Suite dreams are made of this: American Airlines (AAL+0.15%) just debuted a redesigned aircraft that features private suites with sliding doors and chaise lounge-style seating as part of a broader push to elevate its premium international travel experience.
The “Flagship Suite” seats, introduced on American’s latest Boeing (BA-0.01%) 787-9 deliveries, represent a significant shift in the airline’s long-haul strategy. With a focus on privacy, comfort, and luxury, the suites are part of American’s plan to retire traditional international first class and compete more directly for premium travelers.
This new “premium-focused” design will also appear on any deliveries of Airbus (AIR-1.40%) A321XLRs and retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs, the airline said. The updated 787-9 cabin will have 51 “Flagship Suite” seats, replacing the current international business class configuration of 30 seats.
Each suite is equipped with a sliding privacy door, more personal storage space, a wireless charging pad, and a chaise lounge-style seating option. Travelers booking the seats will receive access to a range of ground and inflight services including priority check-in, security, boarding, and baggage handling, as well as access to American’s Flagship Lounge. In the air, passengers will be offered a multi-course meal curated to pair with premium wines, along with upgraded bedding and amenity kits featuring luxury skincare products.
American’s suites will enter regular service on June 5 with a flight from Chicago to London. Additional routes with the suite seats include Philadelphia to London starting on Aug. 6, Philadelphia to Zurich on Sept. 3, and Dallas Fort Worth to Brisbane, Australia, on Oct. 26.
On the airline’s website, a roundtrip leaving Chicago for London on August 1 and returning August 8 in the Flagship business class costs $5,361.
American plans to introduce a total of 30 of these redesigned 787-9s to its fleet by 2029. By the end of the decade, American aims to grow its lie-flat and “premium economy” seating by 50%.
In September 2022, American announced it would eliminate international first class on many aircraft and instead focus on a more luxurious business-class suite experience. The move was part of a broader industry trend where airlines are consolidating premium offerings into a single, more spacious and competitive business class — often with features that previously distinguished first class.
The airline is positioning the Flagship Suite product as a direct competitor to Delta’s Delta One Suite and JetBlue’s Mint, both of which feature sliding doors and enhanced privacy. United Airlines (UAL-0.79%) is also expected to introduce an updated premium cabin product in the near future.
The post American Airlines is bringing private suites with sliding doors to fancy flying appeared first on Quartz.
