This time, three of us traveled to Los Angeles to see the Dodgers: Mamarin in her 60s, MASAHIRO in his 70s, and Megumi in her 30s.
We flew American Airlines from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Los Angeles.
If you are wondering, “What is American Airlines really like?”, this article shares our honest experience from the perspective of older travelers.
We cover the Premium Economy seats, inflight meals and onboard service,
as well as immigration tips at LAX and how we took an Uber from the airport to our hotel.
✅Check American Airlines flights on Expedia
Departing from Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 2
Our journey began at Haneda Airport Terminal 2.
Boarding for our American Airlines flight began about 45 minutes before departure.
Through the large windows near the gate, we could see the American Airlines aircraft waiting outside.
It was the moment when the excitement really began to build.
Mamarin was full of energy and ready to go.
Our flight departed at 11:55 a.m.
The flight was American Airlines Flight 170, and the scheduled flight time was approximately 10 hours and 5 minutes.
American Airlines Premium Economy Seats
For this trip, we decided to spend a little extra and upgrade to Premium Economy.
We originally booked Economy through Expedia,
then later changed our seats to Premium Economy through the American Airlines seat-selection page.
The additional cost was ¥19,510 per seat, approximately US$125–130 at the exchange rate at the time.
My conclusion: the extra legroom was absolutely worth it.
Because the seat was more comfortable,
the 10-hour flight felt surprisingly manageable.
MASAHIRO, who was traveling with us, is about 180 cm tall,
and even he had enough space to stretch his legs comfortably.
For older travelers like us, the extra space made a big difference.
It was also helpful for our legs during such a long flight,
especially since sitting for many hours can make your legs feel stiff or swollen.
Our seat was 24E.
This was also one of the biggest lessons we learned from the flight.
Our seat was in the center section directly behind the restroom area,
so people were constantly walking past us throughout the flight.
We wanted to relax,
but it was difficult to completely settle down.
If you choose Premium Economy,
I strongly recommend selecting a seat away from the restrooms.
✅Check American Airlines flights on Expedia
An Inflatable Footrest Made a Huge Difference
Before the trip, we bought an inflatable footrest from SHEIN and brought it onboard.
It turned out to be extremely useful.
Once inflated and placed on the floor,
it gave our feet extra support and helped our bodies feel more stable and relaxed.
Some airplane seats can feel fairly high,
so shorter travelers may find that their feet do not rest comfortably on the floor.
A footrest can be especially useful in that situation.
It has now become one of our favorite items for long-haul flights.
Here is the product we used:
See details of the SHEIN inflatable footrest
American Airlines Inflight Meal Review: Our Honest Opinion
First Meal: The Potato Salad Was Still Partly Frozen
Our first meal included a tomato-based meat and vegetable dish with mashed potatoes.
The mashed potatoes were buttery and tasty,
but there was one surprise.
The potato salad and vegetable salad were still partly frozen and slightly crunchy with ice.
It may happen occasionally with inflight meals,
but we definitely wished they had been thawed a little more!
I ordered a Heineken with the meal.
The beer was nicely chilled and enjoyable.
Second Meal: The Salmon Roll Was Surprisingly Good
The second meal, served as breakfast, included a salmon roll with rice and fruit.
The salmon filling had an interesting texture that reminded us a little of Japanese fish paste,
so it was something we had never tasted before.
Surprisingly, it was quite good!
The rice was topped with black sesame seeds,
which also gave the meal a familiar Japanese touch.
Inflight Entertainment and Service
The inflight entertainment selection was extensive.
There were new releases, classic films, Disney movies, and Japanese animation.
We found titles such as “Wicked For Good,”
“Harry Potter,” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars,” and “Wuthering Heights,” among many others.
There were also films from many different regions,
including Asia, Africa, India, Europe, France, Portugal and Spain.
The selection was impressive.
One downside was that the cabin remained fairly dark for much of the flight, possibly to help passengers adjust to the time difference.
That made the screen a little harder to see than expected.
I had planned to watch several movies,
so that was slightly disappointing.
In terms of onboard service,
our impression was that it was fairly minimal.
There were not many drink rounds outside of meal service,
so at times we needed to ask a flight attendant directly if we wanted something.
Compared with Japanese airlines such as ANA or JAL,
the service style felt noticeably more streamlined.
Arriving in Los Angeles: A Beautiful Sunrise at LAX
We arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) early in the morning local time.
