American Airlines Excellent 777-200ER Business Class Review — DFW to NRT

13 Hours of Comfort, Great Food, and… a Dead Screen

Flying from Dallas to Tokyo is one of those trips where the airlines and class you book makes a huge difference. In this American Airlines 777 business class review we tell you all you need to know about AA’s excellent offering.

In economy, you’re talking about thirteen hours of trying to find a comfortable position, watching the clock, and negotiating with your seatmate for aisle access. In business class, you’re turning that same flight into a day of relaxation, decent food, and hopefully some real rest.

Check-in and Upgrade

This trip started in economy — but thanks to American Airlines’ systemwide upgrade (SWU), we moved into business class. We’ve said it before: SWUs are one of the most valuable perks in the AAdvantage program if you can find space.

On a route like this, you’re turning a coach fare into a fully flat bed without paying an extra cent beyond the base ticket. Even before boarding, we knew the upgrade was worth it (if it cleared) — though the journey had a few twists.

Check-in was handled by the first class counter and was very easy.

Pre-Flight — A Calm Start in the Flagship Lounge

After clearing security at DFW’s Terminal D, we headed straight for the Flagship Lounge. We claimed seats by the floor-to-ceiling windows — prime avgeek real estate — and watched narrowbodies push, widebodies taxi, and a Qantas 787 glide past as we poured our first glasses of champagne.

The buffet beat the standard Admirals Club spread by a mile: roasted chicken and herb sides, pasta with fresh veg, a full salad bar, cheeses, fruit, and mini desserts. The staffed bar poured wines from California, France, and Portugal, plus a few solid beers. It felt like a place to relax, not just kill time, and the hour to boarding disappeared between sips, bites, and last-minute emails.

Boarding – By Groups

About 45 minutes before departure, we walked to the gate. Business class boards early before Group 1. Our passes beeped green, and we stepped into the workhorse of AA – the 777-200 ER.

First Impressions — The 777-200ER Cabin

In this configuration, American’s 777-200ER features thirty-seven Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats, laid out in a 1-2-1 reverse-herringbone pattern. Every passenger has direct aisle access, and the angled design means window seats face toward the glass, while center seats angle slightly toward each other. It’s a layout that offers both privacy and a clear line of sight to the outside world if you’re at the window.

Each seat transforms into a fully flat bed that’s 78 inches long from end to end. At 21 inches wide between the armrests, there’s a noticeable bit of extra shoulder and hip room compared to narrower business class products. In bed mode, the surface is comfortable enough for side sleeping, and the footwell is reasonably open, so it doesn’t feel restrictive when turning over.

The 15.4-inch HD touchscreen is mounted directly ahead and can be tilted for better viewing when reclined. Storage is practical — there’s room for small personal items, a side surface for drinks or devices, and a dedicated spot for headphones. Each seat has both a 110-volt universal AC outlet and a 5-volt USB-A port, so charging multiple devices at once is no problem.

The Super Diamond design feels modern and well thought out. It’s private without being claustrophobic, offers plenty of space to work or relax, and converts into a bed long enough for comfortable overnight rest on transpacific flights.

Our Seats — Comfortable and Practical

We settled into center seats in row 4. Each felt spacious before we even reclined. A wide side console swallowed passports and headphones, and a small cubby held chargers and cables. Seat controls were intuitive — recline, lumbar, footrest — and the tray table pivoted so we could still get out mid-meal. Power was easy: an AC outlet and two USB ports within reach.

Amenity Kit

Waiting at the seat: a cotton Flagship-branded amenity kit (hand cream, lip balm, dental kit, earplugs, eye mask).

A few minutes later, flight attendants offered pajamas and slippers — rare in business class and an instant comfort upgrade for a 13-hour haul.

The Setback — Dead IFE

One of our entertainment screens refused to boot, even after multiple resets. With a full cabin, switching seats wasn’t an option. On a 13-hour flight, that’s a miss: no movies, no moving map, no games. We bought the full-flight Wi-Fi for $35 and streamed reliably enough most of the way, but we still missed the built-in system — especially the map.

During flight, we reached out to American. Customer service replied quickly with an apology and 10,000 miles for the inconvenience — a reasonable effort.

Pre-Departure Service

After boarding, we were served a bottle of water and a warm towel.

