American Airlines Minneapolis New York

This is a review of American Airlines Minneapolis New York operated on an E175 aircraft.

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Trip Details

Date: December 2, 2016

Flight: American Eagle 4619

From: Minneapolis – MSP

To: New York LaGuardia – LGA

Aircraft: E175

Seat: 1A

Trip Report

My wife and I planned a weekend trip to New York to see the Christmas Tree and walk around and explore the city.

For the trip, I paid cash for my flight at around $300 and we redeemed miles for my wives ticket. As usual, Saver Economy inventory was not available for the nonstop flight; however, Saver First was available which was the same price as economy at 50,000 miles. While not the best redemption for a two-hour flight, we planned on using the additional $300 for the city.

I received an upgrade to first class at around 100-hours prior to the flight.

Airport Experience

We arrived at the airport about one hour and 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. The check in area had a bit of activity. The first class line had about eight other guests in it, so I utilized a kiosk to print a bag tag and then approached the baggage drop area and was assisted after waiting for one minute. The agent welcomed me and she placed a priority tag on the bag and wished me a good flight.

My wife and I were both assigned TSA Pre-Check thanks to our Global Entry membership that was reimbursed by our Citi Prestige cards. The Citi Prestige card also offers Priority Pass membership which we utilized during the trip.

You may be able to apply for the Citi Prestige Card or another travel card using my fellow blogger’s BaldThoughts affiliate link.

We joined the Pre-check line, which had about five other guests in line in front of us. After waiting for about two minutes, we reached an agent who scanned our boarding pass and verified our identity before inviting us to the screening area. The screening process was efficient and soon enough we were in the terminal.

We visited the Escape Lounge for about 45 minutes. I have reviewed the Escape Lounge a few times now. It is an excellent lounge offering in the Priority Pass network.

Gate Area

We approached the gate area at the scheduled boarding time. The area had a few people standing around but the activity level was relatively low.

Boarding began within a minute or two and we joined the line. The gate agent asked us to scan our boarding passes before thanking us and inviting us to board the airplane.

We made our way down the jetway and were greeted by a friendly flight attendant who welcomed us on the plane.

Seats

We both selected seats on the 1 side in the cabin as it allowed both of us to have both aisle and window access.

The seats were comfortable and we were able to store our bags in the overhead bin.

The flight attendant offered to prepare a drink for my wife and me. I ordered orange juice and the flight attendant provided it within a minute or two.

The orange juice was served over ice and it was fresh.

The boarding process was efficient; however, there were some delays as a lot of the passengers had to have their bags checked.

Boarding completed at the scheduled departure time and the door was closed on time.

The flight attendants provided a safety demonstration and after a short taxi we turned on the runway and took off.

In Flight

Shortly after we were up in the air, the flight attendant greeted me using my name and she asked what I wanted to drink. I requested a coffee with Bailey’s. The flight attendant informed me that they offered breakfast with granola and a few other items. I accepted and she thanked me.

The flight attendant provided a warm towel a few minutes later followed by the coffee.

The coffee was served hot and it was fresh and it had a good flavor. The Bailey’s was creamy and it enhanced the flavor of the coffee.

The meal was served a few minutes later.

Breakfast

The meal consisted of Granola Cereal with a banana, cheese and fruit plate, yogurt, milk and two mini cinnamon rolls.

The granola was served in a box and it was fresh. The granola was sweet and it had a good taste. The banana was fresh and it also had a good taste and flavor. The fruit plate consisted of two types of grapes, a package of crackers and a spreadable brie cheese. The cinnamon rolls were served cold and they were very sweet. The milk was fresh and it was 2%. The yogurt was from Amsterdam and it was raspberry flavor. The yogurt was fresh and light and it had a good flavor.

After I finished the meal, the flight attendant removed my tray and she offered another drink. I declined and she thanked me.

The flight attendant checked in with me once or twice during the flight to see if I needed anything.

The flight attendant also offered a choice from the snack basket. She said that they normally do not serve the basket in addition to the meal but they loaded it on the flight.

The snack basket offered cookies, chips, almonds and Cliff Bars. I selected a Cliff Bar.

The Cliff bar was chocolate chip and it was fresh and had a good taste.

I checked the GoGo Wifi and noted that this flight did not offer streaming entertainment on demand.

The GoGo Prices were recently increased and a duration of flight pass is now $26.95. Definitely not worth it for a two-hour flight. The all-day pass is now $36.95 and the monthly pass on American domestic flights is $49.95.

Landing

The two-hour flight was quick and soon enough we approached New York. The flight attendant prepared the cabin for landing and she removed used dishes and glasses.

We vectored around a bit before being cleared for landing and I took a few pictures as we approached New York.

The flight landed ahead of schedule and after a medium length taxi we arrived at a gate.

The flight attendant thanked us sincerely as we departed the plane.

We made our way to the baggage claim area where we located our bag before requesting an Uber to get to the city.

Summary

We found the flight attendant to be very friendly. She made the flight fun and enjoyable. The aircraft was comfortable and the flight was quick and enjoyable. The breakfast was updated and it was nice that a mini-cheese and fruit plate was added along with the banana.