Single-aisle suites for American Airlines’ new A321XLR
The US airline will crown its newest jet with swish 20 private business class suites.
By David Flynn, August 27 2024
There’s no reason flying for 10+ hours in a single-aisle jet can’t be as good as, say, travelling on the mighty Airbus A380 superjumbo.
That’s the thinking behind American Airlines’ new A321XLR Flagship Suites, which will take pride of place on these extra-long range jets as they take wing from early 2025.
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
Spanning 10 rows in a 1-1 layout, so that every passenger has direct access to the central aisle, each Flagship Suite is framed by a sliding door to give premium passengers a private inflight experience.
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
Of course, the seats go all the way from a relaxed recline to a fully lie-flat bed within their cosy cocoon.
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
Although passengers are seated next to the window for an inspiring view, they can turn their attention to a large HD video screen to help while away the hours, with audio streaming via Bluetooth to their own headphones or earbuds.
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
There’s also fast WiFi – although it’s not free for business class passengers, who like everybody else can pay from US$10 per flight to US$50 for a monthly pass – plus AC and USB-C power outlets and inbuilt wireless charging to keep your tech charged up en route.
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
A Flagship experience
“We have brought a widebody experience to a narrowbody aircraft,” boasts Kimberly Cisek, American Airlines’ Vice President of Customer Experience.
(Well, unlike the A380 there’s no cocktail bar – but if that’s a must-have, Airbus will happily steer you towards one of its private business jets, provided you’ve a lazy $100m lying around).
American Airlines A321XLR business class.
These A321XLR Flagship Suites will help the Oneworld member compete with JetBlue’s A321LR Mint Suites and United’s forthcoming A32X1LR Polaris business class.
Behind American’s A321XLR Flagship Suites will be a dedicated premium economy cabin of 12 two-abreast recliners.
American Airlines A321XLR premium economy.
Also from tip to tail will be Airbus’ modern Airspace design cabin concept, with larger overhead luggage bins and LED lighting.
American Airlines A321XLR premium economy.
The premium economy cabin is followed by 123 standard economy seats, but both classes will have the same USB-C outlets and Bluetooth audio as in business class.
American Airlines A321XLR premium economy.
A321XLR routes: transcon and trans-Atlantic
And while the A321XLR has the legs to fly all the way into Europe, they’ll first be seen on domestic transcontinental east-west routes such as Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York and Boston.
The A321XLRs will gradually take over from American’s bespoke A321T (transcontinental) jets, which will be reconfigured to the same two-class spec as American’s workhorse A321 fleet.
But the long-legged A321XLRs will also tackle overseas routes, especially when the economics don’t favour the larger twin-aisle jets.
“We will not only be able to expand seasonal routes, long-haul, to year-round routes, but we’ll also be able to fly to new popular destinations we wouldn’t have been able to do before,” Cisek says.
18 Sep 2015
Total posts 127
All QF XLRs need to have the same config - so there's no nasty surprises when a lesser standard config aircraft turns up instead of the one you booked. The inferior domestic standard business class won't cut it on overnight regional or transcontinental flights.
08 Feb 2012
Total posts 3
Why are they getting the longest range variant (the XLR) for domestic routes where the standard 321neo would suffice?
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
12 Sep 2011
Total posts 333
Reminds me of the old AA Flagship First on the A321T 1A all the way for me, many times! Especially when UA got rid of JFK slots and slummed us down to EWR Newark Liberty Flagship First dining a la carte at JFK and LAX, with decent champagne! Return from SFO (via LAX, as SFo has NO Flagship First Lounge)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2015
Total posts 124
They literally have a have a First class product and call business, yet what they call First is a business product…. Mind blowing
25 Feb 2015
Total posts 62
Take note Qantas. Thanks to this product competition between JetBlue, United and American, standards on these USA carriers is trumping Australia….a role reversal from back in the glory days of QF and VA’s product war on the east west routes.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1202
Remember the US carriers only operate this service on their transcontinental routes which tend to be an hour or so longer than SYD-PER and, due to population, the frequencies of their flights are far greater than the Australian trans-con services will ever get near. They operate a more classically domestic configuration for the majority of their A321 services.
QF may eventually have a subfleet of A321s with lie-flats though I can't see them ever operating an A321 with only 66 Y seats. What is indisputable is QF can't afford to have the entire A321 fleet with lie-flats; they use way too much space and passengers won't pay the J fares on short-haul triangle services that represent the amount of space used.
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