American Airlines (AA) is the airline I fly most. Its AAdvantage frequent flyer program best fits my circumstances, preferences and goals for air travel and frequent flyer rewards. I’ll admit it though, AA is not one of the best airlines in the world.
While on the whole AA is quite average as long-haul, international airlines go, there are a couple of small things it does really well. A flight from Milano, Italy to New York illustrates one of the things AA is great at, and that flight also provided some spectacular views of the Alps.
But making the flight was harder than anticipated. The airport bus from Milano Centrale Station took longer than I thought it would. There were a couple of additional stops that the bus from the airport did not make. And traffic near the airport was backed up.
As I previously posted, taking the bus from the airport offers several advantages over taking a train. Going to the airport, a train may be the better option because the schedule is more reliable.
The Alps
Views from 30,000 feet can be spectacular. When booking a flight and selecting seats, think about the sights along the route that are worth seeing and choose a seat on the side of the plane that provides the best chance of seeing them.
For the flight back to New York, the Alps were the most obvious geographical feature of interest. Likely flight routes between New York and Milano lie just south of the Alps. You can use Great Circle Mapper to see great circle routes between an origin and destination.
Airlines like to follow great circle routes because they are the shortest distance but weather and air traffic requirements can cause deviations. For the flight to New York, I chose a seat on the plane’s starboard (right) side at booking and hoped for good weather.
Except for a day trip to Lake Como, my stay in Milano, a wonderful city, looked like this.

For the flight back to New York, I got lucky with the route and the weather.

Indeed, the Alps came into view a few minutes after takeoff. The captain made a PA announcement about it. My cell phone camera did its best to capture the majesty.


One mountain stood out. I think it was the Matterhorn. I’d never seen it.

There is something about the beauty and power of mountains that is appealing. Taking the Junfraujoch railway to the Top of Europe in 2017 and in 2018 a trip to Everest Base Camp – Tibet were fantastic experiences.

There are two railway stations inside the Eiger. Passengers can alight and take in the views from windows cut into the face of the mountain.


One day I’d also like to see the the Matterhorn up close.
Few If Any Airlines Top American Airlines At The Presentation And Variety Of Mid-Flight Snacks
On aircraft with two business class cabins (777-300s and certain 777-200s and 787-8s) American puts out an impressive spread of mid-flight snacks in the galley between the business class cabins. Granted, no one chooses to fly an airline solely for the mid-flight snacks. But the mid-flight snack presentation enhances the business class experience overall. Furthermore, since I criticize AA for its deficiencies, I should also acknowledge the things it does well.
A few hours into the flight I visited the galley between the business cabins and helped myself to some of the tasty and relatively healthy snacks flight attendants had carefully displayed.
In comparison, Delta, which I’d rate as a better airline overall compared to AA, has a snack presentation that falls far short of the spread on AA. It is not a big deal, but I’ll give AA credit for effort in this department.
I suspect that American limits the snack bonanza to planes with two business class cabins due to lack of space in the galley and so passengers in economy or premium economy aren’t tempted to help themselves to the food in business class.
Flying over mountains is something I’ll never tire of. Great photos 🙂
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You and me both! Thanks.
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You flew right over our house in Northern Italy! We are partial to Delta, owing to the location of our two residences – Val di Non, Italy and Western North Carolina. We have flown the ATL MXP and MUC routes twice a year for the last 19 years. We never get tired of those views!
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You chose beautiful locations for your homes. I’m a Charlotte resident and love the mountains in western NC. Delta is better than AA but after 2mm on Delta I switched after being “enhanced” to death in its frequent flyer program. B/t/w did I correctly identify the Matterhorn? Thanks much for your comment.
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Yep, that was the Matterhorn!
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Thanks. I added a link to my post on Lake Como, an area I’m sure you are familiar with.
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We go to Como but more frequently to Lake Garda where we have many friends.
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These are great photos! You’re right…AA is not a great airline; I try to avoid it at all costs.
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I’m glad you liked the photos. The thing I like most about AA is the ability to use its miles for first class flights on other airlines.
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What a great view of the Alps from your flight.
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It was a great and unexpected view. Thanks for checking out the blog.
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thanks for the informative post; the pictures of the Alps from the plane are spectacular. How do you know which side of the aircraft to sit on to get the best views?
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You are welcome Jim. And thanks for your comments. As far as which side to sit on, its a bit of a guess. But try Great Circle Mapper’s website. It can show a great circle route between two points. The actual route can vary a bit depending on weather and air traffic control requirements. Odds are no worse than 50 – 50 🙂
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Wow! What a pretty view of the mountains. Thanks for sharing.
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Over the years I’ve had maybe 10 – 12 flights with a chance of seeing the Alps. By far this was the best view. Thanks much for your comments, and my apologies for not replying sooner. Been on the move.
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