American Premium 787s With Flagship Business Suites: Routes Revealed

American’s new business class product is just weeks from debuting. The first two aircraft with the new interiors have now been delivered, and today, American has officially announced the first routes to get the cabins (spoiler alert: @xJonNYC of course predicted this a long time, so it’s only sort of news).

American’s “premium” Boeing 787 routes revealed

Up until this week, American already had a fleet of 59 Boeing 787s. However, the airline just took delivery of two new Boeing 787-9s. These are the first new wide body aircraft the airline has acquired in roughly two years, since May 2023.

This is part of the carrier’s order for an additional 30 787-9s, which will be delivered through 2029 — what’s exciting about these aircraft is that they’re supposed to be ultra-premium, featuring just 244 seats.

The first two new 787-9s have the registration codes N845MD and N846AN , and they both recently touched down in Dallas (DFW). So, when will the planes actually enter service?

Tickets will officially go on sale on Monday, May 5, 2025, and the inaugural flight will be on June 5, 2025. On that date, the plane will operate flight AA2012 from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX), then it will return to Chicago, and operate flight AA98 to London (LHR). Then we can expect the plane to operate the following routes:

• Chicago (ORD) to London (LHR) service starts on June 5, 2025
• Philadelphia (PHL) to London (LHR) service starts on August 6, 2025
• Philadelphia (PHL) to Zurich (ZRH) service starts on September 3, 2025
• Dallas (DFW) to Brisbane (BNE) service starts on October 26, 2025

American Flagship Business Suites finally roll out

American taking delivery of 787s of course allows the airline to expand capacity in long haul markets, which is a good thing, especially since the deliveries are happening ahead of summer. However, arguably what’s much more exciting is that these planes offer improved cabins, and a less dense layout.

For example, while American’s existing 787-9s have 30 business class seats, these jets have 51 business class seats. Not only that, but these planes feature the carrier’s all-new passenger experience, including the new Flagship Business Suites, as well as the front row Flagship Suite Preferred product. These seats are based on the Adient Ascent platform, the same you’ll find on the 787-9s operated by Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.

American’s 777-300ERs will also be reconfigured with these new cabins, and at that point, international first class will be eliminated. The first of these jets is expected to be reconfigured in the coming weeks.

Here’s how Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, describes these new cabins:

“Every aspect of our new 787-9 is designed to feel premium in nature. Whether flying for business or pleasure, having the opportunity to explore other parts of the world should be an exciting and memorable experience that begins the moment you book your flight, long before you reach your final destination.”

Now, not to quibble, but is “every aspect” really “designed to feel premium in nature?” While I’m excited about these new cabins, perhaps they’re not quite as impressive as they could be. For example, I recently posted about the first “real” pictures of these cabins, and there are some things that look decidedly un-premium for a brand new product, like the TVs in the “business class plus” section.

Bottom line

After significant delays, American Airlines has just taken delivery of its first Boeing 787s in two years. Not only does this allow the carrier to expand capacity, but these planes feature the carrier’s new long haul cabins.

The planes will enter service on June 5, initially flying from Chicago to Los Angeles and then from Chicago to London, followed by Philadelphia to London and Philadelphia to Zurich. Then as of the fall, we’ll see the planes fly from Dallas to Brisbane.

What do you make of American taking delivery of new 787s?