Inside American Airlines Only Day Flight to Europe: Main Cabin Extra Experience [777 JFK to LHR]

Airline: American Airlines (AA)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Flight #: AA142
Route: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR)
Date: November 11, 2024
Duration: 6 hours, 7 minutes
Cabin and Layout: 3-4-3
Cost: $199 one-way

You read that right: I flew from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) with American for just $199. That wasn’t the taxes and fees of a points redemption, and it wasn’t a sale fare.

There are many airlines to consider when planning a trip across the Atlantic to Europe. The majority of flights from the East Coast to Europe only operate overnight as red-eyes. However, I try my best to only take day flights. I prefer to “waste a day” being productive in the sky rather than get a few hours of broken sleep on a red-eye and feel horrendous the next day.

Only American Airlines, British Airways, JetBlue, and Virgin Atlantic offer day flights departing from New York in the morning and arriving in London in the evening. Of those options, American would usually be my last choice. Flying long-haul with U.S. carriers (with the exception of JetBlue) in economy has never been a particularly pleasant experience for me in the past, compared to Virgin or even BA.

However, given that the $199 fare was several hundred dollars cheaper than the other airlines, I thought I’d give it a try, as $199 is a bargain to cross the Atlantic on a flagship carrier.

How would this hop across the Atlantic with American stack up against my very low expectations?

Booking American Airlines Main Cabin Extra

As usual, I started my search using Google Flights to find the fare. I followed the link to book directly on American Airlines’ website. Booking this way allowed me to add my British Airways Club frequent flyer number and enjoy the benefits that come with my Silver status (Oneworld Sapphire equivalent).

One such benefit is being able to choose a seat for free, including American’s Main Cabin Extra seats. I chose 18A in the second row from the front of the cabin. Without status, this would have likely cost an additional $100. That’s half the cost of the flight!

I paid for my ticket using my U.K. version of The Platinum Card^® from American Express. Using the U.S. version of this card to pay for this ticket would have earned me 5x points when booking directly with American Airlines or via AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year, then 1x).

Hot Tip:

If you’re based in the U.S. and are a frequent American Airlines flyer, it might be worthwhile to apply for a credit card that rewards you for flying with the Chicago-based carrier. Check out our guide to the best American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards.

What Is Main Cabin Extra?

The principal benefits of Main Cabin Extra seats are extra legroom and being closer to the front for speedier disembarkation. I was happy with my choice — at least at the time of booking.

Other perks that come with a Main Cabin Extra ticket include:

• Earlier boarding in Group 5
• Free personal item and carry-on bag
• Beers, wines, and spirits are included in the complimentary snack and drink service on flights with full drink service

Where I Credited My American Airlines Flight

As I was living in London at the time and trying to retain my British Airways Silver status, I added my BA Club number to my booking with American Airlines.

The Avios and Tier Points I was owed for the flight were still to be credited to my account over 2 weeks after I got back. I filed a claim in the hope that there wasn’t an issue, as without the 70 Tier Points from this flight, I would have lost my Silver status.

Finally, on December 1, the 70 Tier Points and 1,027 Avios landed in my account, and my Silver status was safe.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport

Unless I can expense it, I’ll rarely get a cab to or from JFK. The fixed fare of around $60 from JFK to Manhattan is tempting, but considering the traffic can make it easily take 2 hours or more, I’ll take public transit 9 times out of 10.

Granted, the journey on public transit can be a little convoluted, but I was happy to pay around $15 to avoid getting stuck in a jam. I got from where I was staying in the East Village to Terminal 8 in just under 1 hour by taking the subway to Penn Station to catch a Long Island Rail Road train to Jamaica, where I hopped on the JFK AirTrain.

I loved that you can now use contactless to pay for the AirTrain from Jamaica to JFK.

Even at 7 a.m., an AirTrain was scheduled every 7 or 8 minutes.

En route to Terminal 8, the sights included swathes of construction zones, part of JFK’s multi-billion-dollar transformation.

Hot Tip:

From subways to rideshares to helicopters, check out our guide on how to get from Manhattan to New York’s JFK Airport.

Checking in at Terminal 8

Stepping into JFK felt a little too festive in mid-November for my liking.

American Airlines and British Airways have a joint check-in area for their elites located at the end of the terminal closest to the security screening.

Even though I had an economy ticket, I could check in using this exclusive area thanks to my British Airways Silver (Oneworld Sapphire) status.

I enquired about upgrades at check-in, as I always do. A friendly agent explained that because I’d purchased a basic economy fare, I couldn’t pay to upgrade.

I figured that would be the case, but as my mantra goes: “shy bairns get nowt” (shy children get nothing).

American Airlines Greenwich Lounge

Having lounge access when flying economy is something I value highly.

It means I can fill up on a decent meal before boarding to avoid a rumbling stomach due to small portion sizes, waiting for a long time after takeoff for the food service, or being served inedible food.

