American Airlines
Compass Airlines Operated as American Eagle
First Class (U)
LAX-YVR (Los Angeles – Vancouver International Airport)
AA 1723
June 20, 2017
Booked: Embrauer RJ 175
Flown: Airbus 319
Departure: 7:50 PM
Arrival: 10:40 PM
We headed for the gate at about T-75. We were over in Terminal 7 and we wanted to stop to get some duty free.
We didn’t have a boarding group on our boarding cards issued by Air Tahiti Nui so we just boarded with Group 1-2 since American today didn’t call what the groups were – just the numbers on their own. A short upgrade list tonight; I guess Vancouver on the last weeknight flight of the day isn’t too popular with elites.
On board, we settled into the smallest First class cabin I’ve been since our Inter Island Flight on Hawaiian Airlines. We had two rows of First class in a 2-2 configuration, for a total of 8 first class seats. I guess that's one way of getting rid of top tier complimentary domestic upgrades; shrink the cabin to non-existence.
An open bar pre - departure beverage was offered. Today it was a continuation of Gin and Tonics from the United Club Lounge in a plastic cup with lime.
We were quite delayed in departing the LAX rush hour and it was over 1 hour on the ground before we even got clearance for take off. We had an apologetic cabin address about it.
Today’s service started with warmed nuts and a pre-supper drink. I went with white wine (unnamed and unidentified).
It was followed by chicken with quinoa, along with a terrific salad with oil and vinegar dressing After all that time in Tahiti, it was great to actually get some greens. A lot more generous than the usual Alaska meal, but not as tasty or exotic as our recent Delta First Class meals.
It was followed by a warmed chocolate chip cookie on a Coke Napkin. The presentation wasn’t the best, but the cookie was great.
There were movies available via the American Airlines App.
Along with internet available for $10.
The flight itself was mostly uneventful. We eventually landed in Vancouver without any delays and parked at Gate E84.
Despite having a seven hour connection in Los Angeles, American lost my bag or simply decided to leave it off the plane due to weight as it never made it to Vancouver. I last saw it when I placed it on the connections conveyor belt at the Tom Bradley International Terminal connections desk. MrsWT73’ bag on the other hand arrived safely.
Despite assurances from the American Airlines app that my bags were in Vancouver, it turns out they were not.
It took about 72 hours before I was reunited with it, attributed mostly to slack organization on the part of the organizations of ground agents in Vancouver. The bag was flown up the next day but somehow lost in YVR until it was put into a taxi after the third night after I telephone hassled them. Funny how two can be side by each on the conveyor belts in Los Angeles and one makes it and the other one doesn’t. This has been the fourth bag lost between us in 5 years. It assured me that I’m doing the right thing by continuing to carry on as a primary bag, with secondary stuff in checked bags!! A reasonable flight except for the loss of the bag situation, which was handled about to be as expected; poorly. =)