American Airlines recently broke the news that they will be eliminating international first class service while offering an enhanced business class with new deliveries of its Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Beginning in 2024, the airline will unveil new Flagship Suite® premium seating and a reimagined aircraft interior for its long-haul fleet. Flagship Suite® seats will offer customers a private premium experience with a privacy door, a chaise lounge seating option and more personal storage space. American Airlines will offer a new premium cabin experience.
“We are enhancing the customer experience across their entire journey with American,” American’s Vice President of Customer Experience Julie Rath said. “The arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customized seat design of the Flagship Suite® seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet.”
American was the first U.S. airline to debut long-haul Premium Economy seats in 2016, and in response to customer demand, the airline is adding even more Premium Economy seats to its long-haul aircraft. The new custom-designed Premium Economy seat creates more privacy and doubles the amount of in-seat storage space.
With the introduction of new interiors on its long-haul aircraft, premium seating on American’s long-haul fleet will grow more than 45 percent by 2026. American’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft will have 51 Flagship Suite® seats and 32 Premium Economy seats, and the airline’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft will feature 20 Flagship Suite® seats and 12 Premium Economy seats.
Refreshing existing aircraft
American will also be retrofitting its aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER, to include Flagship Suite® seats . These 20 aircraft will be refreshed with the new interiors starting in late 2024. American’s aircraft will feature more premium seats than its current design, with 70 Flagship Suite® seats and 44 Premium Economy seats.
American will also retrofit its Airbus A321T fleet to align those 16 aircraft with the rest of its A321 fleet. American will continue to offer lie-flat seats on its transcontinental routes departing New York and Boston along with its Northeast Alliance partner, JetBlue Airways, providing travelers with a premium experience and the opportunity to arrive refreshed after a cross country flight.
