I’ve been living in Curacao for over two years now, and each time I fly back to the US I instantly miss the island. I really can’t emphasize enough how laid back the lifestyle is here on the island compared to America. Sure, I miss the conveniences of 24 hour pharmacies, Taco Bell, and everything being open later, but I wouldn’t change a single thing to live here.

I’ve been back and forth enough between the US and Curacao that I felt like I needed to write a blog post about what it’s like to fly to/from Curacao on American Airlines’ Business Class product. Is it a real business class? Are the seats lie flat? Is the food any good? What is the lounge experience like? Keep reading to find out what the service is like and my experience going through the Curacao Hato Airport!

Routing to/from Curacao

As of writing this, American Airlines runs two non-stop flights from Miami to Curacao and Curacao to Miami daily. They also run a non-stop Charlotte route 4 to 6 times weekly depending on the season. I’m not a fan of the Miami or Charlotte airports, if I’m honest, but I’d take Charlotte over Miami any day for the rocking chairs.

What I like about flying through Miami is that you have two flight options to choose from. Heading to Curacao from Miami, you can choose from departure times around 10 AM and 12 PM arriving in the early afternoon so you can make the most of your arrival day. Leaving Curacao for Miami, the departure times are around 2 PM and 4 PM meaning you can have a leisurely morning on the island before heading home. Charlotte departs for Curacao around 9 AM and returns back around 2:30 PM.

You’ll be surprised how short these flights are! Miami to Curacao is only 3 hours (last time I flew this route it was 2.5 hours) and Curacao to Miami is around 3 hours and 10 minutes. Charlotte is going to be closer to 4 hours to 4.5 hours each way.

Aircraft

I’m going to focus on the Miami flights because those are the ones I’ve taken the most. American Airlines operates a Boeing 737 and a Boeing 737 MAX 8 on the Curacao routes. I found both aircraft to be nearly identical in terms of layout, design, and flight experience. Both aircraft were up to date and in seemingly great condition.

It’s important to note that American Airlines has two different types of Business Class categories: Flagship Business and regular Business. Flagship Business is usually on long haul routes with lie flat seating, amenity kits, and generally better service. Regular Business Class is flown on shorter routes and has non-lie flat seats and no amenity kits. The flights to Curacao use the regular Business Class product.

Departing from Curacao Hato International Airport

People always ask me how early I recommend getting to the airport on the island. I’ve always maintained that you don’t need more than 2 hours because it’s a small airport. I’ve even arrived at the airport with only 1.5 hours to spare and breezed right through immigration and security. It helps that business class passengers have their own line for check-in.

Recently, however, my husband flew to Miami to meet up with me and he encountered unprecedented lines at immigration. I’m not sure if it’s because the e-gates were down or the immigration officers were on island time, but my husband was nervous for a minute. Security is a pretty quick affair. They don’t have the fancy body scanning machines, just an old fashioned detector. You do have to remove your electronics and shoes, but it’s all pretty smooth.

After passing security, all passengers walk through the duty free store before heading to their gate. The duty free store has a nice selection of alcohol and local treats (don’t forget to buy your blue Curacao liqueur!). Sometimes there’s a musician playing the steel drums or guitar in the middle of the shop. Also within the terminal are a couple of sundry stores with snacks and drinks, a souvenir shop, and even a shop where you can buy Dutch gouda cheese and delft ceramics. In terms of food, there’s a mini-food hall with paninis and pastries, a Juan Valdez cafe, and a bar. I personally always head straight for the VIP Lounge when I enter the terminal.

VIP Lounge at CUR Airport

There is only one VIP Lounge at the Curacao Airport, and it’s nothing too impressive. Two visits ago I was told that American Airlines ended their partnership with the VIP Lounge so business class ticket holders can’t access the lounge by default. I’ve had to use my Priority Pass to access it since then.

The VIP Lounge is modern with plenty of seating. There’s a dedicated area for kids, and even private quiet rooms. The free wifi is pretty good for getting work done, and the bar is always ready to serve drinks. The food is where the lounge falls short, in my opinion. There’s a small buffet area with various salads, crackers, a soup, and one hot dish (usually sausages). There are QR code stickers on each table for additional food, but it’s not included. There’s also a mini-fridge under the buffet with grab and go soft drinks, and a fancy soda fountain.

I like to spend time in the lounge answering last minute emails and relaxing in a clean and calm space before heading onto the plane. There aren’t any showers at this lounge, but the bathrooms are nice and clean. The lounge is generally open from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM daily and since it’s a small airport you’re never more than a 2-minute walk away from your gate.

