Aviation with Krish

American Airlines has more than one type of configuration in Business Class, even on the same aircraft. Specifically, the Boeing 777-200ERs in the Forth-Worth based carrier’s fleet feature two types of configurations up front: the Concept D Zodiac Seats and the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond Seats. The latter is regarded as the better Business Class product in the long haul American fleet. Unfortunately, travelers won’t be able to know which configuration they will be getting until boarding. 

Here’s our experience on American’s 777-200ER in Business Class from Santiago, Chile, to Miami, Florida. 

United Airlines recently announced their massive 13-route expansion, which includes 10 new cities. Following the breaking news, American Airlines announced its own new routes for the 2027 summer season. American’s list of new routes is significantly smaller than that of its rival, but still includes three new European destinations. The list also includes European destinations American Airlines already flies to, though they will receive service from additional hubs. 

United is going big again for the 2027 summer season, but this time, they have gone even bigger. The airline announced routes to 10 new international destinations, nine of which are in Europe and eight of which are currently not served by any U.S. airline. Many of these destinations are leisure vacation spots where tourism peaks during the summer months. Additionally, United has also announced plans to launch three new routes to destinations that already receive service from the airline. 

For a long time, American Airlines remained the odd one out compared to Delta, United, and even JetBlue. While these three U.S. airlines have invested in seatback screens on their domestic narrowbody planes, American has moved away from offering entertainment monitors on its Airbus and Boeing narrowbody planes in favor of streaming entertainment. However, this will all change in 2028.

If there’s one mainline domestic aircraft American Airlines relies on more than any other jet, it’s the Boeing 737-800. The 737 operates several key routes to major hubs and large cities, making it an important workhorse for the airline. It’s also the most common aircraft type in the mainline American fleet, so your chances of ending up on one are pretty high if you tend to fly with American frequently. A recent hub-to-hub hop across the coast gave me the perfect opportunity to put American’s most iconic medium haul aircraft to the test in First Class. 

Of the big 3 U.S. legacy airlines, American offers the most number of direct routes to South America. The carrier serves several destinations from its Miami and Dallas hubs across Latin America, including major cities like Buenos Aires and Santiago. For these long haul routes to Deep South America, American Airlines sends its fleet of Boeing widebodies, which includes the 777s and 787 Dreamliners. 

Here’s our experience flying on American’s 787-8 in Flagship Business from Miami (MIA) to Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago (SCL).

Many travelers who regularly fly United are likely to remember the transparent plastic blue cups meant for cold beverages. However, the Chicago-based carrier has begun to eliminate these familiar cups in favor of newer, more eco-friendly recyclable paper cups.

A fourth airline will soon be flying between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Tokyo, Japan. Joining the already existing flights offered by ANA, JAL, and United, American will relaunch service between ORD and Tokyo Narita (NRT). The new flight is part of a joint-venture agreement with OneWorld partner Japan Airlines. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card ($95 annual fee) is currently offering a hefty welcome bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. These credit card points can be used for Business Class travel if maximized correctly, such as booking a one-way ticket to Japan on United Airlines. Specifically, Chase points transfer to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio, and one-way Polaris Business Class awards from the west coast to Tokyo can start from 85,000 miles. 

Nestled into the picturesque region of Lake Como is the iconic Grand Tremezzo Hotel, a gorgeous property surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The hotel has truly captured the grand beauty of Lake Como for over 100 years and continues to do so, with lavish amenities and carefully curated touches to make the property feel premium. From the hotel, you’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking views of Bellagio, the surrounding alps, and the peaceful lake that make you feel like you’re in a movie.