You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
16 Jan 21	AA 2289	10A	777-300ER
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Business Class	88597	English	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Welcome to the return portion of my MIA trip.

After a restful night at the Pullman by the airport it was time to fly back to California. The shuttle dropped me off with plenty of time to spare and this time I was able to do online check in so no need to stop by the airport counter.

Security was pretty quick and once inside the terminal I headed to the Admirals Club.

From the terminal you can catch a glimpse of the Admirals Club rest area.

I have covered this lounge before so I will just provide a quick summary of my visit. I was greeted with a smile and a warm welcome and proceeded to take the elevator to the upper floor. To my surprise publications were now available but not much variety.

Interior of the lounge.

I settled in the back where these lounge chairs were located. Thankfully I had the whole place for myself and was able to use my phone without disturbing anyone around me.

Buffet had a few items that were individually packed. I inquired about the avocado station but unfortunately it was not available until 4:00P :(

My snacks.

Before I left the lounge I came across a fantastic agent that let me take a peek inside the Flagship lounge which is now closed and only used to accommodate the overflow from the Admirals Club. Pity to see such a nice place not living up to its potential.

Boarding was smooth and I was one of the first ones to board.

Entrance to the plane.

The J cabin.

My seat 10A.

Welcome screen.

Amenity kit.

Menu.

Pretty comfortable.

The door closed and soon we were ready to taxi to the runway.

By MIA.

We took off in a western direction so no views of downtown Miami this time.

Doral and Sweetwater are suburban neighborhoods.

Look at those clouds.

Leveling off.

It was a bit bumpy so the crew stayed on their seats for a while. Then lunch service started and I almost chose a hot dish but the seafood with greens really caught my attention.

I made the right decision.

Appetizer was not that exciting.

But the main dish was delicious.

Very good indeed!

And a proper dessert.

I'm not really a fan of caramel but this tart was good. The crust was buttery the caramel had the right balance between sweet and salty and the chocolate on top added an interesting bitter note.

Later on the snack bar was set.

My snacks.

Before arrival a FA passed with a basket of chocolate chunk cookies.

Arriving in LAX.

Across on the other side there was an unusual passenger. Poor thing looked jet lagged.

Taxiing to the gate.

One of these days....

Admirals Club @ LAX I had about 4 hrs until my connecting flight on UA to SFO so I decided to go to the Admirals Club in LAX.

I asked the agent if it was possible to sit in the Flagship area and he escorted there.

I had the place for myself. :)

I was given the "afternoon/evening" snack bag at the bar.

Miam miam! :P Not!!

My plane from MIA.

United Club @ LAX I wanted to visit the AC Maple Leaf lounge but it was closed. That is not what the Star Alliance website said but I guess things tend to change quickly and information is not always updated.

Escalator to the upper floor.

Coffee station.

Interior.

Outside patio.

Snacks and some drinks had to be requested from the bar. The staff was super nice.

My snacks.

Casa Juan restaurant near the Pullman hotel located in a small shopping plaza. I had to satisfy my craving for Cuban food.

Take out Cuban lamb shank stew with congri (rice and beans) and fried sweet plantains.

Pullman hotel. See the review under the Hotel section.

========== Miami Intl (MIA) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 9/10

========== American Airlines Admirals Club Gate D30 ==========

Staff Service: 10/10

Entertainment: /10

Business Center: /10

Food: 7/10

Lounge Design: 9/10

Spa and Bathroom: 9/10

Wifi: 10/10

========== American Airlines - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 10/10

Crew: 10/10

Entertainment: /10

On-time performance: /10

Appetizer: 7/10

Starter: 0/10

Main Meal: 10/10

Main Meal-2: 0/10

Cheese: 9/10

Desserts: 0/10

Alcohols: 10/10

Mid-flight snack: 0/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 0/10

========== Los Angeles Intl Arpt (LAX) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 9/10

Summary:

I had a good turnaround at MIA and my overall AA experience was pretty good.

The lounge does its job but I wish the guacamole station would have been available earlier. I guess it's designated for the dinner crowd. I appreciated the sneak peek into the Flagship lounge.

Aboard the flight was uneventful and quite enjoyable. My lunch was very good and I was surprised that AA served this cold ensemble. The FA even commented that she rarely sees this type of dish being boarded. The crew was delightful and very friendly.

