Flying American Airlines Minneapolis Dallas Fort Worth
Flight Details
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2016
Flight: American 1395
From: Minneapolis – MSP
To: Dallas Fort Worth – DFW
Aircraft: 737-800
Seats: 4E and 4F
Trip Report
My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and we purchased our ticket using miles.
At the time of booking, economy was not available in Saver and Business was, so it was actually cheaper to fly in First and Business class than economy for the trip at 25,000 miles each way or 50,000 miles round trip per-person.
As usual, you have to be creative in searching for award travel. Initially only one seat was available in first and business at the saver level. I booked both of our tickets separately in order to secure the saver space. So initially, I had one trip booked in saver and one booked in mixed saver and regular level.
Tip: Always search for award travel one person at a time.
The following day, another saver seat was opened up, so I called in to adjust the second reservation down to the saver level.
Unfortunately, one of the flights was not available in business, so we had to book each reservation with three flights in first and one in economy. In our case, this worked out to be the flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Cabo. I thought I would be able to change it to all first and business before departure and I set alerts using Expert Flyer as well as made several calls to American to try to modify the reservation. Saver inventory was never released on any of the routes after booking, so we kept the reservations as is.
Airport Check-In
We arrived at the airport a little under 2 hours prior to the departure time and made our way to the American check-in area.
The area had light activity at the time and there was only one person in line in the premium line. One agent was assisting a passenger at the time, and that transaction took about 10 minutes. The other person in line was checked in promptly and we were invited to the desk.
The agent welcomed us and he processed our check-in and checked our two bags to Cabo. The agent was friendly and he efficiently tagged the bags and provided our boarding passes. The agent wished us a good trip to Mexico.
We were both assigned TSA Pre-Check thanks to our Global Entry membership and we joined the line of five people. At the time, there were four lines opened for Pre-Check, which made the process faster than usual and we went through the process in under five minutes.
Boarding Area
We approached the boarding area about 30 minutes before the flight. The area was busy with activity and people were already lined up for the boarding of first class.
We joined the line and were greeted within a minute or two by the agent who asked us to scan our boarding passes. The agent thanked us and she wished us a good flight.
Onboard
Upon boarding, we located our seats and stored our bags in the overhead bin.
A flight attendant offered water, juice or coffee for the pre-departure beverage. We requested water and the flight attendant provided it.
The boarding process was efficient and despite there being a slight delay at the beginning of boarding, the door was closed on time.
The flight attendants picked up the used glasses and they presented the safety video on the overhead screens.
The safety video was the new version that I previously discussed on the blog. While the video is a great update, it lacks the entertainment value that Delta uses for their frequently updated videos.
Once the safety video completed there was a short taxi to the runway. A flight attendant greeted us and asked what we wanted to drink while we were up in the air. We both requested vodka cranberry with lime. The flight attendant thanked us.
In Flight
After the short taxi, we reached the runway and we were up in the air.
About 15 minutes later, the flight attendants prepared the beverages and they delivered them to the passengers.
The flight attendants were attentive and they offered additional drinks as passengers finished their first ones.
Snack Service
A small snack was offered which consisted of yogurt, granola and a breakfast bread. The flight attendant presented the pre-plated snack and asked if we wanted one. I accepted and she provided it. She also offered another drink at that time.
The breakfast was served chilled. The yogurt was Chobani branded vanilla Greek yogurt which was fresh and had a good taste. The granola was sweet and it went well with the yogurt. The breakfast bread was also fresh and it had a good taste.
After I finished the snack, the flight attendants offered to remove the tray. I accepted and she thanked me.
The flight attendants continued to circulate the cabin and they offered additional beverages.
WiFi Entertainment
The flight offers WiFi and WiFi entertainment. I pulled up the GoGo Internet on my laptop and selected the entertainment options. There were seven options that were complimentary including two shows and five movies.
I selected one of the pay options and noted that movies cost $5.99.
Although it is great that there are a few free options, the offering is disappointing when compared to Delta and United as they offer nearly all free entertainment content.
Landing
The flight was quick and soon enough we were approaching Dallas Fort Worth. The flight attendants prepared the cabin for landing and they thanked all the passengers.
The flight landed early and there was a average length taxi to the gate. Once parked, the door was opened and a gate agent made a welcome announcement before passengers deplaned. As we departed, the flight attendants thanked us sincerely and they wished us a good day.
We entered the terminal and made our way to the next flight.
Summary
The flight was quick. We felt that the flight attendants were excellent. They were available in the cabin and they frequently checked in with us during the flight. We enjoyed the experience and look forward to another American flight.
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