Last fall, American Airilnes invited me to a private event at LAX where they showcased their new 3 Cabin Airbus A321T from LAX/SFO-JFK (Los Angeles/San Francisco to New York). I was totally blown away by the experience and couldn’t wait to fly it. I had the chance to finally try it out myself back in April in Business Class and it was an amazing experience it itself.
Back in June, American Airlines announced a new Airbus A321 two class cabin which was to be debuted in selected markets. Last week on my way to Barranquilla, I flew the brand new American Airlines 2 cabin Airbus A321 in First Class from LAX-MIA (Los Angeles to Miami).
The First Class cabin of the Airbus A321 is in a 2-2 configuration with 16 recliner seats.
I chose the bulkhead aisle seat which came with a pillow and a blanket.
The in-flight entertainment system was located in front of me where I could control it straight from my seat using the remote.
In the middle console in between seats, there was a headphone jack, USB port, S-Video port, and a 110V Universal AC power outlet.
The flight attendant came through the cabin with earbuds (which costs $5 in economy class).
I was disappointed that no pre-departure beverage was served and it’s definitely a hit or miss these days.
After the flight reached cruising altitude, the flight attendant passed out two packaged biscotti cookies and served a beverage of my choice. In this case, it was cranberry and vodka with lime which is my favorite all time drink.
The flight attendant did not pass out a hot wet towel which is not normal for such a long flight.
For breakfast, I had Liege Waffles with Nutella and Applewood Smoked Sausage. It was served with maple syrup, fruit, and bread (not pictured). The Belgian waffles were excellent and it’s probably the best hot breakfast dish I’ve had on American Airlines.
Dessert was a trio of cookies with a strawberry garnish which was absolutely disappointing. One could hope for three twins ice cream, mango sorbet, or a cheese plate.
The flight attendant handed out a bottle of Nestle PureLife water after dessert.
Halfway throughout the flight, the flight attendant passed out the dreaded snack basket and fruit basket (not pictured). Honestly, I can’t eat anything from the snack basket these days but they do make great snacks “to go”.
One hour before landing, the flight attendant passed out freshly baked on board cookies and I chose the white and dark chocolate chip option.
Shortly thereafter, sparkling water with a citrus fruit garnish was served before landing.
The flight was pleasant on the new A321 two class and my only complaint about the seat is the fact that they don’t recline into a lie-flat bed. The service was fantastic on this flight as the flight attendants cleared plates instantly so people can catch up on work or sleep. Some minor improvements could be a pre-departure beverage, onboard menus, hot towels (before and after the meal), and ice cream, sorbet, or cheese & crackers for dessert. The 2-cabin Airbus A321 has a lot catching up to do with the 3-cabin Airbus A321T.
thanks for the review! it’s really hard to find any reviews/pics of this plane since most detail the transcon. I am taking this 2 class airbus from MIA to LAX in April and wanted to see if you would recommend the bulkhead seat you had or another one in the first class cabin?
Thanks!
I am just used to the bulkhead section, but if you want legroom, anything but the bulkhead is better. Have a great flight and thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello and thanks for your awesome reviews. I will be flying LAX-MIA and I realized that the 777 is the only ones that lays flat. Most of the planes that fly this route are 738 which barely reclines. Does the Airbus 32B recline more than the 738? Thank you!
Hi Maria, the Airbus 32B reclines slightly better than the 738. Thank you for reading.
Hi there! Which would you rather fly first on from lax to mia: the 777 or the two-class a321?
Thankss
definitely the 777 in First Class (Flagship Suite) because of the lie flat seats! The 2 class A321 in F is just a recliner
Going off the latest comment.. which would you rather fly on from LAX to MIA: the 777 Business class or the A321 (2 class) in first?
Thanks!
I’d rather fly the 777 Business Class because angle flat is so much better than the A321 2 class recliners.
Flying from RDU to DEN in Feb. How can I tell if I’m on a new 321 or one of the older ones?
Hi,
Thank you for the informative review.
I am flying LAX-HNL in March on A320.
Two years ago I flew 767 with – yet old First – better seats than ‘just’ recliner seats.
I guess it’s the same First configuration on the LAX-HNL flight as the LAX-MIA?
Thanks
Hey Amigo, thanks for this report. I’m six foot, three with a recent back surgery so I need an aisle so not to bother when I need to get up regularly but the bulkhead was the only available aisle seat. How bad is the legroom?