A Review of American Airlines Flagship Business Class on the Boeing 777-200ER from Santiago to Miami

by Krish Patel

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 for certain 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.

The Ground Experience at SCL

American Airlines flies out of Terminal 2 in Santiago, which is the international terminal. Flagship Business Class passengers are able to check in at the dedicated priority check-in counter. Note that priority check-in is also for OneWorld status holders and folks traveling in Flagship First or Premium Economy. 

After bag drop, passengers departing Chile on an international itinerary are required to go through passport control and then security. The line for the former was quite long and took almost 15 to 20 minutes to properly pass through. At the counter, I was required to show my passport and return my Tourist Card from the PDI.

Once airside, I had just over an hour before my flight began boarding. American Airlines Business Class passengers departing Santiago can access the Primeclass Pacifico Lounge, which is located on the ground level and near gate C11. 

The lounge covers all the basic amenities, including seating, a buffet, bar, showers, and relaxation zone. Seating extends throughout the entire lounge space, offering excellent up-close views of the aircraft that may be taxiing by. 

The buffet selection is very simple and certainly not impressive for the standards of a Business Class lounge experience. There are minimal hot food options and only a limited amount of cold items as well, which was mostly limited to fruit and stale-looking pastries. 

My gate for the Miami-bound flight was located right across from the lounge’s entrance. I was able to enjoy a good view of the aircraft from the gate before the sun had set, which was prior to entering the lounge. 

American’s Flagship Business passengers can pre-board the aircraft ahead of Group 1, allowing them to settle in. On the jet bridge, a security screening was held, where a security agent checked my boarding pass and carry-on luggage. 

American Airlines 777-200ER Flagship Business Cabin and Seat

The Boeing 777-200ER features 37 reverse herringbone pods arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. American Airlines has two Flagship Business cabins on this particular aircraft, with the forward cabin having five rows of four seats each and a single seat on the right side of the jet in row 6. The remaining 16 seats are located in the aft cabin, including my seat, 9L. 

Pods in the center section of the airplane are angled towards each other, while those along the window are positioned away from one another. American’s dark gray and wood color palette feels elevated and modern, especially when compared to the bland design of the Zodiac Business Class cabin. The seats are soft and comfortable for a long haul flight, with gray padding and high privacy shells. 

Each Business Class seat offers 22 inches of width and reclines to an 81-inch flat bed. Although there’s no door, there’s still plenty of privacy thanks to a tall partition separating the seat from the aisle. 

Situated in front of you is a massive 18 inch inflight entertainment screen, beneath which is the 18.5 inch wooden bifold tray table. The table can be easily accessed by gently pushing on its bottom control. There’s also a footrest, which is not super spacious. I found the room around my feet somewhat restrictive while sleeping. 

Adjacent to the entertainment screen is a small coat hook. 

Along the window side of the seat is a massive side console, which includes the panel of seat controls, a literature rack, and two storage cubbies. The first of the two enclosed storage units is slightly deeper and includes an AC power outlet, handheld remote control, two USB ports, and a headphone jack. Meanwhile, the shallower cubby offers room for smaller personal items such as your phone or AirPods. 

Tucked behind the literature rack, I found a small flip-out reading light. It’s built into the seat’s black shell and makes for a very practical feature. 

Besides the two primary storage units, there’s a third smaller cubby with plenty of room for a water bottle. I was really impressed by the amount of storage the Super Diamond Seats offer, especially when compared to the Concept D Zodiac seats, which barely offer any major storage compartments. 

To my left was an adjustable armrest, which doubled as a small cubby. American Airlines clearly wants its passengers to have plenty of space for storing items during the flight. 

When in lie-flat bed mode, this seat isn’t of the best quality. I’m personally not a huge fan of the airbag-equipped seat belt, which felt rather tight and limiting across the waist. Around the hips, there was a noticeable gap that felt odd while sleeping. Despite these issues, I was still tired and slept well. If you sleep on your stomach (like I do), then the gap between the hip area becomes less of an issue. 

There are three lavatories reserved for Business Class passengers, all of which are spacious. I was impressed by the proper china sink and high-end soap, as well as the sleek wooden accents. 

