American Airlines First Class Is Being Replaced On Its 777 By Enclosed Flagship Suites
American Airlines quietly ended an era on September 2 when its first retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER entered service on the New York JFK to Buenos Aires route, replacing the traditional international first class cabin entirely with 70 enclosed Flagship Suites that represent the most premium seats on any aircraft operated by a U.S. carrier.
The Flagship Suite is a business class product, not first class, but it delivers what many first class cabins used to offer and some still don't.
Every seat has a full-height sliding privacy door, a lie-flat bed with a customized chaise lounge position, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging, USB-C and AC power, Bang and Olufsen noise-canceling headphones, adjustable mood lighting and expanded personal storage.
Eight of the 70 seats are Flagship Suite Preferred seats, offering up to 19 percent more bed space and 42 percent more overall space than the standard suites, positioned at the front of the cabin.
The aircraft also expanded its Premium Economy cabin from 28 to 44 seats, bringing the total premium seat count to 114, more than the previous configuration.
The first retrofitted 777 is currently flying JFK to Buenos Aires before moving to the JFK-London Heathrow route later in September. American plans to retrofit all 20 aircraft in its 777-300ER fleet by the end of 2027.
As the retrofits roll out, traditional Flagship First will stop being sold on 777 flights for travel beginning November 19, 2026, and will end on American's premium transcontinental routes by March 28, 2027.
