American Airlines is in the process of retrofitting their domestic fleet to cram in more seats with less padding and less space between rows. Less space and less padding is a feature not just of coach, but first class too. The planes have smaller lavatories, but larger overhead bins. The airline is removing seat back televisions from aircraft that have those.
This is known as the ‘Oasis’ interior, which matches how new Boeing 737 MAX planes have been delivered. However an update to Project Oasis is Project Kodiak which fixes some of the dumbest mistakes in first class such as bolting the seats to the floor of the aircraft in a way that eliminates most underseat storage.
While other airlines minimize their spending to conserve cash during the pandemic, American has been accelerating their capital spending to convert planes more quickly to this new standard. This is the wrong product at the wrong time: exactly the moment where there are fewer customers (so planes with more seats are less needed) and customers value space between them most (so reducing space between customers makes no sense).
American is nearly done. They have now sent 200 Boeing 737-800s in for densification. That’s two-thirds of the 737-800 fleet. But it’s far more of the active fleet.
With the Boeing 737 MAX returning to service they’ve been parking the 75 oldest (“block 1”) 737-800s which were delivered 20 years ago. As a result, there are only 29 Boeing 737-800s left to be converted. That should be done by April.
Next up: the Airbus A321 fleet. They’ll eventually have a standardized fleet, but naturally standardized to one less capable:
[O]ur 200th 737-800 went in for the oasis mod! Of which about 120 are Kodiak’d. Leaving only 29 more 737-800 “Advanced” to be completed.
All of the “vintage” Block 1 Boeing 737NG, delivered from 1999 to 2001, have been put into storage. Except for N907AN ship 3AG which has the Kodiak mod and is the prototype for that set of 737s. Depending on demand for air travel in 2021, some those 75 aircraft could be retired or Kodiak’d.
N308RD is the prototype for the Kodiak configuration on the 737-MAX 8. Once certified the rest of the 737 MAX aircraft will get Kodiak. 1/30 completed
By April, the 29 738As should be completed and American will move on to the Airbus A321s. They have stated we will prioritize the A321L originally before moving on to the A321S doing up to 15 aircraft at a time. Currently 26 of 121 A321L have received or are in the process of receiving the new configuration. N161UW became the first A321 to receive Kodiak.
American is removing the ETOPS certification on all 18 A321H aircraft, eliminating the sub fleet. Currently 5 have been stripped of their ETOPS status during their heavy checks with at least 4 receiving the oasis mod. And still only one A321S has gotten the oasis mod making the total 5 of 81 A321H/S retrofitted.
And lastly, 1 of 28 A321NX have the Kodiak configuration with N400AN being the prototype.
At least the updates will finally give legacy US Airways planes seat power. When America West management, now in charge at American, took over US Airways they actually removed power from the US Airways seats that had it.
Let these dumbass CEO’s keep making these kind of moves! It is just steering people toward private jet transportation anyway… I mean you can literally book a private jet for about the same price as a first class airline ticket anyway, not to mention you can bring as many carry ons as you want, you don’t have to deal with TSA security bullshit, or flight attendants that talk down to you like you are below them…
The list of FAILED airlines in the US is a long list. As the US carriers continue to de-humanize passenger comfort, more will be added to that list.
Poor management will always cause companies to fail.
Let the AA boycott begin! Going to drown in debt anyway, Dougie can use Oasis as a scapegoat. Almost midnight Doug.
I’m booked on the 6:30am PHL-MIA this week. That’s not for the time of day, but because it’s a 788 and not an Oasis’d 737 or A321 (all other flights).
I understand the idea of fleet simplification, but the fact that Dougie is actively ripping IFE out of new 737’s and A321’s still blows my mind. Being stuck in one of those on a transcon like MIA-LAX was already terrible enough, now its downright miserable.
I think I might start flying Delta. AA customer service has gone way down hill. Service was much better when it was US Airways. The ramp agents are very rude most of the time and they lie to you as well. Never had so many delays in my life in CLT. Again when it was US Airways I never had any trouble with delays or canceled flights. AA needs to work on these issues because they are losing passengers
I cannot remember the last time I intentionally flew air travel unless it was a literal requirement. I have literally driven the length of the country both ways any way you could read that statement to avoid air travel.
