Wednesday, July 20, 2011

American Airlines buying 460 new Planes!!

I have been a loyal American Airlines frequent flyer since 1989

ABOUT FRIGGING TIME!!!!
At least for those like me who are slaves of the AMERICAN AIRLINES frequent flyer program, these are great news!!! :)
I have said here before that I have been a faith full, loyal AMERICAN AIRLINES frequent flyer since 1989, and it hasn't been easy, they always sucked. Even in the days they used to serve food, TWA was much better in my opinion.
TWA used to always serve a warm, freshly baked Cherry Jelly filled croissant that was the BEST I EVER HAD!!!! TO THIS DAY!
Yes, I know, I am easy to please. But it has been around 18 years since I had one of those bad boys and I still dream about it once in a while.
Oh, how I curse the day they stopped serving Cherry Jelly Croissants and started passing us cheap tiny little bags of peanuts.


Freshly baked Cherry Jelly Filled Crossaints served at TWA


We have to THANK SOUTHWEST AIRLINES for these horrible little trend of the Airline industry, those cheap S.O.Bs started this trend. Have I told you how much I hate SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!!!! I DO and every time I am served a tiny little bag of peanuts I curse inside my mind.
It just got much worse after the 9/11 attacks and the new days of ( SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ) peanuts and the so ever repeated meals at the upper classes. Cheap, crappy, falling a part Southwest has no upper classes by the way. No way for an upgrade and no direct flights either, you have to stop in every little secondary airport around the country.
Southwest also instituted the "trend" that the customer is NOT ALWAYS right.
Classy! Way to go *Herbert D. Kelleher!!! :(    (*Southwest founder )
By the way, I love watching JET BLUE kicking Southwest's butt all the time. Nothing gives me more pleasure in the Airline world!

Typical American Airlines International First Class seat

I have to say I still have a soft spot for the freshly baked cookies, my all time favorite is English Toffee and hot fudge sundaes at First and Business Classes  :)


Freshly baked cookies served at American Airlines upper classes

Flying became a completely different experience. A whole different animal.
I always call it "The end of the age of innocence".
When I first flew American, back in the 80's, their Airplanes were ok, not great, but ok.
I always thought ( at the time ) VARIG had better Airplanes and way better service. But VARIG only flew internationally and domestic only around Brazil and I needed/wanted to became a frequent flyer with a reliable American Airline, because I always traveled a lot inside the US. Again, thank God, because VARIG just went downhill, got much worse and went out of business, which was a great thing in my opinion.
I believe karma will get you every time. VARIG learned that the hard way.
I ended up choosing American because they had the better connections to the destinations I usually flew, which were New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Miami.
I almost chose TWA, thank God I didn't because they went out of business sometime in the early 90's.
I liked TWA better because they had way better/friendlier customer service.
However, in the later years, I have been more and more upset with American.
First of all, American Airlines personnel became as rude and ignorant and the VARIG employees just before those jerks went out of business.
Second, their old Super 80's and most of their fleet is literally falling a part! Things like broken seats, broken seat arm rests, broken trays.  Off course I fly all the time inside the US, my international trips used to be more frequent until 2009 when I moved to a new job that required more domestic travel and less international travel.
American Airlines still had some half a$$ planes doing their international routes, but God help you if you had to fly within the US or even to Mexico, which I have to do ALL THE TIME, as in at least 3 times a month.
My biggest nightmare is my routine Boston to Los Angeles non stop flight that I have to do once a month, sometimes twice. The Airplanes are flying metal junk cages. Horrible!


Super 80 has been the working horse of the American Airline fleet


American Airlines Super 80
They do have better/bigger airplanes on the New York to Los Angeles route.



American Airlines typical Business Class on International flights and major routes such as New York to Los Angeles

 American Airlines SUCKS nowadays but with all the perks I always get from them, I didn't have the courage to move to another airlines yet, and start from scratch.
The only thing that I hate more than American Airlines is flying coach. UGH!!!!
I will sell blood, a kidney, cancel a vacation, delay that bathroom renovation but I won't give up my Business Class or First Class seat.
If you fly coach and is still not convinced. Just take a look at the seat reclining options below, I dare you not to agree with me!!! :)


American Airlines first class seat reclining options ( THIS IS NOT MY FINGER!!! )
I always thank the sweet baby Jesus for system wide upgrades, you know, just in case he really exists/existed, who knows, I am not taking my chances with this one.
I just want to be on the safe side and make sure I cover all my basis and thank every force in the Universe that allows me to get upgrades and fly Business or First Class.


