they shoved us onto American Airlines. We were all set and had seats selected. 10 days prior to leaving, I got a call saying our flight home had been cancelled, presumably due to insufficient passengers. So they put us on two flights going through another airport with no assigned seats. When we actually took the flights - we had four, two each way - we were very disappointed. The first leg, the airplane was filthy. Leg room was worse than on British and there weren't individual TV screens, like on British Airways. There was no food service on the five hour leg. Flight attendants were overworked and short tempered. The worst leg was the last leg on the way home. They shoved us in the back of the plane. It was changed to a one-aisle, three seat/three seat configuration. The person on our aisle seat was huge and took up part of my daughter's seat and the whole arm rest including the buttons. He should have been made to purchase two seats. I would never choose American Airlines if it were up to me.

SFO-JFK on a very outdated 767-200! Flight crew appeared to be making the entire cabin atmosphere very dreary. The cabin was very cold, and there was no control of airflow. The Captain did not bother to announce anything about the flight (didn't even introduce himself) and also failed to turn off the seatbelt sign, it remained on for the duration of the flight. IFE was an old and outdated hanging monitor, there were no free snacks nor were there any amenities. The seats were much less comfortable and much more cramped than on jetBlue. The kicker is, my ticket was double the price that I would have paid on jetBlue. So, my question is, why would anyone choose to pay more for so much less on American?

Flew STL to BOS via ORD in 1st class on Sept 1st. Other than a 1 hour delay to repair a light fixture in the galley of the coach cabin at ORD everything was very nice. The cabin crew were friendly and attentive and the pilot kept us well informed of the progress of the repairs.

I flew to Rome from SFO and back (both with a single layover). Easily these were the four worst flights I have ever been on, for a variety of different reasons. The flight attendants were rude, inattentive, distracted, and sloppy. On all but the last flight, the attendants only half-bothered to check that passengers were buckled in, that their seats were upright or their belongings stowed, for both taking off and landing. They were also some of the rudest attendants I have ever flown with. Many were throwing blankets at passengers, being snippy about drinks or handing out meals, frustrated with answering calls, slamming trolleys and snapping at people. The planes were old or poorly remodelled. They got us there, ultimately, but on the flight from Rome to Chicago, you could actually see cut up pieces of insulated padding in place around the upper wall of the bathroom because the recent remodel didn't account for the measurements incorrectly. Our four and a half hour flight from O'Hare to San Francisco had us crowded into a small plane, three seats across and a single aisle. Seats were dirty, with used napkins, gum, and other trash stuffed into the pockets. They didn't have videos in the headrests, not that this is a requirement by any means, but just indicative of the fact that AA is behind the times, and unwilling to make any extra amenities for passengers. The one good thing about AA is that they seem to have a little extra leg room between seats. Lastly, in the final leg of our trip, our luggage was not on our carousel. After waiting for nearly 40 minutes, we were informed that our luggage had arrived separately, and was stacked outside of an office. Their kiosks for check in were battered and falling apart. The planes had the same feel. We were flying economy, but I have flown that way with every other airline and never felt so poorly treated. We definitely got the impression that AA was trying to save a penny anyway it could.

I was one of the last folks to board flight 2222 in Austin. The last group were told we would have to check out carry on baggage at the gate. The agent at the gate tagged my bag and assured me he would personally load it on the plane. He didn't, as I saw one of the ground crew pick up all these last minute checked bags. I was under the impression we would stay on the same plane when it landed in Dallas TX. We were required to de-plane and move to a different plane. I was told they would move all the luggage to the new plane. When we got to Atlanta, no baggage for those who had checked it at the gate in Austin. My luggage finally showed up at 06.30 the following morning when I was awakened at my hotel. If they are going to sell every seat on the plane, make better arrangements for the baggage. By charging for bags, nearly everybody seems to carry on the maximum (I only had one bag) - one suitcase and one other big item. If you would let people check one bag for free, this problem would go away. On the way back home, my flight was delayed in Dallas for over an hour. And at every landing we had to wait on the tarmac since "our" gate had another American plane sitting in it. There were plenty of other empty gates but apparently American can only use certain ones. I will think twice before using American again.

