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tl;dr – My American Airlines Flagship First flight from Miami to São Paulo was a solid overall experience, and my main takeaway is that this felt more like a standard business class offering than first class. The vibe was pleasant yet decorous. The service was friendly, the food was average, the seat and bedding comfortable, and the amenities were not too bad. While I found the Flagship First Dining experience more impressive than the flight itself, I think this flight represents excellent value, mainly if you can redeem points for a saver fare.
In July 2024, I kicked off a trip to Brazil and South Africa, starting with an American Airlines Flagship First flight from Miami to São Paulo. This review will focus on the flight itself – but you can also check out my on-the-ground experiences at AA’s Flagship Lounge and with Flagship First Dining.
Booking the Flight
I redeemed 176,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles to book two first-class tickets. I have Executive Platinum status with American Airlines and accumulate the majority of my miles through credit card spending, and hotel stays booked through AAdvantage hotels.
Boarding
Since I arrived at MIA earlier in the day from a previous flight and had already checked in online for the flight to GRU, I didn’t experience the landside check-in experience at the airport. After departing the Flagship Lounge and heading to the gate, I was first in line to board. American’s Boeing 777-300ER (77W) flies this route, and it features just two rows of first-class seating, eight seats. Including myself, there were just three passengers in the cabin. In comparison, there are thirteen rows of business class for a total of fifty-two seats. Boarding was painless, and there was ample time to settle in.
First class cabin on AA’s Boeing 777-300ER (77W) – MIA to GRU – Source: You Are Travel
There are big, spacious overhead compartments, so you’ll have ample space to park your belongings even if you aren’t traveling light.
Shortly after getting settled, I was offered a glass of champagne – Champange de Venoge Millesime Brut 2018.
The Seat
I was seated in 2D, so while I didn’t have a window, as one might expect in first class, all seats have direct aisle access. I found the seat to be spacious and comfortable, though I’d probably go with one of the second row window seats next time. The seats have leather headrests and armrests that make it easy to nestle in. A touch-screen monitor along the wood paneling with presets helps to ease your seat into your desired position, though you can manually adjust the seats as well.
AA uses Casper bedding, which looks very plush but doesn’t really add as much comfort to the experience as I was expecting. Nonetheless, I’m a pretty easy sleeper and was able to catch some Zs when I wanted.
Casper Bedding pre and post unfurling – Source: You Are Travel
If you’re curious how this compares to the business-class seat, I poked and snapped a photo for a side-by-side comparison.
First class seat on the left, business class seat on the right – Source: You Are Travel
Above the in-flight entertainment controller is a cubby for plugging in charging and audio devices. Beneath the wood paneling and to the right of the seat, you’ll find a fair amount of storage for the personal effects you want to keep.
You’ll also find a few buttons for the in-flight entertainment monitor, light, and tray table.
Amenity Kits, In-flight Entertainment and Bathroom
The Flagship First amenity kits are designed by Thirteen Lune, an e-commerce beauty outlet that focuses on diverse brands. They are simple yet snazzy. The dopp kits themselves are sturdy, if not a little bulky, though that’s not readily apparent with the black design, red trimming, and gold logos. Inside, you’ll find a dental kid, sleep mask, ear plugs, hand wipes, face and body lotion, facial mist, and lip balm. Pajamas and slippers are provided as well.
The Flagship amenity kit, pajamas and slippers – Source: You Are Travel
Bang & Olufsen over-ear headphones help you enjoy the in-flight entertainment.
The in-flight entertainment was robust. There were tons of new or recent releases, music, and games to help you enjoy the flight.
A sample of the in-flight entertainment offerings (pardon the shakiness) – Source: You Are Travel
The bathrooms are simple, not overly spacious, and didn’t come stocked with additional amenities. This flight featured hand soap from D.S. & DURGA. The cabin was pretty empty, so the bathrooms remained low-traffic and reasonably clean throughout the flight.
First class bathrooms are pretty simple – Source: You Are Travel
Dining
This flight featured dinner service and breakfast. Here’s a peek at the menu.
Menu for dinner service – Source: You Are Travel
And the wine selection.
I was delighted to see the McBride Sisters on the list. Their Black Girl Magic Red Blend and McBride Sisters Collection Sparkling Brut Rosé wines are solid and have grown quite popular. The red blend served onboard was enjoyable as well.
I was still full from my meal at Flagship First Dining, so I was tempted to skip dinner service altogether. In the end, I ordered the chicken entree and had a few bites. It was OK. (Apologies, took a few bites before I snapped the photo).
Again, I wasn’t too hungry for breakfast but thought some fruit could be refreshing. Accordingly, I went with the fruit plate, which was decent but nothing too spectacular.
Service
Two flight attendants were working in the first-class cabin, though I mostly interacted with only one of them, Jim, who mentioned he’d been working this route for quite some time. Jim had an aged-rocker vibe – the look of someone who could easily recount the exact song sequence of the five greatest live shows he’s attended, no matter how long ago they were. He was jolly. I asked Jim whether he had any news/thoughts about the sunsetting of the Flagship product, and he mentioned something to the effect of ‘they keep saying it’s happening soon, but I keep getting a schedule for these flights.’ Long live Jim.
I didn’t get the name of the other flight attendant as their appearances were quick, abrupt, and maybe even a bit laconic. I hesitate to drop that last label in there as you never really fully know what’s going on, and admittedly, much of this is colored by one interaction. After noticing the other passengers enjoying breakfast for some time, I mentioned having never received mine. Moments later, the attendant returned with a tray, dropped it on my table, and scurried off, all without saying a word. All in all, the service was good – I didn’t have any requests, and Jim cordially made his rounds to check on all the passengers semi-regularly.
Conclusion
This flight was shy of nine hours but felt much shorter – I was taken aback to hear the announcement about our descent into Sao Paulo. Much of that has to do with the fact that I was relaxed – time always seems to pass faster when you’re in a leisurely state. As such, this experience is worthwhile for some AAdvantage miles. You’re not booking this flight for the in-flight dining experience; let’s be clear. That said, you can find this route for as low as 65,000 miles, and given that it includes Flagship First Dining and access to the Flagship Lounge as a precursor to your journey, it is a no-brainer.
