American Airlines is chasing high-spending customers with its newly reconfigured Boeing 777-300ER airplane, which is used to fly some of its most popular international routes. The plane features a whopping 70 business class suites and 44 premium economy recliners, making it the most premium-heavy commercial jet among U.S. airlines.
However, the increased business and premium economy seating comes at the expense of American’s international first class, which will slowly be removed from the airline’s offerings in the coming months.
The new Boeing 777-300ER began flying Sept. 2, 2026, with an inaugural flight from New York (JFK) to Buenos Aires (EZE). Initially, it’ll fly primarily between Dallas and London. Only one aircraft has been retrofitted so far with the new seating, but American says it expects to upgrade its entire Boeing 777-300ER fleet — 20 aircraft in total — next year.
American Airlines invited me onboard a media flight ahead of the aircraft’s first commercial flight. Here’s what passengers can expect onboard.
American’s new layout features 330 seats. Here’s the breakdown:
- 70 Flagship Suite business class seats featuring privacy doors in a 1-2-1 configuration.
- 44 premium economy recliners in a 2-3-2 configuration.
- 30 Main Cabin Extra (extra legroom) seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.
- 186 Main Cabin standard seats in a 3-4-3 configuration, although the last rows are 2-4-2.
The long-haul aircraft comes equipped with free high-speed Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members, a major win for passengers flying to destinations like London, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Sydney.
One type of seat that is not on this plane is Flagship First, American’s international first class product. With the Boeing 777-300ER, American Airlines becomes the final U.S. airline to nix international first class in favor of more business class seats. For travelers with points and miles, that’s a positive development because it means potentially more award flight availability in business class.
American says Flagship First will no longer be sold on flights operated by a Boeing 777-300ER starting Nov. 19, 2026. It will also stop selling Flagship First on transcontinental routes for travel starting March 28, 2027, as it receives more A321XLR planes, a single-aisle airplane with the new Flagship Suites that began flying in December 2025.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Once American stops selling Flagship First, passengers ticketed in business class will be able to select one of the Flagship First seats at no extra charge on the planes that still have them. These passengers will still get the Flagship First seat, but they’ll receive the standard business class amenity kit and meal. First class passengers typically get an upgraded amenity kit and a soup course for their meal.Flagship Suites
Of the 70 Flagship Suites onboard, eight of them are what American calls “Flagship Suite Preferred” — an extra-spacious seat at the front row of the two business class cabins. You can select one of these seats without paying an extra fee.
The rest are standard suites, and all of them come with sliding privacy doors.
All the seats are angled away from the aisle, so you’re either facing a window or the middle of the plane. Seats in the middle have a sliding privacy divider.
As part of the Flagship experience, you get a multi-course meal, an amenity kit, bedding that includes a mattress pad, a cool-touch pillow and a pair of Bang & Olufsen headphones.
The tray table was sturdy, and I had the beef selection, which was tender and tasty.
I appreciated all the little storage compartments American incorporated into the seat, although I wish they were larger.
There’s also a wireless charging pad, but you might need to take your phone out of the case to get it to work.
If you’re feeling peckish, you can grab a quick bite from the snack bar in business class.
The premium economy section boasts 44 recliners, offering a middle-ground option between economy and business class.
The seats are wider than economy and come with deeper recline, privacy wings, as well as calf and footrests.
Main Cabin
American’s economy section has 216 seats, with 30 of them offering extra-legroom seating.
Like the other cabins, you can connect your headphones to the seatback screens using Bluetooth and every seat has a power outlet.
As an in-flight entertainment user, I loved seeing the 4K monitors in economy.
My impressions of American’s Flagship Suite on the Boeing 777-300ER
I enjoyed my experience as one of the first passengers onboard American’s newly retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. The seat felt spacious and comfortable, and the catering was excellent.
The best part about the plane, however, is the sheer number of premium seats. That’s a major win for award travelers who might have had difficulty finding availability in the past. With 70 seats in business class, there should be plenty of opportunity to score an upgrade or book a points award.
Top photo by Benjamin Din/NerdWallet.
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