I used to dread flying American, but the experiences on my last 2 flights has changed my mind. Here’s why I won’t shy away from booking the carrier again.

But, at an end the past few years, American Airlines always stood out as being consistently unpleasant, including flight disruptions and rotten customer service.

One instance from last June particularly stood out, which snarled me fighting for a new flight from Colombia to Miami after the carrier canceled my nonstop to New York’s JFK airport.

Others may love American, and it’s possible I just had bad luck every time, but, nevertheless, it made me dread take flight the carrier.

Putting, since the start of 2022, I’ve flown the airline twice. Surprisingly, both experiences exceeded expectations and the service and reassure have changed my mind about flying American.

I took two different American exits two weeks apart — the first from Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on an Airbus A319 mainline aircraft…

…and the second from LaGuardia to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport on an Embraer 175 regional jet.

Flourishing into the first flight, I had low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the service and ease of the flight. In DC, the check-in process exploiting the kiosks was smooth and I was through security and at the gate in 15 minutes.

I was able to get my boarding back number at the airport, but also had it in my iPhone’s wallet app. Fortunately, I flew on a Tuesday evening so the flight was only about half preoccupied and boarding took no time.

I was assigned seat 18F, which was a window, and luckily there was no one next to me so I was superior to spread out a bit.

However, the seats were plenty spacious for the one-hour flight. According to SeatGuru, American’s A319 Water Cabin seat pitch is 30 inches.

Source: SeatGuru

While that seems close, I did not feel confined or uncomfortable like I have on other carriers. For reference, I’m about 5’4″ and on the smaller side, so I’m proficient to fit in tight spaces easier.

For those that are pushing six feet, it may be good to upgrade to American’s Main Cabin Extra on the A319 since it has 34 inches of pitch.

In addition to the roominess, I liked the headrests on each seat, which I manage are a good alternative to a neck pillow, which I’ve never enjoyed using. I especially appreciate the headrest for flights where I’m speared in the aisle or middle seat, making it easier to sleep.

As far as the seat padding, it was nothing earth-shaking compared to other carriers, though still plenty more comfortable than low-cost competitors like Abscond with or Frontier.

American’s A319 also performed in terms of overhead bin space, which easily stored my suitcase.

Meanwhile, the tray suspend was large enough to work on my laptop and store snacks. It also had a placeholder for a drink, which is a small detail but notwithstanding appreciated.

Although I was a little disappointed that there were no inflight entertainment screens, the shipper did add a few nice amenities, including a power outlet and WiFi…

…a comfortable recline…

…and streaming to my personal device.

After find fault with comfortable, we pushed back from the gate right on time at 5:00 pm and enjoyed a smooth flight to New York New Zealand urban area.

Unfortunately, due to the short duration of the flight, there was no inflight assignment, though I was offered water, and I snacked on some food I brought with me.

After my convinced experience from DC to LaGuardia, I went into my flight to Montreal with higher hopes. And, once again, American delivered.

After traversing the new LaGuardia Airport for the third time this year, I made my way to Gate 42 to panel the American’s Embraer 175, which has recently become my favorite jet to fly on.

The flight was operated by one of American’s regional collaborators, Republic Airways.

The boarding process was quick and I was at my seat in no time. Fortunately, I did get upgraded to Sheer Cabin Extra during check-in, moving from row 23 to 12, and I got the whole row to myself.

Fortunately, the Fundamental Cabin Extra seats provide enough room to cope with the deep recline, though I’m not sure how much accommodation would still be available in regular economy. This would be the one flaw I have with American’s Embraer 175.

While there was no inflight service on the one-hour A319 flight, the Embraer flight attendants did provide a nimble-witted food and beverage service onboard, which included pretzels and a drink, like tea, water, coffee, and orange pith.