American Airlines 787-8 Main Cabin Extra Review: Miami to Los Angeles

American Airlines sometimes uses widebody aircraft on domestic routes. Miami to Los Angeles is one example. A few years ago, I flew the same route in the opposite direction on the American 777-300ER.

This time, I flew on a 787-8. The interesting part was that American sold the international Premium Economy seats as Main Cabin Extra. The seat map showed a price of $100 per seat, but I could select seats 9A and 9C at no extra cost because of my AAdvantage status.

In this report, I cover the full experience on a three year old 787-8, including the airport, lounge, seat, amenity kit, entertainment, free WiFi, snacks, service, and arrival.

How I Booked This Flight

I booked Miami to Los Angeles to Papeete with American Airlines and Air Tahiti Nui. The complete one way itinerary cost 40,000 AAdvantage miles + $5.60 per passenger.

The cash fare for the same American and Air Tahiti Nui itinerary was $3,371 per passenger, or $6,742 for both of us.

The comparable Economy cash itinerary was $6,742 for both passengers.

This American flight was the first segment of that AAdvantage booking. My status allowed me to select a Premium Economy seat sold as Main Cabin Extra at no extra cost. Without that benefit, the seat map showed a price of $100 per seat.

Check In and Security

This was an early flight, departing at 9:55 am, so we arrived at Miami International Airport at around 7 am. Concourse D was slightly busy, but still quiet.

I had to show extra documentation for the return trip, which was booked with a different airline. I used one of the self service machines, and a friendly agent helped me complete the check in. We had no checked luggage, so the process took no more than two minutes.

The security line was not crowded and the staff was friendly. We did not have to take anything out of our bags, and the whole process took about 10 minutes.

Right after security, we walked to the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Concourse E. It took about 15 minutes using the connector between Concourses D and E.

Turkish Airlines Lounge, Miami Concourse E

I accessed the Turkish Airlines Lounge with a guest using Priority Pass. This was my first visit to the smaller lounge in Concourse E, and probably my last one too.

The lounge is very small, and it became crowded during our visit. We found seats by the window, but they were next to the kitchen entrance. The staff inside the kitchen were very loud during our stay and argued about several issues in front of the guests.

The air conditioning was not enough for the number of people inside, so the lounge became warmer during our one hour visit. The seating areas were tight, the tables were small, and there was very little space for luggage.

The food selection was fine for a quick breakfast. It included sandwiches, a salad bar, cheese, eggs, coffee, tea, wine, and other drinks. We had a quick meal and then returned to Concourse D. I would only use this lounge again if I had no better option.

Boarding

Our flight departed from gate D37, about 15 minutes from the lounge. The gate screen confirmed flight AA3288, the Boeing 787-8, a 9:55 am departure, and a scheduled duration of 5 hours 11 minutes.

The screen first showed 13 minutes until boarding, but boarding started earlier with First Class and other priority passengers. Main Cabin Extra included Group 5 boarding.

The gate area looked quiet for such a large aircraft. The flight was around half full, so boarding was quick and many seats remained empty.

The crew welcomed us at the door and were friendly from the beginning. Our seats were 9A and 9C, close to the boarding door in the international Premium Economy cabin. The American app identified our aircraft as N884AA, a 787-8 that first flew on November 20, 2022.

Main Cabin Extra Seat (American 787-8)

The seat was wider and had much more legroom than a regular Main Cabin seat. The overhead bins were also large. We could fit both carry ons and our backpacks in the same bin.

American uses these seats as Premium Economy on international flights. On this domestic route, they were sold as Main Cabin Extra. The cabin has a 2 3 2 layout, which is very good for couples and can also work well for families.

I had previously flown in American Premium Economy on the 777-300ER from Buenos Aires to New York. The seat on the 787-8 was almost identical, but the cabin felt more open and comfortable.

The legroom was very generous, and the seat included an adjustable footrest. The center armrest was wide enough for both passengers to use comfortably. Under it, there was a small storage area, a power outlet, a headphone connection, and the entertainment controller.

