American Airlines is set to enhance its fleet with the addition of a newly acquired Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which will be operated on a long-term lease from Phoenix Aviation Capital and AIP Capital. This aircraft, registered as N839AA with a serial number of 40646, was previously owned by ORIX Aviation and has been in service since 2018 [4b6ad6b9]. It can accommodate 285 passengers in a four-class layout and has logged 20,403 flight hours and 2,898 flight cycles as of June 2024 [4b6ad6b9]. This acquisition will not disrupt American Airlines' current operations, as the airline continues to manage its existing fleet of 22 Boeing 787-9s while awaiting the delivery of 30 more [4b6ad6b9].
In addition to fleet expansion, American Airlines is also introducing new seasonal routes for summer 2025, including a much-anticipated return to Edinburgh from Philadelphia, marking its first service to the Scottish city since October 2019 [4b6ad6b9]. This strategic move aligns with the airline's ongoing efforts to enhance its international offerings and improve passenger experience.
Meanwhile, American Airlines is also set to introduce new business class cabins on its Boeing 777-300ERs, featuring 70 suite-style seats as part of a retrofit initiative known as Project Olympus, which will begin in September 2024 [f91b84b3]. The new Flagship Suites, first announced in September 2022, will replace the existing first class cabin, resulting in a reduction of legroom and one lavatory [f91b84b3]. Standard suites will include lie-flat beds and fully-closing doors, while Flagship Suite Preferred seats will offer additional luxury [f91b84b3]. This retrofit will add 38 premium seats without decreasing the number of economy seats, which will remain at 216 [f91b84b3].
American Airlines plans to continue investing in wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity for its narrowbody fleet [7e64a3c8]. The airline currently eschews seatback IFE for most of its narrowbody aircraft, but its A321T twinjets flying transcontinental routes offer in-seat IFE [7e64a3c8]. The forthcoming A321XLR aircraft will also feature embedded IFE across classes [7e64a3c8]. American Airlines provides high-speed Wi-Fi on all narrowbody aircraft, charging for onboard Internet, but has not yet announced plans for free Wi-Fi in the future [7e64a3c8].
Additionally, American Airlines has debuted new amenity kits for premium economy, business class, and first class passengers as part of a soft product refresh [d69b45b6]. The kits were introduced ahead of the Memorial Day weekend and are seen as an improvement compared to previous efforts, although they still lag behind those offered by Asian and Middle Eastern carriers [d69b45b6]. The business class and premium economy kits have nearly identical contents, with the business class kit featuring a more substantial bag [d69b45b6]. The first class kit is similar but lacks certain items like a comb, tissues, hand sanitizer, pen, mouthwash, and chapstick [d69b45b6]. These amenity kits are crucial for enhancing passenger experience, making them feel valued and providing a branded takeaway [d69b45b6].
Despite these advancements, American Airlines has been critiqued for falling short in several areas, according to an analysis by View from the Wing [ce588dda]. The airline has limited extra legroom seats, lacks attention to detail in product development, offers inferior lounge food, and has unhappy employees, in addition to not having enough premium seats [ce588dda]. Furthermore, there is a noted lack of investment in its hubs and international routes [ce588dda]. The digital experience provided by the airline is also lacking, overshadowed by its focus on operational reliability [ce588dda]. However, the analysis suggests that American Airlines has significant opportunities for improvement, including enhancing employee relations, expanding international routes, investing in hubs, and offering a better overall product [ce588dda].