American Airlines’ latest planes sporting its brand-new business-class idea are set for takeoff subsequent month.
Earlier this week, the Fort Worth-based service took supply of two new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that can launch its next-generation Flagship Suites — together with an general re-imagined on-board aesthetic.
The first of American’s new Dreamliners will enter service on June 5, with a brief home spherical journey adopted by inaugural worldwide service from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).
Then, over the subsequent 4 to 5 months, 4 extra long-haul routes will see get the new suite idea, together with service from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Heathrow and Zurich, and American’s nonstop route to Brisbane, Australia beginning this fall.
We’ll get into the flight numbers and actual route particulars under, so you will know which flights to e book.
Years in the making
This debut mark a serious step ahead for American’s premium cabin, practically three years after the airline first confirmed off renderings of the new enterprise seats.
For the primary time, American will probably be ready to boast a real suite idea with the sliding privateness doorways which have turn into a extremely standard characteristic on different international airways, together with some competing U.S. merchandise — comparable to Delta Air Lines’ Delta One Suites and JetBlue’s newest-generation Mint product.
American’s new Flagship Suites (and the entire cabin, actually) will even look noticeably completely different than the cabins on board any of American’s planes flying in the present day.
As proven in images the service launched Friday, the new charcoal- and gray-colored lie-flat seats are outfitted with brown leather-based headrests — aesthetics that can complement the bells and whistles of the new merchandise, comparable to a new chaise lounge seating choice, wi-fi charging, bigger storage areas, together with the privateness doorways.
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There will even be extra of those business-class seats on American’s new Dreamliners — 51 of them, in all, versus the 30 discovered on its present 787-9s. Arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration with common direct aisle entry, this extra premium-heavy configuration has the airline, internally, referring to this model of its 787-9s the “787-9P” — “P” for premium, that’s,
You’ll discover an general comparable colour scheme in the premium financial system cabin, the place American will even develop its seat depend with 30 spacious recliners sport winged headrests, a cocktail tray, a snazzy private system charging holder and USB-C ports.
Read extra: American Airlines punches again in Chicago, in ‘fourth inning’ of O’Hare rebuild
Now, we clearly will not find a way to offer you a full sense for a way the cabin and the new seats stack up in opposition to competing merchandise till we have had an opportunity to strive it for ourselves.
But, it ought to definitely be a serious enhance in American’s hopes to each develop and enhance its premium choices.
“Every aspect of our new 787-9 is designed to feel premium in nature,” American chief buyer officer Heather Garboden mentioned in a press release Friday. “Whether flying for business or pleasure, having the opportunity to explore other parts of the world should be an exciting and memorable experience that begins the moment you book your flight.”
Which flights may have American Airlines’ Flagship Suites?
The inaugural flight for American’s new Flagship Suites will technically be a short-haul home flight on June 5, from Chicago to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). That’s AA Flight 2012, scheduled to depart ORD at 9:12 a.m. and arrive at LAX at 11:33 a.m., all instances native.
That afternoon. the airplane will return to O’Hare forward of its first long-haul route: from ORD to Heathrow, working as AA Flight 98.
As proven in American’s reserving channels, it departs Chicago at 10:30 p.m and lands in London the subsequent day at 12:15 p.m. all instances native.
Economy redemptions begin at 29,000 AAdvantage miles, with premium financial system at 49,000. At the time of this writing, you’d have to redeem a whopping 400,000 miles to snag a business-class seat.
However, a enormous caveat right here: American says seats on the new plane (with its new structure) technically go on sale on Monday. At the second, the seat map for this flight would not mirror the newer, extra premium-heavy cabin configuration, together with a 70% enhance in business-class capability over the Dreamliner presently penciled into the route.
So, we’ll have to see what occurs to these redemption charges in the subsequent few days.
Other routes coming quickly
Over the course of 2025, American will welcome extra Dreamliners to its fleet, and debut the plane on extra long-haul routes, together with:
- PHL-LHR — begins Aug. 6
- PHL to Zurich Airport (ZHR) — begins Sept. 3
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Brisbane Airport (BNE) in Australia — begins Oct. 26
In all, the service expects to obtain a complete of 30 of those premium-heavy 787-9s between now and 2029.
And these Dreamliners aren’t the one jets that can see the new Flagship Suite idea.
American plans to debut the suites on its transatlantic-capable Airbus A321XLRs — although it plans to begin these jets out (every time it receives them) on premium transcontinental routes presently operated by its four-cabin A321Ts.
The service additionally plans to retrofit its Boeing 777-300ERs, ditching the Flagship First cabin in favor of a better complete variety of lie-flat seats.
Nostalgia flight: How you’ll be able to fly Flagship First on American earlier than it is phased out
Booking American’s new suites with factors miles
While redeeming AAdvantage miles is probably the most typical means to rating an award seat on American, there are a selection of companions you’ll be able to as a substitute decide to e book by way of.
We counsel checking for accomplice award house on American by way of Oneworld alliance carriers’ loyalty applications, from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and the assortment of worldwide airways that use Avios for an award forex — from British Airways to Iberia, Qatar, Aer Lingus and Finnair.
TPG staffers have made sturdy use of accomplice redemptions booked by way of Alaska of late, thanks to its accomplice award chart that may introduce bargains in contrast to what you will discover by way of the extra dynamically-priced AAdvantage program.
At least for now, you’ll be able to switch American Express Membership Rewards to HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 ratio, then shift these miles to Alaska — however, as I wrote final week, that association might not be round for an excessive amount of longer.
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