American reveals details of upcoming Boeing 777 retrofits, new Airbus A321XLR routes
The onboard experience on some American Airlines jets is about to get much better.
In 2022, the Fort Worth-based carrier revealed its new Flagship Suites business-class product, as well as a new premium economy recliner and other improvements coming to some of its new and newly retrofitted planes.
The airline hasn't formally announced when these new seats and aircraft will take off. However, Brian Znotins, American's senior vice president of network and schedule planning, shared some updates that are sure to grab your attention.
Airbus A321XLR will replace the A321T
American has outstanding orders for 50 Airbus A321XLR, or extra-long-range, jets. These single-aisle Airbus planes are primarily expected to connect some of American's biggest Northeast markets with secondary cities in Europe that aren't as highly demanded.
But when the A321XLR deliveries start, American isn't going to immediately deploy them to Europe. Instead, those planes will fly the airline's premium transcontinental routes from Boston and New York City to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
That's because American is retiring its existing premium transcontinental aircraft, the Airbus A321T; it is currently configured with 10 Flagship First suites, 20 Flagship Business lie-flats and 72 economy seats (half of which are in an extra-legroom layout). The A321T will be converted into American's standard "Oasis" configuration, leaving the A321XLR as American's primary premium transcontinental aircraft.
"As the A321XLRs come in, they're going to be focused on replacing the A321Ts on transcons. So that's our first priority with those airplanes for reconfiguration of the A321Ts and for maintenance reasons of the A321Ts. We probably won't be seeing new A321XLRs on long-haul flying at least until deep 2025 or 2026," Znotins said.
The Airbus A321XLR won't feature Flagship First. (In fact, American is completely retiring this cabin.) However, these jets will sport 20 new Flagship Suites business-class seats in a 1-1 configuration, as well as a 16-seat premium economy cabin.
American's Boeing 777-300ER retrofits are starting soon
American is also retrofitting its existing fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ERs. These planes will lose their Flagship First cabins in exchange for an all-new Flagship Suites business-class product that, based on the renderings, looks to be top-notch.
Znotins said that "the 777-300ER reconfigurations are being worked on this summer and winter moving into next summer as well."
Once the retrofits are complete, these planes will feature just three cabins in the following configuration:
- 70 Flagship Suites
- 44 premium economy recliners
- 216 economy seats
With this new configuration, American is adding 18 business-class seats and 16 premium economy recliners to these jets without touching the economy capacity. (The airline is removing the eight-seat first-class cabin.) This is a "'have your cake and eat it too' situation," Znotins explained. "I get to add all of these great seats to the airplane and not have to give anything up. Economically, it'll be fantastic."
Znotins wasn't ready to speculate about when travelers could expect to experience the retrofitted jets.
"As we see that program progress, we'll be able to get really good visibility on when those airplanes will be available, and we'll start publishing the new configurations of where they're flying closer to that time," he said. "We just don't want to do it too far in advance when there's still so much uncertainty."
Znotins focused on London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) when discussing where these retrofitted planes will fly.
"Heathrow is the leading premium-heavy market in the country [internationally from the U.S.], and so whenever we have premium-heavy airplanes, it will not be exclusively focused on Heathrow, but it'll be disproportionately focused on Heathrow," he said.
In depth: Inside the dizzying process of commercial aircraft maintenance
New 787-9P Dreamliners are coming soon
American's wide-body fleet consists exclusively of Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner aircraft. These planes don't all have the same interior configuration, and yet another layout will debut in the coming months. American's upcoming deliveries of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will be arranged in a 787-9P layout.
The P stands for premium, and these planes will feature:
- 51 Flagship Suites
- 32 premium economy recliners
- 18 Main Cabin Extra seats
- 143 standard economy seats
Originally, the plan was to inaugurate the 787-9P configuration on the airline's upcoming new longest route from Dallas-Forth Worth to Brisbane, Australia. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case since the airline is facing delivery delays from Boeing, but the airline is "taking a number of them next year," Znotins said, referring to the 787-9P configured jets.
"The 787-9Ps will be in the network the next summer," he added. This week, the carrier announced its hotly anticipated summer 2025 transatlantic schedule, which includes five new long-haul routes. The carrier isn't deploying the 787-9P on any of the new routes but plans to use existing aircraft that will be freed up by introducing the 787-9P into other existing markets.
Znotins isn't sure exactly when the 787-9Ps will arrive, so he isn't ready to assign a specific configuration to a given route.
"I can't say what that date is, but the bar that we have to pass is that we don't want to be in a situation where we're having to downgrade airplanes and deal with oversales up front ... we'll forgo some selling capability on it in order to make sure we can deliver for our customers," Znotins said.
Reading between the lines, it seems like American is planning to "soft-launch" the 787-9P configuration. That should spell great news for travelers looking for upgrades since the plane has many more premium seats than the existing configurations.
Either way, TPG will closely follow the delivery and route schedule and will update you with more information as it becomes available.
Related reading:
- Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
- Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
- American Airlines elite status: What it is and how to earn it
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- Everything you need to know about flying basic economy on American Airlines
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
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.