Nathan's Insights

American Airlines
Date: 02 December 2024
Flight Number: AA2371
Gate: 56 
Seat: 10A & 10B (Economy)
Plane: Boeing 737 Max-8
Boarded: 07:35 
Pushback: 08:06 (Scheduled 08:00)
Take off: 08:23
Arrived: 09:03 (Scheduled 09:14)
Scheduled Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes
Actual Duration: 57 minutes
Distance: 309 km

This flight was from Orlando International Airport (MCO – Orlando, USA) to Miami International Airport (MIA – Miami, USA).

This was the second of two flights, see here for the Los Angeles to Orlando flight review.

The Cost

I purchased this economy flight as part of a reward ticket that covered Los Angeles to Miami via Orlando. It costs 20,300 Qantas points x 2 (40,600 points) and USD 6.00 x 2 (USD 12.00) for two economy-class flights on American Airlines.

To use cash to purchase economy class seats directly would have cost AUD 532.00 each or $1,064. 

The Airport Experience

Check-In / Bag Drop / Border Control

Included with the award booking as an Oneworld Sapphire member (Qantas Gold) was up to 2 checked bags per person with a maximum bag weight of 23kgs for a total of 46kgs. 

Our bags were checked through to Miami from our Los Angeles flight that connected to this one.

There was no need to go through Security at Orlando International Airport as we remained airside from our connecting flight. 

Lounges

We had access to the American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge. Access was due to Oneworld Sapphire Status. 

This was a fairly basic and small lounge spread out across two levels. We had a light breakfast and some orange juice during our brief stay. We also used the provided internet.

The Flight Experience

Boarding

This flight boarded from Gate 56. Boarding was done in priority group order according to your boarding pass. First Class and Military were Group 1, high-level American Airlines Group 2, high-level Oneworld members Group 3 (which was me and Erin).

The overhead bin above our seats was used by aeroplane equipment which was two flights in a row. Overhead bin space went quickly and a lot of people had to place their carry-on bag under the seat in front of them. This wasn’t an issue for Erin or me as we were one of the first to board in these economy rows.

Boarding early is important on USA domestic flights as overhead cabin bins get filled fast.

The Seat

The American Airlines Boeing 737 Max-8 is a single-aisle aircraft. Each seat has a 30-inch seat pitch. There are 172 seats in 3×3 rows, each with power, a tray table, and an adjustable headrest.

Amenity Kit

No amenity kit is provided for this domestic flight.

Meals and Drinks

There were no drinks or food offered on this short flight in economy class. I could see drinks and a snack provided in the ‘First’ Class.

Facilities and Service

There we two toilets available at the back of the cabin for economy passenger use.

I can’t really judge the flight attendants as all they did was close the overhead bins and complete the safety demonstration. 

Entertainment System

There were no seat back screens. You could use the flight’s wifi to stream content but I didn’t try it. The wifi did provide limited internet access which was better than earlier 4+ hour flight.

The Flight

The flight was briefly delayed in boarding due to the late arrival of the operating aircraft. The flight was very smooth we went up, levelled off for 5 minutes and then started our descent for landing.

Arrival

We arrived at Miami International Airport at Gate D38 in Terminal N. We had to walk to Skytrain and transfer to Station 2 to access Baggage Claim. 

Our bags arrived at 09:46 which was 43 minutes after landing, and around 35 minutes for disembarking the plane.

Summary

This is an okay option for a points-based flight from Los Angeles to Maimi via Orlando. A direct flight would be better but saving just over AUS 1,000 makes this a viable option even if being an overnight connecting flight is a pain for sleeping.