American Airlines’ new Flagship Suite business class seats on their new 787-9 aircraft have been in service for about a month now. They currently operate once daily between Chicago and Los Angeles and between Chicago and London.
The airline has now announced more routes and details for this aircraft. They are as follows:
- Chicago (ORD) – London (LHR): All flights starting July 5
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) – Auckland (AKL): Daily service, January 5 – March 28
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) – Brisbane (BNE): Daily service, October 25 – March 28
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) – Buenos Aires (EZE): Daily service, October 26 – January 5
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) – London (LHR): Once daily service (AA78 and AA79) October 26 – January 5; expands to two daily services from December 3 – January 5 (adds AA20 and AA21)
- Philadelphia (PHL) – London (LHR): Daily service, October 25 – January 5
The Chicago to London, Philly to London, and DFW to Brisbane flights were already announced when the 787-9 service was originally announced back in early May. American also originally had announced the Philly to Zurich flight to receive the new aircraft, but that appears to have been pulled back for now.
There’s no surprise with these routes chosen by American. Dallas to Brisbane and Auckland are some of the airline’s longest flights, and London is one of the most premium destinations in the world. New York has been out of the picture so far, but I expect the New York to London market to receive the 777 retrofits once they’re ready.
In other news, American has also shared that pajama and mattress pads are coming back on all widebody flights to East Asia, the Middle East, India, Australia, and New Zealand. I love this from American, this is the kind of stuff I’ve been looking for! I’m a firm believer in mattress pads in business class, and this will no doubt enhance the premium experience for many.
I see this is another small, but positive addition as the airline looks to become more premium and customer-focused. They still have a long way to go in that aspect, but American seems to have the right vision.
All photos via American Airlines.
