American Airlines business class might not be at the top of every traveler's wish list, but thanks to its vast route network and solid award availability to book with points, it can be one of the best ways to book a lie-flat seat for less.
While American recently started selling tickets for its new business class suites with sliding doors on its brand-new Boeing 787-9s, most of its long-haul fleet – including the Boeing 777-300ER I flew – still features older business class seats. Some of these planes are expected to be retrofitted with the new suites over the coming years.
American's business class offerings vary slightly by aircraft, but all include the two most important features: lie-flat seats and direct aisle access. And when you can book these seats using points and miles from cards like the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® or the *amex gold*, they can offer excellent value.
I flew American Airlines business class on an overnight flight from São Paulo (GRU) to Miami (MIA) on the Boeing 777-300ER. I can't say anything stood out as exceptional, but the seat was surprisingly spacious and the service was efficient.
Here's what it was like and how I booked it.
How to Book American Airlines Business Class
There are several great ways to book American Airlines business class using miles:
- American Airlines uses dynamic pricing with a twist: You can sometimes find business class flights to Europe or South America for a standard 62,000 miles (or less) each way. Best of all, you'll pay the lowest fees and get the ability to change or cancel your trip for free.
- Alaska miles are often the cheapest way to book American Airlines business class – starting at just 45,000 miles each way to Europe or 50,000 to South America. Plus, a backdoor way to send Amex points to Alaska makes pulling off this deal even easier.
- For those with other transferable points, your best bet is typically going to be transferring Amex, Bilt, Capital One, or Citi points to Cathay Pacific Asia miles. The fees are low on all AA flights (including to Europe) and rates are competitive.
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You can also book AA flights with other partner airline miles, like Qatar (or Finnair) Avios, and Qantas miles, but flights to Europe and Asia get hit with high fees of around $250 each way (or more). Still, AA flights to other regions of the world should have low fees no matter which miles you use to book.
Read more: How to Find & Book the Best American AAdvantage Miles Deals
In my case, I redeemed 60,000 Alaska miles and just $45 in taxes and fees to fly American Airlines business class from São Paulo (GRU) to my home airport in San Diego (SAN), with stops in Miami (MIA) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) along the way.
At Thrifty Traveler, we don’t accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one.
Check-In & Lounge Access
I arrived at the airport several hours ahead of my midnight departure so there wasn't a wait at any of the check-in desks. Business class passengers can use the priority check-in desks so there should never be too much of a wait if you need to check bags or speak to an agent.
In São Paulo, American has an Admirals Club lounges. Much like the airline's basic domestic lounges in the U.S., it was fairly basic, but still a nice reprieve from the main terminal.
The lounge is pretty big and has plenty of seating throughout. I mostly used a desk to catch up after a long break from my laptop during Carnival in Brazil.
There were limited food options in this lounge, but it was sufficient. I did enjoy the self-serve bar, though.
The Admirals Club in São Paulo is located in Terminal 3, about a 15-minute walk to my gate in Terminal 2. By the time I arrived, the boarding area was pretty crowded and they had two separate boarding groups for business class on this flight. I boarded in group two.
AA Flagship Lounge in Miami (MIA)
Flying American's Flagship Business Class also means you'll have access to its Flagship Lounges at select airports in the U.S. These are located in Chicago-O'Hare (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), and coming soon to Philadelphia (PHL).
Since I had a connection in Miami and was arriving on an international business class flight, I was able to use the fancy Flagship Lounge during my layover. These lounges are a huge step above the typical Admirals Club.
The Miami Flagship Lounge had a ton of space, divided into several different seating areas. The lounge chairs were all taken when I arrived so I spent most of my time in one of these comfy high-back chairs.
After an overnight flight, it was nice to use the shower at the Miami lounge to freshen up a bit. It can sometimes be hard to snag a time slot for one of the six shower rooms, but I lucked out this time around.
The buffet at Miami's Flagship Lounge had a nice spread for breakfast. I still had to cross the country at this point in my journey, so I was glad to get a good meal in before I continued on.