Before departure, the crew came around with drinks. Alongside the drinks, they served the familiar warm mixed nuts in a small ramekin — a simple but welcome touch that American has kept for years.

Shortly after, menus were handed out with three main meal options: a Western selection and a Japanese selection.

The Western menu leaned toward classic airline staples like beef and fish mains, while the Japanese set featured a variety of smaller dishes served together. After looking through both, we decided on the Japanese option. With the meal choice made and glasses refilled, we settled in and watched as the last ground crew cleared the area and the aircraft began its pushback from the gate at DFW.

Lunch — Japanese Menu Wins

Shortly after takeoff, linens hit the table and a trio of starters arrived: a bright vegetable medley, delicate slices of grilled fish, and a fluffy omelette with pickled accents.

The main course followed — grilled fish with steamed rice, fresh greens, and miso soup. Textures and temperatures were on point, and the flavors were clean and balanced. Cold drinks paired beautifully, poured generously by the crew.

Dessert brought a rich chocolate mousse and a small pour of port — a simple pairing that worked. For a US carrier crossing the Pacific, this was a welcome step up from the old playbook.

Mid-Flight — Snacks and Pajama Time

Midway over the Pacific, we stretched our legs and visited the galley. Between cabins, a self-serve bar held finger sandwiches, wraps, fruit bowls, popcorn, candy, and chocolate.

Back at our seats, we changed into pajamas, flattened the beds, and let the plane do its work. The noise-canceling headsets helped, and we drifted off for a proper rest.

Sleep — Better Than Expected

In lie-flat mode, the seats offered enough width to turn on sides. Bedding was soft and clean. The cabin ran a touch warm — common on Japan-bound flights — so we skipped the duvets for most of the night. Between the darkness, the white noise, and the pajamas, we logged several hours of real sleep.

Third Service — Western This Time

Lights rose a couple hours before landing and the pre-arrival service began. We switched to the Western option: a fluffy omelette with roasted potatoes and a small salad.

Not as memorable as lunch, but hot, fresh, and enough to carry us to dinner in Tokyo.

Bathrooms — Small but Spotless

The forward business lav is tight — stand, turn, done — but spotless every visit. No fancy toiletries, just basic soap and consistent tidying from a diligent crew.

We didn’t check out the bathrooms in the rear of the cabin – so they might have been larger.

Service — Friendly and Professional

From door close to touchdown, service hit the sweet spot: attentive without hovering, quick with refills, and perfectly paced courses. Even with the dead screen, flight attendants kept checking on us, tried resets multiple times, and made sure we had what we needed to stay comfortable. They were constantly attentive and asked if we needed anything throughout the flight.

Arrival in Tokyo

We pushed about fifteen minutes late and touched down in Narita with the same slight delay. Immigration moved quickly, and our bags beat us to the carousel.

/ima

Within forty minutes of landing, we were in a taxi rolling toward the city.

Final Thoughts — Why We’d Choose the 777 Again

Even with a dead IFE screen, this flight worked well. The seat handled both work and sleep, the Japanese lunch surprised us in the best way, and pajamas plus slippers delivered real comfort. If you’re picking between AA’s 777-200ER and 787 on this route, we’d take the 777: it feels roomier, the seats are a touch wider, and there’s simply more space to move around. 787 is newer and better pressurized, so you will probably feel a bit more refreshed when you arrive.

Value for Money

The cash price for this route is very high. Would we spend $15K for a 13 hour flight? Probably not. However, if you are redeeming miles or using SWUs, it is worth upgrading.

Our systemwide upgrade transformed a long haul from a slog into a comfortable day. Next time, we’ll hope the screens cooperate — but we wouldn’t hesitate to book this flight again.

Our Rating

Aspect	Notes	Score (out of 10)
Check-in	Depends on the airport. Coordination among staff can be lacking.	9
Hard Product – Seat Comfort	Seats are excellent.	10
Hard Product – In-flight Entertainment	Didn’t work. Screens around us worked fine and looked good.	5
Hard Product – Cleanliness	Well cleaned. Bathroom was spotless.	9
Soft Product – Food Quality	Very good	8
Soft Product – Beverage Selection	Drinks are plenty and good.	9
Cabin Crew	Friendliness, attentiveness, and responsiveness to passenger requests is good.	9
Amenities	Pillow and amenity kits + PJs	10
Lounges	Very good	10
Cents per Mile	Incredible value.	10
Total		89/ 100