Flew to Colombia through Miami. Seats weren't great, but okay - helps that I'm a bit on the short side. Food was decent quality and quantity for airline food. Staff service varied considerably from one leg to another, and different areas of the same flight. A few were rather rude to passengers, as if accepting their offers of beverages were an annoyance and then using the bathroom were even more so. Most were just there, getting the job done - nothing less, nothing more. We arrived safely at each stop, on time more often than not.

Flew POS-MIA-POS. Check-in at POS was fast and handled professionally, boarding was without event and departure was on-time. MIA's new facility ensured easy and swift check-in with another on-time departure.

SDF-ORD-LHR. We had an infant traveling with us. Upon request of a bassinet, AA reservations said it was only available on first come first basics. We landed in ORD 4 hrs before the departure time and when I asked about the bassinet, she said the flight is full so nothing could be done. Then we requested special meals, the food was awful. Return from LHR-DFW-SDF was a horrible experience on an outdated 767. The cabin was freezing and they didn't do anything about the temperature. The IFE was in Spanish, no English whatsoever and no personal TV. It was an old style TV or monitor hanging from the top. Cabin crew were rude.

SEA-DFW and DFW-MSP in economy. After hearing all kinds of horror stories about grumpy cabin crew who hate their job, I didn't have high expectations for these flights. But I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Free soft drinks, which is more than you can say about my national airline SAS, where you don't get anything for free, not even water. Food for purchase were moderately priced. Cannot comment on the quality as I didn't buy food onboard. Alcoholic beverages were $7, which is similar to UA and DL. Cabin crew were very friendly and service minded. Both flights were on time and the cabins were clean. I would not hesitate booking another flight with AA and would recommend the airline to others.

AA domestic First HNL-LAX on 27 August. We had a competent purser, but the other flight attendant serving us should be working elsewhere. I asked a basic question about the wine list, and got a blank stare and an "I have no idea" answer. Wrong menu handed out, only to be advised 30 minutes later by the purser. Not unexpectedly, food was poor, but sundaes were excellent. Overall poor experience.

My fiancé and I were traveling from Denver To Mexico on Aug 17. Our flight was supposed to leave at 7.30am! We piled onto the plane, got settled and buckled our seatbelts, only for them to tell us that something was broken. We waited an hour on the plane, another hour went by and that meant we would miss our connecting flight from Dallas to Mexico. We got off the plane because the problem couldn't be fixed but staff promised us we would leave by 10.30! 10.30 rolled around and we still hadn't left. Finally by 2.00pm we left Denver to fly to Dallas. When we boarded our flight in Dallas there was another problem with the new plane we were on so delayed another hour! We got into Mexico 8 hours after we should have been there.

I was loath to travel with American as I knew the plane was going to be an old 757 with long past retirement age seating. However I was very pleasantly surprised. The flight from Manchester to JFK was on time and the cabin staff were as good as they get. Yes the seats were angled flat but the comfort was OK and the duvet and pillow made for a good couple of hours sleep. The food was a pleasant surprise with very edible choices and a good supply of drinks. Cabin staff were excellent. IFE, poor choice of films and TV.

Flew LHR-DFW in Economy of a 777. The airplane was quite old, with an poor IFE. The legroom was very tight, so when the passenger in front of me reclined her seat, I spent 8 hours in horrible pain (I am 190cm tall). Crew very nice and attentive and the food was quite good. I will try to not fly AA again until the new fleet gets in.

As an AA Executive Platinum quite vocal about my previous bad experiences flying AA, I feel it is also my obligation to share an honest and unbiased opinion about the best AA long haul flight I have experienced. I flew London - LAX August 22nd and the service was simply excellent from the moment I boarded my 777. Champagne was chilled and the friendliness of the crew was refreshing. The service throughout the 10+ hours was authentic. This was the best business class service I have flown in a very long time between Europe and the USA. I cross my fingers the changes are here to stay.

