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American Airlines plans retirement of flagship first class service

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American Airlines plans retirement of flagship first class service
Research
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Erica Silverstein Managing editor | The Points Guy

American Airlines is preparing to retire its Flagship First class, the last international first-class product offered by a U.S. carrier. This change will see the end of a service that has been available since the early 2010s. The airline's Airbus A321T planes, which previously featured first-class cabins, have already been retrofitted into more standard configurations.

For now, passengers can still experience Flagship First on American's Airbus A321T and Boeing 777-300ER jets. These aircraft also offer Flagship Business class, with notable differences between the two cabins.

American Airlines is transitioning away from first-class cabins in favor of enhanced business class offerings across its fleet. "We are enhancing the customer experience across their entire journey with American," said Julie Rath, Vice President of Customer Experience at American Airlines. The overhaul is driven by customer demand for a more premium experience.

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The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be reconfigured to include 70 Flagship Suite business-class seats and 44 premium economy seats. The timeline for retiring first-class cabins has been delayed beyond the original target of late 2024.

Newly delivered Boeing 787-9s will feature a new business-class cabin, and eventually, three-class 777-300ERs will be updated with these new designs. Despite delays in production, these changes are expected to provide a more private premium experience on long-haul flights.

The transcontinental A321Ts will be replaced by Airbus A321XLRs featuring a new business-class cabin but no true first class. These changes align with American's strategy to enhance its premium offerings without maintaining traditional first-class services.

Currently, travelers can still book Flagship First on select routes including New York to Rome and Los Angeles to Sydney among others. However, the future of this service remains uncertain as American continues its fleet modernization efforts.

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