Read more from this trip – Christmas in Argentina:

• American Airlines Admirals Club LaGuardia Airport LGA
• American Airlines First Class LGA-DFW
• American Airlines Flagship Lounge DFW
• American Airlines Premium Economy Class DFW-EZE
• Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
• Park Hyatt Mendoza
• Casa De Uco Vineyards & Wine Resort
• American Airlines Admirals Club Guarulhos International Airport GRU
• LATAM VIP Lounge Guarulhos International Airport GRU
• American Airlines Business Class GRU-JFK

Introduction

Flight Details:

• Date of flight: December 25, 2019
• Where: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (“DFW”) to Ezeiza International Airport (“EZE”)
• Flight time: 10 hours 30 minutes
• Departure / arrival time: 8:55pm-10:25am
• Flight #: AA997
• Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
• Seat: 13H
• Paid flight / points: Paid

I’ve booked American Airlines premium economy on several occasions, but this was the first time I didn’t upgrade to business class. I was actually looking forward to trying their product and comparing it to my experience with Iberia premium economy.

After relaxing at the DFW Flagship Lounge I made my way to gate A21. Boarding began promptly at 8:05pm, 50-minutes prior to departure.

Cabin / Seat

American Airline’s 777-200 premium economy cabin is setup in a 2-4-2 configuration. The cabin has 24 recliner seats with 38 inches of pitch. The seat is 19 inches wide, which is a 2 inch upgrade from economy.

The seats are controlled by three manual buttons on the side of the seat. The seats in the first row of premium economy have a leg rest whereas the seats further back only have a foot rest.

Here you can see the seat fully reclined with the leg rest extended. I was able to get 6-hours of sleep on this flight and found the seat to be fairly comfortable even after 10-hours.

Recommended Seats

Seats 13A, 13C, 13J or 13L should be your first choice. They are located in the bulkhead and have significantly more legroom. These seats also have a foldout leg rest.

Amenity Kit

American Airlines partnered with State for their premium economy amenity kit. State is a New York based bag retailer started by husband and wife duo, Scot and Jacqueline Tatelman. For every State bag purchased, the company supports American children and families in need by donating fully-packed backpacks. Aside from helping the community State makes pretty fabulous bags. This one is white with a printed map of Brooklyn, New York. This giraffe doesn’t go to Brooklyn, but still enjoys the design.

The amenity kit features skincare products from Baxter of California including oil free moisturizer and lip balm. It also has ear plugs, a pair of black socks, a sleep mask and toothbrush / toothpaste.

In-Flight Entertainment

I found the in-flight entertainment system to be excellent. The screen was large with excellent resolution. In the first row of premium economy the IFE folds out from the armrest. American has a great selection of latest release movies, TV programs, audio selections, games and 5 live steaming  TV channels. You can check to see what’s playing on your upcoming flight here.

The IFE can also be controlled by a remote located in the armrest, but I didn’t use it because the IFE was within arms reach and the screen was very responsive.

Service

The purser welcomed passengers upon boarding, which Iberia didn’t do when I flew their premium economy product. However, there weren’t any pre-departure beverages (“PDBs”) offered, which is a downgrade from Iberia’s water and juice PDB offering. From my vantage point I could see the business class passengers being served sparkling wine PDBs through an opening in the cabin divider. This giraffe had PDB envy!

Food and Beverage

Menus were waiting on my seat upon boarding. I think it’s a nice touch that American offers printed menus. I pre-ordered the chicken bulgogi option.

The wine options are the same as economy and include Florinda Airen Sauvignon Blanc and Fazio Casa Santa Cabernet Sauvignon. Both retail for about $10 a bottle and are swill. I recommend a cocktail instead.

The meal service is performed by the economy flight attendants. They push their carts to the front of the premium economy cabin and then serve the economy cabin from the same cart once complete. The meal options are an upgrade from what you’ll find in economy and in-line with what you’d expect from a business class meal.

The meal came out on a single tray with actual ceramic plates and metal silverware. The kale salad didn’t look fresh so I skipped it and moved on to the chicken bulgogi with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables. The chicken was tender and flavorful. I tried a bite of the cheesecake, but wasn’t impressed and decided it wasn’t worth the calories. The flight attendants came through for a second drink service after they finished serving economy.

A continental breakfast was served about an hour before landing. It included fresh fruit, Chobani Greek Yogurt and a cinnamon pastry. The fruit was really fresh and delicious. I was happy I had breakfast because the immigration line was 3.5 hours long.

Overall Verdict

First Class Giraffe Approved

I was thoroughly impressed by American Airlines premium economy product. The seat was comfortable, the IFE was excellent and the meal service was elevated. American Airlines premium economy service is significantly better than Iberia’s product. If given the option I would definitely choose American.