American Airlines Business Class Review — Is AA Business Class worth it?

Reviewed by Andrew Willcox, ATraveller. American Airlines Business Class reviewed across two flights: Los Angeles LAX to Miami on the Boeing 787 (July 2021) and Madrid MAD to Dallas/Fort Worth DFW on the Boeing 777 (December 2023). The lie-flat seat with direct aisle access is excellent and Casper bedding (at the time of both flights) was a highlight. Service was the major disappointment: abrupt crew on both flights, no status acknowledgement despite oneworld Emerald status, trash left uncollected, and easily the worst champagne in any premium cabin. The James Beard Foundation partnership produced average food. Key change for future travellers: American has partnered with Bollinger (Special Cuvée), introduced new Flagship Business Suites with sliding doors, and is mid-transformation of its premium product. ATraveller can advise on American Airlines business class bookings, Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge access, and oneworld redemption options.

American Airlines Business Class cabin

Flight Review

American Airlines Business Class: A Comfortable Seat, Let Down by Service

LAX–MIA (2021) · MAD–DFW (2023)July 2021 & December 2023Boeing 787 & 777
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Business Class · American Airlines

Boeing 787 & 777

6.5/10

Two Flights · Two Routes

July 2021 — LAX to Miami · Boeing 787
December 2023 — Madrid MAD to Dallas/Fort Worth · Boeing 777

I've now flown American Airlines business class twice — LAX to Miami in July 2021, and Madrid to Dallas/Fort Worth in December 2023. Two very different routes, two different aircraft, and yet a remarkably consistent theme ran through both: a perfectly decent hard product, badly let down by service that ranged from indifferent to outright abrupt. If you're chasing a lie-flat seat across the Atlantic or the US, AA will get you there in comfort — just don't expect to feel especially wanted while it does.

Service: The Weakest Link

Let's start where it hurt most. Across both flights, the service was the standout disappointment. Trash left around my seat, uncollected, for long stretches of the flight. Empty glasses and wrappers that simply sat there until I dealt with them myself.

The flight attendants were abrupt on both occasions. There was no warmth, no sense that my custom was valued. As a oneworld Emerald, I'm used to at least a passing acknowledgement of status — a welcome, a "thanks for flying with us." On American, nothing. Not a word on either flight. It speaks to a wider culture: AA is not an airline that goes out of its way to make you feel special.

Flagship First Check-In — the ground experience is more polished than what awaits onboard
Flagship First Check-In — the ground experience is more polished than what awaits onboard
Flagship Lounge entrance — Admirals Club access for Business passengers
Flagship Lounge entrance — Admirals Club access for Business passengers
Boarding — chaotic, with little priority enforcement for premium cabin passengers
Boarding — chaotic, with little priority enforcement for premium cabin passengers

The Seat & Bedding: Where It Redeems Itself

Credit where it's due: the hard product is genuinely comfortable. Both flights offered a proper lie-flat seat with direct aisle access, which is exactly what you want for a long day or an overnight crossing.

The bedding was a highlight — at the time of both flights American was partnered with Casper. You get a plush pillow and a genuinely comfortable duvet, with a mattress pad on the longer international service. Worth noting for anyone booking now: American dropped Casper in 2024 in favour of John Horsfall bedding, which has had a decidedly more mixed reception.

787 Business Class seat — lie-flat, direct aisle access, functional and comfortable
787 Business Class seat — lie-flat, direct aisle access, functional and comfortable
Window seat on the 777 — good privacy, generous footwell
Window seat on the 777 — good privacy, generous footwell
Legroom and footwell — the lie-flat configuration works well on both aircraft
Legroom and footwell — the lie-flat configuration works well on both aircraft
Bed made up with Casper bedding — a genuine highlight of both flights
Bed made up with Casper bedding — a genuine highlight of both flights
777 Business Class cabin — clean grey tones, herringbone layout
777 Business Class cabin — clean grey tones, herringbone layout
Approaching Miami on the 787
Approaching Miami on the 787

Food: Perfectly Fine, Nothing More

The food was okay — that is about the highest praise I can offer. Meals were edible and reasonably presented. AA markets its chef-designed multi-course dining heavily, with a James Beard Foundation partnership on some routes, but nothing lingered in the memory for the right reasons. It did the job without ever threatening to impress.

Pre-dinner drinks — an IPA and mixed nuts; the beer is far better than the champagne
Pre-dinner drinks — an IPA and mixed nuts; the beer is far better than the champagne
Starter and salad — presentable, if unremarkable
Starter and salad — presentable, if unremarkable
The James Beard Foundation menu — ambitious on paper, average in execution
The James Beard Foundation menu — ambitious on paper, average in execution

Beverages: The Champagne Is Dire

And now, the champagne. Or whatever was masquerading as champagne. Frankly it is terrible — easily one of the worst premium-cabin pours I have had, and a genuine low point of the onboard offering. If bubbles are part of how you judge a business class, brace yourself. The wider drinks list is serviceable, but the fizz let the whole thing down.

A Note on Timing: Change Is Coming

Here's where I'll temper the criticism. American is in the middle of a serious premium push, and it's genuinely exciting. The airline has partnered with Champagne Bollinger, introducing Special Cuvée in its Flagship lounges and rolling it out onboard in Flagship Business and First — a night-and-day upgrade from the sparkling wine that so disappointed me. I've seen the Bollinger for myself in the Flagship First lounges on recent travels, and it's a completely different class of offering.

Alongside this, AA has been upgrading its seats, including the new Flagship Business Suites with sliding doors. So while my two flights left me cold, I'm optimistic. The building blocks of a proper premium experience are finally being put in place.

Approaching DFW — over the central US on the Madrid transatlantic crossing
Approaching DFW — over the central US on the Madrid transatlantic crossing
In-seat IFE — a decent screen, good selection of films
In-seat IFE — a decent screen, good selection of films

8

Seat

4

Service

6

Dining

6.5

Ground / Lounge

7

Value

The Verdict

"American Airlines business class is a mixed bag: a comfortable lie-flat seat and excellent Casper bedding (at the time), let down by acceptable-but-unmemorable food, dire champagne, and service that was the real problem — abrupt crew, uncollected trash, and zero acknowledgement of oneworld Emerald status across two flights years apart. But the story isn't finished. With Bollinger now flowing and new suites rolling out, American is clearly trying to move the needle. Buy it as a cheap flat bed, keep your expectations in check, and watch this space."

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