Review of American Airlines First Class – BusinessClass.com

American only offers Flagship First on two aircraft types – primarily on the wide-body Boeing 777-300ER, but also on a small sub-fleet of narrow-body Airbus A321 specially configured for selected US coast-to-coast routes. Each of the two feature their own type of Flagship First seat.

Flagship First on American’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is set up in a 1-2-1 configuration. Those travelling together should opt for the centre section if they wish to sit together. The Flagship First cabin on the B777-300ER offers eight seats, but AA seats offer something rather unusual: the seats swivel 90 degrees to the side like an office chair. This is their best feature. The seats swivel to face the window so you can work privately or toward the adjacent passenger in the centre section if you want to dine with a companion. There is no other airline that offers such a flexible First Class seat for work, dining or rest.

Whether travelling alone or with a companion, fully-flat beds are standard – with super-soft seats that feature ottomans and ample storage space. As another option when flying with someone else, the ottoman can also double as a dining seat for a companion. There is a variety of seating positions to lounge, nap, work or sleep, all of which are controlled by an electronic panel. There is also an area for storing a mobile device or glasses without them falling easily between the seat and cabin wall. A small storage compartment opens to include the headphone jack, small mirror and additional power outlets.

There is not much of a divider to the side of the seat – so some may feel a bit exposed to the aisle. Those seated in the centre section of two seats do have a privacy shield that can be raised or lowered as needed.

Large tray tables fold out toward the seat with plentiful space to dine or work. They can be pushed forward and backward to allow for easier access to the aisle. Each seat comes with a plush duvet from Casper bedding, mattress pad that folds over the seat, Casper-branded pajamas and slippers and various pillows. These are wrapped, and when passengers are ready to sleep, flight attendants can make the bed upon request. We recommend selecting seats in the second row as first-row seats can sometimes suffer from galley light and noise can disturb sleep.

An issue to note with American’s First Class seats on the B777-300ER is that they do not go fully flat, just almost. While the logic may be that the slight angle will compensate for the nose-up angle of the plane when flying, it may not be to everyone’s liking.

Unlike many other airlines, American provides individual air nozzles on all of its long-haul, widebody aircraft so you can control the temperature.

On certain premium-heavy transcontinental routes (usually between New York JFK and either Los Angeles or San Francisco), American offers a unique Flagship First product. A small fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft have been designated to these routes, each featuring ten Flagship First seats in a 1-1 configuration. The seats do not swivel the same way that they do on widebody 777 aircraft, but offer excellent privacy and comfort. 

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft. Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.