My partner and I flew transatlantic, Manchester - JFK - Manchester on 757-200. I had a bulk head seat and my partner had a middle seat in economy. It was a little cramped but nothing too bad. Seat comfort at the start of the flight was OK but over the seven hours duration of the flight it became a little uncomfortable, but nothing severe. No individual seat back TVs and the overhead TV screen was not totally visible from my seat but I managed. In flight entertainment was very poor, one movie and loads of TV rubbish. Two movies would have kept our attention better! Food was not great, but was acceptable. Flights were on time and the cabin crew were pleasant especially on the return journey. This was the first time we had flown AA and based on our experience we would fly them again.

London to Boston on a 757! My knees were pressed against the seat in front of me for 8 hours. Ridiculously narrow such that I was bumping arms with the guy next me the whole trip. This plane should not be used for anything more than a Boston to FL route at most. Only 2 bathrooms, which were basically occupied at all times with a line. To make it worse we had a lap child, and there were three empty seats that went unused. To add insult they advertise on the flight they are compiling the newest, modern and comfortable fleet of all airlines within the next 5 years.

ZRH-JFK was a pleasant flight, good customer service and despite a little delay on the flight back overall an above average experience. Definitely not as good as SWISS, but better than all other US airlines I've flown with. Definitely the best bet for the least amount of money.

I flew on 6/14 from LAX to BCN, then back from MXP and HEL thru JFK at LAX on 7/6 .Have flown over 500,000 paid miles w/AA and have been all over the world on FF tickets. The last three RT flights (including the one mentioned above) have been unacceptable in terms of leg room. Even passengers willing to trade w/ me gave the seat back, which is how bad it was. Every time I book a flight w/ a 777 they downgrade equipment so I have the worst plane in the fleet, the worst seat in the plane. Metal blocks in the way of leg room on aisle seats for transcontinental flights.

MCO-MIA-LHR. Orlando to Miami is served by an ageing fleet of 757 comfort ok but fine for the short flight. The transatlantic section is served by a 777. Seat comfort was very good and leg room good for economy. The meal service was poor and nowhere near as god as the outward journey. I found the cabin crew to be poor in terms of attitude which seems bizarre. We did encounter some severe turbulence en route and I always feel at this time the soothing words of the Captain would have been welcome, none was forthcoming. All in all given the round trip I was still impressed and would fly AA again.

DFW-CDG-DFW. Compared to European airlines or even other US carriers such as Delta, AA offers very poor economy class transatlantic service. Both legs were flown in a worn 767 with no personal TV (what airline does that nowadays?). Flight attendants on the outbound flight were somewhat kind, but the ones on the inbound flight seemed unhappy with their jobs. When I complained about the freezing temperature onboard, I was refused an extra blanket. Food was inedible in both cases. Seats were narrow and with very limited recline. Never again.

I booked a business trip from San Diego to Chatanooga, routing through Dallas. Leaving 8.40 am, arriving Chattanooga 5.30. We boarded our plane and sat on the tarmac for an hour with little communication from flight attendants or the captain, then were told to deplane for electrical problems, and that we would all have to go back through security, re-check our luggage, and if the flight didn't get cancelled it would be delayed 3 hours. After speaking with a Manager, I was told that it would be impossible to get me to Chattanooga on my scheduled day of departure (this is at 10 am pacific time), and put me on a later flight to Nashville routing through Chicago with the promise of a credit for a 3 hour shuttle to Chattanooga (arrival time 1.30 am). I get to Chicago late, after circling the airport for 45 minutes for no apparent reason, miss the Nashville connection only to find out there is a flight to Chattanooga after all. The only light in this was the staff - every staff member I talked to was helpful and understanding and trying to volunteer solutions. But unfortunately, once the company messes up so many times, even solutions can't help fix what is an unorganized and unprofessional airlines.

