ADVERTISEMENT
American Airlines Retrofits Its 100th Widebody Aircraft With Premium Economy
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
Dec. 05, 2018
•
3 min read
American Airlines Retrofits Its 100th Widebody Aircraft With Premium Economy
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
While international airlines have offered premium economy service for years, American Airlines was the first US-based airline to introduce a true Premium Economy product in May 2017. Now, the world's largest airline has surpassed 100 internationally configured aircraft with a Premium Economy cabin.
| Aircraft Type | Retrofit (*Delivered) | In process | Left to retrofit |
|---|---|---|---|
A330-200 | 15 | -- | -- |
B787-9* | 20 | -- | -- |
B777-200 | 45 | 2 | -- |
B777-300ER | 20 | -- | -- |
B787-8 | 1 | -- | 19 |
Total | 101 | 2 | 19 |
The final two Boeing 777-200 left to be retrofit (aircraft registrations N759AN and N795AN) entered the shop at the end of November. With these out of service, all 777-200s operating going forward will have the following configuration:
- 37 Business (1-2-1 arrangement)
- 24 Premium Economy (2-4-2)
- 66 Main Cabin Extra (3-4-3)
- 146 Economy (3-4-3)
Coincidentally, the last AA 777 entered the shop on the same day that United finally unveiled the details of its "Premium Plus" premium economy service, which is set to launch at the end of March 2019. Delta launched its "Premium Select" premium economy product on its Airbus A350 in October 2017 and has started to retrofit the product on its Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
Once these retrofits are complete, this will leave just 19 Boeing 787-8 aircraft left to reconfigure. According to an American Airlines spokesperson, these retrofits will "start early next year" with the "plan to have all of the premium economy retrofits completed mid-2019." This is a bit behind the original schedule to complete the premium economy retrofit process by June 2018:
Once the 777-200s and 787-8s are finished, 122 of AA's fleet of 155 widebody aircraft will have a Premium Economy product. The other 33 aircraft won't be retrofit with Premium Economy:
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
- 9x Airbus A330-300 -- despite AA's plans to keep these widebody aircraft in its fleet through at least the end of 2020
- 24x Boeing 767-300s. The airline plans to retire six of these in 2019 and 13 in 2020.
For more on American Airlines Premium Economy, check out:
- Worth the Extra Money: American Airlines (777-200) in Premium Economy From London to Miami
- Seat Review: American Airlines (777-200) Premium Economy From Dallas to Miami
- Seat Review: American Airlines (787-9) Premium Economy From Dallas to Los Angeles
- American Airlines' 777-300ER Aircraft Nearly Complete With Premium Economy Refit
- Five Things We've Learned About AA's Premium Economy
Featured image by JT Genter
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
Annual fee
$325
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Excellent to Good
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- 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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.