Food and Drink in American Airlines Business Class 

Pre-departure beverages were offered in plastic cups before departing Santiago, with three choices: champagne, orange juice, and water. I chose water, which was served in the exact same cups as what American uses for its domestic Main Cabin service. Using plastic for the pre-takeoff service is certainly not premium.

However, beverages in proper glassware were served after climbing to cruising altitude. I went for sparkling water and received the entire can in addition to my drink. This was complimented by the warm nuts served in ceramic china.

For my entree, I had pre-ordered the mozzarella cappelletti. It was warm and fresh, though the presentation didn’t look Business Class quality. I was not impressed by the presentation of the side salad, which tasted pretty mediocre. Flight attendants also came around to offer bread rolls to go along with the meal. In my experience, American Airlines catering is usually superior to that of United’s, though the presentation and taste can still be inconsistent if you are departing another country.

In terms of dessert, you can’t resist the traditional Haagen-Dazs ice cream sundae on American Airlines. This hand-assembled sundae includes a variety of toppings such as whipped cream, hot fudge, chopped walnuts, dulce de leche, and berry compote. It’s such a fun perk of flying American Airlines Business Class internationally that’s hard to say no to. 

Hungry passengers could visit the mid-flight snack bar, which is located between the two Business Class cabins on the Boeing 777. Snacks such as fruit, chips, and even bottles of water were laid out for customers to take. 

Breakfast was served almost an hour before landing in Miami, for which I selected the Swiss muesli. Its presentation didn’t look very appetizing and the taste was just average. A cup of yogurt and pastry were both provided alongside the meal, both of which looked unappealing. For my drink, I opted for a cup of coffee to wake up. 

Amenities in American Airlines Flagship Business

Once I settled into my seat, I found several goodies that were meant to be used during the flight. Each Flagship Business seat comes provided with bedding, slippers, noise-cancelling Bang & Olufsen headphones, an amenity kit, and bottle of water. 

Both the slippers and bedding are provided by Nest. Thanks to the bag the pillow and blanket come provided in, it’s easy to store during take-off and landing.

On this overnight flight, we received American’s Brandon Blackwood amenity kits, which don’t feel as premium quality compared to the Raven Lily ones. The pouch’s material felt somewhat cheap, and having a few more skincare essentials wouldn’t be too much to ask for. I revived the same amenity kit on my American Business Class flight from San Francisco to New York, and having the same kit on a longer flight didn’t feel so impressive. 

American’s inflight entertainment system features a robust selection of movies and TV shows, with plenty of genres to choose from. On a long flight, it’s important to have an extensive entertainment selection, which AA wonderfully provides. However, the touchscreen interface can be difficult to use because it’s not very responsive. Compared to the entertainment options on Delta and United, American is lacking slightly behind. Their IFE does not feel up to date and as crisp or modern as what one would expect from one of America’s flagship airlines. 

Booking & Pricing for American Airlines Flagship Business Class

On this route, a one-way fare in American Airlines Flagship Business typically starts from $3,500 and can vary widely depending on the time of booking. For example, if you book closer to departure, a Business Class ticket on American between the two city pairs is more likely to cost upwards of $5,600. 

American is part of the OneWorld Alliance, which means that travelers have plenty of options when it comes to booking flights. First of all, there is the option to book through the airline’s own AAdvantage program, where one way award rates start from 70,000 miles if saver award space is present. Note that AAdvantage uses dynamic pricing like many other mileage programs, so it’s important to realize that prices can vary based on the day and when you book.  

You can also book through Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines Atmos Rewards, which utilizes a unified partner chart based on the fixed distance of your itinerary. Per this chart, flights to and from South America cost 50,000 points each way, as the SCL-MIA route falls between 3,501 and 5,000 miles. 

Overall Thoughts

American’s Super Diamond product is vastly superior to their custom Zodiac seating. The flight was efficient with decent amenities, typical American Airlines catering, and a friendly crew. As this was an overnight flight, I slept incredibly well and arrived in the U.S. feeling well-rested. However, the lounge experience when departing another country can feel inconsistent, as not all airports have dedicated AA or partner airline lounges.