American doesnt have this type of system so, regardless of where youre sitting in the economy cabin, your next upgrade could truly be to business/first. Gold members can select these seats for free 24 hours before departure. For example, a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to London offered Main Cabin Extra seats that varied in price from an extra $89 for further-back, middle seats to $132 for window and aisle seats near the front of the cabin. That means a Main Cabin Extra seat that would cost $30 would require 3,000 AAdvantage miles to select. What do you make of American bringing back the sale of alcohol? However, this perk is offered at different times depending on your elite status level. USA/CANADA/CARIBBEAN/CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana and Peru) . This isn't really a matter of turning a blind eye, either. Look for the Main Cabin Extra icon when you choose your seats. American Airlines Revising a prior policy, American Airlines now allows a free carry-on bag in addition to a personal item with all tickets, including basic economy. We'll redirect you to the home page of the country / region site you choose. If you bought a Basic Economy ticket, boarding restrictions still apply. Can't wait for the "but drinking with your mask off spreads covid" comments lmao. Love it. The mask mandate was scheduled to lift April 18, and not . Early boarding Be one of the first to board after AAdvantage status members with Preferred Group 5 boarding and get easier access to overhead bin space. It will . *Overhead bin space availability varies by aircraft. As you can see, most planes in Americans fleet have Main Cabin Extra seating and a decent number of those seats to choose from. See our Advertiser Disclosurefor more details. How Much Does It Cost to Upgrade to "Main Plus"? If youre an AAdvantage Executive Platinum or ConciergeKey member, you will still be able to select your complimentary alcoholic beverage as well as a snack or fresh food item, so theres no difference if youre sitting in a Main Cabin Extra seat. Will the free alcohol be redeemed via a voucher similar to WN full fares and only given out if you buy an actual MCE seat? How? Learn more: How to save money flying on American Airlines. Opens another site in a new window that may not meet accessibility guidelines. So people would buy one or two drinks & pour them in reusable water bottles and bring them onboard. Safe travels! Youll need to contact American Airlines directly for assistance with that. is American Airlines main cabin extra, worth the money Mar 27, 2022, 8:07 AM Save Hi My husband and I will be flying from LAX to Chicago in July and we're wondering if paying the extra money for main cabin extra or exit row seats with American Airlines is worth the extra money. It seems that the only 2 airlines that fly non-stop from Philadelphia to San Francisco are American and United, and both operate a 737 between both destinations so the seat comfort experience should largely be pretty similar. Yes, this still applies for American Eagle flights. I generally think this is positive, although as a Gold, I do worry that this will drastically lower my chances of free MCE at check-in due to more people actually paying for it. I called American and all they can tell me is that its 16.6-18.4 and arent very helpful, unfortunately. Be grateful for Doug Parker. There will be no additional snack service for these customers. Main Cabin Extra Wi-Fi You can buy Wi-Fi on select aircraft so you never miss a beat while you're on board. There are a few ways to access Main Cabin Extra seats some at a cost and some for free. The seats are at the front of the main cabin with a few extra inches of legroom, but no extra width. Main Cabin Extra was previously the highest level of service offered on American Airlines shy of business class. This is long overdue, given that competitors have been selling alcohol for quite a while, without having more issues than American. Be aware that there can be quite a few on a hub-to-hub route. This fare now offers a free boozy drink and reserved overhead bin space alongside more legroom and early boarding. He published over 2,000 articles on The Points Guy before becoming a freelance writer. The problem with that is one I am sure many frequent fliers are familiar with, what do you do about middle seats. I heard we can request an upgrade for a child and parent on what they call medical seats? Now, you can fly. Former CEO Doug Parker emphasized that he believed adding alcohol into tense confrontations over masks was a bad idea. Having more legroom means you can get up without disturbing your seatmate on long-haul flights. