American Airlines' premium transcon flights are getting a big upgrade
If you're flying cross-country, American Airlines is gearing up to take you in style.
In recent weeks, the Fort Worth-based carrier has made some notable updates to its premium transcon flying, giving the inflight experience a welcome boost.
The A321T is back
The first is the return of the swanky Airbus A321T. This single-aisle jet is outfitted with just 102 seats, spread across three cabins: 10 Flagship First pods, 20 Flagship Business lie-flats and 72 coach seats, with half in the extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra configuration.
Pre-pandemic, this jet was exclusively deployed on the hotly contested routes between New York and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In November 2020, American temporarily swapped many of its A321Ts and instead flew wide-body Boeing 777s on the aforementioned routes. That led some to question the future of A321T sub-fleet, but American is back with great news.
Beginning on April 2, all premium transcon routes from New York-JFK will be operated by the posh jet. Cirium schedules show that the carrier is planning up to seven daily frequencies between JFK and Los Angeles (LAX) and up to three daily flights to San Francisco (SFO) for the months of April and May.
American shares in a statement that,
As we prepare for increased demand, we’re thrilled to continue to operate the A321T on flights between New York and San Francisco and New York and Los Angeles. We’re also looking forward to introducing the A321T on service between JFK and Orange County beginning in July.
Related: Pods, lie-flat seats and recliners: A look at premium transcon service by airline
Miami to L.A. gets a plane boost
But that's not all.
With long-haul international travel largely suspended for the near future, American still has a plethora of unused Boeing 777s. Instead of grounding them, the carrier is upgauging another transcon route, between Miami (MIA) and Los Angeles.
From May 6 through (at least) June 2, American will exclusively fly either the Boeing 777-200 or longer -300 variant between the cities, marking the first time that the route will be exclusively operated by widebodies in Cirium timetable history, which dates back to 2003.
Deep-pocketed flyers looking for the top inflight experience will seek out the up to twice-daily Boeing 777-300 service. With a dedicated first-class cabin, the 777-300 is American's flagship jet. These four-cabin widebodies are outfitted with eight Flagship First suites, 52 Flagship Business pods, 28 premium economy recliners and 216 coach seats.
American is only selling the first, business and coach cabins, meaning that savvy travelers can select a premium economy recliner for the cost of an extra-legroom coach ticket.
Fares start at $50 in coach and jump to $825 in Flagship First, and premium-cabin award availability is quite plentiful. There are a handful of dates with business-class awards starting at 20,000 AAdvantage miles. Flagship First awards are much more limited.
Related: American Airlines schedules wide-body jets on 3 unexpected domestic routes
The premium transcon market is heating up
American's move to upgrade its transcontinental flying comes as the carrier is poised to face intense competition on these routes.
United Airlines is returning to JFK after a five-year hiatus and will offer daily flights to both LAX and SFO. Scott Kirby, the carrier's CEO, has said he thinks United's move to pull out of JFK was a strategic mistake. The Chicago-based carrier now plans to fly its "high-J" Boeing 767s, arguably the poshest jet in United's fleet. With a whopping 46 Polaris business-class pods, the carrier is seemingly banking on a return in premium demand.
Meanwhile, the heat is on in South Florida. Despite American's new Northeast alliance with JetBlue, the latter is busy growing its fledgling Miami presence.
Related: United Airlines plans 'aggressive' return to New York-JFK
American has long operated a fortress hub in Miami, though JetBlue will now compete head-to-head with AA on five routes, including on flights to Los Angeles. On Feb. 11, JetBlue started flying Mint business-class equipped planes between Miami and Los Angeles.
As for American's transcon passenger experience, the business-class-only Flagship Lounges are closed networkwide. Premium-cabin flyers will still enjoy lie-flat seats, multi-course meals, Casper bedding, amenity kits and seat-back entertainment once onboard.
Despite Flagship Lounges remaining shuttered, the good news is that the Airbus A321T is coming back in full force.
Several reports surfaced in late November questioning AA’s commitment to the premium-heavy jet. Some rumored that the plane would never return, theorizing that American would convert the jets to a standard, domestic configuration with a handful of first-class recliners and a large coach cabin.
Fortunately, for AA flyers, the latest schedule updates appears to squash such rumors. Plus, with the carrier gearing up to launch a brand-new JFK to Orange County (SNA) transcon route with the A321T, the future is bright for American's swankiest jet.
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- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 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. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 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
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
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
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 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.
- 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.