Impressions of a Chapter 11 Airline ..... AA

This is the first time I travel on long flights With AA since they went bankrupt under Chapter 11. I flew with American Eagle a few times since then. 
I had my doubts, I was not sure what to expect. 

I was pleasantly surprised, both sectors, one a morning flight the other a night flight, were enjoyable. The FAs were friendly and as usual professional. The flight deck announcements were longer, more informative and sounded friendlier. 

So what, one would say. 

Well, these are the ones that have thrown their lot with the US Airways merger bid. The pilots that have been negotiating a contract for the last few years with no resolution.  The fact that they are still delivering a great travel experience, shows their professionalism and their concern not only for the traveling public but towards AA. We have a saying in Arabic, one does not throw stones into the well, one drinks from. I suppose it holds true everywhere.

Personally, I do not think a merger with US Airways is a good thing. The flight and cabin crew from the last merger, seven years ago, have not been integrated as yet. This merger will make them three groups. The premise that US Airways crews will get similar pay as AA's who will not lose any and the new entity will still be competitive does not sound right. This is a bankruptcy and some pain and discomfort is bound to be felt by all stake holders. 

Three hundred thousand miles later, I grew to like AA. Their staff are usually helpful, smiling and always professional. I wish them all the best and hope AA emerges a better airline. 

I hate to be traveling with US Airways. 

Aviation and Social Media

This weekend I read two blogs at SimpliFlying the most influential website in Airline Branding and Social Networking. Both blogs were about large aviation organisations on whom I and millions depend on for their travels; Boeing and AA and how they successfully used/use Social media to communicate and enhance their brand and image. They are proof that this is an industry that revolves around people, people who travel and people who make it possible to travel.

Large organisations at best are slow at embracing change but both have shown a willingness to embrace social media and engage their respective audience.

Boeing is changing the way it communicates. Boeing has enhanced their website to engage more those who already visit and increase their numbers. What is amazing for such a well know brand like Boeing is the realization that it is only a name on a bunch of buildings. The real heroes are the people of Boeing. They are what make the name and the product. It is their real stories and successes that Boeing is communicating to the world. A warmer and more humane image of a gentler giant if we may. (Click here to read the full piece) .

American Airlines had a security incident on flight AA24 at San Francisco bound to New York.

The aircraft was delayed until the issue was resolved. Two passengers tweeted from on board the aircraft and became the source of information to the media. Enter @aairwaves who engaged the two passengers, took charge and responded to all media questions until the issue was resolved. A case study of crisis management online and in real time. (Click here to read the full piece) .

Kudos Boeing and American Airlines for embracing change and of course my friend Shashank for driving us all in the right direction.

Impressions of a Frequent Flier

This year I have traveled extensively and had the opportunity to experience on board service of several airlines on different flights (Ultra long, long, medium and short range) and different classes.

Here are some of my impressions

Ultra long range (12 to 16 hours) on Emirates, and any other airline for that matter, economy is not a joy if it was not for the inflight entertainment system (ICE). ICE makes all the difference, I am not a movie goer but with ICE I have seen 5 movies during one flight, a personal record, and still had 7 hours to sleep.

For some reason Emirates always serves the last meal on the flight too close to the arrival time, and results in the cabin crew really hustling to secure the cabin sometimes up to a few minutes from landing. And if you are sitting in the back you will never get your first choice when it comes to meals.

However, long and medium range flights on Emirates Business is a gourmet experience that stands true to their radio advertisements. I had my best steak ever on an Emirates flight.

Business class service on long and medium range flights of American Airlines, is an enjoyable although sometimes a very slow service depending on the flight attendant serving your side of the cabin. I understand there are laws and rules to prevent discrimination based on age and/or BMI, but please let us be reasonable here, having one's meal when the other side of the cabin is halfway through their siesta is not nice. The inflight entertainment system is adequate.

On the other hand a BA flight to Dubai during a UNITE strike day is a bloody awful experience. Minimum crew on the B777 (8 out of which 6 are of minimal experience). The service in Business left a lot to be desired, lucky it was a night flight and most of the passengers were asleep.

Willy Walsh should be grateful passengers are still flying with BA. Of course, I had better experiences on BA flights but this one was memorable.

