American Airlines

[lawlesslovewdw]

Has anyone ever flown with American Airlines from manchester? Offering cheap flights next feb half term and wondered what seats were like etc

 

[Pootle]

I like them and they have a good website. You can see which seats are taken before you book. My DS always uses AA from MAN and best friend is travelling out tomorrow via Chicago.

Leg room is not as good as it used to be but still not as bad as some (now 32" - used to be 34"). The seat configuration on the transatlantic part of the flight is 2 x 5 x 2 - good for couples.

 

[wayneg]

The seat configuration on the transatlantic part of the flight is 2 x 5 x 2 - good for couples.

We just got back on Sunday doing the Chicago route to Manchester both out and in the seats were 2-3-2. We had the middle 3 seats. Premium is 2-2-2.
When we got to Manchester there was a notice up saying upgrades to Premium available £100 each, we stayed in Economy as we sleep thru every flight no problem, no point in paying £300 extra to sleep.
Food was ok, nothing special but better than Virgin.
They have a sign up saying on time more than any other airline leaving Manchester. We only had a 90 min connection so glad we got off ontime, took exactly 60 mins from landing to get bags and recheck and do immigration then get to next gate. You have to get on the shuttle to change terminals, we have used Chicago 3 times now its big but pretty easy to navigate.

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

thanks what would you say the minimum time we need between interconnecting flights, the one we have been given at the mo is 1hr 45 between flights. Would we be better getting a later flight?

 

[wayneg]

You should be OK with that, try prebook seats near front of plane for a quick exit, we were on row 13, no problem. Like I say they are one of the best airlines for time out of Manchester, they usually arrive in Chicago 20-30 mins before schedule depending on winds. Your next flight could be delayed a while ours was by 10-15 mins. Its a very busy airport and most planes tend to have a slight delay. Make sure you have all forms filled in correctly, having to redo at immigration can take a while, I have known them send you to back of the line with mistakes.
Have you booked direct with AA, if you have they give you very good info like terminal you will arrive at and then depart from on your next leg, try look at a airport map to see roughly where you are going.
We had no problems with 90 mins so you should be fine.

 

[Pootle]

We just got back on Sunday doing the Chicago route to Manchester both out and in the seats were 2-3-2. We had the middle 3 seats. Premium is 2-2-2.
When we got to Manchester there was a notice up saying upgrades to Premium available £100 each, we stayed in Economy as we sleep thru every flight no problem, no point in paying £300 extra to sleep.

Thanks for putting me right on that wayneg As a northerner in exile, my AA flights have been taken from London and it's family and friends who use Manchester. I'd assumed it would be the same configuration.

I'd have snapped their hands off for the £100 upgrade though

 

[wayneg]

I'd have snapped their hands off for the £100 upgrade though

I thought I was the only one that didn't get PE but after reading this thread tonight there are a few of us LOL. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1627949
I just can't understand paying for a bit extra comfort for something thats over with in about 8 hours when there is nothing wrong with economy. My brother says he will never travel economy again, always travels PE or higher Good job we are not all the same or we would all want to be up front
I am same with food, why pay $100/head when you are hungry again in 4 hours and there in perfectly good food at $20/head.
I have been looking at hotels for next August, as we have got the flights so cheap I said to DW we could stay in any hotel she wanted, boardwalk, contempary, anywhere. She said "I would rather go back to Courtyard by Marriott LBV and spend it on another trip, we only sleep there." We are both the same, rather do 4 trips a year than spend lots on one.
Yorkshire men like value for money

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

We've just travelled with American for the first time - very impressed with them and would not have a problem doing so again if the price was right.

We flew LHR to Chicago then down to Tampa.

Excellent service, better bum and leg room than BA/Virgin and the food was better, too (they state 'award winning breakfast' - I did enjoy my pancakes and peaches going out since we were on an early flight, DD and DH had a cheese omelette which they said was far better than anything ever served up by VA) and on the return journey I had the pot roast beef and mashed potatoes which was surprisingly edible

We had 2.45hr connection time which was plenty, specially as our flight down to Tampa from Chicago was delayed. We had to wait for the incoming flight - it touched down and 25 mins later we were on board and up in the air Coming back, because of the time change from Eastern to Central, we had 2 hours which we spent wandering the large amount of shops, trying some food and had a little drinkie.

Their website to book tickets and seats is very easy to navigate and we got the seats we'd booked.

The only slight negative is the entertainment system, which is like the old Virgin Nova system - progs/films all on a loop - and there wasn't a huge choice. But TBH I don't seem to get into the films these days anyway, happy to plug into my iPod, read my book etc.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised in our dealings with AA

 

[wayneg]

The only slight negative is the entertainment system, which is like the old Virgin Nova system - progs/films all on a loop - and there wasn't a huge choice. But TBH I don't seem to get into the films these days anyway, happy to plug into my iPod, read my book etc.

The MAN-ORD route doesn't even get that, it was 2 films shown going out and 2 coming back with no seatback TV's. The films this month are (Out) The Prestige & Evan Almighty (In) Living the Dream & A Beautiful Mind

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

The MAN-ORD route doesn't even get that, it was 2 films shown going out and 2 coming back with no seatback TV's. The films this month are (Out) The Prestige & Evan Almighty (In) Living the Dream & A Beautiful Mind

We had Harry Potter going out, Evan Almighty coming back - but there were also 2 episodes of CSI:NY so I was very happy

Glad to see you're back to the CBM Wayne, do you know we never even got to the main 'big' pool, didn't even know where it was! - we were right near the little kidney shaped one which was great for us, except is wasn't heated, but wasn't a problem because it just made me swim faster to work off the Almond M&Ms We were impressed with the contents of the breakfast - nice, freshly cooked hot and cold. And what a great location

 

[wayneg]

do you know we never even got to the main 'big' pool, didn't even know where it was! - we were right near the little kidney shaped one which was great for us, except is wasn't heated

I did not know that about the small pool, the large one is heated just presumed the small one would be also. I think in Aug they could have turned the pool temp down a little, I prefer to go in and cool off when its hot weather. Most of our swimming was at night though had lots to do thru the day, only day we set aside for swimming we had a massive thunderstorm (only 1 in 25 nights and it was our swimming day)

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

Thanks for the help guys However when i went to book the flights they had all sold out 9although expedia had seats!) So we booked direct with AA got 2 return flights for £708. To get this price though we are travelling Manchester - Dublin - chicago - orlando! Return Orlando - miami - london - manchester!!!!Some of the flights are cutting it fine, but they were the ones suggested by AA. At least we will eventually get there