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. To add to that, how does this impact the way seats are assigned at the gate. How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2023? The elevated tier offers passengers early boarding, a free carry-on bag, extra legroom, and complimentary alcoholic beverages. In mid-March, American Airlines set April 18 as the date for bringing back alcoholic beverages in domestic economy. Hot Tip: Most flight attendants on longer flights will make a second pass for drinks, at which time you may be able to select another; otherwise, feel free to ring your call button to request another. As with other US airlines, this may lower the appeal of premium economy if you can get a bit more space for a much lower price, or even free. You can pay to upgrade to Flagship Business Plus to receive additional free checked bags, Flagship check-in, and Flagship First Dining on select itineraries. If the gate agent is willing to tell you, you may be able to ask to swap into their seat (which is usually a Main Cabin Extra seat) as soon as their upgrade is processed. If that seat is xd out then it is likely that another passenger is sitting there. Personally I wouldnt place too much value on the enhanced overhead bin access and preferred boarding. Thanks in advance. When you fly in a premium cabin, probably at least $100 of your fare is paying for the free drinks in the lounge and on the plane Enjoy more space with Main Cabin Extra seating, starting at $20. Preferred seats are on select flights operated by American Airlines and American Eagle and subject to availability. United, Delta and Southwest all sell alcohol in coach. *oneworld Ruby members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways or Japan Airlines, *Unable to get you a comparable seats is defined as moving from Main Cabin Extra to a preferred or other Main Cabin seat or from an aisle / window Main Cabin Extra seat to a middle Main Cabin Extra seat. Access to dedicated overhead bins and under-seat storage, N/A all located at bulkhead and exit rows with no seat in front, 33 pitch at the bulkhead (rows 8 to 10) and 38 pitch at the exit rows, N/A all located at exit row with no seat in front, Assigned seat in advance (no fee) unless you purchase a Basic Economy ticket (your seat is assigned at random at check-in), AAdvantage elites can select these seats for free, Complimentary beverage service, including alcoholic beverages, No limit to the number of beverages, but flight attendants use discretion based on flight length, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. AAdvantage Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum elite members get to select Main Cabin Extra seats for free at any time. (photo via Laser1987/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus) American Airlines has just announced that it will be extending its suspension of main cabin alcohol sales on domestic flights through at least January 18, 2022, aiming to avoid the continuation of an upward . On AA's own site, it still says main cabin extra includes free alcohol, but other sites (Non AA) say that AA has a ban in place for all main cabin seating (including main cabin extra) until Jan 22nd. Window and aisle seats often cost more than middle seats, and seats in the front of the cabin can cost more than those further back. This bonus value is an estimated valuation. Our partners compensate us. Still, overall Id consider this to be a mildly positive change, assuming they dont take anything away for now. For reference, heres a chart that summarizes the difference between your coach options: Complimentary non-alcoholic beverage service, Complimentary cookies or pretzels as a small snack, Access to overhead bins and under-seat storage. See our in-depth article on the best credit cards for frequent AA flyers to help you maximize your miles, as well as benefits such as lounge access, priority boarding, and more! I do not need the fuss of first class, but a little comfort would be nice, "Flight attendants are not responsible for monitoring MCE overhead bins. See more about our ethics policies here. We cannot really afford more than economy seats but we are flying from Florida to Europe because my father passed away, and we are traveling with my teen daughter who has autism with sensory issues that could be troublesome on airlines. American Airlines bag fees how they work, how to avoid them, Ways to get American Airlines Main Cabin Extra for free. Click OK to log in and restart your reservation.Click Cancel to continue with your reservation without logging in. In Main Cabin Extra, the little extras make a big difference - extras like additional legroom, easier access to overhead bins and complimentary alcohol. It is much easier for one or two cabin crew members to take care of 16 people than two or three watching 150. Free Alcohol on Delta Flights. Anyways, I just don't see this being a huge net positive for all parties involved. That date has now been extended to Jan. 18. Bottom Line: Main Cabin Extra is considered part of the economy-class cabin, and it's not a separate area for the purposes of using miles or instruments to upgrade. However, this does not influence our evaluations. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. I enjoy a drink but best left to being somewhere more appropriate for it, on the ground where safety isn't as big an issue and plenty of bouncer security to look after you and others. Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive compensation. Seats are located in Main Cabin and offered on most flights, subject to availability. JT Genter is a freelance points, miles and credit card writer formerly of The Points Guy. