FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) is launching business class suites with doors on new Boeing 787-9s, expected to debut on Chicago O’Hare (ORD) – London Heathrow (LHR) route followed by Philadelphia (PHL) – London Heathrow (LHR) after a brief domestic run.
The airline is also retrofitting 20 Boeing 777-300ERs under “Project Olympus,” removing first class and adding more premium suites while maintaining economy seating capacity, Viewfromthewing reported.
American Airlines Business Class Suites Leaked
The Boeing 777-300ER reconfiguration represents a significant shift toward premium seating with total premium seats increasing from 84 to 114 without reducing coach capacity.
This transformation eliminates 8 first-class seats while adding 18 business class and 20 premium economy seats.
The current configuration features 8 first class, 52 business class, 24 premium economy, and 216 coach seats. Post-retrofit, the aircraft will offer 70 business class, 44 premium economy, and 216 coach seats.
To accommodate this increase in premium seating, American Airlines has reduced the spacing of business class and Main Cabin Extra seats by one inch per seat.
This adjustment enables the airline to maintain the same overall aircraft length while significantly expanding premium capacity.
Cabin Layout Modifications
According to aviation insider JonNYC, the final layout of the reconfigured Boeing 777-300ER will feature 330 total seats with 70 business class, 44 premium economy, 30 extra legroom coach, and 186 standard economy seats.
The detailed cabin equipment diagram dated April 2025 reveals specific locations for baby bassinets, exit rows, and seats without movable armrests.
Galley and Lavatory Reconfigurations
The aircraft modifications extend beyond seating to operational spaces. The after-coach galley will be reduced to half its current size, while the mid-coach galley will be eliminated entirely.
Lavatory access is also being reconfigured, with two bathrooms behind the cockpit door reserved for pilots during pre-landing preparations.
Concerns have emerged regarding passenger lavatory access, particularly on international flights returning to the US where TSA regulations require passengers to use facilities in their ticketed cabin section.
With only three lavatories serving premium economy and coach combined—all located at the rear of the aircraft—passenger flow during busy pre-landing periods could be challenging.
Description of Layout
a detailed cabin equipment diagram (CED) for a Boeing 777-300 (70/260) aircraft dated April 1, 2025. The diagram shows the aircraft’s floor plan divided into zones A through D, with:
- Seating configuration includes 70 business class (BC) seats (rows 1-19), 260 main cabin (MC) seats, 44 premium economy (PE) seats (rows 20-25), and various economy class sections
- Emergency exit locations marked at 1L, 1R, 2L, 2R, 3L, 3R, 4L, 4R, 5L, and 5R
- Designated exit seats (21 AC, 21 JL, 35 ABC, 35 JKL)
- Location of crew rest areas, galleys, and various equipment storage areas
- Accessibility features like wheelchair accessibility at LAV 2R
- Baby bassinet fittings and stowage locations
- Safety equipment locations including demo bags with oxygen masks and life vests
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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