This was one of those mornings when I felt particularly grateful that I was able to eat a hearty breakfast. Airline breakfasts, especially in economy, are usually the worst of all meals. As my flight was a morning departure, I didn’t want to take the risk.

Unfortunately, as I let my status drop from BA Gold status (Oneworld Emerald status) to BA Silver, I no longer have access to the gorgeous new Soho Lounge that American Airlines and BA share.

The newly named Greenwich Lounge isn’t a terrible consolation prize.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in this lounge over the years, and I have to say I quite enjoy my time here. The views are great, the food is generally good, and it never seems to be a long walk to the gate.

I managed a hearty breakfast from the well-stocked hot buffet, wrote an article about Virgin Hotels becoming a Virgin Red redemption partner, and even had time for a hot shower.

I was surprised to see American invest in premium Dyson hair dryers for its lounge shower rooms.

Boarding American Airlines at JFK

I headed to the gate ahead of boarding time so I could check a final time to see if any upgrade possibilities had opened up. It turned out the Flagship Business class cabin was full.

Boarding was done by calling zones. Thanks to my status, I was due to board in zone 3 ahead of general boarding.

What looked like half of the plane boarded in zones 1 and 2 before zone 3 was finally called to board.

On Board American Airlines Boeing 777-200

Flagship Business

As I shimmied through the cabin from the front left door, I managed to snap a photo of one of the yet unoccupied business class seats. I’ve still not experienced this for myself!

Feeling teased by what might have been, I have to say American’s Flagship Business seats on the triple 7 look stellar.

Economy Cabin

The whopping 212-seat cabin is set up in a tight 3-4-3 configuration. 66 of those seats are American Airlines Main Cabin Extra seats, which have an extra 4 to 5 inches of pitch.

This aircraft also has a 3-row premium economy cabin with a total of 24 extra-reclining seats.

Economy Seat

Remember what I said about being happy with my seat?

I’d only gone and selected a seat with a misaligned window. This very frustrated window seat-lover wished he’d done more due diligence.

Thankfully, the middle seat of my row and the row of 2 seats in front were empty when “boarding complete” was announced. Glancing around the cabin, it only appeared half full!

The man in the aisle seat of my row dashed forward to the empty row of 2 in front and told me excitedly that I could have the row I was in all to myself. Still mourning my loss of the window, I asked kindly if he’d mind that I sat there instead.

He obliged, and so I enjoyed the front row of economy to myself for the entire flight.

I avoided picking the front row when I booked as I find the fixed armrests in bulkhead rows to be restrictive, especially in economy class. It didn’t bother me on this occasion because I would be working rather than stretching out to sleep.

The faux-leather seats were pleasantly comfortable for this 6-hour hop across the Atlantic.

The folding wings of the headrest felt sturdy enough to stop heads from wobbling around for those who preferred to sleep.

The bifold tray table slid out easily from the armrest to my right.

When fully extended, the tray table was narrow yet sturdy. It supported my 13-inch laptop well, even though it hung over the edges.

Storage-wise, there was a hard-shell pouch for reading materials at the bulkhead in which I just about managed to squeeze my passport holder.

A universal power outlet was located awkwardly underneath my seat.

I even had a whole overhead storage bin to myself. This certainly wouldn’t have been the case on a full flight.

As well as individual reading lights, I’m happy to report that each seat has a dedicated air vent.

Food and Beverage

My fear of enduring yet another terrible airline breakfast was in vain. Even with its scheduled departure time of 10:15 a.m., the first meal on this flight would be lunch.

We actually didn’t take off until 10:53 a.m. Just 23 minutes later, at 11:15 a.m., I noticed crew passing through the economy and premium economy cabins handing out special meals. These could be one of a selection of vegan, kosher, halal, or low-sodium meals that passengers can preorder before flying.

Several minutes later, the crew headed into the premium economy cabin with the food trolley to commence regular service.

Just 2 minutes later, the same trolley passed through the curtain to serve us our lunches in economy.

I opted for the chicken over the second option of nondescript pasta. As you’d expect in economy, my whole meal, along with a lot of single-use plastic, was served on a single tray.

The chicken, rice, and vegetable dish was actually very tasty.

The portion size, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. I’d have been in trouble if I hadn’t filled up in the lounge beforehand.

I didn’t bother with the sad-looking salad or the bread, which I could feel was as hard as a rock through the plastic.

I did, however, indulge in AA’s finest triangle of cheddar cheese.

I struggled to spread it on a cracker with the flimsy plastic knife.

Knowing I’d probably be hungry again very quickly, I saved the Aztec Cinnamon Bar until later. It was a delicious surprise when hunger inevitably struck once again.

Beverages on offer included all the usual soft drink options you’d expect. A decent selection of midrange liquor was also available.

I stuck to club soda, which helped to keep me hydrated and focused for my day of work.

At the very back of the cabin, there was a self-serve refreshment basket with still water, apple or orange juice, and pretzels.

