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Check Out American Airlines' New Business-Class Seat

May 04, 2016
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2 min read
aa business class seat mockup featured
Check Out American Airlines' New Business-Class Seat
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For a while, American Airlines had been updating its 777-200 fleet, removing the first-class cabin and replacing the 2-3-2 angle-flat business seats with a fancy 1-2-1 pick. Things were really looking up, until AA pulled the plug on the upgrades roughly seven months ago.

The Zodiac seat AA's replacing, as seen on the 787-8.

While the retrofitted 777-200 was a huge step up from the previous version, the new Zodiac biz seats fell a bit short of what AA offers on the 777-300ER, and — more importantly — Zodiac was far behind schedule, holding up the rollout of new American planes. So AA dropped Zodiac and went searching for a replacement.

We now know what that replacement will be:

Another look at AA's new business-class seat.

American's new business-class seat will be manufactured by B/E Aerospace, which has a US office based in Gainesville, Texas — not far from AA's Dallas/Fort Worth headquarters. According to American, B/E will provide the business-class, economy and premium-economy seats for its upcoming Airbus A350s. Additionally, this business-class seat will make its way to the 777-200s that have yet to be updated, in addition to the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Here's what AA had to share:



B/E Aerospace will be our Business Class seat manufacturer for the 777-200 retrofit aircraft and the 787-9 due later this year, as well as the A350 to come in 2017.

With this new addition, American will operate three different types of business-class seats, all of which are fairly recent and similar on the surface, but with key differences in functionality. So you could eventually find yourself flying Dallas to Los Angeles on a 787-8, Los Angeles to Hong Kong on a 777-300ER and Hong Kong back to Dallas on a 787-9, with different business-class seats on each plane.

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What do you think of AA's latest business-class seat pick?

H/T: Star-Telegram

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.