The tray table folds out from the armrest. It was sturdy and large enough for my 16 inch laptop with room for a drink beside it. The table mechanism was easy to use and felt much better than a normal Economy tray table.

Amenity Kit and Bedding

There was a welcome bag at each seat with a thick pillow, blanket, headphones, and an amenity kit. I was surprised to receive all of this on a domestic flight of about five hours.

The amenity kit was a special U.S. Soccer edition. It contained a dental kit, earplugs, an eye mask, socks, Joanna Vargas lip balm, and Joanna Vargas hand and body lotion.

IFE, Headphones, and WiFi

The entertainment screen was larger than the screens in Main Cabin. It was responsive and had a good selection of movies, TV shows, games, and a moving map.

I also liked the accessibility settings. The system allowed me to change the font size and use a dark display setting. The remote was stored beside the seat and included a small keyboard on the back.

The headphones looked simple and felt quite plastic, but they worked well enough for this flight.

One of the best parts of the flight was the completely free WiFi for AAdvantage members. It was full internet access, not only free messaging.

Connecting was simple. I joined the onboard network, opened aainflight.com, and signed in with my AAdvantage account. I had to watch two 30 second ads the first time. After that, I stayed connected for the rest of the flight. The interface had many ads, but the connection worked well.

Centennial Trading Cards

After boarding, we asked a flight attendant if the pilots had any of the Centennial trading cards recently announced by American Airlines.

The crews on my three previous American flights did not know about them, but this time we were lucky. The flight attendant went to the cockpit and brought us two cards: the Boeing 707-123 and the DC-3.

Takeoff

Boarding finished on time. We pushed back quickly and departed seven minutes before the scheduled time. The morning was sunny and clear, with good views over Miami and above the clouds.

Snacks and Drinks

About one hour after takeoff, the crew started the complimentary drink and snack service. Soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea, and water were free. Alcoholic drinks were available for purchase.

I chose mini pretzels, Biscoff cookies, coffee, and water. The service was quick. There was no meal, and American did not offer a larger meal for purchase on this flight.

Lavatory

A lavatory was located directly in front of the Main Cabin Extra cabin, before the Flagship Business cabin. It was larger than I expected, clean, and in good condition. There were no extra amenities beyond soap.

During the Flight

I spent the flight chatting, watching TV shows, and working on my computer. The free WiFi made it easy to stay connected and catch up with family.

The cabin remained quiet, and the light passenger load made the flight feel even more comfortable. Most people in Main Cabin Extra had an empty seat beside them, and there were also many empty rows in the regular Economy cabin.

Strong tailwinds helped us move quickly across the United States. During the flight, the arrival estimate showed that we would reach Los Angeles about 50 minutes early. We had a four hour connection before the Air Tahiti Nui flight to Papeete.

Second Drink Service

About one and a half hours before landing, the crew offered a second drink service. I asked for another glass of water.

Arrival

The arrival into Los Angeles was smooth, with clear skies and good views during the descent. The cabin was prepared for landing, and the screens changed to the arrival display.

We arrived well ahead of schedule and received a gate right away. Leaving the aircraft was quick because the flight was lightly occupied and the Main Cabin Extra cabin was close to the boarding door.

Final Verdict: Is American Airlines 787-8 Main Cabin Extra Worth It?

This flight was much easier and more comfortable than I expected. The new aircraft, wide seat, friendly crew, free WiFi, good entertainment system, and early arrival made it a very pleasant start to a long itinerary.

I selected this seat at no extra cost, but would I pay the $100 shown on the seat map? For a flight of around five hours, I think the answer is yes if you want more space to work, rest, or sit beside a travel companion. The wider seat, large tray table, footrest, and 2 3 2 layout made a clear difference.

The main weakness was the food. Only snacks were served, and there was no larger meal available for purchase. If your flight is lightly occupied and you do not need the extra space, a regular Main Cabin seat may offer better value.