The second meal was served just under 90 minutes before landing and consisted of a snack-sized ratatouille stromboli.

Veggie was the only option, and it was surprisingly delicious. I could have easily eaten a second!

Amenities

The few amenities on offer when flying in economy tend to be basic at best.

Pillow and Blanket

The plastic-wrapped pillow and blanket on my seat at boarding were an example of exactly that.

Firm though the small pillow was, it was made from a scratchy material akin to medical-grade facemasks. On the other hand, while thin, the blanket was made from a softer material, which I used to keep my legs warm.

I could have used an extra blanket, as I had to put on my hoodie. There were times when I actually felt really cold during this flight. This is rare, as I tend to run hot, especially on planes.

Inflight Entertainment (IFE)

I didn’t use the hand-held IFE remote that was tucked into the console next to my leg. Close by was the IFE screen release, which looked to me like it should be turned to release.

It took me a couple of tries to realize that it had to be pulled to be released. When IFE screens are stowed under the seat and released in this way, they can often be quite flimsy. However, on this flight, the screen held its position well.

The screen was adequately sized, and the resolution and tactility were surprisingly excellent. Recently released films included “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Despicable Me 4”.

As there was no option to connect my AirPods via Bluetooth, listening to the IFE was only possible by using these cheap earphones that came unnecessarily wrapped in plastic.

Wi-Fi

I needed to work, so I opted for the $35 Flight Pass. The first time I tried to pay, there was an error, which corrected itself the second time. Somehow, I was billed twice, so I spent a tidy sum of $70 to use a very slow Wi-Fi connection. Note to self: Ask American for a refund!

Wi-Fi speeds were so pitiful and the connection was so spotty that I struggled to even do a speed test. When I finally got it to work, it showed upload speeds of 2.07 Mbps and download speeds of 2.5 Mbps.

Luckily, I’d prepared for the lack of connection by opening up a couple of reviews in a browser to work on offline. The poor speed and reliability of the Wi-Fi meant I couldn’t do any live news writing or researching.

Lavatories

This Boeing 777-200 had 3 lavatories by the galley in the middle of the 2 economy cabins and a further 2 lavatories right at the back of the aircraft.

Despite there being only 5 toilets shared between 212 passengers, I didn’t have to wait in line.

The lavatory I used was very small. It felt more like a bathroom you’d find on a narrow-body jet like an Airbus A321 and not a wide-body Boeing 777.

There were no special amenities, but the hand soap smelled gorgeous. 

Service

Aside from flying JetBlue, I’ve come to expect the worst in customer service when flying economy with American carriers. I’ve found a general lack of enthusiasm and an abrasive edge to communication style to be commonplace.

On a recent domestic flight, I saw a crew member doing drink service with headphones in, humming along to their music. And that was Delta, not Spirit …

I’m happy to report that this was not the case on this flight. My expectations were, for the most part, exceeded.

I was so impressed with the speed at which the first meal service was delivered, followed by the rapid collection of the empty trays. I’d imagine this would have had something to do with the fact that the economy cabin appeared to be only 60% to 70% full.

The efficiency was impressive: the first meal service, clearing away of trays, second drink service, and a second rubbish collection were all complete by 12:05 p.m. — 1 hour and 12 minutes after take off.

The flight attendant who served me throughout the flight always had a smile on her face and even humored my chatty banter. I’m sad to say I forgot to note her name!

Crew engagement and interactions play a huge part in how I view an overall flight experience, so this earned American some well-needed brownie points after the mouse-sized lunch I was served.

Sadly, the same praise cannot be dished out to the flight attendant sitting at the back galley watching his iPad.

I headed to the back galley with my empty plastic cup to ask for more club soda. When he heard my question, he barely looked up from his iPad and merely pointed over to the refreshment basket.

He could possibly have been taking a break here, which is fair enough. However, taking a break in plain sight of customers who could confuse him for being on duty (as I did) is rather sloppy from a passenger experience perspective.

Arrival at London Heathrow

We pulled up to the stand at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 just after 10 p.m., a few minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time of 10:10 p.m.

Getting through passport control was a breeze at this hour compared to early mornings when the bulk of American, Delta, and Virgin flights land from U.S.

Final Thoughts

I’m so glad I decided to take American Airlines’ day flight back to London from JFK. In terms of economy flights, this was pretty decent for the price I paid.

I went in with very low expectations, which, I have to admit, were exceeded in some aspects.

While there was nothing particularly amazing about this flight, I would book it again for this price in a heartbeat. However, should BA or Virgin’s day flights be the same price or cheaper than they were, I’d definitely book one of those instead. I love flying a British carrier when headed to the U.K., and I find I prefer the food and service flying economy with BA and Virgin.

I’d like to hope American is doing something behind the scenes to reduce single-use plastic usage on its flights. The amount I saw on this flight was shocking.

For $199, this flight to London from New York was truly a bargain. When considering the size of the meals, I could say, “You get what you pay for,” but this is economy class, after all.