Business Class Boarding and Configuration

After relaxing in the lounge, I make my way to the gate. I have to commend the gate agents at this airport, they’re quick. All of my American Airlines flights have boarded either early or on time. Hopefully I don’t jinx myself, but every time I fly out of Curacao I admire how efficient the boarding process is. The boarding process does take a smidge longer because the agents check passports and scan boarding passes, but it all moves quickly.

The business class configuration on both American Airlines aircraft on this route are two seats by two seats and four rows. The seats are made of black plush synthetic leather that do not lie flat, but they do recline a bit further than economy seats. There’s no in-flight entertainment screens on these aircraft, and in place of where a screen would be there are holders for your phone. When you log onto the in-flight wifi, you can browse free movies and tv shows on your phone.

I found the seats to be reasonably comfortable with adequate space for my personal item. The tray table, which is hidden inside the armrest, was small yet sturdy and was a great place to prop up my kindle. Overall, both aircraft on this route are in great condition.

Business Class Service

I’m not going to say that American Airlines has the friendliest or even high quality service, because that would be insincere. In my experience, the service on American Airlines has always been hit or miss for me – mostly a miss, to be honest. The flight attendants on my business class flights have all been meh. No one has ever wowed me on an AA Business Class flight. The service is luke warm at best, but it’s definitely better than economy. And I don’t want to make it seem like service is awful and the flight attendants are lousy, it’s just that they typically do the bare minimum – fill your drinks, serve your food, that’s it.

When I fly to/from Miami on American Airlines Business Class product, the service is a hit when: I’m warmly greeted walking onto the plane, the flight attendant offers me a welcome drink, a hot towel, warm nuts, takes my lunch order (and it’s in stock!), reliably checks if I need refills, and a warm thanks upon disembarkation. Maybe even a little small talk thrown in would go far for service. I absolutely feel like splurging for Business Class is worth it when everything is on the mark.

What usually happens though is that the flight attendants talk to each other in the galley while passengers board, welcome beverages are not served, warm nuts are forgotten or missing, lunch options have run out, service is sparse, and the flight attendants spend most of the flight chit chatting in the galley. This is when I classify the flight as a miss, but American Airlines has never been known for their stellar service.

Business Class Lunch

I miss the days when warm meals were a standard expectation on flights. Now if you’re sitting in economy you’ll be lucky to get some Cheez-Its or cookies. What I like about flying Business Class is the warm lunch and complimentary alcohol served in the skies. The food I’ve had on American hasn’t been anything extraordinary, but it’s been pretty good!

Typically when you sit down in your seat, a flight attendant will come up and let you know the two meal options for the flight – usually one is vegetarian and the other has meat. You can also pre-request special meals online before check-in. The meals on my flights have been totally random and not having to do with Miami or Curacao at all, such as: pesto pasta with mozzarella, chicken enchiladas, chicken shawarma bowl (my fave!), a charcuterie board, vegetarian lasagna, etc. They’re usually served with a side salad or pita with hummus, and then a dessert like cheesecake or a pumpkin spice mini bundt cake. All in all, the food is pretty decent and goes down smoothly with a glass of wine.

Admirals Club Lounge at MIA Airport

When you fly back to Curacao on an American Airlines Business Class ticket, you can access the Admirals Club Lounge at the Miami Airport. Compared to the VIP Lounge at the Curacao Airport, this one is much larger with more seating, additional food service areas, a larger bar, and showers. It’s not the nicest airport lounge I’ve been to, but it’s not a bad place to spend a few hours before a flight.

The last time I visited the lounge, the food area was stocked with continental breakfast options and one hot breakfast item of egg bites. The egg bites weren’t bad at all, but the pastries were run of the mill. There was a long line for the toast machine for people making their toast and bagels, but otherwise the selection wasn’t bad.

Overall Thoughts About AA Business Class

The flights to and from Curacao through Miami are short flights, just around 3 hours. Is it worth it to spend $800+ on a Business Class ticket for such a short flight? It depends. When the service is really good, it feels worth it. I like the comfort of having more space, a comfortable seat, a hot meal, and a glass of wine. It starts or ends my trip on a high note, and that’s totally worth it to me.

The business class product on American Airlines is pretty decent when all goes according to plan. If you already have the budget for it, definitely book it. If you’re thinking about stretching your budget to book Business Class, then I would say save that money and stay an extra night at Baoase Luxury Resort. Your money will go further there, and it’ll last longer than 3 hours!