Nathan's Insights

American Airlines
Date: 22 December 2024
Flight Number: AA380
Gate: 10A
Seat: 10A & 11A (Economy)
Plane: Boeing 737 Max-8
Boarded: 14:54 (Priority 1 Boarding) 
Pushback: 15:28 (Scheduled 08:00)
Take off: 15:48
Arrived: 19:27 (Scheduled 09:14)
Scheduled Duration: 4 hours 24 minutes
Actual Duration: 3 hours 59 minutes
Distance: 2,875 km

This flight was from Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO – Quito, Ecuador) to Miami International Airport (MIA – Miami, USA).

The Cost

I purchased this economy flight as a reward ticket it costed 18,000 Qantas points x 2 (36,000 points) and USD 33.00 x 2 (USD 66.00) for two economy-class flights on American Airlines.

To use cash to purchase economy class seats directly would have cost AUD $577.00 AUD each or $1,154 AUD. 

The Airport Experience

Check-In / Bag Drop / Border Control

American Airlines used Zone B Counters B26-30 which opened 3 hours before the flight.

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. We both had one bag each weighing 9.0kgs and 11.1kgs respectively.

Are we had our boarding passes we then walked to Zone C to access security and border control. There were no issues at either. 

Lounge

I had been saving my two complimentary Citibank Credit Card Priority Passes to access the Sala VIP International Quito Lounge.

This turned out to be a fantastic lounge with, a relaxing atmosphere, nice food and a good range of drinks. The review is here.

The Flight Experience

Boarding

This flight boarded from Gate A10. Boarding commenced at 14:54. 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 us). Very few people were in either of the priority groups. 

The overhead bin above my seat 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. 

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.

I had allocated 10A (me) and 11A (Erin) both window seats. I ended up with an empty seat next to me.

Amenity Kit

No amenity kit is provided for this international flight.

Meals and Drinks

Snack and drink service commenced at 16:57, this was later due to the air turbulence. A small biscuit was the snack. I selected a Coke for a drink. 

Facilities and Service

There we two toilets available at the back of the cabin for economy passenger use. The flight attendants did a good job, especially with the condensed time for the service.

Entertainment System

There were no seat back screens. You could use the flight’s wifi to stream content but I couldn’t access the service. I have had the same problem on every recent American Airlines. 

The Flight

The flight had ‘gentle’ air turbulence for the first hour after take off. This delayed the food service and limited time people could use the toilets. I still found the flight comfortable and relaxing. I loved seeing the sunset near the end of the flight.

Arrival

We arrived at Miami International Airport in Concourse D, Terminal N. We had to walk to the Skytrain and then transfer to Station 2 to access Border Control. Border Control was slow and long. It took well over an hour to deal with an Immigration Officer. No real issues for either Erin or myself. 

Our bags were already waiting for us in the Claim area when we arrived at 21:00. 

Summary

This is a good option for a points-based flight from Quito to Maimi via Orlando. American Airlines should have an arrangement to use a Lounge in Quito as a premium airline. Border Control at Miami International Airport is unfortunately very slow so you need to factor that into your arrival plans.