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American Airlines First Class – Coachella 2024
For my birthday this year, I flew American Airlines First Class to attend the second weekend of the Coachella Music Festival in Palm Springs. Coachella is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. The festival runs over two weekends in April, featuring the same lineup.
The routing to Palm Springs required an early morning departure from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Chicago (ORD), followed by a layover and the subsequent flight to Palm Springs (PSP). I booked the trip using 26,500 American Airlines (AA) points and $87 in taxes for a First Class itinerary from Toronto to Palm Springs. I acquired these points through RBC Avion transfers, which typically convert at a 1:0.7 ratio to AA miles. While this transfer rate isn’t optimal, it worked for this itinerary.
American Airlines First Class – Meal Service
The first flight from YYZ to ORD was a short 1.5-hour flight, with limited service onboard the Embraer 175. Once on board, I received a Beverage to start. I went with the Glenlivet 12 on the rocks. The only snack they had was a Biscoff cookie.
My 4.5-hour flight from ORD to PSP was on a 737-800, and I had a full domestic First experience. Once onboard, the flight began with hot towel service, setting a positive tone. The meal service started with warm mixed nuts, including almonds, cashews, and pistachios. While similar to Air Canada’s mixed nut bowl, AA’s presentation and variety were slightly better. I opted for Woodford Reserve on rocks. Other whisky options included Jack Daniels and Dewar’s, giving a reasonable range of choices for a domestic flight.
For lunch, I selected the chicken pesto served with saffron rice. Accompaniments included a red pepper hummus dip with veggies and pita, a small salad with olive oil, and sourdough bread with butter.
Dessert options included a cheese platter with grapes or raspberry sorbet. I chose the sorbet and paired it with Baileys on the rocks. The meal quality was impressive for a short domestic flight, combining flavour with a thoughtful presentation.
The attentive service on this leg stood out, making the four-hour journey enjoyable and comfortable. Considering it was a domestic route, I’d rate this segment an 8/10. The experience far surpassed that of Air Canada on comparable flights.
Return Leg – Awful Air Canada Experience
Unfortunately, my return flight from Palm Springs to Toronto on Air Canada, booked using 36,100 Aeroplan points and upgraded to business class with four eUpgrades, was a disappointing experience.
There was no dedicated line or priority boarding option at boarding for business class passengers. Despite asking the gate agent, I was informed that no such line existed, forcing me to stand in line for 15 minutes.
Once onboard, issues continued. The charging station at my seat (1A) was non-functional, though the seat itself was spacious and comfortable. Service from the cabin crew fell far below expectations. They did not check on passengers proactively. I had to go to the galley to request water and use the assistance button for a drink, an unusual step for business class.
Meal service was also disappointing. Due to an ongoing strike affecting in-flight food services, the only available option was a chicken wrap, which was inedible and left a bad aftertaste. Pretzels were the only additional snack option. Alcohol offerings were limited to red wine and champagne, and to my surprise, the champagne was served in a plastic cup.
No blankets were provided despite the cabin being uncomfortably cold, an issue even acknowledged by the crew – who commented that she made herself hot soup to stay warm during the flight—a telling sign of the poor temperature control.
Takeaway
My experience with American Airlines from ORD to PSP was largely positive. I enjoyed comfortable seating, attentive service, and a satisfying meal. The seamless booking process and thoughtful service made AA points worthwhile. During my layover, lounge access at the Admirals Club added further value to the journey.
In contrast, the return flight on Air Canada was a letdown. From disorganized boarding to inadequate service and subpar meal options, it fell short of business-class standards. However, some issues stemmed from external factors like the catering strike, the lack of proactive service, and basic amenities like blankets, which were reflected poorly on the airline.
For future travels, I’d strongly consider sticking with American Airlines or other carriers prioritizing passenger experience, especially for premium cabin bookings. Despite my disappointment with Air Canada, their compensation in Aeroplan points was a small silver lining.
Related Review: American Airlines Admirals Club lounge, Toronto (YYZ)
1 comment
My many trips from Toronto YYZ to Palm Springs PSP (or nearby Ontario ONT, where rental cars are better) have mostly been exactly like this: tempted by the nonstop home, I’ve taken the bait to fly AC and regretted it 8 times out of 10, for exactly these reasons. PSP is an outstation for AC, with not one AC employee on duty in the airport there. It’s all contract. And PSP is a minor airport with no catering, so for all carriers, food is loaded back home. Add to this that PSP is about 5 hours away from YYZ and the flight is done as a turnaround (crew work continuously YYZ-PSP-YYZ in one day) and you’ve got a recipe for the grumpy version of “typical AC experience”. God Forbid the plane goes mechanical or has bad winter delay. Once I was in Palm Springs during Coachella and the AC flight crew timed out upon arrival in PSP, where there were no hotel rooms for anyone, aat any price. I had to drive to Ontario, an hour away, to bed for the night, before catchingt my rescheduled flight the next day. There was no food whatsoever on the homebound flight PSP-YYZ. I would fly AC (or even Rouge) Business Class happily to Cancun, but never to PSP. And I’d advise others to adopt the same policy.