By the time that I have arrived in JFK I had a full blown allergy attack and was sneezing uncontrollably. I quickly exited Immigration and Customs thanks to having Global Entry and made my way upstairs for my connection. Originally AY printed my boarding pass for this segment but it did not have the "TSA Pre-Check" notation to allow me into this line so I stopped by the counter to have it reprinted.
Below is my itinerary:
SFO-MSP on DL Y - click here
MSP-YYZ on DL Y - will not report.
YYZ- FCO on AZ J - click here
FCO-AMS on AZ J - click here
AMS-IST on TK J - click here.
IST-ATH on TK Y - click here.
ATH-CPH on A3 J - click here.
CPH-ARN on SK J - click here.
ARN-HEL on AY Y - will not report.
HEL-JFK on AY Y+ - click here.
JFK-SFO on AA J - you are here.
I was carrying a small duty free bag in addition to my two carry-ons. The agent at the TSA line asked me to consolidate everything into 2 pieces and she was strict on that. There was another lady in front who were told the same thing and she frantically repackaged her belongings next to me. Normally going through TSA Pre-check is a breeze but this time it took about 10-15 min. They were letting wheelchair passengers and crew members ahead of us.
inside the terminal i headed to the AA Flagship lounge for a quick shower and a bite. The agent at the reception welcomed me and pointed me to the right side. At this time i took some much needed antihistamine to alleviate my symptoms and went through the buffet to grab something quick. Up to this point the flight was showing on time. The lounge was starting to get crowded but there were a few seats left by the computer area so i settled there.
AA Flagship lounge.
Buffet.
My meal.
Afterwards I made my way to the gate and once there I was told that the flight was delayed until 19:55 due to SFO weather. One thing that really impressed me is that the captain of the flight - Mr. Fox came out to the podium and made an announcement about the delay with the gate agents there. He was available for any questions that the passengers had. This was highly unusual to see and I commended him for being such a professional team player. I gave him a few "Applause" certificates that I had with me. It was now 17:45 and i decided to go back to the Flagship Lounge and relax there. The lounge became more crowded now with some Spanish speaking passengers that surely were on the South American flights.
Back to the AA Flagship Lounge with a second round of dinner.
By 19:35 I went back to the gate and I noticed that my name had a check mark next to it on the upgrade list. I checked with the agent and she printed me a new boarding pass with seat 6A in J. At least I could take a nap now. I overheard the gate agents say that this flight might be further delayed but we boarded pretty much as scheduled. FA's were positioned at the door and galley and welcomed passengers as they came in.
My seat. If you have a window seat, it will be difficult to get out if your neighbor is sleeping.
Pillow, duvet, amenity kit and a bottle of water were already placed on the seat. The new amenity kit for domestic J transcon is flimsy and not practical in my opinion. i did not bother to keep it.
The Cole Haan kit for domestic J.
We left at 20:50. Bye JFK.
Service started quickly after take off. I guess everybody was tired at this point.
The menu.
Wine list.
Hot towel and warm nuts.
Appetizer
I tried the gnocchi but there was hardly any sauce. I did not eat the entire meal since I was already full.
Fruit and cheese plate.
I slept for about 3 hrs and woke up 1.5 hrs before arrival. Snacks were placed on a cart by the galley and consisted of fruits and packaged snacks. FA's passed with freshly baked cookies for those who were awake.
We landed at 23:42 in SFO.
LAX-JFK is the most profitable route for AA followed by the 6 SFO-JFK flights a day. The captain was very cognizant of the executive heavy clientele and was more proactive soothing any possible incidents. Read: route is treated as a spoilt child.
The food in this particular route is premium fare. I wish American carriers observed what is popular in the US and copy it for catering. Gourmet grass-fed beef burgers, BBQ dry-rubbed ribs, aged Wisconsin cheeses, artisan breads, seasonal greens tossed seat side with on the spot prepared creamy balsamic vinaigrette, finished with Cheeesecake Factory desserts and Godiva truffles. All washed down with Oomegang ale. Expose the tourist to the ample culinary varieties in the country.
Hope your feeling better now. Hasta luego, mano.
Hi Caribel.
There's no doubt that the premium transcon market comprising of SFO/LAX-JFK are some of the most lucrative routes of the domestic market. You are right in saying that catering could provide a somewhat more "local" touch. The U.S. is rich in culinary offerings with Creole, Cajun, Southern, Northeast, Pacific, Hawaiian, Californian and Northwest cuisines as few examples.
Much better now and ready for another mileage run this Thu. to PTY. Then I have a round-the-world next week and 2 mileage runs to ORD. This travel addiction is going to kill me. ;)
Gracias por tus comentarios como siempre.
Looks like a nice flight with AA in J. Always great to get an upgrade! It's nice that AA serves a full length meal on such a late departing flight out of JFK.
Hi Matthew.
Always a great feeling when one scores an upgrade, especially on a long transcon flight. Even the flight that departs at 20:00 from JFK-SFO offers a dinner in the front cabins.
Thanks for your comments.
How lucky to get upgraded. The Airbus A321 Transcon is quite comfortable.
But as usual , catering onboard and in the Flagship lounge is not AA key strength but it fills the stomach.
Thank you for sharing Adan.
Hi Bernard.
The Flagship lounge could offer a more refined experience and I'm sure that is coming up when the renovations have finished. In the meantime, we are to tolerate crowded facilities and acceptable catering. ;)
See you later and thank you.
Thank you for sharing this FR with us!
“I had a full blown allergy attack and was sneezing uncontrollably.”
- That sounds horrible :(, not the best timing either. I hope you're feeling better now.
Sorry to hear about the delay, thankfully you got an upgrade on this flight.
I like AA's presentation of their meals, definitely like the bowls they use.
Have a good one, see you later!
Hope you're feeling better now.
Hi RI 777.
Feeling much better now. Thankfully the allergy attack did not last long and I'm glad it happened at the end of my long trip rather than at the beginning or in the middle of my stay in AMS.
The bowls add a homey touch and they add to the presentation.
Thank you as always for your support.
Thanks for sharing this FR.
The "privileged" SFO/LAX-JFK transcons continue to show the disparity in service standards, since this meal is long-haul catered whereas SFO/LAX-MIA is treated no different as a flight to DFW. The catering on AA continues to look progressive, with better care on presentation and menu selection for these premium routes, but I agree the main is let down after the starter. I wouldn't have guessed that was gnocchi just from the pictures.
Hi Michael.
I guess AA is putting emphasis where the money is. ;) The main was badly executed but at least they are trying to offer more assortment in their choices.
Thanks for your comments.