American Airlines is upgrading its long-haul customer experience with the launch of the Flagship Suite business class and the front-row Flagship Suite Preferred. These new features are being implemented on recently delivered Boeing 787-9s and will also be included in the reconfiguration of current aircraft.
The initial planes to receive this upgrade are the Boeing 777-300ERs. American Airlines has a fleet of 20 of these planes, which have been prioritized for reconfiguration due to their operation on premium routes and the availability of a first-class cabin, which the airline intends to phase out. The retrofit initiative, which was initially postponed, has begun with the aircraft registered as N718AN being flown to Hong Kong for refurbishment.
The reconfiguration will alter the 777-300ERs from 304 seats to 330 seats, removing eight first-class seats while adding 18 business class and 16 premium economy seats. The economy class seat count will remain unchanged. This effective reconfiguration involves several modifications, including rearrangements of lavatory locations and galley areas, which may affect crew operations but improve passenger capacity, particularly in business class.
American’s retrofit initiative, referred to as “Olympus,” is anticipated to be completed by 2026 for all 777-300ERs, with the reconfiguration of 777-200ERs set to begin in 2027. The airline aims to eliminate international first class in line with the retrofit schedule and will eventually cease selling first-class tickets, moving towards an enhanced business class experience.
These modifications signify American Airlines’ dedication to enhancing its premium offerings, focusing on increasing business class capacity and improving passenger comfort on long-haul journeys.