From the airplane window,
we could see a beautiful orange sunrise stretching across the runway.
It was so beautiful that we immediately said, “Wow.”
For a moment,
the fatigue from the long flight disappeared.
Using the MPC App Made LAX Immigration Easier
Immigration at LAX can feel much easier if you prepare in advance.
We had entered our information in the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app before arriving,
which helped the process go smoothly.
However,
it is very important to declare any food you are bringing into the United States honestly.
I was carrying packaged rice, vegetable curry and snacks,
so when the immigration officer asked me about food,
I answered:
“Packed rice, vegetable curry, snacks.”
After answering clearly,
we passed through without any problems.
Rather than trying to hide something or give a vague answer,
being honest and clear is the best approach.
Mamarin's Fingerprints Wouldn't Scan 😂
The biggest surprise during immigration happened when
Mamarin's hands were so dry that the fingerprint scanner could not read her fingerprints.
The officer suggested that she try applying some hand cream.
We took hand cream out of our bag,
applied it to her fingers,
and the scanner finally worked 😂
If your hands tend to become very dry,
especially during winter travel,
we recommend keeping a small hand cream in your carry-on luggage.
We never expected it to be useful in this situation!
✅Check American Airlines flights on Expedia
How We Took Uber from LAX to Our Hotel
For transportation from LAX,
we chose Uber.
At the time of our trip,
Uber and other rideshare pickup areas were located away from the airport terminals
in a dedicated area called LAX-it.
Step 1: Take the Shuttle Bus to LAX-it
After leaving the arrivals area,
we found the shuttle bus to LAX-it.
We waited for the shuttle,
then rode it to the Uber, Lyft and rideshare pickup area.
The shuttle was free.
Mamarin boarded with a large suitcase,
and the bus had enough space for our luggage.
Step 2: Request an Uber Through the App
Once we reached LAX-it,
we opened the Uber app and requested a ride.
There were three of us traveling with three large suitcases,
so we selected UberX.
The fare shown in the app was $46.95.
Because it was early in the morning,
the fare felt slightly high,
but it was reassuring to see the price in the app before confirming the ride.
We also noticed an option for Women Drivers in the app.
For women traveling alone or traveling late at night,
having the ability to request a woman driver may provide additional peace of mind.
Step 3: Our Friendly Driver Made Us Feel Welcome in Los Angeles
Our driver was a cheerful and friendly woman.
She told us so much about Los Angeles that the ride almost felt like a mini guided tour.
She talked about the city's trees
and how excited many local residents were about major upcoming international sporting events.
Before arriving,
we had been a little nervous because Los Angeles sometimes has a reputation among Japanese travelers for safety concerns.
Talking with our friendly driver helped us relax.
Before we knew it,
we had arrived at the hotel.
We left an 18% tip through the Uber app.
Because tipping can be completed directly in the app,
there was no need to prepare cash.
Our Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE
We safely arrived at the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, located at 901 W Olympic Blvd.
The drive from Los Angeles International Airport took approximately 30 minutes.
The hotel is located in Downtown Los Angeles
and provides convenient access to places such as Dodger Stadium and Little Tokyo.
We arrived much earlier than the official check-in time,
but fortunately,
the hotel was able to give us access to our room early.
Final Verdict: Is American Airlines Premium Economy Worth It for Older Travelers?
Here is our overall impression of American Airlines Premium Economy on this flight.
- ✅ Legroom: Plenty of space and especially helpful on a long-haul flight
- ✅ Entertainment: A wide selection of movies and other content
- ✅ Upgrade cost: ¥19,510 per seat, approximately US$125–130 at the time. For the extra comfort, we felt it was reasonable
- ⚠️ Onboard service: Fairly minimal compared with Japanese airlines such as ANA and JAL
- ⚠️ Meal temperature: Some cold dishes were still partly frozen
- ❌ Seat selection: We recommend avoiding seats close to restrooms and other high-traffic areas
For immigration,
using the MPC app in advance, honestly declaring food, and carrying hand cream if your hands are very dry
helped make our experience much smoother.
For Uber from LAX,
remember the basic flow:
go to the designated rideshare area → open the app → request your ride.
Knowing the process in advance made our first arrival in Los Angeles much less stressful.
✅Check American Airlines flights on Expedia
Our full review of the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE is available in a separate article.
We also have a separate article about our journey to Haneda Airport and how we spent our time there before departure.
We also reviewed our American Airlines domestic flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
