American Airlines has announced that its new suites featuring sliding doors are scheduled to take flight in June, as part of a broader effort to attract lucrative customers amid intense competition from other airlines.
Initially revealed in September 2022, the new suite design was expected to be implemented by 2024. However, similar to challenges faced by other airlines, American has encountered delays from suppliers. The increasing complexity of first- and business-class seating has contributed to significant holdups in the delivery of new aircraft across the aviation sector.
The new “Flagship Suites” aboard the Boeing 787-9 will launch for scheduled service starting June 5, with flights connecting Chicago O’Hare International Airport to London Heathrow. Additional routes, including from Philadelphia to London on August 6 and Philadelphia to Zurich on September 3, will follow. Furthermore, a flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Brisbane, Australia, equipped with the new seating, is set to commence on October 26.
A roundtrip ticket for a flight between Philadelphia and London, departing on August 11 and returning August 18, is priced at $5,342 in American’s “Flagship business class.” The redesigned 787-9 cabin will include 51 of these new suites, with the airline’s current configuration featuring 30 Flagship business-class seats, 21 premium economy seats, 34 extra-legroom seats, and 200 standard economy seats.
The introduction of sliding doors in premium cabins has become a trend widely adopted across the airline industry. Competitors like JetBlue Airways have upgraded their top-tier cabins to include this feature, while Latam Airlines from Santiago, Chile, recently inaugurated its new business class—which also features sliding doors—on select aircraft, part of a $360 million refresh of its fleet.
Delta Air Lines offers Delta One suites equipped with sliding doors, and United Airlines is reportedly planning to unveil enhanced premium seating that may include this feature, though the airline has not confirmed these details as of yet.
Additionally, American Airlines is enhancing other passenger offerings, such as providing free Wi-Fi to its loyal customers—a service already offered by Delta and expected to roll out at United this year.