Related Reading: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Dallas (DFW) Review
Onboard American's 777-300ER Business Class
American's Flagship 777-300ER aircraft is a little over 10 years old, but the business class cabin is still in pretty good shape. It was around midnight when we boarded so the cabin was pretty dim.
Here's a look at these seats in better light from my short flight between Miami and Dallas the following morning, also on a 777-300ER.
There are a total of 52 business class seats, through row 15, on the 777-300ER. You'll have a more intimate experience if you can book a seat in rows three or four, which are directly behind the first class cabin. This seat map from AeroLOPA gives a great overview.
The bulkhead seats in rows three and five have slightly more space than the others. If you want that extra bit of legroom, try to pick one of these.
If you enjoy looking out the window, you'll want to avoid the “window” seat in row 11 (seats 11A & 11J) as there isn't an actual window at these seats. Otherwise, all seats are pretty similar.
Couples traveling together may prefer to pick a seat in the middle section, which angle toward each other. But don't worry: You'll still have some privacy here if you don't know the person sitting next to you.
Business class passengers have reserved overhead bin space, so even if you arrive late, you shouldn't have any issues storing your carry-on bags. That being said, these bins are not the largest compared to what you'll find on newer planes.
There are two lavatories toward the front of the business class cabin – which are primarily for business and first class passengers – and four at the back, which are shared with Premium Economy. The bathrooms at the front are slightly bigger and have nicer finishes inside, but nothing too extravagant.
Overall, the business class cabin on the 777-300ER has one of American's best layouts. All seats have direct aisle access, it feels spacious, and there is a decent amount of privacy at each seat.
Business Class Seats
The seats themselves don't look very exciting – with a grey shell and dark blue padding, it's a bit dull. The one redeeming quality, as far as aesthetics goes, is the wood-colored finish on the console.
The highlight of these seats is no doubt the legroom – there's a ton. And you won't find those narrow footwells common in modern business class seats either. Instead, it's a nice, wide area to rest your feet while lying down.
There's a decent amount of storage both below your seat and in the little nook where you'll find the headphones. After takeoff, you can store things in that spacious footwell, too.
At your side, you'll find the seat control, a reading light, and a remote control for the entertainment system. The neat thing about the remote is that it will display the remaining flight time, so you don't need to turn on the monitor to know how much time is left.
There's also a power outlet and a standard USB-A plug in this area. But the most interesting thing of all is the old-school AV input and an iPod hookup! Does this mean I can bring my VCR and watch home movies during my flight?
The tray table pulls out from the side console and can be used as a half-table or it folds out for more space. I do like the look of the wood finish but the crack in the fold was a little awkward.
At the aisle, you'll find an adjustable armrest, which you can raise and lower as you please.
Converting the seat to a lie-flat bed was as simple as pressing a button on the control pad. The bed is spacious, but I did feel the crack where the seat bends. This could make it hard for some to sleep, but I was exhausted by this point in the night and had no trouble getting some shut-eye on this eight-hour flight.
Unlike some airlines, AA doesn't provide a mattress pad in business class. I opted to use my blanket as a makeshift mattress pad to give the bed a little extra cushion and compensate for the crack in the seat.
Overall, the seat was quite comfortable, but I did notice some minor wear and tear – not unexpected from a decade-old aircraft. I wouldn't say it's one of the best business class seats out there, but it does the job if you're looking for extra space.
Business Class Seats on Other Aircraft
American uses various layouts across its 777 and 787 fleets. Some feature all forward-facing seats, while others alternate with rear-facing seats. For example, if you're flying on a 777-200ER or 787-8, you may have an all forward-facing seat layout.
But you may also have an alternating forward-facing and rear-facing layout, meaning some seats face toward the front of the plane and some toward the back.
Both the 777-200ER and 787-8 aircraft could have either layout. You can check for this indication on the seat map on American's website, but even that's no sure thing. There are reports that AA sometimes shows only the forward-facing seat map until a few days before departure.
If you're flying a Boeing 787-9, you'll either have the older seats in a forward-facing layout or its brand-new business class suites, which is indicated on American's website as “78P” in the flight details.
This guide from Travel Codex does a good job explaining the differences between each of American Airlines' business class seats.
