After an hour in the Admirals Club, I headed back to L10 for the return flight. Our Dreamliner from the H/K Admirals Club
Hey, only 45 people on this Upgrade List.
Dallas-Chicago
American 2320
787-800 Dreamliner
7:10A-9:35A
May 7, 2015
First Class
On the return, I was fortunate to switch to a 2L, a backward facing window seat and discovered that this is a far better seat than any of the forward facing seats. In my opinion, there is substantially more room in the rear facing window seats. Forward facing seats have a seat wall that makes shoulder width very narrow and confining. Rear facing seats do not have the wall and let you comfortably relax towards the window giving it a much more spacious feel. Add in the fact that the view is much better in the closer to the window rear facing seats and I would always select a rear facing window seat on future flights. IMO, seats 2A, 2L, 4A and 4L are far superior to any other seats in the forward cabin.
The only downside to the rear facing seat is the complete lack of privacy, as you are staring right at the pax in 2H.
OMG, the obnoxious DYKWIA from the morning is on the return flight. Mercifully, he is on the other aisle. Mouth open, gums flapping. Yeah, there's a shocker.
With rear facing seats, you can also hang your jacket inside the "suite" instead of outside on the forward facing seats.
And much closer to the window for great views.
Forgot to check out the lav on the inbound. Indeed, a full length mirror.
Time to push back.
Everyone taking pics today.
And CFD getting ready for the water show.
And the water salute.
Much better views of the take-off from the rear facing 2L.
And the usual cool lights. This was a much more pleasant flight as there was very little sightseeing from rest of the plane.
Yeah, time for a drink.
OMG, a linen to (sort of) cover the tray table. OK, I guess it works on 738s and MD80's. At least Parker seems to have gotten the message that premium don't appreciate the hatchet job they did to catering when they took over.
Choice of some type of ravioli or chicken salad.
Yikes with the apples. Apparently, catering got a great deal on cheap, crappy Granny Smith apples.
And in another change, real chicken is back instead of the fused, synthetic crap that they've been serving since last September.
Uh, I don't think so.
Absent the apples and with a little prep work, it was actually pretty good.
As was the chocolate cheesecake.
All in all, an entertaining day flying the inaugural 787 flights. Nice new plane but at the end of the day, it's still American and it's still Business Class. None of the the 5 star airlines are going to worrry about losing premium passengers here.
After 45 minutes in the A19 Admirals Club, it was back home on my most favorite of all AA planes, the comfy old MD-80.
DFW-DEN
American 1583
MD-80
4:55P-6:10P
May 7, 2015
Refreshments
Great FA offered full bar PDB. Unlike the lazy FAs on yesterday's DEN-DFW, she served drinks, nuts and then later snack service efficiently all from the galley and without any help. And made multiple rounds to insure glasses were full the entire flight. Same snack choice of either cheese and fruit plate or antipasto. Tried the cheese plate which was quite substantial. There was a third wedge underneath. Though I'm always a little leery about any cheese that has green in it. 
