It was really a terrific experience both going and returning on AA. Staff and crew were professional.
This short sector between Miami and JFK was undertaken purely for business purposes, with efficiency as the primary objective rather than a full inflight experience. Overall, the journey met its intended purpose; however, the ground experience at Miami stood out significantly. During check-in, I was unable to link my frequent flyer details from Qatar Airways (oneworld alliance) through either the self-service kiosk or web check-in. The situation was handled exceptionally well by the check-in agent, who demonstrated remarkable ownership. She coordinated across multiple counters, ensured my frequent flyer number was correctly reflected, reissued the boarding pass, and confirmed that mileage accrual would be recognized. Additionally, she ensured the boarding pass reflected priority status, enabling a seamless priority check-in experience without delays. This level of proactive service was both commendable and impactful. Boarding and the inflight experience, operated by American Airlines under a codeshare arrangement, were efficient but largely transactional. While operational delivery was smooth, there was no visible recognition of oneworld frequent flyer status onboard. In comparison to the consistently personalized engagement typically experienced with Qatar Airways, this absence was noticeable—though understandably a potential limitation of codeshare alignment rather than a direct service shortfall. In summary, while the flight itself fulfilled its operational intent, the exceptional professionalism and commitment demonstrated at the Miami check-in counter was the defining highlight of this journey. Greater consistency in elite recognition across partner airlines would further enhance the overall experience.
Flight was fine, but not having WiFi was a major negative
A chaotic and uncomfortable experience from start to finish. The boarding process was a disaster; despite group numbers, it was a free-for-all that the staff failed to manage (especially after group 5). Once on board, the "entertainment" was non-existent. There are no seatback screens, and the mobile app selection is incredibly thin. The hardware is severely dated. My seat had zero cushioning left—it felt like sitting on a hard board for the entire flight—and the legroom was cramped. To make matters worse, the bathroom was repulsive, with toilet paper, soiled paper towels and liquid/pee all over the floor. When I did interact with the crew, they provided the absolute bare minimum and made me feel like an inconvenience for asking for anything. Avoid this flight if you can.
We left at 1030 am pacific from LA and supposed to land at 7 pm Eastern in NY. They made a detour, stopped in Philadelphia and didn’t land till 1130 PM Eastern!!! Worst flight experience with no pilot communication with no explanation as to what was going on. Everyone was very frustrated to say the least.
Found that the plane used for this short flight is smaller and therefore the seats are really squeezed tight.
The flight itself was excellent but the gate attendant made me check my carryon since she said it was an inch too big. I’ve had no problems with this carryon on recent flights on Qantas, Delta, Austrian, Southwest Airlines even though the overhead bins are the same size. there were other carryons in the bins that also looked larger than mine and there was room left in the bins for more. When I picked up my carryon from baggage claim one of the wheels had broken off.
Flight was scheduled at 11:26am but they keep Delaying until midnight. They waited at airport restless.
Movie selections were very limited. Meals were not f So good.
AA is flying sub par aging 787's to Tokyo. I fly other 787's long haul and these are at the bottom. Seats don't work well, tray tables don't work well and were dirty. The flight was great, the plane was not.