My plan was to go from Miami to Texas, and from Texas to Sacramento. AA delayed my first flight one hour and made me lose my connecting flight to Sacramento. No other flights available that day and they did not even pay for my hotel or food. I was left in Texas without my bags for one whole night and the staff did not even try to be helpful. Never again will I fly AA.

Paid for 'business class' from Miami - La Paz expecting an international lie-flat seat with AVOD etc as shown on the AA website but instead had a vastly inferior product (in effect Domestic First Class). Totally unsuitable to this routing and flights of this length on old 757s. Miami-La Paz was a 6 1/2 hour overnight flight leaving at 10.30 pm but the seats had 3 inch recline, poor legroom and were very uncomfortable so that it was impossible to sleep. Return slightly better though still not lie-flat, no individual TV screens and mediocre catering even though we were on the plane for 8 hours including the stop in Santa Cruz. All in all the worst international 'business class' product I have ever experienced and totally unacceptable. Have written to AA claiming breach of contract and a full refund.

Great flight crew, horrible management. I'm used to sitting in the airport for 12 hour lay overs but this plane could not have been later. A flight from Miami to Medellin, Colombia and after sitting at the gate for the whole day I was ready to board. Then told the plane would be arriving at another gate on the other side of the airport where we waited another hour. Told to board, after another hour of waiting we were told the management made a mistake and told the Crew the wrong gate and plane so we had to walk to the other side of the airport again and finally got on after 1 more hour of waiting. The management who came to overlook the transfer of the flight was rude and pushy towards my elderly handicapped grandfather. We boarded and finally took off to Colombia. The buses left 20 minutes before we arrived so everyone had to pay 60$ extra for cabs.

GRU-DFW-GRU in biz class. First flight in a 767, return on 777 (where there was also a first class cabin). Seats were comfortable, virtually lie-flat, and equal to those on US Airways (and better than we'd had on Continental, now United, 767 on a similar route). Food was good. Preferred the custom-made sundaes on the 767 to the pre-made ones on the 777. Choice of inflight entertainment was not huge but was decent. Price on our entire trip was much less than it would have cost, at least on our travel dates, on United or Delta, and a bit less than on US Airways. Since we were traveling international business class we were able to use the very nice Admirals Club at DFW each way, and the nice (though not as nice) club at GRU on the way out. Note: international business class was much nicer than the domestic first class (MD-80) we had on the same trip (subject of separate review).

Our first flight to Hawaii was cancelled and then we had to wait in the airport for 24 hours with 5 kids because they refused to put us in a hotel. When we were ready to get on the plane the next day we were split up all over the plane. When we got to Phoenix they rearranged out seats again and then again twice while we were trying to get home. We bought our tickets in February and used them in July, in my opinion I don't think companies should be able to give up seats for people who bought their tickets 6 months ago and also has 7 kids. I will never will be flying with them again, this is what you get for trying to save a little money by switching from Delta.

GRU-DFW in Biz Class on 767. DFW-GRU in biz class on 777. Biz class seats were comfortable, virtually lie- flat, and pretty much equal on the two aircraft, though on the 777 one could see the much more luxurious first class seats up front (no first class on the 767), and the sundaes were pre-made. In flight entertainment was good. Food on all flights was good Access to the very good Admirals Club at DFW was a plus. At the time, AA cost considerably less for biz class than United or Delta, but now is about the same as Delta.

LAX to BOS. Flight delayed 3 hours, so wouldn't arrive until 1 am. I was traveling with one carry-on and a small women's handbag. At the gate, they ask you to fit the bag in the metal frame. I put my carry on in and pushed it a little, the bag fit into the frame. The service person told me I had to check it in. I was confused, and asked her why, she said it was because I forced it into the frame. She insisted, and said "you're either staying here, or check in the bag". In the end, I had to get my bag checked. The flight was not even full, and there was space in the overhead bins. When I picked up my luggage at terminal, it was the last that arrived. I didn't get back home until 3 am. I guess AA employees don't have any concept of service.

