We were a party of 3 and because one of us is BA Bronze, premium seat selection was free at the time of booking, plus we had priority security access (not that it was needed), and there were no baggage charges -- all of these are significant benefits, in my view.
The flight itself was on an ageing 767, which really takes you back. I don't think I can add much to what others have said in the past about these planes -- the interiors are very tatty indeed, and it is astonishing that AA try to get away with using them on premium routes. However, for all the shoddiness, the seat was comfortable, and the legroom was more than ample. It was a comfortable flight and I don't have any complaints. The lack of personal IFE doesn't bother me because I bring my own hi-tech lightweight personal device, complete with long battery life and flight-safe mode: that is, a book.
About an hour or so after take-off, drinks came round. Alcohol had to be purchased; the rest were free. There was also food for sale -- I had a brisket sandwich which I actually thought was rather tasty, although at $10 it represented a significant proportion of the cost of the flight itself! Two more drinks rounds followed before we descended into a sunny LAX. We had to hold on the taxiway for about 20 minutes whilst the gate was cleared, but after that it was all very straightforward and the bags came reasonably quickly. And so off we went into the balmy warmth of a Los Angeles afternoon.
The crew were a bit younger than I expected, and they were smiley and good-humoured -- in fact, a lot more so than my last flight in VS economy. I can see why AA gets a terrible press, but really for the money this was a perfectly comfortable experience, and the BA miles and tier points are useful.
I find the internal US TR's interesting as there can be such a difference in the product/service offered. Sounds like yours was fit for purpose 
