As American retires its fleet of MD-80s, the 737-800 is becoming the backbone of the carrier's short and medium haul operations. AA offers an ample (though not necessarily generous) 31" of seat pitch in the main cabin on their 737 fleet. Compare this with the 30" seat pitch offered on the A319. As you probably know from your own experience, every inch counts when you're sitting in the back of the plane. That one inch may not seem like a lot, but it makes a HUGE difference.
While I'm glad that American has invested in IFE- the A319 has individual screens and power outlets at each seat- every benefit has a drawback. In this case, the drawback comes in the form of a large power supply box underneath the seat, drastically reducing the amount of available foot room. Coupled with the reduced seat pitch, these under-seat IFE boxes make flying in the Main Cabin on American's A319 a cramped and uncomfortable experience.
But wait! There's more! Further adding to the discomfort is the new slimline seat that American decided to install on the A319. It. Is. Awful. As I wrote on Twitter, I'm not even sure why they bother putting a cushion on it. It feels like you're sitting on a wooden bench. Even for such a short flight, it was uncomfortable.
How bad is the hard product on this aircraft? I'm really not convinced there's any benefit to flying American over a low cost carrier such as Spirit if your American flight would be operated by an A319.
Bottom line, at least as far as AA main cabin is concerned: If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going.
If you have any thoughts on American's A319, or if you think I'm being too critical, feel free to leave a comment below.
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