American Airlines boosts premium seating on 777 jets as upscale travel grows
The first retrofitted aircraft will begin commercial service on Wednesday (Sep 2) from New York to Buenos Aires
American Airlines is increasing premium seating on its Boeing 777-300ER planes for long-haul routes, as upscale travel becomes increasingly popular. The airline is retrofitting 20 of its 777-300ER aircraft, beginning commercial service on September 2 from New York to Buenos Aires. This upgrade will see 144 premium seats added, bringing the total to about 44% of total seats, up from 38% previously.
The revised layout includes 70 Flagship Suite business-class seats with privacy doors, 44 Premium Economy seats, and 30 Main Cabin Extra seats, which is American's extra-legroom economy product. The airline is eliminating Flagship First, a top-tier international first-class cabin, as part of the retrofit. American is phasing out international first class due to low demand, which will free up more business-class seats that travelers are willing to pay for.
Premium travelers contribute nearly half of American's ticketed revenue in the second quarter, accounting for about 30% of its seats. American expects to complete upgrades of all 20 aircraft by 2027. The retrofitted aircraft will also feature upgraded inflight entertainment and free high-speed Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members. This move is part of a broader trend among US carriers to focus on premium travel, as higher-end products have been growing faster than more budget-conscious offerings.
Southwest Airlines is evaluating premium products like airport lounges and extra premium seating, while Frontier is adding first-class-style seats, and JetBlue is expanding its premium offerings with airport lounges.
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