American Airlines (1818 pictures & videos)

7/10

Howard Long

United States (LOZ) to United States (RDU), 13 Dec 2003

Business Class

Lunch
Warm roasted nuts & fresh vegetables in a cucumber dill dressing; Bread selection including Uno's focaccia bread; Smoked salmon with capers, red onion and sour cream, lemon, toast; Seasonal greens with fresh vegetales, parmesan crusted chicken, and olive oil & balsamic vinegar; Rosemary roasted double lamb chops with merlot sauce, parmesan potato and green beans; Fruit & cheese including Port-salut and Chevre with dried cherries, candies walnuts & crackers; Grand Marnier fruit salad and Ben & Jerry's mango-lime sorbet.

Diet Coke Gin & Tonic (Tanqueray no 10) Champagne (Pommery 1995) White wine (Kenwood Sonoma County Savignon Blanc 2001) Red wine (Chateau Batailley 1999) Dessert wine (Chateau d'Yquem 1990) (provided by pax

Warm nut selection was better than I'm used to - there were some pitachios and smoked nuts in there making it more interesting and tasty than the usual selection. The raw carrot/celery in a yummy sauce was simple but tasty. The smoked salmon with sour cream, chopped onions and capers was very tasty indeed, the best part of the meal. Champagne was a little too warm. The focaccia bread was excellent too - warm and fresh, not dry. The greens/salad with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and Parmesan chicken was rather boring and tasteless. The Sauvignon Blanc was OK. The lamb chops didn't arrive. Instead I was given some lamb medallions. I asked if this was right, and was told 'yes'. Then about a minute later another FA turned up and apologised most profusely, explaining that they'd raided the BC section for the lamb medallions as they'd inadvertently run out of chops. Tasted OK, but I really was looking forward to those marinated chops. Meat was cooked to airline standards - in other words, very overcooked. The Bordeaux red was OK but very young. The cheese selection was disappointingly small with a mild Port-salut and a Chevre goats cheese (goats cheese will often wake up a flat or warm champagne - try it!). No blue cheese for my Chateau d'Yquem. The fruit salad with mango-lime sorbet was good, especially with the 1990 Chateau d'Yquem I'd brought on board. I spoke to the FA who chilled it for me and served it. Yummy-tastic. AA have no sweet white dessert wine on board. (They did have a sherry and a port). The FA kept filling the tiny wine glasses right to the top - I'd have hoped they taught 'em something at AA! The tell tale signs of cost cutting are there for all to see. Only the very basic bathroom facilities, small wine selection, only methode champenoise before take-off, lounge facilities awfully tired and lacking in food offerings. Somewhere, sometime, weren't there premium chocolates on offer in intercontinental first class? Caviar? Seems like miles away from those days now. Still, the ticket price was excellent. Good value, but I'd feel ripped off if I'd paid full fare. Despite this, service was very good and friendly. Two FA's, twelve passengers.

Date added: 2009-11-18   //   Flight: 8.5:00   //   Aircraft: 777, First or leisure trip: