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American Airlines ditches First Class for more luxury
3 Sep
Summary
- First Class is being removed from Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
- Premium seats will increase to 44% of the cabin configuration.
- The airline aims to improve profitability by focusing on premium travel.
American Airlines is significantly increasing its premium seating on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft used for long-haul flights, a strategic shift to capture more revenue from higher-paying customers. The airline is phasing out its international First Class cabin on these planes, reallocating space to boost the number of business-class seats.
The retrofitted aircraft will feature 144 premium seats, comprising 70 Flagship Suite business-class seats with privacy doors, 44 Premium Economy seats, and 30 Main Cabin Extra seats. This represents an increase from the current 116 premium seats to about 44% of the total cabin capacity. The first retrofitted plane begins service on Wednesday from New York to Buenos Aires.
American plans to complete the upgrades on its entire fleet of 20 777-300ERs by 2027. This initiative aligns with a wider trend in the US airline industry, where carriers are expanding premium offerings as revenue from these higher-end products grows faster than from economy options.
Other US airlines are also investing in premium travel. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have previously combined or phased out their international first-class offerings. Southwest Airlines is launching airport lounges, and carriers like Frontier and JetBlue are expanding their premium seat and lounge options.
