A Warning About American Airlines ⚠️

American Airlines is the World’s biggest airline. But my recent experience was MEH 😐…Is American the WORST of 3 major US airlines? Here’s my story…

After visiting the airplane graveyard in Teruel, I went to Barcelona, ready to fly to the US. I’ve got a great award redemption ticket from American Airlines AAdvantage flying from Barcelona to Las Vegas via London and Dallas. It cost just 57,500 miles + $80 tax.

On my departure day, British Airways canceled the Barcelona to London flight and my travel was disrupted and delayed for 24 hours. It’s really hard to find staff to help when exceptions happen…but I managed to rebook and received food and hotel voucher.

The next day I finally reached London Heathrow and got on the American Airlines B777-300/ER. The entire AA premium experience was disappointing to say the least. Welcome drink came in plastic cup, disposable headsets, poorly presented food… There was hardly anything stands out on this flight other than the lie-flat seat. There were just 11 flight attendants onboard compared to the usual 14-15 on B777-300/ER……The workload was much higher with the shortage of staff….so the cabin crew tried to hurry the service and get more rest once everything was done.

American Airlines is not known for its service standard but for its extensive network and loyalty program….Have you flown American Airlines on long-haul international flight? How was your experience?

[webweb]

Sam, this is why you need to review non-sponsored flights occasionally to understand how they treat regular passengers.

[mikefendel]

Hi Sam! Long time viewer here and a retired AA Captain. When I came with AA in 1985 things were very different. I flew our service from DFW through HNL to SYD on the DC-10 years ago. Our First Class passengers enjoyed Champagne and caviar and in the morning fresh eggs cooked to order on a hotplate in the galley. Sadly when I retired in 2020, the service had declined to an embarassing level. I flew the B-777 from DFW to HKG in my final years and the service you describe on your LHR-DFW trip was not much differenct than we provided at the end of my career. It's true that AA depends on its frequent flying program and its large network as you disucssed. Look forward to more of your videos and wish you all the best in your travels.

[JunwooLim-lxdf]

if Sam Chui says it's bad, it is REALLY BAD

[makeitrainnaren]

The Lowkey sad thing is that for Americans who never travel overseas or only do it once or twice as leisure, they'll never understand how good the asian/Arab airlines have been for decades.

[Mountain-Man-]

I think you're just experiencing air travel like a regular person. Welcome to the party pal.

[lifeisshort]

Management of AA should watch this video

[gervanwilliams]

Your American Airlines experience was my United Airlines experience just last year. After they cancelled the first leg of our flight to Vietnam from EWR, we had to drive to the second leg after they told us to do so. We arrived and they had already given away our seats to other folks whose flights were also canceled and we spent 4 hours trying to get rebooked, which we lost 3 days of vacation because of it. The kicker is this, after an hour, the desk attendant found us seats in business class which he was ready to give us free of charge, but was overridden by a supervisor who didn’t think upgrading customers whose flights were canceled by the airlines is warranted. So, we watched the flight leave with empty seats in business class. The supervisor just didn’t care. Long story short, my family and I will pay whatever higher costs there are to avoid UAL (and all U.S. carriers) when traveling to Asia.

[howenyow]

Attendant : Why are you taking pictures?
Sam: I am Sam :)

[davidabbett]

I have been flying AA for the majority of my career and I can clearly vouch for the massive decline in customer service throughout AA’s culture. It has grown so anti-customer that my wife and I will never fly them again now that we have retired.

[ElliotGross-ue]

His big complaint is the welcome drink came in a plastic cup instead of a

[djdeviantjehuty]

Guys, think about it, if you’re not an influencer with millions of followers like Sam, how would they treat you for the same case scenario?

[lalithrajaurs]

Sam Chui criticising an airline before GTA 6, I don't believe it.

[wotan]

I started flying with American in 1973, but of course that was an entirely different era. In the last 15 years, I’ve avoided American at all costs because every single flight — EVERY FLIGHT — had a problem. It ranged from lost luggage to the FAs unable to open the stuck exit door to missed connections to an abandoned landing because they sent an aircraft with defective brakes to land at an airport where it was snowing. When we returned back to our departure airport, PHL, no staff offered any suggestions on how to rebook. Passengers were actually crying. The first officer finally helped us rebook. On one flight, I carried a tiny corp logo pouch around my neck from a seminar — the gate agent acted as if I had a bomb. She screamed, “stuff that pouch in your carryon, ” so I did. I cut my hand in the process, and I take blood thinners. I needed a roll of paper towels to stop the bleeding, and they said we can’t board you because you’re bleeding. I hollered back, “YOU CAUSED IT!” When they merged with USAir, my son said, “Two s__t airlines now become one s__t airline.”

