American Airlines schedules wide-body jets on 3 unexpected domestic routes
American Airlines continues to deploy its largest jets on domestic routes.
The Fort Worth-based carrier recently made some interesting aircraft swaps that'll give some flyers a big inflight experience upgrade, as shown by Cirium schedule updates and confirmed by the carrier.
The first involves one of the carrier's longest domestic flights, from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Anchorage (ANC). From June 3 to Aug. 16, American plans to fly its 285-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, outfitted with 30 business-class pods, 21 premium economy recliners and 234 coach seats. At 3,043 miles, the nearly seven-hour hop will be quite comfortable on the twin-aisle jet.
Business-class flyers will enjoy lie-flat, direct-aisle-access reverse herringbone seats, while premium economy passengers sport an upgraded version of the new domestic first-class recliners.
Once the Dreamliner service ends in August, American plans to fly the Airbus A321neo on the DFW to ANC route. Those planes are some of the newest in the AA fleet, but they're not nearly as comfortable as the wide-body 777, especially in the business-class cabin. In previous years, AA has flown a mix of single-aisle jets, as well as the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and the now-retired Boeing 757-200 between the two cities.
Related: First look at American's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Another route — Miami (MIA) to Boston (BOS) — got a notable swap. From March 27 through Oct. 30, American will fly the 273-seat Boeing 777-200 on one daily frequency between the two markets. The 777 is equipped with 37 business-class pods, 24 premium economy recliners and 212 coach seats.
Savvy (and flexible) flyers will specifically choose American's 777 when flying from Miami to Boston. AA's other daily flights in the market are operated by a mix of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 family jets, most of which sport the densified Oasis configuration. Just note that AA's 777-200s have two types of business-class pods — and it's nearly impossible to know which one you'll get until a day or two before the flight.
In fact, some of the Miami to Boston frequencies are operated by American's Boeing 737 MAX. While fuel-efficient, the plane's cabin configuration is one of the tightest of the mainline carriers.
Lastly, American will fly a Boeing 777-200 on select frequencies from Dallas/Fort Worth to Seattle (SEA) from March 28 to May 5. This move comes as American builds its presence in Seattle, thanks to American's new partnership with Alaska Airlines and the latter's upcoming initiation into the Oneworld alliance on March 31.
Related: American, Alaska Airlines outline reciprocal elite benefits, upgrades
Thanks to the new tie-up with Alaska, American will launch new Seattle service to Bangalore (BLR), London Heathrow (LHR) and Shanghai (PVG).
Deploying widebodies on domestic routes has been a part of American's network strategy since well before the pandemic started. The carrier previously used these jets in between international jaunts or between hub cities, like Miami to New York-JFK.
Now, with international demand down significantly since pre-pandemic highs, American has plenty of spare twin-aisle jets to use domestically or on short-haul international flights.
American recently started flying the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from its Miami hub, with a bunch of domestic routes to airports in Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia. The carrier is also committed to flying the swanky jet to Latin and South America, including on flights to Panama City; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; San Salvador, El Salvador; Quito, Ecuador, and more.
You'll find a full list of domestic American Airlines routes operated by widebodies below for April 2021.
| Origin | Destination | Plane type |
|---|---|---|
CLT | MIA | Boeing 777-200 |
DFW | CLT | Boeing 777-200 |
DFW | HNL | Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
DFW | KOA | Boeing 777-200 |
DFW | OGG | Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner |
DFW | PHL | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
DFW | SEA | Boeing 777-200 |
JFK | LAX | Boeing 777-200 |
JFK | MIA | Boeing 777-200 |
LAX | DFW | Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner |
MIA | BOS | Boeing 777-200 |
MIA | DFW | Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
MIA | LAX | Boeing 777-200 and -300 |
MIA | ORD | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
MIA | PHL | Boeing 777-200 |
MIA | SJU | Boeing 777-200 |
ORD | DFW | Boeing 777-200 |
ORD | HNL | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
ORD | MIA | Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner |
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- 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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| 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
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
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.