In September 2022, American Airways revealed its new enterprise class seats, which can be often called Flagship Suites. Sure, I mentioned “seats,” which is to say that there are are literally (at the very least) two sorts of new enterprise class seats. These will debut on lengthy haul plane beginning in late 2024.
I haven’t coated these seats in effectively over a 12 months, so needed to go over the small print, particularly relating to the entry into service for these jets, plus some latest particulars that we’ve realized.
American’s new Flagship Suite enterprise class seats
As of late 2024, American Airways can be putting in new enterprise class seats, which can be referred to as Flagship Suites. These seats can be put in on newly delivered Boeing 787-9 and newly delivered Airbus A321XLRs. Current Boeing 777-300ERs will even be reconfigured with these seats, although the precise timeline stays to be seen.
Not solely that, however American will even be putting in a brand new premium economic system product, with utterly restyled cabins. Nonetheless, nothing has been revealed about economic system but, aside from that the seats could have new finishes. Let’s check out the small print.
New American Airways Boeing 787-9 cabins
As of the third quarter of 2024, American will begin taking supply of 30 Boeing 787-9s in an uber-premium configuration, that includes simply 244 seats. This can embody 51 enterprise class seats, 32 premium economic system seats, 18 Essential Cabin Additional seats, and 143 economic system class seats.
As some extent of comparability, American’s present Boeing 787-9s have 285 seats, solely 30 of that are enterprise class seats. Clearly these new planes are supposed for markets with a number of enterprise class demand, like London, in addition to for markets the place a lighter jet is required. Thus far, American’s first route for this new jet would be the new Dallas to Brisbane service, launching in late October 2024.
American Airways has chosen the Adient Ascent product as its new Boeing 787 enterprise class. What makes the Adient Ascent product distinctive is that it’s extremely customizable.
Most enterprise class merchandise could be personalized considerably, however have a basic sample. In spite of everything, what differentiates seat sorts from each other are the house saving strategies that seat producers use to make the cabin environment friendly. Within the case of the Adient Ascent seat, it’s customizable in contrast to another product on the market:
- The product may are available a staggered configuration, the place middle seats may very well be was double beds (American didn’t select this selection)
- The product may are available a hybrid reverse herringbone and herringbone configuration, with reverse herringbone seats alongside the home windows, and herringbone seats within the middle; that is just like Virgin Atlantic’s A350 Higher Class, although these seats are the Safran Cirrus NG selection
Qatar Airways was the launch buyer for this seat on the Boeing 787-9. Hawaiian Airways can also be supposed to put in these seats on Boeing 787-9s, and people planes are supposed to affix Hawaiian’s fleet as of early 2024, so Hawaiian is anticipated to beat American.
American has chosen a configuration the place all seats are reverse herringbone, as the middle seats don’t face towards the aisles.
American will even be introducing a brand new premium economic system on the Boeing 787-9, which appears fairly good.
New American Airways Airbus A321XLR cabins
American Airways has 50 Airbus A321XLR plane on order, which can be delivered beginning in late 2024. This slim physique jet is the most recent evolution of the Airbus A321 household, and could have unbelievable vary. American plans to make use of this aircraft primarily for transatlantic flights from the Northeast, in addition to for premium transcon flights.
American intends to configure its A321XLRs in a three-cabin structure, with enterprise class, premium economic system, and economic system. The planes will function 20 enterprise class seats and 12 premium economic system seats, so that they’ll be fairly premium.
The A321XLRs will get completely different seats than the 787s, for the reason that necessities for seats are completely different for slim our bodies than vast our bodies. American can be putting in herringbone seats in a 1-1 configuration in enterprise class, nearly equivalent to JetBlue’s new Airbus A321LR Mint cabin.
Premium economic system additionally appears fairly elegant, as it is going to be in a 2-2 configuration, just like home firstclass. The seats look mighty just like Delta’s new Airbus A321neo firstclass seats.
Will American have a particular row of enterprise class seats?
Right here’s one thing that hasn’t been confirmed, however that I feel is price discussing. These days we’ve seen a development whereby many airways benefit from the additional house on the first row of enterprise class to create a particular product. Logically, I wouldn’t be shocked if American does this on each 787-9s and A321XLRs.
For instance, should you have a look at the beneath rendering of American’s new Boeing 787-9 enterprise class, you’ll discover that the primary row of seats have completely different colour doorways, and likewise appear to have TV screens at completely different angles.
It’s not shocking to see that, since these sorts of configurations usually benefit from the house to the facet of the seat in entrance. That’s not the case within the bulkhead row, as there’s fairly a bit of additional house.
Nonetheless, on the primary 787-9 route, American is as of now letting passengers assign seats within the first row at no additional price. So does that imply American doesn’t plan on introducing a distinct product, or has the airline simply not coded these seats as costing additional simply but?
So we’ll should mark this as “creating” for now. I wouldn’t be shocked to see American flip this into some type of a enterprise class “plus” product, to monetize the additional house right here. That is no completely different than the Retreat Suites on Virgin Atlantic’s A330-900neos, or the Prime Seats on Condor’s A330-900neos, or the Mint Studios on JetBlue’s A321LRs.
Will present Boeing 787s & 777s get these seats?
American Airways has confirmed that it’ll reconfigure Boeing 777-300ERs with these new cabins, although the timeline stays to be seen. The indications I’ve seen thus far counsel that we may see these planes begin to be reconfigured in late 2024 or early 2025, although I think about that’s topic to vary.
As of now American has no plans to reconfigure present Boeing 787s and present Boeing 777-200ERs with these new seats. I hope American backtracks on that, at the very least for the planes which might be sticking round in the long term (I think about most present Boeing 787s are).
American Airways eliminating “premium” firstclass
With American Airways introducing a brand new enterprise class seat, the airline will even be eliminating its “premium” firstclass as of late 2024:
- Three-cabin Airbus 321Ts at present used for premium transcontinental flights can be reconfigured into an ordinary home configuration, and can be changed on these routes by different jets with flat beds (most likely A321XLRs)
- When Boeing 777-300ERs are reconfigured with the brand new enterprise class, the primary class cabin can be eradicated
That is the top of an period not just for American Airways, however this additionally marks the top of worldwide firstclass for any US airline. It stays to be seen what occurs to American’s firstclass floor companies, together with Flagship First Examine-In and Flagship First Eating. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them stick round, however simply monetized in a different way.
My tackle American’s new enterprise class
It’s good to see American investing in its lengthy haul product. On the finish of the day, there’s nothing earth shattering right here, within the sense that American is utilizing merchandise that different airways already provide. Nonetheless, these are among the many greatest present merchandise on the market, and on prime of that, I feel American’s cabin finishes are tasteful.
Equally thrilling is usually seeing how American is rising premium capability, as that ought to be nice for upgrades, and marks fairly the departure from what American’s technique has in any other case been for years. American will even be eliminating firstclass, however I don’t contemplate that to be a lot of a loss, given what a lackluster product it was.
Backside line
American Airways has two new enterprise class merchandise coming quickly, and they need to debut in late 2024 on the Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A321XLRs.
Boeing 787-9s will get reverse herringbone Adient Ascent seats with doorways, which ought to be a pleasant enchancment to the passenger expertise. In the meantime Airbus A321XLRs will get herringbone seats with doorways, nearly equivalent to what you’ll discover on JetBlue’s A321LRs.
Together with that, American is introducing a brand new premium economic system product, and usually restyled cabins. The airline can also be eliminating its premium firstclass product.
What do you make of American’s new Flagship Suite enterprise class?
