Review: American Airlines Main Cabin Extra from Chicago to Cleveland

It’s quite a short flight from Chicago to Cleveland and I was seated in Main Cabin Extra due to my frequent flyer status. People seated here get extra legroom and complimentary alcoholic drinks, which is quite nice.

After spending some time in the Flagship Lounge, I headed to the gate. My boarding pass said Group 2 and there were just two of us in that group which meant things progressed swiftly.

On Board

I was the first person to arrive at my row and I stowed my bag overhead easily. American Airlines marks the inside of the bins with things like, “Reserved for Main Cabin Extra” which I think is a nice touch.

AA2412 – Chicago to Cleveland (ORD-CLE)
8 October 2022
Boeing 737-800 – N816NN
Seat: Main Cabin Extra 9F
Departure: 21:14 Arrival: 23:27

Once seated, I took stock of my surroundings. Leg room is ample for someone like me and I found the seats to be nice and comfortable as well, which is always a bonus.

Boarding was completed very quickly and it turned out the flight was lightly loaded. There was nobody sitting next to me at all, which was glorious after being penned in for eight hours by a seatmate on my flight from Dublin.

Onboard Service in Main Cabin Extra

After take-off, the cabin lights were kept dim which I liked as it meant I could see outside easily. The world is beautiful from above by night, that’s for sure. A friendly flight attendant came by soon after and asked if I wanted a drink. I did, and a vodka and orange was duly delivered.

This was accompanied by the ubiquitous airline pretzels and I munched and drank happily while enjoying the views on such a clear night. Shortly it was time to land, so everything was cleared up and we descended into Cleveland on time.

Overall Thoughts

Main Cabin Extra on American Airlines is pleasant, especially when there is nobody sitting beside you. Keeping the cabin relatively dark made for a really serene experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m sure the fact it was my final flight of the day helped the overall vibe too.

What do you think of this class of travel? Do you think it’s worth paying extra for or not? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.