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Monday, October 23, 2023

Highs and Lows on American Airlines: SEA-LAX-LHR

Our SEA-LAX flight on an American Eagle Embraer 175 was delayed by a warning light that required a mechanic’s attention.



Fortunately we landed at LAX only a half hour late after eating a strange and vaguely unpleasant “steak” sandwich in a typical regional jet box. The flight was otherwise fine.





We’re not all that familiar with LAX, and were pleased to learn we were landing at a regional jet terminal, and that a shuttle bus would whisk us to Terminal 4.



We arrived at our gate about 15 minutes before boarding started.



AA’s hard product, a 1-2-1 configuration on a Boeing 777-300 offering Flagship Service, is just as good as we remember. It features roomy flatbeds with a decent amount of storage space and comfortable duvets and pillows for sleeping.





The video system offers a good variety of entertainment and our flight attendants were friendly.

The food on the other hand almost made us long for another “steak” sandwich. We’d seen few strong recommendations on Flyertalk for any of the available dinner options, so we decided to pre-order Hindu specialty meals: big mistake.



It tasted just about how you’d expect something that looked like that to taste.

And what’s with the lettuce and strawberries prelude?


Two highlights stood out when we disembarked at Heathrow. First, the immigration e-gates made passport control a breeze.

Second, AA offers an attractive little Arrivals Lounge in Terminal 3 for passengers in First and Business Class.





Nothing beats Eggs Benedict, a Cappuccino, and a glass of Moët for breakfast, especially after our recent inflight dining experiences.





We could have showered, but we were heading for the Heathrow Hilton immediately. As we suspected, when we checked in after the usual Heathrow long walks and a free inter-terminal train ride, our room was ready.















A short nap is in order, followed by a visit to the Executive Lounge for Happy Hour, during our shortest ever U.K.stay, all of 29 hours.

We arrive punctually at 6:00 pm and are happy to find ourselves a table.





A couple of hot appetizers include a spicy lamb kofta, and in a nice touch two young lounge attendants wheel around a cart of sparkling wine.



Cheers!




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