Flew from Heathrow to Chicago in First Class, in the older 777-200. Crew were pleasant and did a great job, we felt that the service was attentive. The suite is starting to look a little old, but still pretty comfortable. They now have a turndown service with a bed topper, which my girlfriend tried and liked. The IFE was OK with good selection of movies, but the small screen is looking a bit dated. Looking forward to trying the new 777-300 suite next time, which should improve the IFE.

Flew from Dallas to Heathrow in business class. I've heard all the negative comments about the angled seat, but have to say I find it extremely comfortable, one of the best, for reclining and watching movies etc, just not all that great for sleeping. The crew were really good, friendly and professional. IFE is looking a bit dated but does the job. Good food and choice of drinks.

By far the worst airline I have been on. Not only was my flight delayed and I missed my connecting flight and had to stay in Dallas overnight, but they couldn't even organize decent transportation to the hotel they booked us at. Horrible service.

DFW-ONT-DFW in first class on MD-80. No in-flight entertainment (as opposed to United, which has Direct TV in first). Food was okay (quesadilla for lunch). Seats fine.

Our flight from LAX to Toronto was supposed to leave at 9.50 am and left only at 3.50pm. Once we boarded at 1.40 we were waiting inside the aircraft for 2 hours. FA announced that the pilots that were supposed to fly had already input their 14 hours of flying time and could not fly this aircraft. We were asked to pick up our handbags and wait at the terminal. Just as we were picking up our hand luggage another announcement said they are trying to send another batch of pilots and so wait. Another half hour later pilots came. They took another 20 minutes to finish paperwork and finally flew. We were supposed to land at 5.30 pm but landed at 11.30pm. Will never use this airline. There was no apology from any staff. I found them rude and unhappy.

Just flew Chicago to Beijing and back in Business Class. Compared to United Business Class, the seats were a joke. I find it intentionally deceptive that American advertises these seats as laying "flat". On a positive note, the food, service and entertainment selection were all good. The attendant made an effort to call me by name. The Bose noise cancelling headsets are nice compared to other airlines, but I'd rather buy my own than be trapped in that seat again.

ORD - LHR in First. The seat is showing its age but is still comfortable as a flat bed. AVOD system is limited but sufficient for a short 7.5hr flight. Dinner and wine was very good. Crew attentive.

Flew with AA from Nashville to Seattle connecting in Dallas/FW last night. It all started when I sat down in my seat and literally found myself wedged in the seat it was so narrow. Im am only about 200 lbs and not a big guy. I spent the whole 3.5 hour trip leaning forward and to the side. I had even paid $40 extra dollars in order to have the exit seat on the aisle and it was a total waste of money. I will never fly AA again unless I'm forced to for some random reason. I flew Delta and Alaska on the way out there and the difference was like night and day.

LHR-MIA-MCO we travelled on a 777-200 on the transatlantic section and I have to say I was very impressed. The seat pitch seemed generous and the width very good and I am a big chap. Flight attendants were friendly not the best but no problems and they kept me topped up with complimentary beer and wine the entire flight. The main meal was very tasty and the snack of an individual pizza about an hour before landing was excellent. The IFE was a little disappointing but It kept me amused. On the internal flight which only lasted 30 minutes the plane was an old 757 but it did its job.

MIA-LGA in first class. The service on board was great. Flight attendants very nice and helpful. The food was tasty as well. Beverages served along with complimentary wine. The only downside was that you have no PTV's even in first class. American is supposed to be reconfiguring their aircraft soon so hopefully, the 737-800, receives the PTV's and more. The seat reclines a lot more now rather than in the past but still not nearly flat. This being said, there seemed to be enough legroom for both my legs and also to get in and get out of my seat. I would definitely fly American in first class again.

 
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