Fantastic New Seat with a few Flaws

On my way back from Lima, Peru, I flew directly to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.  I booked this ticket for two reasons.  One, it worked perfectly with my schedule and allowed me to spend the most time possible in Lima.  Second, it was operated by a Boeing 757, my favorite bird in the sky.  The 7+ hour flight time did deter me initially, but then I remembered that the Boeing 757 is configured with angled lie-flat seats.  Angled lie-flat seats aren’t nearly as nice as lie-flat seats, but I figured it would work.

I was pleasantly surprised when I checked the American Airlines Fleet Tracker website and found that the registration of my aircraft matched up with an aircraft featuring the new B/E Aerospace lie-flat seats.  This meant that I’d not only have a lie-flat seat for the red-eye, but I’d also enjoy the comfort of a brand new interior.

Unfortunately, I fell asleep before I took detailed photos of the entire cabin so, photos will be limited.  However, I did spend 7 hours in the same seat so, here’s the good and bad with American Airlines new 757 business class seats.

Pro: American Airlines New 757 Business Class features Lie-Flat Seats

The biggest improvement made to American’s 757 business class seat is adding lie-flat seats.  American used to feature angled lie-flat seats on their 757s.  Angled lie-flat seats have gained a pretty negativity reputation with frequent flyers.  Typically, angled lie-flat seats recline up to 160 or 170 degrees while lie-flat seats, of course, recline to 180 degrees.  I personally don’t mind a true angled lie-flat seat. However, there is definitely a benefit of being able to go fully flat.

American Airlines New 757 Business Class features Lie-Flat Seats

American Airlines New 757 Business Class features Lie-Flat Seats

Pro: Business Class Seats Get AC, USB Power

American’s old 757 Business Class also featured AC power so; this isn’t that big of a deal.  However, an additional AC outlet and USB power were added meaning you could charge both your laptop and your cell phone at once.  American’s old 757 Business Class product featured a more ideally positioned power port with the AC outlet located between seats.  The new product features both the AC and USB outlets mounted behind your shoulder making it a little inconvenient to plug in and out.

Toss-Up: Seatback In-Flight Entertainment Scrapped, Tablet Holder Built In

This is either a pro or con depending on your opinion regarding seatback in-flight entertainment.  Last summer when I traveled in American’s old 757 Business Class, I found the seatback in-flight entertainment to be more than adequate regarding content but a little laggy and very old.  American went ahead and built tablet holders right into the seatback.  The tablet holder is designed specifically for American’s Samsung Galaxy Tab offered on select flights within the US and most flights outside of the US.  My flight wasn’t properly catered with the Samsung Galaxy Tablets so my tablet holder went unused.

American Airlines Samsung Galaxy Tablet

American Airlines Samsung Galaxy Tablet

Con: The Seat is Not for Tall People

I really wish I had a picture for this.  I’m like 5’10” so, not tall at all.  I’m literally average height for an American male.  Yet, when I put my seat fully-flat, my feet touched the footwell.  I had to adjust the way in which I slept because the seat was almost too short for me to stretch out fully.  I’d say that the bed is at the most 6 feet long.  That’s quite short compared to many other lie-flat business class seats.  It could be that this is just a bulkhead issue (my seat was 1F) so try rows 2 through 4.

Con: There’s Less Space

American’s new 757 Business Class seat seems to feature a little less space than the old product.  This is most noticeable in the center console between seats.  Additionally, there’s only one storage compartment, and that’s behind the seat at shoulder height.  The tray table is adequate, though, might be a tad smaller that the one found on American’s older 757 product.

American Airlines New 757 Business Class Seat Center Console

American Airlines New 757 Business Class Seat Center Console


Overall

American’s new 757 Business Class is an improvement over their old product.  Many passengers will be overjoyed with the addition of lie-flat seats. However, the aircraft does have some drawbacks.  The seat is flat but it’s short, it lacks storage, features inconveniently located power ports, and lacks (permanent) seatback in-flight entertainment.  However, I guess I shouldn’t complain as I did manage to sleep nearly six hours on my flight from Lima to Dallas.

What do you think of American’s new 757 Business Class?  Do the pros outweigh the cons?