I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write this American Airlines Economy Class review. Any airport, airline, lounge, hotel, and loyalty program policies may have changed since writing.
Trip: DCA-MIA, MIA-GIG, GIG-SSA, SSA-GRU, GRU-MIA, MIA-DCA
American Airlines is one of those airlines I’ve never really flown all that often. Growing up, my parents were big Continental Airlines travelers, and I inherited that gene, keeping it alive under United. Unfortunately, I was placed on my first long-haul trip on American from Washington, D.C. to Rio de Janeiro, courtesy of my organization’s travel agency. This experience made me wonder if American Airlines’ economy class is the worst of the U.S. Big 3, and this review will cover the long-haul flight from Miami to Rio.
Quick Take: American Airlines Economy Class Review
| Category | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
| Seat Comfort | ❌ 3/10 |
| Dining & Beverages | ✅ 7/10 |
| Service & Crew | 😐 5/10 |
| Lounge Access | ❓ N/A |
| Value for Cash/Points | ❌ 4/10 |
Flight Details
Airline: American Airlines
Flight: AA 905
Route: Miami (MIA) – Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG)
Cabin Class: Economy
Aircraft: Boeing B787-8
Seat: 18C
Booking Method: Travel Agency
Cost: $1,307 (round-trip)
Date: March 13, 2025
Flight Time: 8h 10m
Preflight
American Airlines has a robust hub in Miami that serves many of their Latin American destinations. Unfortunately, the Miami hub certainly seems tired, uninspiring, and straight-up bad. If you have a flight arriving at gate D10, you better hope that your connecting flight doesn’t leave out of D30 or the E gates, because the SkyTrain only operates halfway down Terminal D due to ongoing repairs and construction.
Unfortunately, this made using the American Express Centurion Lounge in Miami difficult, cutting the visit short. I discovered that the Miami airport is definitely one I’ll try to avoid at all costs if possible!
American Airlines Economy Seat & Cabin
Rarely am I ever so happy to hop into the plane, but unfortunately, this was one of those cases where you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was flying American’s economy class, named “Main Cabin,” which at first glance isn’t quite bad, but the little things just made the flight that much worse.
Waiting at my seat was a bag with a blanket and pillow inside. The seats were clean, although fairly small and poorly designed. Also, upon opening my tray table, I realize that it is placed far too low, hitting my legs and angling it upward.
Dining & Beverages
An hour after takeoff, dinner service began. Vegans, vegetarians, or those on restrictive diets can pre-order a special meal option before the flight. On this flight, the standard options available were chicken or pasta. Tonight, I selected chicken.
On the tray was a grilled chicken dish with couscous and vegetables, a small salad with an olive oil and vinaigrette packet, a simple bread roll, butter, spreadable gruyere cheese, and cheese crackers with a water bottle. Oh, and I can’t forget the sweetest brookie I’ve ever tasted.
I’ll say that the meal service was not too bad. The food was edible, the only real downside was the traytable sitting at an angle on my knees, which meant that anything could slide right off. Nothing like managing a balancing act while trying to eat dinner.
No other service occurred until we were an hour outside of Rio, with a simple breakfast being served. This snack pack consisted of Chobani greek yogurt, some grainless granola, and a fig bar.
I actually appreciated this simple breakfast, as it is light but filling and a great way to get the day started.
In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity
The inflight entertainment screen indicated to me that the system was pretty outdated (think 2015 tech), and its functionality reflected its age.
On the upside, there was an AC outlet right at the seat. However, any little movement would make the plug fall right out.
Theoretically, American has wifi onboard its aircraft. I say theoretically, because this was an outright lie. The wifi system did not work, and it never seemed to work throughout the entire flight, other than connecting for in-flight entertainment.
Amenities & Comfort
The lavatories seemed to be clean and stayed clean throughout the flight!
Additionally, the pillow and blankets provided were adequate for the flight. However, don’t expect anything else on this flight.
Service & Crew
The crew were fine on this flight. They were not friendly, but not outright rude, which sounds like bad service, but in my experience on American, that’s stellar.
American Airlines B787 Economy Class Final Verdict
The service on this flight was as basic as it could be, which is expected when flying economy. What really made this flight pretty rough was the economy seat itself. The seat pitch is 31-32 inches, and the width is 17.1-18.1 inches, and the headrest is basically an ornament, as it can’t slide up in the same way other seats can.
Furthermore, the tray table resting on my knees during meal service requires a delicate balancing act, lest you spill your drinks or dinner. The charging plug is also an absolute joke, as any movement at all will cause the port to fall out. It’s absolutely annoying, and quite frankly, all these small things made the entire experience annoying and uncomfortable.
I am glad to have flown American, however, just to know that I would love to avoid it going forward! Since my organization’s travel agency booked this, I didn’t lose a dime. Would I call it the worst economy class out of the U.S. big three? Yes, I probably would.
Overall: 4.75/10
Have you flown American? What are your thoughts? Let me know on Instagram, Threads, or TikTok!
As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!
About Author
Leave a Reply