21 Comments

Thomas — Jan 30,2021

The face of the dog cracked me up! Poor Francis after its flight to lax in May!
Nice meal on-board. Wise choice.
As always, great pictures.
Thanks my friend for your report.
Enjoy the weekend
Reply

Vendredi13 — Jan 31,2021

Wooof !
Tkt Thomas !
Sharing a flight with real friends is a pleasure.
Nobody could be happier than me. I know my luck ! And lax is a dream.

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Salut Thomas,

That face is one in a million. :P I think Francis will fare better especially with good company. ;)

I was so lucky to have good meals aboard AA.

Take care.
Casper — Jan 30,2021

Lol, I was about to start working on my report but I'll wait for a while since my flight is scheduled next month.

Advocado Station :)
Too bad it was not opened yet.

A very good experience overall.

Gracias Amigo
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi Casper,

We will all be waiting in anticipation for your TR's my friend.

I can't believe that AA decided to make the station available after a certain time. Are not all premium pax or Admiral Club members the same? :P L'égalité.....

AA on transcon premium is a very good product that's for sure.
Emile — Jan 30,2021

A good way to cross the country.
Lovely photos. Thanks for your review.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi Emile,

One of the best ways to cross the country. ;)
AAFlyer — Jan 30,2021

Ah great to see this flight again. I will never be bored !
Thanks Panda
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi AAFlyer,

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by.
samlecorsaire — Jan 30,2021

Hello
Thank for sharing this very nice report.
Too bad for the avocado bar but nice catering aboard who does the job.
I once stayed at the pullman when it was SOFITEL and I like de it. A very nice place.
Bye
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi Sam,

It's a shame that the avocado bar was not open but the meal aboard compensated. It balanced things out I guess.

I like the Pullman overall but the only flaw that I found was that the walls are not well insulated from noise.
Capoune — Jan 31,2021

Hi Adan!

Thank you for this really nice report with beautiful pics as always!
The MIA lounge has the merit of existing and above all of being open, that's already a good thing.
A great flight in this very nice cabin and a good meal, what else??
Once again thank you Panda for haring with us.

Take care.
See you
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi Seb,

I won't complain about the food in lounges as long as they are open. ;)

Can't really complain about this flight. It was an enjoyable experience.

Stay tune for next month ;)
Vendredi13 — Jan 31,2021

Woof ! JetSetPanda !

Beautiful pics as usual !
The lounge at Miami seems well designed.
On board, nice business cabin. The fresh seafood meal would have caught my attention too !
I hope you tasted the wines;)
Nice bedroom at the Pullman's.

Thanks JetSet for sharing this ytr. See you soon !

Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Salut mon cher,

The AA MIA lounge is spacious and has many different sections which is good.

"The fresh seafood meal would have caught my attention too !"
- Great minds think alike. ;)

Indeed I tasted the white wine upon someone's recommendation :)

Pretty nice room with a certain flair.
GG_007 — Feb 02,2021

Thanks for sharing this TR

"but unfortunately it was not available until 4:00P :("
Best things are always limited

On board always this confortable cabin

The main dish looks very appetizing

Didn't you taste some bubbles ? ;)

A great AA flight

I didn't know it was possible to use the AA club as an arrival lounge

Star Alliance lounge in LAX was closed ?

See you soon

Reply

jetsetpanda — Feb 02,2021

Hi GG,

"Best things are always limited"
- And sometimes inaccessible. :P

"The main dish looks very appetizing"
- One of the best meals I had on AA. I started with the salmon ;)

"Didn't you taste some bubbles ? ;)"
- Only the white wine. ;)

"I didn't know it was possible to use the AA club as an arrival lounge "
- I was not sure myself but figured that I will not lose anything by asking. You have to play in order to win right? ;)

"Star Alliance lounge in LAX was closed ?"
- Unfortunately yes according to the *A site. Otherwise I would have gone there first.

Ciao.
Nomascoach — Jan 30,2021

It was a good paxex. Thanks for this report.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Hi Nomascoach,

Thanks for visiting.
SERGE13 — Jan 30,2021

I did not expect this king of meal on board... It is better for the customers we are.
About wine, they have to do more.. I am french of course..
Nice pictures. Thank you.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Jan 31,2021

Salut Serge,

Thanks for your comments. Yes life is full of surprises after all. It's also good that AA offers 4 choices on this route.

I'm not expert on wines but I take your word for it. ;)