Is 1st Class Back? American Airlines Reveals New Flagship Preferred Suite For Boeing 787-9 & 777-300

American Airlines has announced a series of premium onboard enhancements, which includes premium Flagship Suite Preferred seats at the front of select Boeing 787-9s and Boeing 777-300ERs. While these new suites are not being marketed as a first class product, they will be a step-up from the rest of the cabin.

AA’s Flagship Suite Preferred seats

While the carrier will continue with plans to retire its Flagship First product, a select few passengers onboard its new premium cabins will still receive an enhanced product that, for all intents and purposes, could be considered a ‘First Class’ experience, although in reality appears closer to a ‘Business Class Plus’ concept.

Photo: American Airlines

These front-row Flagship Suite Preferred fares will be installed on newly delivered 787-9s and retrofitted to select 777-300ERs, but won’t be available on its upcoming Airbus A321XLR fleet. So what exactly do you get to distinguish it from a regular Flagship Suite?

• Exclusive amenity kits
• Extra storage areas
• Nest Bedding mattress pad and pajamas
• Additional space as a front-row seat
• Memory foam lumbar pillow and throw blanket

Photo: American Airlines

This will be on top of existing amenities in the Flagship Suite, which includes Bang & Olufsen noise-canceling headphones. At this stage, it isn’t clear if Preferred Suite passengers will get access to first class perks, like AA’s Flagship First Dining, and the airline has yet to reveal any pricing details.

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Amenity kits

The airline’s refresh will include new amenity kits that are set to rotate over the years and involve “a mix of boutique and well-known brands.” These kits will continually switch up offerings for Flagship First, Flagship Business and Premium Economy customers, while limited-edition specialty kits will also be available. As for Preferred Suite passengers, they will get a few extras thrown in, including skincare products from Thirteen Lune by Joanna Vargas and Relevant.

Photo: American Airlines

Kim Cisek, American Airlines’ Vice President of Customer Experience, commented,

“We thoughtfully curate each element of the onboard experience so every customer can look forward to the time they spend in flight. Part of the magic of travel is connecting our customers to the people and experiences that matter most to them. We’re taking that concept to the skies by introducing a new, dynamic onboard program that’s inspired by feedback from our customers and team members.”

Photo: American Airlines

The carrier is banking heavily on long-haul premium demand in the coming years – with a 45% boost in premium capacity by 2026, AA is set to offer the most premium capacity of any US carrier across its long-haul network.

Flagship First

As announced in 2022, American is gradually doing away with its Flagship First product. As per American’s website, its Flagship First fares are currently available on select international routes served by the 777-300ER, as well as a handful of coast-to-coast domestic routes onboard the 777-300ER and Airbus A321T – these routes are listed as LAX-JFK, SFO-JFK, JFK-SNA, LAX-BOS and LAX-MIA.

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What do you think of American Airlines’ Flagship Suite Preferred concept? Let us know in the comment section!