American Airlines will debut its Flagship Suite business class on June 5 on new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The carrier will also introduce a new premium economy seat on those planes.
The Flagship Suites feature a sliding privacy door, a unique chaise lounge seating option, a wireless charging pad and more personal storage space than existing American business classes. American took delivery of its first two Dreamliners with the new suites last week.
Each plane is equipped with 51 Flagship Suites as well as 32 premium economy seats. That compares to 30 business class seats and 21 premium economy seats American has on its older Dreamliner planes, according to the website Aerolopa.com.
American said premium economy seats on the new aircraft offer double the storage space of American's previous premium economy. They also have larger entertainment screens as well as arms extending from the headrests for additional privacy.
American's Chicago O'Hare-London Heathrow route will be the first to get the new 787 aircraft.
American plans to begin flying the new aircraft on Aug. 6 on Philadelphia-Heathrow, Sept. 3 on Philadelphia-Zurich, and Oct. 26 on Dallas-Brisbane.
American's new premium economy seats have larger entertainment screens as well as arms extending from the headrests for additional privacy. Photo Credit: American Airlines
The airline expects to receive 30 Dreamliner planes between now and 2029. American will also install Flagship Suites and its new premium economy seats on incoming Airbus A321XLR planes and plans to retrofit 20 Boeing 777-300ERs.
Overall, the carrier expects to grow its lie-flat and premium economy seating by 50% by the end of the decade.