American Airlines Introduces New Business Class Seat – Flagship Suite

American Airlines today announced a new business class seat it calls a Flagship Suite that they will start rolling out in 2024.

The new suite will be on all Airbus A321LXR and Boeing 787-9 deliveries starting in 2024. The airline also plans to install the new suite on existing 20 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft starting in late 2024.

You can access AA here.

Images from AA

Boeing 787-9

Airbus A321LXR

Press release from AA:

A Private Premium Experience in the Sky: American Airlines Introduces New Flagship Suite® Seats

New premium seats will be available on the airline’s long-haul fleet starting in 2024

• Flagship Suite® seats, featuring privacy doors, will be included on all Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 deliveries beginning in 2024.
• American will refresh its Boeing 777-300ER fleet with a new luxurious interior, elevating the inflight customer experience on long-haul international routes.
• Premium seating in American’s long-haul fleet will grow more than 45 percent by 2026.
• From thoughtfully redesigned lounges to the stylish aircraft interior and enhanced inflight service, customers will have a true premium experience with American.

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines is giving customers a suite new ride. With new deliveries of its Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, beginning in 2024, the airline will unveil new Flagship Suite® premium seating and a reimagined aircraft interior for its long-haul fleet. Flagship Suite® seats will offer customers a private premium experience with a privacy door, a chaise lounge seating option and more personal storage space. Customers will enjoy tailored luxury in their private retreat in the sky in American’s premium cabin.

“We are enhancing the customer experience across their entire journey with American,” American’s Vice President of Customer Experience Julie Rath said. “The arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customized seat design of the Flagship Suite® seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet.”

American was the first U.S. airline to debut long-haul Premium Economy seats in 2016, and in response to customer demand, the airline is adding even more Premium Economy seats to its long-haul aircraft. The new custom-designed Premium Economy seat creates more privacy and doubles the amount of in-seat storage space.

With the introduction of new interiors on its long-haul aircraft, premium seating on American’s long-haul fleet will grow more than 45 percent by 2026. American’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft will have 51 Flagship Suite® seats and 32 Premium Economy seats, and the airline’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft will feature 20 Flagship Suite® seats and 12 Premium Economy seats.

Members of American’s award-winning AAdvantage® loyalty program can earn miles through everyday activities such as shopping and dining that they can use for award tickets to experience American’s new Flagship Suite® seats when it debuts in 2024.

Refreshing existing aircraft

American will also be retrofitting its aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER, to include Flagship Suite® seats . These 20 aircraft will be refreshed with the new interiors starting in late 2024. American’s aircraft will feature more premium seats than its current design, with 70 Flagship Suite® seats and 44 Premium Economy seats.

American will also retrofit its Airbus A321T fleet to align those 16 aircraft with the rest of its A321 fleet. American will continue to offer lie-flat seats on its transcontinental routes departing New York and Boston along with its Northeast Alliance partner, JetBlue Airways, providing travelers with a premium experience and the opportunity to arrive refreshed after a cross country flight.

Conclusion

Hmmm. No word about the future of American’s FIRST CLASS product that appears to be quietly on its way out by 2025/2026 when all existing aircraft have been converted.

American Airlines’ two fiercest competitors, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines discontinued international first-class a while back.

It is sad to see the last “true” international first-class discontinued by a US airline, but the current business class hard product is far superior to the old first class “back in the day.”