Why do people hate on American Airlines? I just had my first

>>1271582
Most likely because the usual airline rating threads on here are mostly frequent fliers that either have status or can afford business/first and there's a big difference Interconti service.

Interconti economy is pretty much the same if you take AA, Lufthansa, Delta, TAM, Emirates or Cathay. Meh tier seat, edible meal (if you want a good meal order a Kosher or Lactose free meal) and the usual free wine/beer stuff if you ask and in the nicer planes a discretion in the gally...

Continental US that's a whole different world. I would rate AA there on pair with EasyJet or Ryan Air and just slightly above Spirit. So it's shit if you have anything but a carry-on.

The real difference starts in business or first where I would rate AA on the utter shit level just like TAM, Condor or BA. That has nothing in common with it's competition from seat quality, lounges, service, food quality to wine selection. The product is just not worth the money.

>>1271602
Business class is always a waste for intercontinental flying unless someone else is paying.

>>1271602
Don't insult EasyJet and Ryanair.
Never in my life did I see a full crew od 60+ alcoholics running a flight. They had the passengers closing the overhead bins, were too uncoordinated to be able to do so. Nothing was done right, how we managed to get from A to B is entirely on the engineers of that plane I think. That AA flight I only stayed on cause we were taxiing by the time it became clearly visible that the crew had no clue where they were.
Ryanair crew can be clueless, but they look reasonably sober always.

>>1271582
All "AA" flights I've ever had to take were American Eagle flights on shitty CRJ's, and they are by far the worst American operator of CRJ's (especially the ones done by Air Wisconsin)

>>1271582
Most recently, attempting a PR stunt of going to Frontier/Spirit tier seat pitch on their newest domestic aircraft then saying "we listened to you and won't do it" while keeping the still tight pitch they already have. Personally, I've also experienced the worst baggage drop and checkin staff at American vs Delta/SW/Alaska.

>>1271675
Or you can be smart and pay miles for it.

t. Someone who paid $3500 for a RT business class flight on ANA and thought it was worth it, but wouldn't do it again.

>>1271893
I use my miles on free tickets rather than upgrades. More vacation is always better than better seats.

>>1271582
old shitty planes and staff knows it.

it's like the super 8 of airlines, it exists but people don't want to knowledge it. Yeah you get there that's all it is for.

>>1271983
I just rode their 787 and it was really fucking nice. Granted the connecting flight before that was a shit MD88

>>1271981
That's what I do now, but I didn't know about the credit card miles game when I first booked it. In the 9 months between booking and my trip, I made enough off signup bonuses for 5 nights at the Andaz Tokyo, 5 nights at a Hyatt in Kyoto, 2 nights at a Japanese chain in Nagasaki, 2 nights at a high end Nikko ryokan, and a RT business class flight on ANA. Currently have enough points now for two more RTs in business on ANA and several more hotel nights, plus enough AA miles for a RT in first class on JAL by the end of August.

Their tickets at ridiculously expensive
Trying to book a flight fun Lon to fll bit everyone's prices are so hiiigh

>>1272025
How much do you spend a year? I only get enough for 4 round trip tickets a year (me and my wife) and it's basically always from east cost major airport to a European major city.

>flying AA from SEA to PHL, connection through DFW
>retarded route, I know, but my company was paying for it
>plane in SEA is delayed for like 30 mins because of an air show
>miss connecting flight in DFW
>arrive in DFW, it's 7 PM and the next flight to PHL is 12 hours from now
>AA refuses to compensate me in any way, won't even give me a fucking meal voucher because it's "not their fault" the plane was delayed and now I have to waste 12 hours of my life waiting for the next plane
fuck american, I hope they go out of business

>>1272089
Things like this make me glad we have much stricter oversight of passenger rights in Europe.

All Airlines in America (legacy carriers or otherwise) are virulently unpleasant. They're not unlike viral disease. Rift Valley fever, the Marburg Virus disease, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, etc. will potentially kill you but some have higher rates of mortality and others are just more miserable. I know someone will chime in about how it was great when they got bumped to first-class or that 'based flight attendant', but if the story isn't from the 1960s or 1970s and the flight attendant isn't some knockout, hardbody bimbo who moonlighted as model then feel free to keep it to yourself.

The ethos in America is how can we take something great and pleasant and make it marginal or par at best and then make it unpleasant. American flight went from being one of the patrician modes of transportation to being a Greyhound Bus in the sky.

I've flown a number of airlines, most of which are defunct now, but the only budget airline I ever liked was AirTran. In terms of legacy carriers, I'm Delta loyal. When I fly a budget airline, at least I know I'm gonna get fucked. When I fly United or American (the thread's namesake) they surprise fuck me.

tl; dr? Just fly Delta. I've never had an unpleasant experience with them. Budget wise? Idk anymore.

>>1272054
40-45k. It's not about the spend, its about the signup bonuses.

>>1272115
we don't have shit for rights, we sign them all away in the fine print of the contract when we buy the ticket

>>1272400
Yes, airlines are literally hitler. Travelers are so oppressed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donner_Party

Other passengers are by far the worst part of American air travel. Security follows them. The airlines really aren't that bad, all their faults are easily traced back as mere reflections of the human trash they are trafficking through the sky.

>>1272423
Agreed that most people flying are terrible, but its just as aggravating when the airlines keep giving you less and less legroom and seat width, start charging for things like bags and food/drink that they used to provide complementary. I find it insane that a full service airline charges for baggage, but some LCCs don't. I find it insane that some LCCS have wider seats with more legroom than the legacy airlines.