American is offering lie-flat seats on some surprising domestic routes. Here's where to find them.

Of the U.S. Big 3, American Airlines has long operated several domestic routes with its flagship wide-body planes.

In the years leading up to the pandemic, AA has strategically used these jets to fly domestically in between longer international trips. With international demand significantly depressed due to the pandemic, these planes have lots of downtime.

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Instead of sending them to the desert, the Fort Worth-based carrier is now putting these twin-aisle jets on a slew of domestic routes this December, as noted by xJonNYC.

AA's strategy is clearly to boost capacity to warm, outdoor-friendly destinations — Hawaii, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix have all seen a sharp increase in domestic routes operated by internationally configured jets.

We have a full list of routes below, per the latest schedule data loaded to Cirium. Some highlights include:

• New York to Los Angeles will be operated by a Boeing 777-200, instead of the usual Airbus A321T. Starting on Nov. 4, AA will replace the three-cabin A321T with the Boeing 777. AA has now extended this swap through Jan. 4, 2021.
• Dallas to Orlando will be operated by a Boeing 777-200 and flagship Boeing 777-300. Though Orlando is usually a low-yield destination, the carrier is clearly betting on the increased demand to Florida to keep these 300-plus seaters full.
• 60% of flights from Miami to Los Angeles will be operated by a wide-body plane in December — one of the highest percentages in recent years.
• Over 50% of the flights from the mainland to Hawaii will be operated by twin-aisle planes. All flights to Honolulu from Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix will be operated by a wide-body. Los Angeles to Honolulu is the only route to Oahu that features a single-aisle plane in December.
• Though not domestic, Cancun will also see a slew of AA wide-bodies come December. Many flights from Chicago, Dallas and New York will be operated by wide-body planes.

As a passenger, I always try to fly a twin-aisle jet when I can.

Aside from the thrill, flying on a wide-body plane is a great social distancing strategy. In the business- or first-class cabin, American offers fully-flat beds. Most seats are in a pod-configuration with direct aisle access – far from other neighbors.

Additionally, these planes feature a premium economy cabin. However, AA doesn't typically sell the premium economy cabin as a separate fare option for domestic flights.

Instead, you can purchase one of these seats for the same cost as an extra-legroom coach seat. (Top-tier elites usually can assign them for free.) Not a bad deal considering that the premium economy seat is essentially the same as a standard domestic first-class recliner.

Plus, the coach experience — with seat-back entertainment and power outlets — is a noticeable improvement from the Airbus A321s and Boeing 737s outfitted with Project Oasis.

Domestic AA flights operated by wide-body planes

How to tell if your flight is operated by a wide-body plane

Due to frequently changing demand, airline schedules have been in flux right up until the day of departure. As such, there’s no way to guarantee that your flight will be operated by a wide-body plane until you actually board.

But the steps below will allow you to determine if your flight is scheduled to be operated by a wide-body:

1. Find your desired route in the above charts and note the flight number.
2. Use Google Flights, the airline website or another flight search tool to look up the route and flight on your desired date of travel.
3. Check the plane type and seat map before booking.
4. If you see the plane type listed above (as well as two aisles on the seat map), then your desired flight is scheduled to be operated by a wide-body plane.

Note that not every flight listed below will be operated by a wide-body plane on a daily basis. Some are daily, but many others are once-weekly or only on certain days of the week. Be sure to double-check the above steps before booking.

Related: Guide to finding the plane you’re flying on