American Airlines is preparing to sunset its long-standing Flagship First product later this year, bringing an end to the last long-haul international first-class product offered by a U.S. airline.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will stop selling Flagship First on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for travel beginning Nov. 19. The product will remain available on select transcontinental flights for several more months before being withdrawn for travel beginning March 28, 2027.
The change does not affect American’s domestic first-class product. Flagship First is a separate cabin positioned above business class on the carrier’s 777-300ERs and specially configured Airbus A321Ts.
American first outlined plans to eliminate the cabin in 2022 when it unveiled its Flagship Suite business-class product. At the time, then-Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja said the decision reflected limited demand for a separate first-class cabin.
“First class will not exist on the 777 or, for that matter, at American Airlines, for the simple reason that our customers aren’t buying it,” Raja said during a 2022 earnings call.
Raja added that improvements to business-class seats had narrowed the distinction between the two cabins. Removing first class, he said, would allow American to install more business-class seats, which customers were more willing to purchase.
First Retrofitted 777 Enters Service
American disclosed the phaseout dates as its first retrofitted 777-300ER entered revenue service Wednesday between New York-JFK and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The aircraft is configured with 70 Flagship Suite business-class seats, 44 premium economy seats, and 30 Main Cabin Extra seats. Before the retrofit, American’s 777-300ERs had eight Flagship First seats, 52 business-class seats, and 28 premium economy seats.
Flagship Suites feature sliding privacy doors, additional storage, and a chaise lounge seating position. American is installing the product across its 20-aircraft 777-300ER fleet, replacing the jets’ separate Flagship First and business-class cabins with a larger, unified premium cabin.
“Our Flagship aircraft represents the next evolution of premium travel at American,” Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper said in a news release. “With elegantly designed interiors and spacious premium seating, the Boeing 777-300ER reflects our continued commitment to creating a travel experience around what customers value most.”
American initially expected to begin retrofitting the 777-300ER fleet in late 2024. The first aircraft instead entered service nearly two years later as the airline worked through delays affecting its broader premium-cabin rollout.
Transcontinental Phaseout
The airline introduced Flagship Suites last year aboard its premium-heavy Boeing 787-9 aircraft and Airbus A321XLRs. The 787-9 carries 51 suites, while the A321XLR has 20.
As more A321XLRs enter service, the type will take over premium transcontinental flying currently handled by American’s A321Ts. The older aircraft have 10 Flagship First seats and 20 business-class seats, while the A321XLR combines the two into a single Flagship Suite cabin.
American also plans to reconfigure its A321Ts to match the standard domestic layout used elsewhere in its Airbus narrowbody fleet.
The airline originally said the new aircraft and cabin configurations would increase premium seating across its long-haul fleet by more than 45%. The strategy places additional business-class and premium economy seats on each aircraft while eliminating the smaller first-class cabin.
American’s 777-300ERs are primarily deployed on long-haul routes to cities including London, Tokyo, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Sydney. Each retrofitted aircraft will also receive free high-speed Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members, the carrier said.