[LifeExotics]

All the American based carriers lost their glory. Terrible "service" and just no more charm.

Such a shame.

[MontanezMonti]

I avoid AA as long as I can. I fly Asian, midle Eastern, or European Airlines. I am an American, and I I ashamed of our carriers - all of them.

[Blue_Angel.]

I flew from Texas DFW to Florida, paid extra for Premium economy, window seat, flight delayed for hours, sent me to another terminal about 15 min. away, when I got there, the rescheduled back to the terminal I just came from. I have to rush, only 15 min. to make it; finally got on another flight, downgraded to economy, middle seat, accepted it because I just wanted to get home. Total nightmare. Now to AA credit, I complained, sent out a couple of emails, I was given 23k miles. I gave you the shortest version but trust me when I tell you it was a pure nightmare.

[antennaandy]

I'm Retired now, but I traveled a lot with my job, i found that I tried to use foreign airlines instead of US carriers, got much better service with them, I didn't travel like you do, and my company paid my fare, so i didn't get the top tier service you get with all the travel points, I traveled in economy and business class and all airlines offered free food and beverage service including alcoholic drinks as well. But it seemed the foreign carriers had better quality compared to their American counter parts as far as food and presentation, and the attendants were friendlier. I realize that everyone seems short staffed nowadays .

[jerardsuarez]

American Airlines need to improve their delay and cancelled flight management also, all too common now

[stevenv]

Bottom Line: If you want to have a better probability of enjoying your vacation or travel, fly one of the Asian airlines. Flown International Business for 30+years, American Flight 169 1:13am LAX-HND Seat 1A was the worst flight service I have ever experienced. Red Head flight attendant was swearing in the galley with the crew and loud talking the entire flight, ear plugs did not help. She would just walk to me and stare, and hold something out (roll, napkin etc) not talk or smile. The crew accused me of taking the headphones at end of flight, told the gentlemen to look in my seat, which he did, as I said there wasn't a headphone in the seat to begin with. 15 minutes later he apologized as they found the missing headset somewhere on the plane. Absolutely the worst airline, crew, food, sleep, stress I have had on plane. I am a loyalty member with 2million miles and I have yet to cash my miles since I don't want to fly with American.

[johanlarsson]

I will never fly with American Airlines ever again.

I flew from London to Dallas, and what was supposed to go to final destination Albuquerque. 

In Dallas the flight was delayed and finally cancelled to Albuquerque. The AA staff told us that we were now stand-by ticket holders and that we might be lucky and be able to leave the next day, they day after that or some other day that week. We were on vacation from Sweden so we could not be hanging out in the Airport for days so we Asked to get our luggage and we would rent a car and drive to Albuquerque our selves. The staff said that we should not leave the air port, and btw all rental cars and hotel rooms were all taken any way. The luggage was not given to us either, since that was impossible since that had made on to the flight that we were supposed to be on, but was cancelled.

We were told that we would get rwimbursed for the Dallas - Albuquerque leg since AA was not able to fly us as we paid them to do. On the way out we heard the AA staff providing a few blankets to some  lucky recepients, and the AA staff went around in a golf cart throwing blankets. They said to each other "this is the bets part of this job, to see these stranded people fighting over blankets like animals", cheering each other on... 

We left the Airport and raced in a rental car to Albuquerque, some 629 miles (sleeping a few hours in a Motel on the way) to make it to ABQ before our luggage got confiscated (see our luggage was able to make it from DFW to ABQ) and our rental car in ABQ was going to be cancelled (24 HR late).

We finally got our luggage and the correct rental car, some 24 hrs late but at least we didnt spend the vacation on DFW.

Needless to say this ordeal cost us quite a bit of money, stress and anxeity. We went on our road trip and had a great time the rest of the vacation (after catching up on sleep and schedule a few days) thinking we would be greatly reimbursed and helped retroactivley by American Airlines.

I sent a complaint to AA and they didnt even get back to me. I sent again and again. No help, nor reimbursment. I finally sent to the president of AA, a bunch of board members and to the BBB in the US to try to get some help, but I never got a dime, or even an apology for all that AA cause and the way the acted and handled the situation.

That is why I never will fly with American Airlines again. 


As a comparison. Last year we were late five hours with BA from SFO to LHR and we got reimbursed almost the whole cost of the tickets....