By the end of March 2027, first-class international flying on major U.S. airlines will no longer exist.
American Airlines, the last U.S. carrier to offer an international first-class cabin, earlier this month announced the phaseout of the service. In the announcement, American revealed that its traditional Flagship First cabin class will no longer be available for purchase on Boeing 777-300ER planes starting November 19, and the service will be discontinued across all American Airlines international flights by March 28, 2027.
If you’ve ever splurged on American’s Flagship First product (or dreamed of it), get ready to say goodbye. The company is trading its most exclusive cabin for a much larger business-class one, with privacy doors and more lie-flat seats than ever.
American Airlines is the latest U.S. carrier to announce sweeping changes to its fleet in an attempt to capture a larger segment of fliers willing to pay top dollar for a premium cabin experience.
Here’s what the end of Flagship First means for the future of international premium flying on American Airlines.
What is happening to Flagship First?
Those pining for Flagship First’s trademark swivel chair and guest-accommodating ottoman will find those amenities in the Flagship Suite Preferred seats.
Courtesy of American Airlines
Before the retrofit, American’s 777-300ERs had eight Flagship First suites with a dedicated cabin, 52 business-class seats, and 28 premium-economy seats. Since September 2, the newly retrofitted Flagship cabin now holds 70 business-class Flagship Suite pods organized in a 1-2-1 layout, allowing for 10 more seats than the combined Flagship First and business-class count it replaces, as well as 44 premium-economy seats.
According to a spokesperson for American Airlines, the fleet now carries “more business and premium-economy seats than any U.S. carrier.”
With more lie-flat seats overall, the newly retrofitted 777-300ER planes mark a shift toward availability over exclusivity.
Meanwhile, the hallmark touches of the old Flagship First haven’t been eliminated entirely. Customers looking for Flagship First signature features—like the swivel chair for desk access, and the spacious ottomans with enough room to meet or dine with an additional passenger—can still find them on board the retrofitted 777-300ER planes. Those features remain available in American’s eight newly introduced Flagship Suite Preferred tier, located in the bulkhead and the first rows of each Boeing 777-300ER.
Passengers flying in Flagship Suite Preferred will also have access to enhanced in-flight perks, with an expanded amenity kit that adds Joanna Vargas sheet masks, chenille memory foam lumbar pillows, and pajamas to the Flagship Suite’s offering, which consists of Joanna Vargas under-eye patches, lotion, and lip balm; cotton crew socks and a sleep mask; and toothbrushes, Colgate toothpaste, and earplugs.
All passengers flying in the Flagship class—not just those in preferred seats—will have access to Flagship dining, American’s premier in-flight meal program that provides passengers with restaurant-style sit-down meals with full table service. This offering was previously reserved for passengers in Flagship First. They’ll also maintain access to priority check-in, security, boarding, and baggage handling, plus use of the Flagship lounge where available.
Why the new Flagship Suites are arguably better than Flagship First
One major enhancement is each retrofitted aircraft fits 70 business-class Flagship Suites, compared with 52 business-class seats and eight Flagship First in the configuration that’s being retired. The new arrangement makes room for 10 additional seats at the front of the plane.
Courtesy of American Airlines
On September 1, I was among the first people to fly in the upgraded Flagship Suite from Dallas to New York City during American’s media preview for the overhauled Boeing 777-300ER plane.
Across the board, it seems that the Flagship Suite is an upgrade to American’s Flagship First offering.
Before the retrofit, American’s Boeing 777-300ER planes didn’t have privacy dividers in Flagship First or their business-class offering. Now, Flagship Suite fliers will notice retractable dividers between center seats and fully certified privacy doors that don’t need to be unlocked by flight attendants.
And with recent changes to how American customers can redeem points for access to premium cabins, including the addition of a 1:1 AAdvantage miles transfer for Citi Strata Elite cardholders booking with ThankYou Points, there are more paths to earning or upgrading to a Flagship Suite seat than there have been in recent years, given the discontinuation of Bilt Rewards point transfer to the AAdvantage program.
The retrofit’s premium-tier overhaul has also meant renovations across the rest of the 777-300ER cabins. Now, every passenger on the aircraft has access to a personal entertainment screen, which was not available for main cabin passengers on the old 777-300ER planes. All AAdvantage members have free Wi-Fi sponsored by AT&T, which was previously only available for purchase.
“I’d argue that even though the seats are business class and not first, they are definitely an upgrade from Flagship First,” says Meghna Maharishi, an aviation reporter at Skift. “The seats are more comfortable, the amenities are more modern, and the technology is a lot better.”
Maharishi also points to the new sliding privacy doors as part of a broader shift across the industry. “That’s something that has become a trend with the new business-class seats we’ve been seeing from airlines lately.”
Why American is doubling down on business class
American’s push into the premium market with the new Flagship Suites is an attempt to capture a more lucrative segment of the travel market.
Courtesy of American Airlines
These changes from American follow moves to eliminate separate international first-class cabins made by Delta and United in 1998 and 2018, respectively. American was the last major U.S. airline to offer the first-class cabin on international flights, having first announced that it would phase out first class on international flights in 2022. Three years later, American unveiled more details about the new Flagship Suites and some initial routes they would fly on, and now the rollout is in full effect with a date set for the official end of American’s international first class cabin. While the change marks the end of international first-class flying for the three legacy U.S. carriers, domestic first class isn’t going anywhere on American Airlines.
It’s the latest in a series of bets launched by American to capture more of the U.S. premium travel segment.
“We have seen continued strong demand for business class and premium leisure travel over several years,” American’s Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper tells Afar. “American’s focus is to increase the premium seats available on its wide-body aircraft to meet more of that demand versus operating a separate, small international first-class cabin.”
That demand is also more resilient than American’s broader customer base. On an earnings’ call from July of this year, Pieper told reporters that nearly 60 percent of the company’s revenue “comes from households making $150,000 or more.” The demand for a premium product is one that Pieper described as being “more likely to hold up through economic uncertainty.”
The bigger challenge for American may not be the cabin redesign, but where the company can sell those seats. In cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, American previously seemed to be less interested in competing for its share of premium travelers. “One of the biggest challenges has to be gaining more market share in those premium markets,” Maharishi tells Afar. Now, though, the demand for premium air travel seems to exceed the availability. “Those are some of the biggest revenue-generating markets when it comes to premium and international travel.”
Only time will tell if American’s transformations will be enough to compete with Delta and United, both of which continue to invest heavily in their own premium products. Until then, one thing is certain: There will soon be more opportunities than ever to fly American Airlines’ highest-tier offering on international flights. It just won’t be first class.
