American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Flight 962 Dallas/Fort Worth – São Paul, Brazil – Review
The inaugural flight of a new airplane type is always an adventure but getting to the launch can become an adventure unto itself when weather is involved. That was the case when my flight from New York to Dallas/Fort Worth, where a brand new Boeing 777-300ER was waiting for its maiden voyage, was cancelled
With this trip, American would become the first U.S. airline to fly the 777-300ER, the largest aircraft to enter service in the U.S. since the late 1990s, when the Boeing 747-400 became all the rage.
Once I learned of my New York-Dallas flight’s cancellation, I rushed to LaGuardia to catch an earlier flight. Thanks in part to no traffic and no line at the TSA PreCheck security checkpoint, I made it to the gate with six minutes to spare and, soon enough, was relaxing at the DFW airport’s Admirals Club.
BOARDING
Boarding for the flight, scheduled to depart at 8:35 p.m. Central Time, started around 7:35 p.m. There was a festive mood at the gate, passengers were being offered a variety of light snacks and desserts (the brownies looked especially good), and American CEO Tom Horton and chief customer officer Virasb Vahidi were on hand to welcome everyone and acknowledge the launch of not only a new plane but the airline’s new logo and livery.
The first things passengers will notice upon boarding are the dramatic archway at the entrance and the mood lighting. Just past the entryway the new walk-up bar presents a welcoming touch.
First class passengers were invited to board first, to be followed immediately by business-class passengers. I was one of the first on the plane and headed to my seat, 3A, in the mini-cabin to the left of door 2L.
Flight attendants were in the aisles offering pre-departure beverages, hanging up coats, and taking a moment to orient themselves to the new aircraft since they were as new to it as it was to the passengers.
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