American Airlines has new business class suites with doors and a greatly-improved premium economy on its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. They’ve been planning to retrofit their 20 Boeing 777-300ERs, removing first class and adding more of these new suites and a new premium economy as well, and are now planning to eventually reconfigure – rather than retire – their Boeing 777-200s.
The new interior reconfiguration is Project Olympus and is much-delayed. Boeing 777-300ERs are getting a lot more seats – and a lot more premium seats – 84 to 114 total premium seats, without losing any coach seats.
Current configuration:
- 8 first class
- 52 business class
24 premium economy
- 216 coach
New configuration:
- 70 business class
- 44 premium economy
- 216 coach
New American Airlines Premium Economy
That’s an increase of 30 seats, all in business and premium economy, and all they’re giving up is 8 first class seats. Aviation watchdog JonNYC shared the final layout of the reconfigured premium-heavy Boeing 777-300ER.
updated image:
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) April 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Aviation watchdog JonNYC reports that the first Boeing 777-300ER that will get the cabin retrofit has finally been sent to Hong Kong to get this work done. American announced the project in September 2022 saying it was supposed to start “in late 2024.” However, I understand much of the delay has been driven by supplier issues.
This AA 77W, N718AN, www.flightaware.com/live/flight/… heading to HKG, will, I believe, be the one that gets the new seats
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) December 7, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Here’s the current business class on the Boeing 777-300ER:
This is the new business class. It is much nicer – even giving up a bit of space dedicated to each seat.
Sadly, this reconfiguration means the end of Flagship First Class at American Airlines. They offer a class above business on their Airbus A321T aircraft which fly premium cross-country routes (and which will be replaced by new Airbus A321XLRs, converting the Ts to standard domestic configuration) and on 777-300ERs which fly to places like London Heathrow and Sydney.
Since it’s an ‘Olympus’ seat, why not send it to Athens? Make Zeus proud.
Serious question …
Since AA has been so late to the party, is this a since we are at or nearing peak premium travel?
@Ralph — Delta’s ancient 763 and United’s domestic 772 (2-4-2 rear-facing) would like a word.
I think this new AA 77W will lose three lavs if I’m not mistaken. So it’s giving up quite a bit more than “just” 8 outdated first class suits. Flying to Sydney with 3 fewer lavs on board is NOT a premium experience, sorry.
@Ralph – no slack in AA’s schedule. Managements stupid decision to retire the 757 & A330 during covid along with 787 delays meant that all available wide bodies have been in use and couldn’t be pulled for a month long refurb. For this winter their is finally some slack and 787 delivers are assisting in relief too.
It is a shame that AA has to send their airplanes to China for up-grades. I thought this would be a union job. Does Delta and United also out source their work to foreign countries!
@Sam — Let’s get real, those 757 and a330s were inefficient with aging interiors. Sure, if Boeing wasn’t inept, AA would have more widebody aircraft. However, AA, unlike DL and UA, actually has a younger fleet, and once they’ve upgraded the interiors of their 777, 787, and a321 with Flagship Suites, AA will actually be more consistent than UA or DL for premium long-haul, transcon, etc. (@Peter, I know, more MCE would be nice, too). Meanwhile, DL still runnin’ 717s… c’mon… Ugh. On narrowbodies, I wish AA would actually include IFE on their 737s and regular a321. All of ’em should ditch CRJs for E190-E2, etc.
@Joe T, if it makes you feel any better, AA is probably using HAECO, whose main beneficial shareholder is a British family who has been collecting dividends on their Asia investments since the days of the Opium War.
It already takes nearly two hours on the regular to get service on the average AA long haul due to their ridiculous wide body staffing cuts over the years; just imagine how much longer it’s going to take with even more passengers to serve. At least you’ll be able to kill time waiting in the lav queues now that there will be fewer of them. That’s assuming, of course, that you’re not being barked at to sit down due to massage-level light turbulence that would be correctly ignored by any non US carrier. Gotta love this whole pivot to premium! I can’t wait to see what comes next.
1990,
again, you repeat the same incorrect information.
