AVOID: American Airlines FIRST CLASS to Hawaii

Why should you avoid American Airlines First Class?
Well to find out, today I’m flying on one of the USA's longest domestic flights, onboard the Boeing 777. Hawaii is a place I’ve long been fascinated with, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to visit today. Unfortunately my flight over to paradise wasn’t exactly smooth. Let's take a deep dive, and comprehensive review of one of AA's flagship premium products.

My first issue was booking said flight. I had a confirmation of booking, payment was taken yet no email or PNR was issued. After spending over four hours on the phone to their contact centre, AA explained that the ticket was essentially in limbo, and their payment system wasn’t able to handle my foreign AMEX card… certainly the first time that this has happened, anywhere in the world for me.

I explore the lacklustre airport lounges, which you can only access if you’re a top tier member of the one world frequent flyer program (excluding AA's own program…). Even whilst in these lounges, you still have to pay for the vast majority of food and drink. Leading to question… why have a lounge in the first place?

Onboard today I experienced some of the strangest service habits, where meal service was rushed, my tray table was forced down without me being ready… and overall not experiencing a proper “First Class” flight. Furthermore there was an equipment change (which I understand happens)… and there was literally no service for the vast majority of my 8 hour flight.

Would I recommend flying AA to Hawaii based on this experience? Sadly not. Given the option of Hawaiian, from many US cities - I'd choose their A330. Yes it has a 2-2-2 but mostly when flying to Hawaii, you travel as a couple or family.

As always though, let me know what you think of today's trip report, have you flown over to Hawaii before on American's First Class? And yes before the comments... it is sold as First Class, but i'm aware that this is a international Business Class product or what AA call Flagship Business Class.

My gear:

[PepperGuru]

This pandemic was a great way for the airlines to finally show their clients what they think of them.

[sharondelagarza]

This is just sad. I flew to Hawaii in first-class back when Continental was still flying - a direct flight from Houston to Honolulu. The first-class service was freaking impeccable. Over the eight hour flight, it felt like we were served at least five different meals - my favorite memory was when the flight attendant came by about an hour before landing, offering everyone a burger (this after a three-course steak/lobster meal with wine had been served just a few hours earlier!). You certainly should expect more for a $1200 ticket, even with COVID restrictions.

[mrteedubya]

As an Executive Platinum and Million Mile member of AA... I AM TOTALLY WITH YOU! I am strongly considering switching to United. No hot meals domestically, terrible service, broken equipment, and dirty tray tables are the norm. Why should I continue to give them so much money and loyalty for sub par service? Yes, the lounges are a disgrace to air travel. If you think all of that is frustrating, try being their "most valued customer" and when you call the "Executive Platinum Desk" you get a computer, and an avg 35min hold time. It's really sad! I don't feel it pays to be loyal to a carrier anymore. Just buy 1st class with whatever airline offers best rates, schedule, and service.

[Cowboysfanever]

About 5 years ago I took my family to Hawaii from st.Louis. I ordered my tickets almost 10 months ahead of time and had picked out our seats so we could all sit together and were on one of American Airlines newest planes. Two weeks before the trip American Airlines notifies us that the plane we are suppose to be on is being replaced with the oldest plane in their fleet that didn’t even have WI-FI and if that wasn’t bad enough they separated my family on the plane but they conveniently would put us back to our original seats for an additional $50.00 per seat which I was robbed of because my kids had never flown before and I wanted them near me anyway. So if this was bad enough, I later got food poisoning from a sandwich that was served to me on the plane because none of my other family members ate any of the food except me and about 15-30 minutes after eating the sandwich I started going at both ends and was sick for two days of my trip to Hawaii. Thanks American for a memorable trip I’ve told as many people as I possible can about the way you robbed me and my family with our airline tickets.

[maukamakai]

As someone who has taken that flight a dozen + times and as an AA Platinum, I would concur with your review. The flight is treated no differently than a 2-hr domestic flight: bland, no frills, impersonal. AA Inflight and Catering need to address this service or risk losing pax to other carriers…we have options between HI and US Mainland.

Great site, BTW! Mahalo Nui 🤙

[Lisa-mwcv]

You are 100% correct! it’s embarrassing what AA calls “first class”.

[danielasanchez-wolf]

We took this exact same flight from Dallas to Hawaii and had the EXACT experience as you described!!!! Even the payment issue! If it wasn’t for my husband who was on top of everything calling and calling! We just got back after 18 days in Hawaii. We traveled AA first class with our 3 yr old and although it was nice having been able
To sleep flat, our expectations were much higher! My daughter’s seat had issues reclining flat 100% so upsetting! So she slept reclined the whole time! Ugh! Glad to see a YouTuber like yourself with honest experiences!!!!

[ScaledNotesMusic]

I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for your totally honest and genuine videos and reviews. A lot of other aviation and in particular airline "reviewer" channels seem to just be a marketing arm for the airlines. Your stuff is an honest and unbiased perspective of a regular passenger with no preferential treatment. Keep it up!

[peggymoexd]

Just this past July I was booked to fly with AA to my family reunion (it’s expected that would be the final reunion many family members would be able to attend) so it was important to me to be there. I was to fly from Dallas to Atlanta for literally 3 days, only one of them the actual reunion. After spending 10 hours at DFW while the flight was delayed, they decided to cancel. They refused to refund us and we’re absolutely no help finding us another flight there. They told us to “wait in that line to see what can be done” referring to a line probably a mile long full of other AA flyers screwed by whatever happened.

