FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) will retrofit its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner fleet with its new Flagship Suites, replacing an aging 20-seat business class cabin that has trailed the rest of the carrier’s widebody aircraft.
CEO Robert Isom confirmed that the cabin refresh work will soon expand to the airline’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
The upgrade targets a cabin that leaves too few premium seats for core markets such as London Heathrow (LHR), American’s main transatlantic destination and the hub of joint venture partner British Airways (BA).
The Boeing 787-8 fleet flies mostly from hubs including Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Philadelphia (PHL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Miami (MIA).
American Modernizes Boeing 787-8 Business Class
American operates the world’s largest Boeing 787-8 fleet, with 37 of the smaller Dreamliner variant. Each aircraft carries only 20 lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout.
That small premium cabin once suited leisure-oriented routes, but leisure travel has moved upscale, and an airline with American’s cost base needs a seating layout built to maximize revenue.
The limited cabin made little sense on flights to London Heathrow, where premium demand runs high, and partner British Airways is based.
The seat design also shows its age. The earliest 787-8s carry 20 Safran Concept D business suites, formerly branded Zodiac Concept D, in a 1-2-1 herringbone layout, while later aircraft use Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats.
The Concept D product predates the arrival of US Airways management, which took control of American at the end of 2013, roughly 13 years ago.
That earlier leadership focused on the low end of the market and pushed the airline into a financial hole.
It began stripping business class seats from aircraft, since the US Airways experience suggested those seats sold only through discounting. That approach later proved to be the wrong model. Isom has now stated that the refresh work will soon extend to the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.
American’s Widebody Fleet Business Class Seats
American flies 4 widebody types, and most carry more than one business class product. The variation has created one of the most inconsistent premium layouts among large global carriers:
- Boeing 777-300ERs use older Safran Cirrus lie-flat seats. American has 20 of these aircraft, each with 52 business class seats.
- Boeing 777-200ERs carry both Safran Concept D and Collins Super Diamond seats. The fleet of 47 aircraft splits roughly 60/40, with 28 jets on Super Diamond and 19 on Concept D.
- Boeing 787-8s carry both Concept D and Super Diamond seats.
- Boeing 787-9s carry either Super Diamond or the newer Adient Ascent Flagship Suites on recent deliveries.
The new Flagship Suites feature fully lie-flat beds and closing privacy doors. The 777-300ERs are losing international first class and will standardize on these suites. Once retrofitted, each 777-300ER will hold 70 Flagship Suite seats and 44 Premium Economy seats.
American Has Added Strong New Premium Seats
American has moved aggressively to expand its premium cabins. The premium Boeing 787-9 entered service with 51 Flagship Suite seats and 32 Premium Economy seats, 21 more business seats than the airline’s earlier 787-9 layout.
The Premium Economy product also improved over American’s earlier version, which lacked integrated footrests.
The Airbus A321XLR joined the fleet with 20 Flagship Suite seats and 12 Premium Economy seats, making it one of the few narrowbodies worldwide to offer fully enclosed business suites.
These aircraft operate premium transcontinental flights and shorter transatlantic routes from the Northeast. The business seats are narrower than widebody versions, but they improve on the older cross-country product, and the suite doors have now been certified for use.
Boeing 777 Retrofits Are Already Underway
American is already retrofitting Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to the new standard, and the Boeing 777-200ERs will follow. During the airline’s third-quarter earnings call in October 2025, executives detailed the plan.
Chief Financial Officer Devon May described the 777-200 work as a nose-to-tail retrofit that will lift lie-flat and premium economy seats by 25% and add a new inflight entertainment system.
View from the Wing reported that American would keep all 47 Boeing 777-200ERs, swap Panasonic connectivity for Viasat, and refurbish the interiors rather than replace the aircraft early.
Isom called the 777-200 retrofit a big deal, noting that extending the lives of the aircraft gives the airline a capital spending holiday on fleet replacement. The move defers roughly $7 billion to $9 billion in replacement spending through the end of the decade.
Narrowbody and Regional Jets Gain Upgrades
The investment reaches beyond widebodies. American will add more first class seats to its Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft.
These jets also gain larger overhead bins and redesigned cabins, though they run denser in coach and leave less workspace for flight attendants.
Regional aircraft are part of the plan as well. The program covers Embraer E170 and E175 jets along with Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft, with the Embraer E145 the only type left out.
These jets receive updated interiors, onboard wifi, and power ports that more closely match the mainline cabin experience.
Why the Push Matters
American’s premium strategy reflects clear demand. Premium unit revenue outpaced the main cabin by 5 points in the third quarter of 2025.
Isom said premium seating is expected to grow at roughly twice the rate of non-premium offerings, with lie-flat international seating rising 50% by the end of the decade.
The Boeing 787-8 retrofit brings one of American’s oldest widebody cabins in line with that goal.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
