See inside American’s new Airbus A321XLR, a long-range jet loaded with premium seats soon flying to the US and beyond

• American Airlines’ first-ever Airbus A321XLR touched down in Texas on Wednesday.
• The inaugural flight is scheduled for December 18, flying from New York to Los Angeles.
• The premium-heavy plane has lie-flat business class and will eventually fly to international cities.

There’s a new plane in town.

American Airlines’ first Airbus A321XLR touched down in Dallas—Fort Worth on Wednesday after an 11-hour delivery flight from Hamburg, Germany, making it the first of its kind in the US and ushering in a new era of long-haul narrowbody flying.

The A321XLR — short for “extra-long-range” — will debut on December 18, operating American’s 11 a.m. New York to Los Angeles service and eventually replacing the carrier’s transcon-specific A321T fleet.

More premium than American’s other domestic narrowbodies, the A321XLR (and the A321T) features seatback TVs in coach and full meals in business class.

As of Friday morning, one-way fares start at $379 for basic economy. Premium economy and lie-flat business class on the inaugural are already sold out; the next-day one-way fares run about $1,050 and $1,850, respectively.

While its first flights will be domestic, the A321XLR is designed for much longer missions. An extra fuel tank boosts its range to roughly 5,400 miles — about 800 miles more than its A321neoLR (long-range) predecessor.

This allows airlines to link lower-demand routes — especially to Europe — that can’t support larger widebodies or are out of reach of existing narrowbodies, like the A320neo or the Boeing 737 Max.

American says it will put the jet on international routes in the first half of 2026, though it hasn’t yet announced which ones.

United Airlines is also expected to receive the A321XLR starting in 2026. It plans to use the jet both to replace its aging Boeing 757s and to open new thin transatlantic routes — including potential services from the US to Northern Italy and West Africa.

Several global carriers have received Airbus’ latest jet. The range of cabin layouts — from lie-flat business seats on American to the all-economy setup on Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air — shows the A321XLR’s adaptability to various airline strategies.

American’s decision to offer lie-flat seats reflects the airline’s push to tap into the rising demand for premium travel — particularly among higher-spending leisure flyers.

“Premium seating is expected to grow at twice the rate of non-premium offerings, with lie-flat international seating growing by 50% by the end of the decade,” American CEO Rob Isom said of the airline’s overall cabin plan during its third-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

American’s A321XLR plane is premium-heavy.

Twenty suites have been fitted on the A321XLR in a 1×1 setup, taking up about 13% of the plane’s total 155 seats.

If you factor in the 12 premium economy seats, the overall higher-dollar seating jumps to roughly 20%.

Premium revenue is driving airline profits — especially across the Atlantic — as people remain willing to pay more for a better flight experience.

The new business class elevates American’s premium product.

The Flagship Suite Business Class debuted on a newly delivered Boeing 787 in June, as American follows the global trend of launching door-equipped suites.

Its cocoon-like setup is similar to the enclosed Mint Suites on JetBlue Airways’ A321neoLR. American’s old business class, still flying on most of its widebody aircraft, does not feature doors.

Customers get more than a door.

The lie-flat cabin also offers features like a wireless charging pad, a television, ample storage, and a multicourse meal.

“Whether customers are traveling from coast to coast or across the ocean, American’s newest aircraft demonstrates our commitment to providing a premium travel experience,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in a press release.

Suite passengers get special airport perks.

American said its highest-paying customers get priority check-in, security, boarding, and baggage handling.

They also gain access to airport lounges, like the Greenwich Lounge at New York-JFK and the Flagship Lounge in Los Angeles.

Premium economy has a legrest and privacy wings.

Premium economy features two seats per row, instead of the 1×1 configuration in business and the 3×3 configuration in economy, ensuring that every passenger is guaranteed a window or aisle seat.

Instead of a bed, the oversized lounger has a deep recline, a calf and footrest, and wide headrest wings for privacy.

Customers are also provided with enhanced hot meals, a blanket and pillow, and an amenity kit.

The premium-ish cabin is a popular middle-ground option.

The premium economy section is like the Goldilocks zone of airplane cabins.

It’s more comfortable than coach but doesn’t have a bed. It’s typically hundreds or thousands of dollars less expensive than business.

Economy will keep its special long-haul perks.

There are 123 economy seats in a 3×3 cabin at the back of the plane. These feature headrests, “multiple power options,” and seatback entertainment screens — the latter is already on the route’s A321Ts.

Adding television to the A321XLR makes sense for continuity, and because the jet is expected to operate international routes, too.

Seatback screens are not available on most of American’s other domestic flights.

Domestically, American’s seatback TVs are largely limited to its special transcontinental narrowbody flights.

Instead, passengers can use a built-in tablet holder to prop up their device and access American’s streaming content. Americans’ widebodies already come equipped with personal screens.

Unlike American, most of Delta Air Lines and United’s domestic aircraft offer seatback entertainment.

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