American Airlines unveil feature flagship seating

American Airlines unveils flagship suite seating

New Boeing 787-9 planes arrived at DFW Airport last week that feature 51 flagship suites which will have privacy doors, more storage, a wireless charging pad and a one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option with an adjustable headrest pillow.

American Airlines showed off its new aircraft with preferred seating.

The new plane seating features spacious private suites with chaise lounges and more will debut this summer.

Tickets for the inaugural flight went on sale this week, but folks wanting to catch a direct flight from DFW will have to wait until Fall 2025 to try out the new "premium flagship suite experience."

As the summer travel season begins to take off, American Airlines is hoping to entice customers with its new premium seating options.

Premium Seating Upgrades

Dig deeper:

Two new Boeing 787-9 planes arrived at DFW Airport last week. Primarily used for long-haul international flights. 

They are just a couple of the 30 new aircraft expected to join the airline's fleet between now and 2029.

Each aircraft features 51 flagship suites which will have privacy doors, more storage, a wireless charging pad and a one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option with an adjustable headrest pillow.

Premium economy seating is being revamped too.

The move comes as the Fort Worth-based carrier says it expects to grow its lie-flat and premium economy seating by 50% by the end of the decade.

What they're saying:

Katy Nastro is a travel expert on the Going Travel app and says "premium leisure" is on the rise with a lot of business travelers still able to work remotely.

"Legacy carriers coming out and seeing the demand and the desire from consumers that want more in the way of nicer experiences," said Nastro. "So the lines really have blurred there, as well as we see a lot of people in these premium cabins due to credit cards and credit card points and miles."

SMU economist, Mike Davis, says cash-strapped airlines are able to capture more money with the additional premium seating.

"The prices for business class and even premium economy more than pay for the extra space the airline has to give up. The question is Are we in a new world of consumer spending now? Are consumers gonna wanna travel as much? And if they do travel, are they gonna be willing to spend as much as they might have before?"

American Airlines statement

In a statement, American Airlines says:

"Whether flying for business or pleasure, having the opportunity to explore other parts of the world should be an exciting and memorable experience that begins the moment you book your flight, long before you reach your final destination."

What's next:

That inaugural flight is on June 5 and will go from Chicago O’Hare to Los Angeles.

DFW Airport will begin offering a direct flight with flagship suite seating to Brisbane, Australia on October 26.