Looking for a comfortable business class flight over the Atlantic? Within Oneworld alliance, American Airlines 777-200 between London Heathrow (LHR) and New York (JFK) is one of the best candidates.
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American Airlines Boeing 777-200 Business Class Details
Route | New York (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR) |
Date | December 2017 |
Plane | Boeing 777-200 |
Cabin | Business Class |
Seat | 8A |
Configuration | 1-2-1 |
Bed length | about 195 cm (77 inches) |
Seat width | 53 cm (21 inches) |
Capacity | 45 passengers |
Personal TV | 15 inches |
In-seat power | YES |
USB port | YES |
Touch screen remote | YES |
Cabin and seat
Boarding started precisely on time and was completed relatively smoothly. Flight attendants gave a quick greeting on a door, nothing special there.
American Airlines B777-200 seat configuration is 1-2-1, kind of “ying-yang,” but you don’t have to stare fellow passenger straight in the face. Every seat has aisle access, but they still offer relatively decent privacy. In my opinion, privacy-wise the seat is better than Finnair A350 or Qatar A380.
The seat, manufactured by Zodiac Aerospace, is relatively comfortable, but in my opinion, it wasn’t as good as American Airlines A321T. One problem is the seat length on the sleep mode, which is not enough if you are taller than 190 centimeters. Especially the foot area was too tight.
The Cole Haan amenity kit was placed on a seat as well as a puffy Casper pillow and a blanket. There was also a bottle of water, which is a nice touch.
There is a separate touch screen controller for adjusting the seat.
There has been a lot of discussion about the vibration issue of the Zodiac seats, but it didn’t really bother me during this flight. I noticed the seat shake a couple of times – but it wasn’t too bothersome.
Best seats
For single passengers, the window seats are the best bet. If you are concerned about the vibration issue, try to book seat 1A, 7A, 7L, 12A, or 12L, which are disconnected from other seats. Based on my experience, I’d avoid the seats next to the galley, since flight attendants were really loud during the flight.
Middle seats are a good option if you are traveling with a partner.
IFE and amenities
Excellent Bose QuietComfort 15 acoustic noise-canceling headphones, an unofficial trademark of American Airlines, were delivered before the departure.
The charging options were excellent, two power plugs and two USB ports.
The TV series and movie selection were almost identical to American Airlines A321 Transcon – so enough entertainment for 6-7 hour flight.
15-inch foldable IFE screen was decent, not as good as on A321T but definitely better than for example Finnair A330.
Cole Haan Amenity kit contained an extensive set of supplies; there was a tissue, mouthwash, headphone covers, socks, eye shades, ear plugs, pen and a “refreshing travel kit” by C.O. Bigelow.
Food, drinks and service
Water, orange juice, and Champagne were offered before the take-off. Once again I opted for Champagne – which on this flight was Lanson Black Label Brut.
Dinner service started with a plate of nuts and some more refreshments. For the main course, there were four options on the menu. I ended up choosing the Bourbon-Glazed Salmon with fig and roasted pepper orzo.
The whole dinner was served at the same time, as you can see from the photo below.
Starter and the small plate were fresh and tasty, but unfortunately, the salmon was too dry for my taste and lacked flavor
In my case, the highlight of the dinner was the dessert – Häagen-Dazs Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, VERY delicious.
Before landing in London Heathrow, a small breakfast was offered. Since I wasn’t too hungry, I chose the healthier option, the fresh fruit bowl.
Outside the dining period, the service was not anything special or attentive; no extra effort was made. The more significant problem was flight attendants’ loud chatter in the galley area during the night hours. I was forced to use the earplugs, which are generally not needed.
Conclusion
- Pretty comfortable seat…
- …but not the best one for sleeping (if you are taller than 190 cm)
- Decent food options, delicious ice cream
- Good movie selection
- Excellent headphones
- Loud flight attendants focused more on talking than serving customers
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