In order to make my reunion, I had to load me, my wife and 1.5 year old up and drive to Shreveport LA where we arrived at like 2 am, because it was the closest place with flights leaving to ATL that soon. I spent probably $1500 because it was so last second, and still to this day was never refunded my cancelled flight with AA. I’ve had better Spirit experiences, and will NEVER fly AA again.

[DDottLeggs]

I've had an extreme phobia of flying since the age of 14, so I haven't left the UK in 21 years, I've been binge watching your videos after stumbling across them a couple of days ago and it's really helping to change my outlook on wanting to travel. Thank you!

[itsnotme]

Really annoys me when I see AA drop the ball SO BADLY! As someone who lives in the DFW area, I used to fly AA ALL the time for work and personal trips. Gaining status in the AAdvantage program to Platinum one year. Sadly...AA hasn't lived up to their past over the last 15 years at least. I only fly them when I absolutely have to now, and of course I know many people who work at AA...so it hurts more to not help them get paid. That said, I'm not donating my money...they gotta earn it...and they just haven't. Your experience continues to show I'm right by flying Alaska, JetBlue or even Southwest over AA. Seems to me it would be easy, refurbish everything, revamp everything, make it work, make sure the money being paid goes to the people providing the service...in other words, stop being cheap but charging $$$$ prices. I'm not popular at AA functions. Haha, and try to not bring it up with friends who work there. What's with the backwards seat and getting impacted by someone else moving their seat? WOW. Great review as always!

[chrissydney]

I wonder if executives from all of these airlines ever go out of their way to watch real life stories told by real paying customers that talk to the experiences first hand. Well done on another awesome review 🤗

[oldgreen]

I recently flew AA from MIA to LAX on FIRST CLASS. Service on board was exactly as described in this video, perhaps even less. AA still has some planes marked as 77W, which are the 777-300 that have bigger first class seats not the ones showed in this video which are more confortable, wider & longer for a better sleep. My return flight was booked in business class. Service was similar in both flights.

[cslivestockllc]

April of this year (21) - DFW to DCA - Same airline (777), same seat except I was facing forward, SAME experience. Service was over soon after take off, had to ask a a few times for an FA. Great video … Was amazing to see the EXACT same experience, which was average at best.

[bufordt.justice]

Thank you for a very informative and eye opening report!! I’ll definitely heed your advice on my next trip to Hawaii. To me, seeing what AA has become really makes me sad. Long ago, AA was part of “my family”. My mother was crowned, “Miss American Airlines 1955”. Back then, service was EVERYTHING, and the customer experience was the “Holy Grail” of flying. From mechanic to pilot to FA, NOTHING was spared to ensure the very best experience. AA was the “Gold Standard” of America based flight travel. We felt that not only did we represent and lead the world in the airline industry, but in many ways, we represented the very best of America itself. My mother was so very proud of her title and her history with AA. However, if she were still alive today, she would be absolutely sick to see what AA has become and their terrible and inexcusable behavior over the last several years. It would utterly break her heart!! Today, AA often represent the very WORST of America. Indeed, the stories, testimonies, and videos that constantly surface about AA and how they treat their customers is truly stunning and outright embarrassing. On behalf of what AA USED to be many years ago, I am so sorry for your experience. I’d give almost anything to see AA turn around and restore their old values again. Instead of being near last in customer satisfaction, they could become #1 again with a lot of effort. But sadly, in today’s terrible world, I see that as unlikely.

[machellep]

When my daughter lived in Honolulu for 4 years I flew over an average of 6 times a year. I used all different airlines considering who gave the best price at the time of booking. Hawaiian was the best by far. AA first class used to be great, but like so many others they have used covid as an excuse for very poor service indeed. I flew a few months ago to California first class and didn’t even get offered drinks.

[davidcoker]

Great video, I like your delivery however I will say it's unfair to blame covid on this lack of service and attention to detail because AA was this terrible well before the first hint of a fever or cough ever headed our way. Their first class domestic service has always been more miss than hit and the lack of attention from the FA's is quite standard, they just think it is beneath them to provide anywhere near the level of first class service that the foreign carriers provide. Yea, stick with Hawaiian on this route and I will go ahead and give you a heads up, avoid Delta on this route as well it's exactly the same. 😉

[That_Millenial_Guy]

AA is definitely at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to the US legacy 3. Boston to Honolulu on Hawaiian would be wonderful to see (also the longest domestic route in the US). Only downside is that their first class is in a 2-2-2 configuration.

As usual, phenomenal work on this review!

[SirWallen]

Kind of sad to see this is a first class experience from a US Airline. I flew first class recently with Alaska, and while it was a shorter flight - 5 hours - the only boost was leg-room and a few extra drinks.

[mariahahn-silva]

My friend, I've been doing Trek Trendy aero/ferro-carriage travel marathons for the past few days with you and I love being your virtual travel buddy. However, this particular journey through hell is amazing. I jolted back from my laptop as I saw the priceless expression on your face. as you were ingesting the dessert. Heavens! The way your eyes mischievously growled at the camera. I thought that you would devour😂 me for dinner! 😂😂😂