American Airlines shares 3 exciting updates about its new Flagship Business suites
Quick summary
American Airlines' big bet on premium is getting even bigger.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline announced on Wednesday three exciting updates related to its new flagship jet, the Boeing 787-9P, which debuted last month after years of anticipation.
The plane offers American's new signature business-class experience, and it marks a new era for the airline that hasn't historically competed as heavily as some of its peers for the premium market.
Here's everything you need to know.
American expanding 787-9P network
American will start flying the 787-9P to additional destinations in the coming months.
Right now, the plane is exclusively flying between Chicago and London, but that will be expanded to include several additional markets, American announced on Wednesday.
You'll find the full deployment schedule for the jet in the table below.
| Departure | Arrival | Upcoming service |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | London | All flights starting July 5 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Auckland, New Zealand | Daily service from Jan. 5 to March 28 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Brisbane, Australia | Daily service from Oct. 25 to March 28 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Daily service from Oct. 26 to Jan. 5 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | London | Daily service (AA78 and AA79) from Oct. 26 to Jan. 5, with a second daily flight (AA20 and AA21) from Dec. 3 to Jan. 5 |
| Philadelphia | London | Daily service from Oct. 25 to Jan. 5 |
All of these existing routes will be updated to reflect the new plane configuration by Monday, July 7, and passengers booked on these flights will be able to see the updated seat map then. Furthermore, travelers looking to specifically purchase a flight operated by this jet will need to look for the "78P" designator when shopping via American's booking channels.
In terms of the deployment strategy, it's no surprise to see American going big in London. Even though the U.S.-to-London market is already saturated with premium service, it seems that American believes there's more untapped premium demand that it can capture with this new plane.
Suites are officially suites
When American inaugurated the 787-9P, it needed to modify a key aspect of the business-class experience. All sliding doors were locked in the open position because the airline hadn't yet received the necessary certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to use them.
The good news is that the doors have now officially received the FAA's stamp of approval, and the airline will activate the door functionality in the Flagship Suite product in the coming days.
That should be welcome news for any passenger looking to maximize their rest and privacy on board this jet.
New onboard amenities
In yet another big investment in premium, American will start offering mattress pads and pajamas in business class on all flights to East Asia, the Middle East, India, Australia and New Zealand.
The airline shared that these new amenities will be available beginning later this summer, and it joins existing sleep amenities, such as slippers, plush pillows and duvets.
Over the years, American has offered pajamas and mattress pads on select ultra-long-haul flights, but those premium touches have also been scaled back in recent months, presumably to drive down costs.
Furthermore, American's new business-class-plus experience, dubbed Flagship Suite Preferred, will continue to include even fancier amenities, such as larger amenity kits and enhanced bedding. This product will presumably be charged as a separate add-on in the coming months, but for now, American confirmed it will remain available on a first-come, first-served basis when booking.
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