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. The armrest opens up and you pull the screen out. Plus, additional food or drinks may be available for free or to buy, depending on your route. The guides on this page will show you exactly how you can do so! This past year Yep! We only trust the rich with alcohol. Standard Main Cabin seats are located throughout the Main Cabin but are mostly concentrated in the rear. It is obviously trending towards making MCE/E+ a separate cabin a la Delta. I fly LATAM and all the drinks are free, in all economy class. The mileage cost is typically the cash cost times 100. I was delAAyed four hours then cancelled the other night. Add hotel. Sherri Gardneris the Assistant Editor for TripSavvy and has been with the company since May 2018. Customers have been ready for a drink in the air for some time, but airlines have been hesitant. While not without its costs, you can scoop up some of the Main Cabin Extra benefits without paying extra. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. Two wines even. I am flying at the end of March 2022 from New York to Colorado. Opens another site in a new window that may not meet accessibility guidelines. This isn't really a matter of turning a blind eye, either. However, Oneworld Ruby elite members of these programs will need to wait until 24 hours before departure to select Main Cabin Extra seats for free. *Unable to get you a comparable seats is defined as moving from preferred to non-preferred or preferred aisle / window to preferred middle. American is offering some level of service on nearly all flights. However, if you're flying in Main Cabin Extra, alcoholic beverages will be complimentary as they were pre-pandemic. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. It will have been almost two years of required masking unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Transportation Security Administration decide to extend the mandate. What a shame they take so much money but place in a latter group. American Airlines launched Main Cabin Extra in 2012 with just two perks: extra legroom and earlier boarding. While some passengers may have been upgraded before this point, inevitably there will be some passengers who havent cleared yet and are waitlisted at the gate. If there is free wifi and no alcohol or food for purchase in Economy how could Barclays Aviator Silver justify AF $195 ? However, premium economy offers a larger seat, even more legroom, more perks like noise-canceling headphones, a Casper sleep set and an amenity kit plus better catering. Keep in mind that some different seating arrangements may be available on different models of planes, so you may notice some slight variations. Additional food may be available for free, depending on your route.**. Alcohol will not be served in Main Cabin and Main Cabin Extra except on long-haul international flights. OK92033) Property & Casualty Licenses, NerdWallet | 55 Hawthorne St. - 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, The Guide to American Airlines Main Cabin Extra. I agree the frequency of drink refill opportunities (carts passing by) is no greater than in main cabin, but you can always ask for more when they do come around, and the trick is to order a double the first time. I look forward to Gayle King's reporting on the skyrocketing rates of "air rage" from drunken Tiffany and Skyler, who violently assault a flight attendant over a mask dispute or being cut off after nineteen cans of Bud Light. No the free drinks incentivizes people to pay the $30-$80 extra for main cabin extra. See more about our ethics policies here. This is happening in spite of the fact that the mask mandate is remaining in place beyond that date. - We booked 5 Main Cabin seats from JFK -> LAX -> OGG in August. Main Cabin Extra seat. "And then there were none: American Airlines bringing back inflight alcohol sales." This is just standard economy seating arranged with slightly more legroom. Good luck this summer during high season. What happens to a Plat Pro that buys a last minute expensive ticket but can't get MCE? Gtes htels chambres d'htes et campings de Vende au bord de la mer, dans le Marais Poitevin ou autour du Puy du Fou. However, redeeming American Airlines miles for a Main Cabin Extra seat can make sense if your mileage balance is too low to book a more valuable award flight. If youre seated in Main Cabin Extra but are an elite passenger, youll board ahead with your elite boarding group. It is much easier for one or two cabin crew members to take care of 16 people than two or three watching 150. Keep in mind you need to submit separate refund requests for your flights, seats and other purchases. Keep in mind that there can be aircraft swaps at any time throughout your journey, as well, so even if you book your ticket on 1 plane, it can be substituted with another at the last minute. I decided to cash in 60,000 miles today and likely 40,000 miles next week before my Platinum status expires on 1/31. But "Because American says that when passengers from 'REALLY coach' spot empty seats in Main Cabin Extra and rush to grab them, they won't be stopped. My daughter lives in San Francisco and Im in Philly. Would you rather have a middle with more leg room or an aisle or window in regular Y? [1] The first season consisted of 20 episodes and concluded on 22 September 2015. Told them to stop charging for something they cannot enforce which is the overhead bin space. Trying to figure out if my daughters car seat will fit. No snacks or food for purchase will be served. From April 18, long-haul flights will be able to purchase beer, wine, and spirits. Some airlines, such as American Airlines have rows of Main Cabin Extra seats that Advantage and Oneworld elites can select for no extra cost at the time of booking, or check-in. 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