The carrier received its first two Boeing 787-9 aircraft featuring expanded business class cabins and new Flagship Suite seats, marking a significant shift toward premium service offerings on international routes.
American Airlines took delivery of its first two premium-configured Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on Tuesday, ending a delay of about a year in the aircraft manufacturer’s delivery schedule.
The new wide-body jets, registered as N846AN and N845MD, arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE) and Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina, respectively. They feature the carrier’s new Flagship Suite seats with an expanded business class cabin.
“We are enhancing the customer experience across their entire journey with American,” Julie Rat, American’s Vice President of Customer Experience, said when announcing the new seating configuration in 2022. “The arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customized seat design of the Flagship Suiteยฎ seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet.”
The reconfigured Dreamliners feature 51 Flagship Suite business class seats โ 21 more than on American’s existing 787-9s โ and 32 premium economy seats, an increase of 11 compared to the current configuration. The aircraft have a total capacity of 244 passengers.
Industry analysts are already speculating about the initial routes for the premium-heavy jets. According to an X post by JonNYC, the planes could begin service in June with one daily flight each between Chicago and Los Angeles and Chicago and London. The post adds that in July, there could be two additional daily Chicago-London flights, and in August, there could be one daily service between Philadelphia and London added using these aircraft. Of course these are guesses, and it remains to be seen whether American follows these plans.
The new Flagship Suite seats, which feature privacy doors and convert to lie-flat beds or chaise lounge positions, received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation in March 2025. The DOT found the design compliant with the Air Carrier Access Act after American requested an equivalent alternative determination regarding movable aisle armrest requirements. As part of the approval, American Airlines must provide specialized training to employees and contractors who will be transferring passengers with limited mobility to and from their seats, along with annual refresher training.
American plans to expand the premium seating concept across its long-haul fleet, with its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft slated for retrofits with the new business class product. Once completed, the retrofits will eliminate international first class from American’s fleet, leaving the Flagship Suite as its highest premium offering, as pointed out by One Mile At A Time.
The airline has stated that premium seating in its long-haul fleet will grow by more than 45% in the next couple of years.
The two delivered aircraft are just the beginning of American’s premium-cabin transformation, with more than two dozen additional 787s on order. The interior design of these new planes includes an illuminated American Flight Symbol and thin red accent lines throughout the cabin.
Key Takeaways
- American Airlines received its first two premium-configured Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners after a year-long delay.
- The new configuration features 51 Flagship Suite business class seats, 21 more than on existing 787-9s.
- Initial routes may include Chicago-Los Angeles and Chicago-London services beginning in June, though these are speculative.
- American plans to increase premium seating across its long-haul fleet by more than 45% in the coming years.
- The DOT approved the new Flagship Suite design in March 2025.
