If you're looking for an honest American Airlines international flight review, I recently flew American from Knoxville to Dallas and then Dallas to Frankfurt, and overall I was pleasantly surprised.
I've flown American quite a bit throughout the Caribbean, so I expected a similar experience, but the long-haul international flight ended up being better than I anticipated in a few areas, especially the food.
Here’s exactly what my experience was like, including seating, comfort, WiFi, food, entertainment, and whether I’d fly American internationally again.
My route was:
The Knoxville flight was a larger aircraft with plenty of overhead bin space. I’ve flown American on smaller regional routes before where overhead space filled up quickly and bags had to be gate checked, so I was happy not to deal with that this time.
Boarding was straightforward and organized on both flights. Nothing particularly memorable happened, which is usually exactly what you want when boarding a plane.
If you’re still figuring out flights, I usually start with Skyscanner to compare routes and prices before booking directly or using points.
I normally prefer a window seat, but I don’t usually pay extra for seat assignments.
On my flight to Dallas, I ended up with an aisle seat and an empty seat beside me, which felt like a small travel victory.
For the Dallas to Frankfurt flight, I had an aisle seat on the end of the middle section. I actually ended up loving that setup because I could get up whenever I wanted without climbing over anyone or asking someone to move.
If you’re nervous about the airport or flight process in general, my First Time Flying? Essential Tips for Your First Flight (Step-by-Step Guide) may help before a big international travel day.
I’m only 5’2”, so legroom isn’t usually a major issue for me.
My husband Brad is 6’7”, and when we travel together we typically upgrade to seats with additional legroom because he needs it.
For me, standard economy was completely manageable. I also travel with a foot hammock, which I absolutely love. Being short means my feet rarely sit comfortably on long flights, and the hammock makes a noticeable difference.
Let’s be honest: sitting in any airplane seat for more than nine hours isn’t exactly comfortable.
That said, I thought the seat reclined reasonably well, and I actually managed to sleep for about four hours.
I also travel with:
I suspect those items helped almost as much as the seat itself.
For more of the exact things I bring on flights like this, I’d also read International Flight Essentials I never Fly Without (Long-Haul Tested) before packing.
For me, yes.
I know a lot of people struggle to sleep on planes, but with my usual setup I slept surprisingly well.
The combination of the travel pillow, sleep mask, ear plugs, foot hammock, and seat cushion made a huge difference. If sleeping on airplanes is important to you, I’d prioritize comfort accessories before paying significantly more for upgraded seating.
Flykitt is also a good option if you’re trying to manage jet lag on a long-haul international flight.
The Dallas to Frankfurt flight had seatback entertainment screens, and I loved being able to use my Bluetooth headphone adapter with my own headphones. Between movies, laptop work, a few hours of sleep, and occasionally staring out the window wondering what time zone my body thought it was in, the flight passed fairly quickly.
For me, absolutely.
I used WiFi throughout the flight and had no issues getting work done.
American now offers free WiFi on many flights for eligible cardholders, which made it even more useful. Being able to answer emails and work during a long international flight helped the time pass much faster.
If you’re trying to make international flights more affordable overall, my How I Fly for Free with Credit Card Points on a Big International Trip blog goes into more of how I use points for big trips.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
I wasn’t expecting much from airplane food.
Honestly, the food ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the trip.
No, it wasn’t as good as the meals I’ve had flying Emirates, but it was noticeably better than several other airlines I’ve flown.
On the flight to Frankfurt we received:
Drinks were offered regularly and included:
About an hour after takeoff, the flight attendants came through with a simple snack service offering either pretzels or cookies. It wasn't anything particularly memorable, but it helped hold me over until dinner was served a couple of hours later.
Dinner was served roughly two to three hours into the flight.
The meal choices were simply:
One thing that surprised me was how little information was provided about the meals. Even when people asked questions, the descriptions stayed fairly limited.
I chose the chicken option.
The meal included:
The chicken was surprisingly good. Most importantly, it wasn’t rubbery, which is honestly one of my biggest concerns with airplane chicken. The salad was fresh, and I really enjoyed it. The cheese and crackers were probably my favorite part of the tray.
The bread roll, however, was rough. Dry. Bland. Forgettable. I didn’t finish it.
The dessert looked fairly average, so I wasn’t expecting much, but it ended up being a cinnamon roll-style cake that was moist and surprisingly good.
No culinary awards are being handed out here, but for airplane food it exceeded my expectations.
Breakfast was served about two hours before arriving in Frankfurt.
The meal included:
I actually enjoyed this breakfast quite a bit. After sitting for hours, the lighter option felt refreshing compared to another heavy meal. The portion wasn’t huge, but it was enough for me.
The return flight was similar but had a few differences.
For dinner, I again selected the chicken option.
This meal included:
Again, the chicken was surprisingly good and not rubbery. The salad was excellent. The Laughing Cow cheese and crackers were delicious.
The roll was also much better this time. I’m not sure if the roll improved or if the butter carried the entire operation, but I ate the whole thing. I think it was a different type of roll altogether.
The dessert unfortunately went in the opposite direction. The cake was dry, and I didn’t finish it.
On the return flight we also received ice cream between meals.
That was a nice surprise.
For breakfast I was offered either:
It felt like a slightly unusual breakfast choice, but it actually tasted pretty good.
Again, meal descriptions were minimal. The flight attendants mostly repeated “vegetarian or beef” without providing much additional information.
The flight attendants were helpful throughout the trip.
Some crew members were friendlier than others, which is pretty typical, but nobody was rude and I never had a negative interaction.
Drink service was consistent, requests were handled quickly, and overall the service was solid.
The food.
That was easily the biggest surprise of the entire experience. I went in expecting typical airline food and ended up enjoying most of the meals. The chicken was consistently good, the salads were fresh, and several of the desserts were better than expected. The only disappointments were minor.
If I had extra money to spend, I’d probably consider upgrading to Premium Economy or a Comfort-style seat.
That said, I don’t think it’s necessary for most travelers.
If you’re under six feet tall and don’t mind standard economy seating, I think American’s international economy product is perfectly reasonable.
For taller travelers, especially anyone built more like my 6’7” husband, the extra legroom may be money well spent.
Absolutely. In fact, I already have additional American Airlines international flights planned in the coming months.
The flights were organized, the seats were comfortable enough, I slept well, the WiFi was useful, and the food was much better than expected.
If you’re considering flying American Airlines to Europe, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Just bring a travel pillow, sleep mask, foot hammock, and a few backup snacks. Your future self will probably appreciate the planning.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Use Skyscanner to compare international flight routes and prices before booking.
If your trip includes hotels before or after your flight, I usually compare stays through Booking.com and Hotels.com.
For long flights, I’d start with The Ultimate Packing List for Perfect Vacations.
I also recommend packing a Universal Power Adapter, Clutch Powerbank, and Airport Backpack for international travel days.
If you’re planning a long-haul flight, read How Tight Is Too Tight for a Layover? before choosing your connection.
For more travel inspiration, you may also like 40 Favorite Travel Destinations Around the World: My Unforgettable Top Picks at 40.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Summer’s not even over and I already have the itch. Fall hiking season is calling and I am answering.
Save this if you feel the itch too.🍁
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
