And a few other tricks of the trade to give you an advantage on American Airlines

I call it “upgrading without going for an upgrade.” It only works on routes American uses 777s and 767-200s configured with three cabins (coach, Business, and First)—but only two classes are sold.

These are mostly transcon flights, but also include Miami to Dallas. For some reason, on these routes, American sometimes only sells two classes of seats, economy and First. Although the computer reservation system views the middle cabin with Business Class seats—as coach, there’s still a velvet rope to get around. To sit in this section you have to be one of the following:

• Elite AAdvantage members
 
• Full-fare coach passengers
 
• One world elites (for instance members of BA’s elite program)
 
• Preferred customers of American Airlines (see if your company is one)

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Where American’s best seats are if you have to pay…

777s Have the Best First Class

It’s not often worth paying for First Class on domestic or intra-European flights. On BA, the latter is rotten—merely a standard row of economy class seats but with the middle seat removed. (It actually makes First Class in the US look pretty good.)

One big exception on domestic flights is American’s 777s, which in First Class have either the carrier’s lie-flat seats or newly configured Flagship Suites. These are the best domestic First Class seats in the sky. Currently, they are only serving the routes noted above and the Los Angele's Miami route. If you live in Southern California, however, keep this flight in mind when flying to the Caribbean, which frequently routes through Miami. Here’s the exception to the rule, “Do not burn miles on free domestic First Class seats.” In this case, the seat is worth the 60,000 miles required.

Also, keep in mind the three-class flights on the many European and South American destinations American flies via Miami. If you have to make a connection anyway, this is the way to do it.

Second Best First Class Seats: On the 767-200

These are more common and serve the New York/JFK-Los Angeles (10 flights daily) and JFK-San Francisco (3/daily) routes. First Class is delightful—the personal space in seat 2D is more than anyone needs and the cabin can have the exclusive feel you normally only find in an international First Class cabin, since there are only nine seats.

The price is $4,620 for First Class on the 767-200 New York-Los Angeles. That’s a lot of money, admittedly, but still a bargain compared to the $11,194 American charges from New York to London round trip,a flight that’s less than two hours longer. If you’re earning lots of miles efficiently or if you just want to splurge, these seats can be worth the cost in miles.

How to Get the $4,620 Seats for only $960

Good: Purchase AAdvantage miles at 2.5 cents each. That cuts the cost to $1,500.

Better: Purchase 60,000 Mexicana miles redeemable on these American flights—at 1.6 cents each or $960 (a savings of 79%). See page 4 for special report on Mexicana.

But Don’t Confuse…

…the 767-300 with the 767-200. The former only has two classes, and the First Class seats are a stingy18.5 inches wide, only 1.3 inches more than coach.That’s even less than First Class seats on 737s and 757s (21 inches wide).