How to Fly American’s Best Business Class Seats Domestically in January and February
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
American Airlines’ fleet can be frustratingly inconsistent. Some long US domestic routes will lack power or in-flight entertainment, even in first class. Meanwhile, you can find lie-flat seats sold as economy on one-hour flights. If you’ve got some flexibility to your travels, knowing American Airlines’ fleet schedule can mean getting a superior experience.
Problem is, AA’s schedule can vary from month to month. So, we at The Points Guy dig into the airline’s schedule to unveil where you can find these excellent seats.
Whether you splurge on a first class award or paid ticket, get a free upgrade using 500-mile upgrades or get a complimentary upgrade as an Executive Platinum member, here are the ways to fly on American Airlines’ best business class seats without having to bring your passport.
777-200: B/E Aerospace Super Diamond or Zodiac
American Airlines has four versions of the 777-200 in its fleet — some with “rocking” Zodiac seats and others with new B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats. Some have been retrofit with premium economy, while others are still in the queue. These can be frustrating to try to tell apart. And, even if you do book a particular version, equipment changes means there’s no telling which type will show up at your gate.
However, all four versions have some form of lie-flat business class seats. So, looking for 777-200s on domestic routes is sure to provide a better-than-average first class experience. Here are the routes on which AA is using these aircraft:
From | To | Flight # | Depart | Arrive | Starting | Ending | Frequency |
DFW | HNL | 5 | 10:55 | 15:31 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
DFW | HNL | 123 | 9:05 | 13:45 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
DFW | LAX | 1257 | 22:15 | 23:53 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
DFW | MIA | 367 | 16:50 | 20:35 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
DFW | MIA | 2680 | 17:05 | 20:45 | 8-Jan | 14-Feb | Daily |
DFW | MIA | 2791 | 17:05 | 20:45 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
DFW | OGG | 7 | 9:50 | 14:08 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
DFW | OGG | 7 | 9:50 | 14:15 | 13-Jan | 10-Feb | Saturday |
DFW | OGG | 7 | 9:50 | 14:15 | 16-Feb | 24-Feb | Fri & Sat |
DFW | OGG | 119 | 11:10 | 15:41 | 8-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
HNL | DFW | 8 | 18:45 | 6:01 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
HNL | DFW | 102 | 21:00 | 8:22 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
HNL | LAX | 144 | 23:35 | 7:00 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
LAX | DFW | 2184 | 6:30 | 11:36 | 9-Jan | 9-Jan | One-off |
LAX | DFW | 2459 | 8:35 | 13:49 | 8-Jan | 8-Jan | One-off |
LAX | DFW | 2462 | 14:15 | 19:17 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
LAX | HNL | 143 | 15:00 | 18:51 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
LAX | MIA | 225 | 7:45 | 15:36 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
MIA | DFW | 969 | 11:05 | 13:24 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
MIA | DFW | 2691 | 13:50 | 16:08 | 15-Feb | 15-Feb | One-off |
MIA | DFW | 2706 | 9:05 | 11:25 | 16-Feb | 16-Feb | One-off |
MIA | LAX | 270 | 17:25 | 20:23 | 16-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
MIA | ORD | 364 | 8:35 | 10:51 | 6-Jan | 6-Jan | One-off |
OGG | DFW | 6 | 18:50 | 5:53 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
OGG | DFW | 116 | 21:30 | 8:37 | 13-Jan | 10-Feb | Saturday |
OGG | DFW | 116 | 21:30 | 8:37 | 16-Feb | 24-Feb | Fri & Sat |
ORD | MIA | 334 | 12:00 | 16:00 | 6-Jan | 6-Jan | One-off |
787-9 B/E Aerospace Super Diamond
After originally testing its 787-9s on the domestic route between Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, American Airlines has mostly assigned its efficient 787-9 Dreamliners to international routes. However, periodically the airline will have to position these aircraft between hubs due to scheduling needs. This opens up a golden opportunity to try AA’s newest business class seat out for yourself.
For January-February, you’ll find these three-cabin (economy, premium economy, business) aircraft flying domestic routes between Dallas (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD):
From | To | Flight # | Depart | Arrive | Starting | Ending | Frequency |
DFW | ORD | 1233 | 12:35 | 14:52 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
DFW | ORD | 1258 | 11:55 | 14:09 | 16-Feb | 16-Feb | One-off |
ORD | DFW | 2331 | 15:15 | 17:37 | 15-Feb | 16-Feb | Thurs & Fri |
ORD | DFW | 2349 | 16:55 | 19:26 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
LAX | DFW | 2459 | 8:20 | 13:20 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
DFW | LAX | 2489 | 18:50 | 20:20 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
Upgrade didn’t clear? Or, don’t want to pay for first class? AA has made the decision to not sell premium economy on domestic routes (except to Hawaii), so the premium economy seats found on these aircraft are sold as part of the economy cabin. However, these seats are labeled as Main Cabin Extra, so you’ll need AA elite status to choose these for free.
777-300ER Zodiac
Long considered to have one of the best business class seats in the sky, American Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER (77W) is a great way of traveling anywhere. Problem is, it’s typically expensive to buy an international round-trip on this aircraft; award availability on these flights is especially hard to get; and upgrades are highly sought after.
If you want to see what all the buzz is about, there are just four domestic flights across the two months where you can find American Airlines’ 777-300ERs:
From | To | Flight # | Depart | Arrive | Date |
DFW | JFK | 2188 | 7:20 | 11:44 | 7-Jan |
DFW | MIA | 2686 | 10:25 | 14:03 | 16-Feb |
MIA | DFW | 2213 | 15:45 | 18:04 | 16-Feb |
MIA | JFK | 2493 | 7:00 | 9:56 | 9-Jan |
A330 Envoy Suite
While not the newest business class seat in the fleet, the legacy US Airlines A330s are a solid business class product — and certainly more than sufficient for a domestic flight.

Here’s where to find these domestically:
From | To | Flight # | Depart | Arrive | Starting | Ending | Frequency |
CLT | PHL | 559 | 16:35 | 18:23 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
CLT | PHL | 830 | 11:20 | 12:58 | 1-Jan | 1-Jan | One-Off |
CLT | PHL | 1796 | 22:25 | 0:05 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
CLT | PHL | 1798 | 20:20 | 22:00 | 1-Jan | 14-Feb | Daily |
CLT | PHX | 692 | 7:30 | 10:27 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
HNL | PHX | 693 | 22:00 | 6:58 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
MCO | PHL | 720 | 9:30 | 11:57 | 16-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
PHL | CLT | 566 | 13:05 | 14:54 | 8-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
PHL | CLT | 650 | 8:15 | 10:21 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
PHL | CLT | 765 | 6:55 | 8:44 | 8-Jan | 14-Feb | Daily |
PHL | CLT | 1965 | 6:50 | 8:42 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
PHL | MCO | 1786 | 18:15 | 21:04 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
PHL | SFO | 877 | 15:30 | 18:49 | 15-Feb | 28-Feb | Daily |
PHL | SFO | 1743 | 15:20 | 18:40 | 1-Jan | 14-Feb | Daily |
PHX | CLT | 743 | 9:35 | 15:30 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
PHX | HNL | 692 | 12:05 | 16:00 | 1-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
SFO | CLT | 2112 | 6:48 | 14:45 | 1-Jan | 7-Jan | Daily |
SFO | PHL | 878 | 8:20 | 16:43 | 8-Jan | 28-Feb | Daily |
Where do you hope to take AAdvantage of international business class seats domestically?
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.