I wouldn’t wish air travel on my Enemy’s.
The airlines have succeed in creating a product I detest to the point I will not only not pay them for an upgrade I will actively campaign for the destruction and nationalization of their industry.
Dear James, it is that piss ant company U.S. Air, that you love and enjoy. Their management team doug parker is still in charge. He is a piece of SHIT. AA was a true reputable company before your crap u s air took over. Know your facts before you spout off. Go fly Delta. I would rather see AA fail than that piece of shit running the company get any credit for the company.
Has anyone googled the meaning of torquemada, “name of someone responsible for the death of thousands”??…hmmm
I started driving to Ny and Mia
Hell I can bring as much luggage as I want,I don’t have to put up with TSA stuff and the seat is much more comfortable
As a disabled person, I already have a difficult time getting in and out of a First Class seat. The guy in front of me ALWAYS PUTS HIS SEAT ALL THE WAY BACK AND GOES TO SLEEP. I can’t get out of my seat. Because of the Oasis changes, I will no longer be able to fly at all. American is the only airline that flies to my town. It stopped being pleasant to fly a long time ago. Now AA has made it impossible. They will not get one more of my dollars.
I haven’t been a fan of American Airlines service but have taken their flights. Not anymore. My husband is tall and I have a back problem. No way can we use these seats for a 4 hour flight. They’re creating nothing more than a hamster cage for people. Well these hamsters will move to airlines that treat us like people.
Having to deal with TSAs dog snd pony show is humiliating enough but now they sre giving you an even more uncomfortable seat. I have not flown in 20 years and i wont unless there is world ending catastrophic event. I wish trains would make a comeback. Airlines have outlived their usefulness..
They knew the government was going to bail them out anyway.
Moo!
I’m typically not a fan of covid-based government overreach, but perhaps this is one instance where the American citizen could use it to his advantage and get a leg up. Maybe it’s time the FAA force airlines to increase seat pitch, width, and overall density to create mandatory socially distanced cabins.
I don’t understand how removing dear back Television makes any difference as far as space between seats is concerned. Is there another reason like reduce the weight of the aircraft.
There is some research on how removing IFE from the backseat reduces costs, a precise
amount of hours for maintenance for example. Also license to use and publish content every month or so. There is some research about how passenger mostly use their devices anyway. Obviously you would get the opposite research as well so I think only time will tell.
@Tirumal Jallepalli
While there is likely a reduction in maintenance costs, I’d venture that weight reduction is the primary reason. Weight is the overarching driver of fuel costs, and fuel costs are the overarching expense for airlines. Several hundred TVs per aircraft, plus all their cabling and other infrastructure is a significant amount of added weight to an airplane.
AA Million miler here and have abandoned them completely. This continuation in the “densification” is ridiculous. When they see that customers are fleeing them and their marketshare erodes, it will be too late.
When I fly again Alaska and Delta gets my business.
I flew on one of these flights with the cra**y updated chairs and spacing – THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!! You can’t even squeeze in under chair bags the airline recommends – JUST PLAIN (PLANE) STUPID, NOT TO MENTION INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE – remove heads from…………!!!!
As a 6 ft tall woman leg room is extremely important so AA can suck eggs to put it politely. Will make sure to never book a flight with them. I’ve got a 6 ft 6 son who would never fit.
Why use the name “Torquenada” ? That was the name of a Priest who tortured and killed at least two thousand people during the Spanish Inquisition. It was turn Catholic or else.
AA seems to be slowly turning itself into a low cost carrier type of airline. This is affecting its brand, hence its difficult to differentiate their product from this other airlines. I think AA forgot they compete in the service, and not in the transportation industry.
The IFE system never works and people carry their own devices now and AA supplies you with free streaming movies and channels … plus those screens were a germ breeding ground. That’s why I never order from those touch screens at fast food restaurants , they did a test on those and covered in human feces because people don’t wash their hands.