Originally Posted by
JonNYC
This is the followup of
golfingboy’s February 2017 post:
AA appears to be only focusing on one or two fleet at a time. Right now the focus is mainly on the 757s. JonNYC (very reliable source) shared that he got word that AA is finally going to kick off a project standardizing the A321s (both LAA and LUS) some time later this year.
Today,
Gary Leff has
JonNYC’s tweet and expands:
This is 9 – 15 additional seats compared to American’s existing Airbus A321s. Today the Airbus A321 (other than the premium version flying cross country) has:
Legacy US Airways: 187 seats including 16 first class with 36 inch pitch, 18 main cabin extra, and 153 standard coach
Legacy American: 181 seats including 16 first class with 38 inch pitch, 38 main cabin extra, and 127 standard coach
According to David Seymour, American’s Senior Vice President of Integrated Operations, when they take the A321neo starting in January “that will actually serve as the platform to get certification for our refurbishment and standardization of the 321s..so we can go common configuration.” That effort will start in February.
As Gary states, 196 is both denser and more pax than the reviled 757-200 (188) in current Hawaii service, and the 757-200 is a larger airframe longitudinally. He also reminds us this is four seats short of having to crew in an additional flight attendant. However, it’s only four seats more than a Delta A321.
The A321neo will be focused on West Coast flying. They’ll start with Phoenix – Hawaii and Los Angeles – Hawaii as well as Los Angeles-based cross country flights to destinations other than New York JFK. The airline tries to base a single aircraft type in a specific area, for instance the 737 MAX began in Miami. Other Airbus A321s, as they’re converted, will get assigned elsewhere.
Lucky at
OMAAT previously reported
I reached out to American, and was informed that legacy US Airways A321 aircraft are getting a trim and finish update, which includes new seat covers and carpeting. That is what we have seen so far.
In regards to adding power, etc, they said “we are looking toward long-term retrofit opportunities for this fleet and expect to see power ports as part of the long-term strategy.”