Royal Jordanian's Business class on short flights (2 to 3 hours) is a relatively good experience. The flight attendants sometimes lack the sophistication and finesse of their counterparts in other One World carriers. The food is good and the crew are friendly and actually smile at you most of the time and I like it, but then I am biased (ex RJ).

As for Regional travel in the USA whether with American or Continental, the best you can do is nap. The seamless service and experience that we were promised in the 70s and 80s did not happen and it will never happen you can not compare a B777 to an EMB145. Service is not the issue. It is the feel and look of the aircraft that throws you off, the Majors need to look again at their regional feeders.

However, the one thing that EMIRATES surpasses all the others is the ability to deliver your bags in a reasonable time no matter where the aircraft is parked at Dubai airport. On Business class I found my bag on the belt and I use e-gate. Kudos Emirates

Flying Back

Vacation with the family is always great fun no matter how old the kids are. Having survived cold weather ( ranging from -5F to 34F) and a potential BA Strike (could have seriously ruined my holidays). The events on Christmas Day and the ensuing reactions of the TSA were disturbing.

So the trip back had the makings of an interesting voyage.

I usually leave from Detroit's North Terminal to Chicago, the terminal is usually quite with a very short queue at Security (one time I was the only one). Not this time, there must have been about 20 people ahead of me but it took less than 20 minutes to get past security. The TSA were helpful and smiling and a few problems were resolved quickly. I am impressed.

At London Heathrow T5, BA flights to the USA had long queues at the gate prior to boarding due to the 100% security check, and no Fast Track. Flights were experiencing delays and I am sure in a few weeks airlines will tell passengers to show up earlier to the gate.

The Cabin Crew on BA this time actually smiled and were friendly a great improvement from two weeks earlier just before Christmas, when they were all sullen.

One noticeable thing was the IFE, having experienced Emirates ICE, BA and AA IFE products are very bland and outright boring.

All three flights were delayed mostly due weather related problems (deicing). AA sends SMS and/or email updates of the flight status, which is great.

All in all and despite the delays, it was not so bad, it was nice to return to 63F weather almost a heat wave.

Flying American

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2010

This last week has been weird and exciting. For the first time in 20 years I have decided to fly with a USA Legacy carrier on an international flight (Last time was 1990 from JFK to LAX with TWA).

I flew American Airlines (AA) from Dubai to Detroit.

Well, the first flight was DXB to LHR a code share with their One World Partner British Airways (BA), I suppose we all know about their Flight Attendants' call for a strike over the Christmas/New Year season and the ensuing drama. I fly with BA several times a year, but that was different. The crew were very professional, courteous, poker face, fake smiles and cool, well more like cold, lucky it was a night flight and I slept.

Then came AA, now I am used to American Eagle Flights between Chicago and Detroit, commuter aircraft, very short and very informal. AA at LHR were friendly, my boarding passes issued and sent on my way to their Admiral's Club. I liked their lounge in LHR the layout was nice, much better than BA's T5 lounges. The one in Chicago was great but other than a voucher for a free bottle of water everything else is chargeable.

Now AA must have a great profiling software for additional security screening. In the last 8 months I got profiled twice for extra screening, I suppose a Jordanian, residing in the USA traveling back and forth to Dubai does raise some concerns to somebody in AA, so you get a bunch of SSSS typed on your boarding pass. In Detroit the TSA made sure I understood that it was "my airline requested extra screening", in LHR the security personnel told me SSSS was for special, I actually laughed. I don't mind it.

I love travelling in B777, it is a great aircraft and the Business seat on AA is so complicated, they have a video clip on how to use it, pretty cool. The entertainment system is not as extensive as BA's just a few movies, but I loved their Audio especially the Classical Music.

The food was not bad, imaginative and tasty (Chicken on a bed of couscous with tomato sauce, not bad for a Legacy Airline) and the chocolate ice cream was divine, I was impressed.

The crew was professional and aloof. The Purser told us not to leave our designated zones, congregate around toilets and not to approach the galleys and she meant it. WOW.... very clinical almost surgical, of course the Captain's announcement to us that if we see something unusual, it is probably unusual and tell your FA.

All in all, it was a great Atlantic crossing, surprisingly