Hello from Chicago, as I just flew American Airlines’ brand new Boeing 787-9 Flagship Suite business class, on the 7hr50min flight from London (LHR) to Chicago (ORD), as part of my quick review trip. I was very much looking forward to this flight, as this represents American’s new long haul business class experience.
Admittedly I largely knew what to expect, since I’ve flown this exact seat before on other airlines. However, I’ve gotta say, I found the sum of the experience to be very good, as I particularly appreciated the upgraded Wi-Fi and the excellent service. For now, I’d argue that this sets the standard for business class among US carriers (though both Delta and United are planning new business class products).
Let me share my initial thoughts on this flight, and then soon I’ll have a full trip report…
American’s new Flagship Suite business class seats are great
American’s new Dreamliners (designated as Boeing 787-9Ps) don’t just have new business class seats, but they also have much less dense layouts, with a lot more business class seats. The jets have just 244 seats, 51 of which are business class seats.
While the cabin finishes aren’t exactly how I’d choose to design an aircraft, the cabin definitely has a lot more personality and color than before, and it looked nicer in person than I was expecting.
American’s new Flagship Suite business class seats are based on the Adient Ascent platform, which is a joint venture with Boeing, as you’ll also find this same seating concept on the 787-9s of Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines (and soon United Airlines).
The seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration, and are in a full reverse herringbone layout (the Adient Ascent platform is unique, because airlines can elect to have herringbone or reverse herringbone seats in the center section).
I don’t want to overhype these seats, because ultimately they take up the same real estate as most existing configurations. So essentially just think of this as a latest generation reverse herringbone product with a door at each seat, plus improved technology.
I find these seats to be pretty well designed, in terms of where everything is located. In bed mode, I also managed to get comfortable — as a side sleeper, I found that sleeping in the direction of the fuselage was best, in terms of the cutout for my knees.
The front rows in each of the two business class cabins have the Flagship Suite Preferred seats, which American will eventually start selling at an extra cost. These are just more spacious, especially around the feet, and also have extra storage.
I think the one area of these seats where American could’ve done better is with the screens. In my opinion they could be a bit bigger, especially in the bulkhead rows. That being said, you’re ultimately not seated far from the screens, so it’s not like the bigger screens are necessary. But still, that aspect of the seat doesn’t feel cutting edge for 2025.
One positive aspect of the product that can’t be overstated is the fact that these planes have individual air nozzles. That’s a norm on US carriers, but it’s worth pointing out, as I’d rank this in the top five amenities I value in business class, yet so many foreign carriers choose not to offer these.
American’s 787s have upgraded tech & Wi-Fi, with a quirk
American’s new Boeing 787-9Ps have Viasat Wi-Fi, which is a massive improvement over the old Wi-Fi system. A pass for the entire flight cost $25, with unlimited data, and the ability to switch between devices. I found that to be fair.
The speeds were phenomenal, and I was able to stay productive across the Atlantic. After the seats, I’d consider this to be the single biggest improvement about American’s new 787-9Ps.
Beyond that, these planes have updated tech in terms of USB-A, USB-C, and AC charging, plus wireless charging.
The new 787-9Ps also offer bluetooth audio, which is much appreciated (while something only aviation geeks will notice, American needs to fix how it refers to the aircraft on its entertainment monitor!!!).
When it comes to entertainment, American has a huge selection of on-demand programming, with movies, TV shows, audio, games, and more. Interestingly, American seems to have introduced a new interface for this system. I was surprised that I found it more difficult to use than the old system, as I thought the organization and navigation were more complicated.
American’s business class food & amenities are good
Catering in American business class on this flight was solid, but nothing memorable. Lunch was served after takeoff, and started with warm mixed nuts, olives, etc.
The starter consisted of hot smoked salmon with Thai rice noodles, vegetables, and lime, plus a romaine lettuce salad with carrot and beetroot.
For the main course, I ordered the Indian lentil dal, which was perfectly decent, in line with a Trader Joe’s frozen Indian meal (that’s not shade, by the way…)
For dessert, you really can’t go wrong with the sundae, right?
Amenities were quite good as well. Each business class passenger got a pillow and blanket. While I found this to be comfortable, I’d love to see American update its bedding to more closely match United, as it’s an area where the carrier leads the industry.
An area where American leads the industry is with its Bang & Olufsen headphones. American doesn’t even collect these before landing anymore, which is a minor but noticeable improvement. These are perhaps less important than in the past, given that American now also has bluetooth audio.
Then there were slippers, which are handy for visiting the lavatory…
Lastly, there was a basic amenity kit, which was whatever. American has never done a great job with making its amenity kits very premium, and perhaps it’s an area the airline could invest in. Personally, I don’t care that much about amenity kits, but it’s of course a premium branding opportunity.
Service on this American business class flight was stellar
The problem with flying any US airline is that service is consistently inconsistent. Sometimes you get a great crew, and sometimes you get a lackluster crew. On this flight I lucked out, because the entire crew couldn’t have been better.
What an absolute rockstar crew, with flight attendants who were friendly, personable, and attentive. I’ve heard that these 787-9Ps are much harder for crews to work, given the updated galley spaces, plus the huge number of business class seats. Despite that, this crew made it all look easy.
I have nothing but good things to say about the crew on this flight. What’s interesting is that while American isn’t exactly regarded for its amazing inflight service, my four most recent long haul flights on American have all had great service. Have I just been really lucky, or is there some culture shift? Either way, it makes a big difference when you feel like crew actually do their jobs, and take pride in what they do…
Ironically enough, the last long haul flight on a US carrier where I didn’t have great service was Delta (not that the crew was bad, they just weren’t great).
Bottom line
American’s long awaited new Flagship Suite business class is now in service, and I had the chance to fly it on a transatlantic flight. This is an impressive product, with lots of great improvements. We’re talking reverse herringbone seats with doors, upgraded tech & Wi-Fi, and an all-around swanky cabin.
This is an exciting new era for American, and when you combine the great hard product, the fast Wi-Fi, and the air nozzles, I think that ensures a pleasant long haul experience. The big wild card is always food and service, though on this flight I lucked out with amazing service and decent food.
Well done, American, and I’m looking forward to seeing this experience introduced on more long haul flights!
What do you make of American’s new Flagship Suite business class?