DL acquired the 717s to replace 50 seat regional jets which has happened. The 717 has essentially the same product as on regional jets. DL’s 717s don’t have high speed WiFi which is just being added to large RJs at many carriers. The product on the 717 is comparable to what is on RJs.
As for widebodies, DL already has 80 widebodies with Delta One Suites on the 339s and 359s. AA has only a couple new widebodies with a suite product and intends to modify older aircraft including their 777s; all of AA’s 777s plus 787 deliveries with new suite products won’t bring it to the number of widebodies that DL already has Delta One products on. Delta will soon begin retrofitting the 330CEO fleet even as the 767-300ERs are retired. UA will be the last of the big 3 in rolling out widebodies with suite products
as noted multiple times, most of DL’s TATL 763s competed in 2025 with UA 757s. DL 767s are primarily used on domestic flights including transcons and Hawaii.
on both narrowbodies and widebodies, DL is at or above industry average in product quality.
@Tim Dunn — Nice of you to admit to DL’s shortcomings on their 717 (lack of IFE, WiFi), however, Delta should want to set itself apart from the competition and at least have added that in by now, if not upgraded to a220 or E2s. However, UA’s 763 (1-1-1) is simply better than DL’s 763 (1-2-1), and their 757s are similar (2-2). So, no, not above average, fairly standard among the big-3, though AA is getting a head start on phase-outs, newer aircraft and cabins. DL and UA better catch up. *wink*
And, Tim, the only other commercial passenger airlines worldwide that still flies the 717… Hawaiian, and they use them for their 1-hour island-hopper flights. C’mon. Let those old gals rest.
as usual, you have no clue of which you talk.
The 717s are younger than scores of airplanes at multiple other airlines. The 717s are not old.
And they don’t offer any less in customer service than the vast majority of AA, AS and UA aircraft including their RJs which do not have AVOD or free high speed WiFI.
and you still can’t grasp that most of DL’s TATL 763ER flights this past summer were operated on routes (JFK vs EWR/IAD) competitive with UA 757s.
My, how your online image has changed over the past year. you confirm more every day that you don’t care about facts but participate in aviation social media solely to get attention. poor you
@Tim Dunn – I’ve learned the hard way not to expend my energy on this attention-hungry lunatic. Facts and logic will never resonate. Attempting to engage with him on any kind of rational basis is like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket — always an unproductive waste of time.
Tim Dunn and Mike Hunt have correctly identified a problem area. But hey, on topic, I happen to like the 767 for passenger, all cabins, comfort. And I wasn’t all that impressed with AA Flagship First on the 777-300 DFW-LHR. Pajamas and a swivel seat doesn’t make it First Class.
@Mike Hunt — Ah, you’re sounding more like @Tim Dunn, claiming your opinion is ‘fact,’ and other’s opinions are ‘wrong.’ Huh, how’s that working out for you guys?
As @Mike P once said: ‘I accept your surrender.’ (How silly, I know.) Recently, you suggested it would be your ‘mission’ to ‘end me’ or whatever. Take the ‘L,’ sir or madam.
@One Trippe — Pile on, like you typically do. Whining about me is your, @Coolio, @Pilot93434’s typical comments. Nice of you to actually include something on-topic this time. Woah.
@Mike Hunt — Ah, you’re sounding more like @Tim Dunn, claiming your opinion is ‘fact,’ and other’s opinions are ‘wrong.’ Huh, how’s that working out for you guys?
As @Mike P once said: ‘I accept your surrender.’ (How silly, I know.) Recently, you suggested it would be your ‘mission’ to ‘end me’ or whatever. Take the ‘L,’ sir or madam.
@One Trippe — Pile on, like you typically do. Whining about me is your, @Coolio, @Pilot93434’s typical comments. Nice of you to actually include something on-topic this time. Woah.
Ugh, guess we’re doin’ duplicates, again. Great tech.
@1990 – I came to the conclusion that you’re just not interesting enough to toy with. But please enjoy your uselessness and obscurity on this forum as you continue to ceaselessly annoy everyone.
@Mike Hunt — “Either you’re with us, or you’re with the…” *unveiling the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner on the carrier* “Now, watch me hit this drive!”