Trip Report: American Airlines - D.C. to Vermont; Vermont to New Orleans (November 2017)

Trip Report: American Airlines 
D.C. to Vermont; Vermont to New Orleans

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I haven't take American Airlines domestically for a while now; mainly because other airlines provide a more direct and cost-effective option.  I used to fly American/U.S.Airways a lot when I used to live in Washington, D.C. as they provided the most direct options from Reagan Airport (they have a hub there).  I was flying out of D.C. to Vermont and out of Vermont back to New Orleans, and American was provided the most direct and cost-effective options so decided to give them a try again.  While American's base fares are usually comparable with their competitors, namely Southwest, American charges extra for checked luggage while Southwest it is complimentary; and so for that reason Southwest has always won out (although American does provide complimentary seat selection while you have to stand in line for Southwest).

My first flight on American was from Washington Reagan Airport to Burlington, Vermont.  It was a direct flight operated by an Embraer RJ 170 with a flight time of 1h 40min.  Through the app I was able to check into my flight, pay for my luggage, as well as received my boarding pass.  The American app has definitely been updated as before you could not book flights through the app, so the app is now more user friendly; however, you cannot pay for your baggage while checking in.  For other airlines, as I am checking in I pay for excess baggage thus eliminating that hassle at the airport.  With American, that option is not available so if you are checking in a bag, that has to be paid for at the airport.  This is what I did when I arrived at the airport, lready checked-in, when I arrived at the airport I used the kiosk to drop off my luggage and then proceeded to the gate.

My flight was scheduled to depart at 11:50a and arrive into Burlington around 1:30p.  The operating aircraft arrived from Burlington at 11:30am, passengers deplaned and we boarded the plane.  The plane is laid out in a 2-2 seats, but the plane feels small.  I was in an aisle seat and the legroom was decent but the seat was a bit uncomfortable - there was definitely some wear and tear in the seat.  The seat is plain with a tray table and a pocket with the airline magazine, safety card, and throw-up bag.  Boarding happened quickly and we pushed back on time.  After a brief taxi we took off for Burlington.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the in-flight service began.  American offers complimentary soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee, and water along with pretzels.  Given the short flight, there was no purchase on board available.  Once the drinks were passed out and the rubbish collected, it was almost time to start our decent into Burlington.  It was a short flight and generally a decent one.  The seat comfort could've been better but overall it was a decent flight.

My return flight was also booked on American but this time I was going from Burlington to New Orleans via Philadelphia.  My flight from Burlington to Philadelphia was scheduled to depart at 3:15p and arrive at 4:52p.  As with previous flights, I was able to check-in online and select my seat assignment but I had to go to the airport to pay for my baggage.  When I checked in both online and at the counter, the flight was scheduled to leave on time.  When I got to the gate, the plane was there and was scheduled to leave on time.  About 30 minutes prior to departure, there as an announcement that the flight was delayed due to weather delays.  This is where the app needs to be fixed as in other airlines, usually the app has more updated information and the gate provides the information later.  With American, the gate had made the announcement but the app was only updated 15 minutes after the gate made the announcement.  Our flight was delayed by over an hour which greatly affected many connections as many had short transfer times in Philadelphia.

The flight to Philadelphia was operated by a small E-170 with a 1-2 seat layout.  The plane is small and feels narrow and compact.  The legroom is decent and the seat comfort is average for the short 1hr35m flight time; however, anything longer and the plane would not be comfortable.  We finally took off around 4:50p and shortly after takeoff the inflight service started.  This consisted of complimentary soft drinks, tea, juice, or coffee along with pretzels.  Once the drinks had been served, it was almost time to start our decent into Philadelphia.  It was a short flight and decent.

As we left late, and most passengers had connections in Philadelphia, there were a lot of passengers who were rushing to make their next flight.  Ground staff in Philadelphia were not prepared, nor helpful, nor knowledgeable on where to go or the quickest way to get there.  In fact, some of the ground staff were arguing with each other and giving passengers contradicting information.  I had 20 minutes to cross two terminals, and it involved a lot of running.  I finally made it to my next gate where the flight was boarding.

The next flight was operated by an E-190 with a 2-2 seat layout.  While the plane looked

newer and modern, and the seats more comfortable, there was definitely less legroom onboard this flight.  For the almost 3hour flight time, there was not a lot of inflight services.  As soon as we took off, drinks and pretzels were offered and that was it for the entire flight period.  After that, the attendants did not pass by until we were about to land.  

As I had said, it was the first time in a while that I had flown American Airlines.  Their app definitely needs to be updated as it still does not provide all the services that a customer needs.  The inflight service is basic, but that is to be expected these days of airlines in the U.S.  Most of the times they provide lower fares, and for that lower price you get basic services.