Typical First Class Cabin on American non-stop flights between Boston and Los Angeles

I am so glad I have been such a coward and have put up with all the mistreatment, poor service and humiliation over the years and have procrastinated my move to another Airline.
I have flown in other airlines and saw little difference in customer service.
I think I have finally accepted that they are all bad, it depends on who you deal with and if they are having a good day or not.
If you live and fly in the American Northeast corridors, Boston, New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Providence you will be taking small old "propeller" shuttles by American Eagle.


Typical American Eagle Shuttles used in the US Northeast corridors

I keep praying for people in a good mood, smile and agree with everything they BARK AT tell me
They are finally starting to renovate their fleet. Not because they are nice and they want to offer cool, stylish new planes, but because their Airplanes are so OLD and energy INEFFICIENT that they will save more money now if they renovate their fleet and buy gasoline efficient planes.
American will save BILLIONS of dollar in gasoline bills with the new Airplanes.
Their order was the largest Airplane order in the history of aviation. The order of 460 Airplanes was so HUGE, no one Aircraft maker had the capacity to produce the order.
So, they had to split 260 Airplanes from European Airbus and 200 Airplanes from American Boeing.
Boeing revealed today this order alone is creating 3000 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs.
Yay for new SAFER, gasoline efficient Airplanes!!!
I might just stick with American for another 22 years or more, who knows! :)
Check out the video below from CBS news with more details.

HERE

4 comments:

Alex said...

GOOD!

We are members of the frequent flier program too. American Airlines is definitely on the verge of being considered scary due to the age of the planes.

But honestly, thank god for the frequent flier program. We've flied to Europe two times, Hawai'i two times (will be three once we leave on Aug. 15) all over Mexico and the Carribean FOR FREE due to the program.

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Tell me about it!
We had four take offs aborted last year trying to leave Puerto Vallarta, Mexico because the Old falling a part SUPER 80 wasn't marking any speed on the plane's speedometer.
We sat at the runway for 11 hours hijacked in the plane waiting for instructions from the maintanance crew from Tulsa, Oklahoma. American has no maintanaince crews in Mexico. UGH!!!
Some people panicked, revolted and left the plane, marching on to the Airport's tarmac...it wasn't pretty. We made into Chicago just in time for a massive snow storm that closed O'hare for 4 days. That was the trip from hell.

Ray

Renato S. Alves said...

Well, sincerely, I can't see any good inside planes because I am just terrified of flying. Most of the time I just take a pill and try to sleep so if I die, I'll be sleeping. A friend of mine told me what I would do if I had to run or swim so now I don't know what to do. :P
I would be one of those people that left the airplane Ray. I would take it as a sign to leave and I would walk if it's necessary. I could never work in a position I would have to get inside an airplane every month. I Always regret to visit other countries at the moment I sit inside the airplane. And by the way, you are lucky to fly in the business class... :)

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Renato,

I believe when your time is up, is up and there is nothing you can do about it. Remember the phrase in Portuguese "Peru nao morre na vespera"!
I think if your time is not up, even if you are sleeping and the plane crashes, you will survive :)
At that time in Mexico, I was flying FIRST CLASS, so I was being served warmed nuts, drinks and had an awesome entertaiment system to watch movies and such, so I was pretty comfortable, stuck around and even made some friends with fellow travelers, we all had a blast, we had booze and good company, and no children screaming around us. Which is one of my favorite things about flying FIRST CLASS, most young parents with young children can't afford the upgrades ;)
I am lucky my previous company only flew us FIRST CLASS, that threw me into the Executive Platinum status and allows me upgrades galore. I have to say, if I didn't have these free upgrades, I'd probably be selling blood or having sex for money to pay for them. HA! I will do anything to avoid crying babies! :)

Ray