Amenities & Entertainment
American updated its amenity kit last year and I have to say, I really like the bag they chose. The graphite-colored pouch with Flagship branding and a red handle looks really slick.
Inside, you'll find all the basics like an eye mask, hand and body lotion, lip balm, ear plugs, and a dental kit. I only used the dental kit, which kept me from rummaging through my bag in the middle of the flight.
American provides Bang & Olufsen headphones for its business class passengers. These are high-quality and probably the best noise-cancelling headphones I've used on an airplane.
American Airlines also provides some comfy slippers in business class – and they come in a nice bag so you can take them along for future flights, too. These are super soft and may be the most comfortable slippers I've received from any airline.
The entertainment screen is a little odd as it folds out toward the seat. This means you can't really see it when it's stowed, making it impossible to watch a movie or show while you taxi to or from your gate. When you are ready to use it, the monitor pops out from the side with a push of a button.
There were a large selection of new movies, music, kids entertainment, and even a seat-to-seat chat function. Since this was an overnight flight, I didn't make much use of the entertainment and mostly just slept.
There is Wi-Fi onboard, but it comes at a cost .. and a steep one at that. At $25 for two hours or $29 for the entire flight, I passed since I was planning to sleep for most of the flight. AA is planning to roll out free Wi-Fi across most its fleet starting early next year – but it's unclear if that will include long-haul international flights like this one.
Business Class Service & Dining
The boarding process was very efficient and we took off on time. Once onboard, the flight attendants took our food orders and asked if we wanted to be woken up for breakfast.
The menu featured four different entrees for dinner service, including a vegetarian mozzarella ravioli, and a choice between chicken, beef, and seafood. Meanwhile, there were only two choices for breakfast.
The wine list wasn't exactly extensive, but there were a couple of different reds and whites to choose from, as well as a Port dessert wine and champagne. I was quite surprised to see champagne on the menu since I'd read that American switched to an Italian sparkling wine a few years back. Either way, I'm not a sommelier – to me, it's all just bubbly.
While still on the ground, business class passengers were offered “drinks.” That's all the flight attendant said when he walked down the aisle with a tray of water, orange juice, and champagne – a bit odd. I opted for the bubbly.
Once we got in the sky, meal service started about 30 minutes after takeoff – in the dark. Warm mixed nuts were served along with a beverage. I went with a red wine and sparkling water. The glassware was good quality – it's always nice to drink out of a glass when sitting up front.
For my late-night meal, I went with the beef short rib with a cachaça demi-glace, which seems to be a fancy Brazilian-style gravy. The beef came with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and tomatoes.
The meat was tender, but the gravy (or sauce) just wasn't good, and the potatoes were pretty bland as well. The highlight of the meal was definitely the side salads. I really enjoyed the seasonal greens with orange pieces and a tangy balsamic vinagrette. The chickpea salad was also quite tasty.
One thing to note: The portions were huge for this meal. In my opinion, it was way too much food to eat in the middle of the night. Even though I made a good dent in my meal, I was unable to finish. And I'm really glad I didn't…
When it came time for dessert, I still had a little room left and it was no doubt the highlight of the meal. Look at this massive ice cream sundae!
It seems like most airlines have phased out the classic ice cream sundae from their dessert menu, but I was excited to taste this vanilla masterpiece topped with hot fudge, whipped cream, and chopped pecans. After all that food, I slept well for nearly the rest of the flight.
About an hour or so before landing, the flight attendants began serving breakfast. I opted for a simple fruit bowl with yogurt and granola, which came with a selection of breads and a drink.
The fruit and yogurt were good, but the croissant was rock-hard and stale. I never care for breakfast on an airplane but it was nice to enjoy a green tea before landing.
Overall, I felt the service was efficient. It wasn't over the top by any means, but on an overnight flight, all I'm really looking for is a quick meal and a bed to sleep.
Bottom Line
American Airlines business class might not blow you away, but it delivers on the essentials: lie-flat comfort, aisle access, decent food, and solid service. If you can book it at a good rate – like 45,000 to 60,000 miles one-way using Alaska or AAdvantage miles – it can be an excellent value for a long-haul trip.
Would I fly American Airlines business class again? If the price (in points or cash) is right, absolutely.
