More Lie-Flat Transcon Space Coming to American?
Joe Cortez March 28, 2018
American Airlines 777-200 features a fully refurbished cabin with specially designed fully lie-flat seats in Business Class. (PRNewsFoto/American Airlines)
On the success of their Airbus A321T service across the United States, American Airlines could look to add more lie-flat seats for transcontinental routes aboard their Boeing 757 aircraft. During an alleged question-and-answer session, executives for the carrier suggested the domestic airframes could be the next to receive business-class lie-flat seats.
American Airlines may be looking to add more lie-flat seats to their transcontinental offerings, according to a leaked internal conversation between employees and company executives. View From The Wing first posted a quote from the question and answer session, suggesting the Boeing 757 could be the next transcontinental flight to receive fully lie-flat seats in business class.
American currently offers lie-flat seats on their Airbus A321T fleet, with nonstop flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). These aircraft feature 20 lie-flat seats from B/E Aerospace and was at one time considered a best-in-class transcontinental product. But American is no longer the only ones to offer lie-flat seating on transcontinental flights.
As a result, more lie-flat seats could possibly be coming to the airline’s fleet of domestic Boeing 757 aircraft. In an alleged internal question and answer session between executives and employees, the blog quoted American’s vice president of planning as saying the 757s offer a “great domestic product” for transcontinental premium seats up front.
According to SeatGuru, American’s domestic 757 fleet does not quite have all the amenities of more modern aircraft. In-flight entertainment is still provided from overhead screens, while power outlets are only available in business class and Main Cabin Extra. In addition, because some 757 aircraft have internet access provided by Panasonic instead of Gogo, use of inflight wi-fi with an American Airlines Wi-Fi subscription plan may not be accessible.
FlyerTalk reached out to American for comment on the potential retrofit, but a spokesperson for the airline said: “We don’t have details to share today.” Additionally, the Dallas-based carrier would not confirm or comment on any of the leaked information posted on the blog.
[Photo: American Airlines]
I'd have written "reported" rather than "alleged." Doesn't AA still have some international configuration 757s with paired lie-flat seats?
@RJLON - HNL-PHX is blocked at 6hours and a little over 5hrs for HNL-LAX. . There are several transcon routes in the mainland US that are similar length red eyes with standard domestic First class seating simply because there isn't a strong enough market to pay for the added space. However, HA A330's offer the lie flat experience on some of the HI - West coast routes because they rotate these planes on the other long haul routes out of HNL so they can cover the added premium offering. The HA 767 is still with standard domestic first class seating.
@WT4F -However the article is only about J type seating. Would be unlikely to have other planes get both J and F type seats. @SD - Otherwise people would complain that it was reported that this was happening. Basic news standard to say alleged when there's a question as to something. It's not like this came from an off the record conversation with the COO of AA.
Would like to see lie flat on A321's flying to Hawai'i. It is unacceptable for Red Eye flights of 5-6 hours to be sit up all night seats. Less First seats with less possibility for awards and upgrades but a truly valuable First Class proposition would be better. As it is Row 1 has little leg room and seats are fine for daytime but not overnight.
Why is everything alleged? Are you worried about American suing because they didn't actually have a question-and-answer session?