American Airlines will debut new business class and premium economy cabins on all Airbus 321 XLR and Boeing 787-9 deliveries from 2024.
The business class product, known as the Flagship Suite, will comprise suites with fully-flat seats, a privacy door, direct aisle access, a lounge seating option and more personal storage space.
These will be in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration on the B787-9 aircraft, and a 1-1 herringbone configuration on the A321 XLR aircraft.
American’s B787-9 aircraft will have 51 of these seats, while the airline’s A321XLR aircraft will have 20 suite seats.
American’s VP of Customer Experience, Julie Rath, commented:
“We are enhancing the customer experience across their entire journey with American. The arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customised seat design of the Flagship Suite® seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet.”
American will also install a new premium economy on board its aircraft, with 32 seats on the B787-9 and 12 on the A321XLR. These seats will include headrest wings to increase privacy, double the amount of in-seat storage space and larger entertainment screens.
Additionally, American Airlines will retrofit its existing B777-300ER fleet to include the Flagship Suite seats, with the process set to begin in late 2024. The 20 aircraft will feature more premium seats than its current design, with 70 Flagship Suite seats and 44 premium economy seats.
The airline’s 16 A321T aircraft will also be retrofitted to align with the rest of its A321 fleet, but will continue to offer lie-flat seats on its transcontinental routes departing New York and Boston.
The introduction of new interiors will increase premium seating on American’s long-haul fleet by more than 45 per cent by 2026.
The airline is also in the process of redesigning its Admirals Club lounges across the US, with the first of these opening at Ronald Reagan Washington National airport this autumn.
