TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin AA Economy versus main cabin

I know you have to pay extra to choose a seat on AA Economy, but what are other differences for that, versus Main Cabin? I really don't care about boarding groups... I'm looking at a difference of $80 per person, which has to be more than what it would cost to choose a seat, which I would pay to do. AA economy still allows you put a bag in the overhead for free, correct?

It does allow you both a personal item and a carryon. I've included a link below that spells out everything about Basic Economy on AA. It will answer any question you have

AA Basic Economy

OK, thanks..

Looks like a good deal to me !

The big thing that keeps me away from Basic Economy is that the tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. You cant pay a change fee - you forfeit the entire cost of the ticket if something happens that you have to cancel/change.

I had basic economy last March. Cancelled because of Covid and was refunded whole amount. It was in the form of a credit.

AA was allowing free changes and refunded credits with basic economy last year, but I think they stopped for all basic economy flights booked after March 2021. Delta extended their flexibility for basic economy flights booked through April 2021, discontinued it briefly, and have now reinstated it. I don't think AA has done the same yet, but it's possible considering the increase in Covid cases and renewed travel anxiety.

We use to travel with AA years ago, had points upgrades on the "house". Then, it started to go down hill fast like Franz Klammer!! Last minute cancellations, rerouting last minute and so on. the planes were from WW2! I thought at one point they were going to hand out parachutes!!! That was it!! Now, Delta and JB are consistent for us. Great value with both. But love the perks of the Delta comfort class!! HEY! who doesn't like free Champaign and bloody mary's to start the vacation off right! I'd look into that Carol!!

dustin--yes, that's the kicker, which you just pointed out, you can change with Main Cabin. We are also going during the height of hurricane season. May just keep our frequent flyer tickets that we have booked..

Delta does not fly from Florida to SXM. Would be a huge waste to travel from Florida to Atlanta to board a Delta plane and then the same amount of time to fly to SXM. I would rather forego my Delta Drink, for a Drink four hours quicker in SXM.

Ed--Delta does not fly nonstop from Florida to SXM, correct. We have flown Delta a couple of times from Tampa and it's not a bad flight, connecting in Atlanta, but not a nonstop. Delta's planes are much nicer than AA planes, for sure.

Not all, there are some nice AA jets and there are some bad DL jets, and I have also been less than impressed with Jet Blue. AA has been updating their fleet, not as fast as hoped but still updating. The one item on DL is I always seem to get flight attendants that are less than pleasant. I mostly stick with Alaska Airlines and second choice American. The AA jets that I don't like is when you get the old US Air jets, and with Alaska the old Virgin Airbus jets but both are phasing those jets out.

The biggest thing I have noticed over the last year is that the passengers are rude and disrespectful like never before, blows me away with some of what I hear.

Todd--obviously, you fly all the time, versus we only go to SXM one or two times a year and a couple other flights, on things to the Midwest. It's been a few years since we've been on Jet Blue, but back then, Jet Blue planes were MUCH nicer than AA ones, and I do like the extra leg room. Our recent experiences with AA planes from Miami is that they have been pretty threadbare, plus I like the seat back monitors on Delta.

Our last trip to SXM back in April started out having been booked on revenue tickets through Jet Blue but due to impossible and unreasonable changes made by JB we cancelled and booked AA instead. They were First Class tix round trip and they were definitely the old USAir planes, so the FA told a complaining passenger. The spacing of the seats seemed closer than regular coach on most planes we’ve flown and they were very uncomfortable and didn’t even feature foot rests. I guess the fact they were leather was something but if I had paid for them with dollars instead of discounted miles I would have been livid. Thought about complaining but in the end I didn’t think it was worth the effort.

We’ve flown JFK to HON via LA on AA on beautiful and comfortable planes and always enjoyed the flights, or would have were it not for the length. I guess we just got lucky but the Business seats were great and First in another trip was incredible. Remember the AA planes from NY to SXM where the seats actually reclined to a sleeping position? Thinking those days are done.

But to add to what Todd said, I can only agree that while we don’t fly but three or four times a year, I am amazed at the rudeness of passengers these days but even worse than that, I think many of them must live in dumps. We watched people dump their snack wrappers on the floor and leave them there and we saw people throwing their newspapers section by section there, too. It’s just as easy to hand them to a FA to dispose of them. And while I expect everyone should dress comfortably while traveling, lately I’m amazed at some of the get-ups I see. Some look like they dressed for cleaning the garage and decided last minute to fly instead.

Pat your point that going across the US to say Hawaii or even just coast to coast you get better aircraft typically than going to the Caribbean is what I have experienced. It seems they use the aircraft that are already used up a bit to go to the islands for the most part although we have had some nice ones at times but not normally.

Worst jets I have been on: #1 - Air India from Mumbai to Goa, it was hilariously bad, think of a velvet lined bus in India and you are getting close. #2 - British Airways 767 from Rome to London, while it was broken down on the tarmac for three hours I was able to trace the aircraft back to one of the oldest 767's in the sky although the staff was pretty good, aircraft no. #3 - AA from CLT to Nassau, I joked that it was a Dwight Eisenhower Signature Edition jet, but probably not as old as the BA 767.

Many fly a lot more than I, but I am presently flying a bit over 100k per year in the US, Mexico and Caribbean. It almost becomes sport between airline status and hotel status, will ride the wave while it works for me but someday that will end. Most is work related but I do like to vacation and I think I am pretty good at it!

todd
it;s amazing to me why the rudeness???
it just makes everyone around them uncomfortable and to what purpose does it achieve???
just plan ignorant

Hey Ed, sorry about that, yes we that travel out of JFK got it real good! Good luck, I've heard so many horror stories from travelers from different parts of the country! Yes, we are bless.