American delays new Flagship Business Suites as it shuffles wide-body flights
American Airlines' newest onboard innovations won't be flying as soon as flyers might've expected.
It's all part of major changes that the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier is making to its wide-body network, reducing service on 12 routes due to delivery delays from Boeing. The news was first communicated to flight attendants in an internal memo obtained by TPG and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
Perhaps even bigger news is that as part of this network update, American is delaying the introduction of its new Flagship Business Suites and premium economy products that were supposed to debut on a special new "787-9P" Dreamliner configuration.
Originally, the plan was to introduce these new seats, which were first unveiled in 2022, on the airline's new longest route from Dallas-Fort Worth to Brisbane, Australia. This 8,303-mile route was announced in February and was supposed to be operated by a new 787-9P.
However, because of ongoing delivery delays, American will instead operate this flight using an existing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that features 30 of the airline's existing reverse-herringbone business-class pods, as well 21 premium economy recliners, 36 extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra seats and 198 standard economy seats. Aside from the equipment change, this daily seasonal flight will launch as planned Oct. 26.
American doesn't have an updated timeline for when it will introduce its new onboard products. Originally, the plan was to inaugurate these seats on board the 787-9P and simultaneously retrofit the existing Boeing 777-300ERs with the new products. (As part of the retrofit process, American is retiring Flagship First and replacing it with a new four-seat business-class-plus Flagship Suite Preferred section.)
Because of the delivery delays, it's possible that the first 777 retrofit might be completed before the first new Dreamliner is inaugurated. American declined to share an updated rollout timeline with TPG, but we'll be sure to follow up with details as they become available.
As for the routes that American is shuffling, the changes are pretty extensive, covering service to Europe, South America and even Hawaii.
You'll find all the details in the table below, but it's worth noting that American's Dallas-Fort Worth-to-Kona route won't (re)launch as planned. It was last operated in 2021, and American was originally supposed to fly it again starting in October.
Other big changes include reducing late summer service from New York to Rome to just one daily flight and ending a few other seasonal summer routes before they were originally supposed to wrap up.
In the winter season, American will increase service on four routes as it scales up pilot training and accelerates its retrofit schedule.
“As a result of ongoing Boeing 787 delivery delays, American is adjusting service on certain routes in the second half of 2024 and first quarter of 2025. We’re making these adjustments now to ensure we’re able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights. We’ll be proactively reaching out to impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements. We remain committed to our customers and team members and mitigating the impact of these delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network," American shared in a statement about the news.
Even though the carrier is making some big tweaks, American will continue to offer service on 55 long-haul international routes this winter, and it's not pulling out of any destinations as part of this adjustment.
While the airline is adjusting its schedule due to delivery delays, the carrier reaffirmed that it expects to grow full-year capacity by single digits in line with its recently issued guidance.
“While Boeing delivery delays have impacted mainline capacity production, they have been largely offset by improvement in our regional aircraft utilization. Aircraft delivery delays are impacting the entire industry, but they are not having the same impact on American as other carriers since we are not as dependent on new aircraft deliveries as most of our peers," chief financial officer Devon May said on the airline's first-quarter earnings call.
American plans to increase regional flying across the Sunbelt and in its Chicago hub.
The airline will file all these changes over the weekend, and they will be visible to customers by Sunday, April 28.
American's wide-body reductions
| Route | Impact |
|---|---|
New York to Rome | Reduce from two to one daily flight effective Aug. 5 |
New York to Athens, Greece | Early seasonal suspension effective Sept. 3 |
Philadelphia to Venice, Italy | Early seasonal suspension effective Oct. 5 |
Chicago to Paris | Suspend service starting Sept. 3; service will resume in summer 2025 |
New York to Barcelona | Suspend service starting Sept. 3; service will resume in summer 2025 |
New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina | Reduce to one daily flight effective Oct. 27 |
Dallas-Fort Worth to Kona, Hawaii | Will not operate this winter |
Dallas-Fort Worth to Dublin | Will suspend effective Oct. 26; service will resume in summer 2025 |
Dallas-Fort Worth to Rome | Will suspend effective Oct. 26; service will resume in summer 2025 |
Miami to Montevideo, Uruguay | Delay seasonal resumption to Nov. 18 |
Miami to Rio de Janeiro | Reduce to 10 weekly flights for winter season (except Dec. 16, 2024, to Jan. 6, 2025) |
Phoenix to Honolulu | Service will no longer operate on Boeing 787 equipment this winter (except Nov. 16 to Dec. 2) |
American's wide-body increases
| Route | Impact |
|---|---|
Philadelphia to Barcelona | Will operate daily in January 2025 |
Miami to Montevideo | Will operate daily from Dec. 16, 2024, to Feb. 9, 2025 |
New York to Rio de Janeiro | Will operate daily from Oct. 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025 |
Miami to Sao Paulo | Will operate three times per day from Oct. 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025 |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $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.
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- $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.