On the move part 3: AA First Class JFK-LHR

Gate display for our flight to Heathrow

Our flight boarded promptly 45 minutes prior to departure. We were the first two passengers to board the plane. It does always feel nice to turn left after boarding the aircraft.

A is pleased to be turning left once she boards the aircraft.

Boarding

AA has a fairly large first class cabin on the 777-200ER - 16 seats arranged in four rows of a 1-2-1 configuration. A and I had the two seats in the center section of row 3.  Shortly after sitting down we were enthusiastically offered champagne by the flight attendant who could clearly see that we were happy and in love.  Shortly thereafter pajamas were distributed.  AA is the only US airline to offer PJs (and only in F), and I had wondered if the day flight would qualify, as some other airlines (Lufthansa for example) only offer PJs on night flights.  I can't say that I changed into my PJs on the 6hr day flight, but they will be nice to have as a souvenir.

AA 777-200 First Class cabin

Welcome Aboard! leaflet explaining First Class amenities.

After takeoff, we got some nice photos of the Connecticut coast including North Cove near A's parents house.

Printed menus were distributed. The meal service was brunch followed by a light meal prior to arrival.

Menu cover

Wines and Champagne

Menu  - Wines and Brunch

The first course of brunch was a fruit cup accompanied by a sticky (yummy and surprisingly substantial) pastry and yogurt.  The fruit was a nice departure from typical airline fruit bowls in that it included peaches and kiwi.  Although the peaches could have been a bit more ripe.  The second course was cereal with milk and a bagel, but we both declined.

Brunch course 1: fruit, yogurt, and a pastry

For the second course, we both opted for the quesadilla.  By this time it was 11 am and it felt like we had eaten breakfast three times already -- first the Egg McMuffin at McDonald's on the way to JFK, second the fruit and coffee in the Flagship lounge, and third the fruit and pastry on the plane.  So rather than continue with an omelette we went with the lunch-y choice which turned out to be an excellent decision.  The quesadilla was tasty and was just the right size for the multi-course affair.

Quesadilla for brunch

Throughout the flight, flight attendants Kevin, Bob, and Frank provided excellent service.  So often service on US airlines is highly variable, and for our first flight in F on AA the service was truly first class.  

The seat in AA First is unique in the in the industry because  in addition to facing forward and converting to a 6'6" fully horizontal bed, the seat swivels 90 degrees to one side to allow you to work at a fold-out desk.  The window seats swivel to face the window, and the center seats swivel to face each other.  A and I enjoyed swiveling to face each other as we basically spent the entire 6 hour flight talking to each other catching up on all the events of the wedding weekend.  Throughout the weekend we had spent so much time talking to our family and friends and so little time talking to each other.  I tried the fully-flat bed for only a few minutes and it was indeed quite comfortable.  The flight attendants offered turn down service to make up a bed complete with a duvet and mattress pad, but the flight was just too short for a nap.

Cheese plate  midflight snack

Midway through the flight a cheese plate was served.  At this point we were sitting swiveled facing each other, so the service from the flight attendants came as if by magic from behind us without warning.  Bob the FA made us a centerpiece out of a champagne flute, a napkin, and a linen.  A nice touch.

Makeshift centerpiece created by our flight attendants.

With a flight time of only 5 hours 51 minutes from wheels up to wheels down, and 2.5 meal services throughout the flight, we were quite literally eating every hour and a half. Soon after the cheese plate it was time for the pre-arrival light meal.  For the pre-arrival meal C had the bulgur wheat salad (better than the name sounds) and A had the corn and chicken bisque.  To finish was the ice cream.  Who doesn't love ice cream on a plane?

Arrival into London was swift, although the line (queue really I suppose) at the fast track immigration line was longer than the regular line.  Before long we were in a black cab to the Sheraton Heathrow (not the Sheraton Skyline Heathrow -- an important distinction).  Our cabbie was not pleased that our trip was so short.  This was C's first time in a black cab.  The hotel was just around the corner from the airport but the fare was still 16 pounds.