First Look: American’s New 787 Dreamliner With Flagship Suites

It was a gray morning at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), but spirits were high inside the hangar as Daily Drop was invited for a first look at American Airlines’ brand-new Boeing 787-9P Dreamliner — including the debut of its long-awaited Flagship Suites. 

But this aircraft isn’t just about shiny new seats. It marks a major strategy shift. For years, American has prioritized network growth over comfort. This is the same airline that yanked seat-back TVs from most domestic jets, after all... 

Now, American seems to be betting big on premium passengers. With an oversized business class cabin, upgraded interiors throughout, and serious tech upgrades, the 787-9P is a statement piece.

We explored every inch of the new aircraft, from the Flagship Suites to the Main Cabin, and yes, even the mood-lit lavs. Here’s everything you can expect onboard.

Routes With American’s New Flagship Suites 

American’s Flagship Suite will debut on a new subfleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, internally called the 787-9P (“P” for Premium). These jets are designed for long-haul routes with strong demand for premium seats — places where American is competing head-to-head with the likes of Delta One and the new United Polaris suites. 

American has 30 of these jets on order, with eight expected to enter service in 2025. The new seats will also appear on upcoming Airbus A321XLRs and retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs.

The 787-9P officially enters service on June 5, 2025, initially operating these two routes: 

• Chicago O’Hare (ORD) – Los Angeles (LAX) 

• Chicago O’Hare (ORD) – London Heathrow (LHR) 

Later in the year (and beyond), look for the 787-9P on these routes: 

• Philadelphia (PHL) – London Heathrow (LHR) (starting Aug. 6, 2025) 

• Philadelphia (PHL) – Zurich (ZRH) (starting Sept. 3, 2025)

• Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) – Brisbane (BNE) (starting Oct. 26, 2025)

• Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) – Auckland (AKL) (coming Winter 2026)

If you want to try out the new seat without breaking the bank, business class award tickets on the Chicago to LA route are available from 26,500 American AAdvantage miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees each way throughout the summer. 

Alternatively, if you have a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you may be able to transfer points to a partner like British Airways Executive Club to book. 

Turning Left for Flagship Suites 

Step onboard and you’ll immediately feel the shift. The new Flagship Suite business class cabin sets the tone with dark wood paneling, black marble-like finishes, warm mood lighting, and rich brown leather accents inspired by classic Americana (think vintage footballs or baseball gloves)

Before we get into the juicy, luxurious details, it’s worth noting that there are actually two types of premium seats up front — but we'll get into that in a bit. 

The business class cabin is split into a spacious forward section with nine rows, and a more intimate rear five-row mini-cabin. In total, there are a whopping 51 suites arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, giving every passenger direct aisle access and a sliding door for that sweet “don’t talk to me” privacy.

To put in perspective just how premium-heavy that is, American’s existing 787-9s have just 30 business class seats. 🤯

The Flagship Suite is a modified version of the Adient Ascent seat, which is similar to what Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines have on their 787-9s.

Each seat has a distinct reading lamp, separate from the overhead lights, that casts a calming glow over the suite.  

The middle seats have adjustable privacy partitions, perfect for couples or solo flyers.

In addition to the usual lie-flat mode, the seats offer a chaise lounge position, letting you recline with your back against the wall of the suite when reading, watching a movie, or just relaxing. 

Storage is ample, with a compartment in the armrest for small items, like a passport, and a larger space to store headphones and an adjustable mirror. There’s also a discreet spot to rest drinks without opening the tray table. 

But the real magic? The new tech.  

All seats have a wireless charging pad, along with USB-A, USB-C, and AC ports.  

Perhaps more exciting is that you can now connect your favorite headphones from home to the 4K IFE screens via Bluetooth. 

That said, if you don’t bring your own headphones onboard, American still provides noise-cancelling headphones, which won’t be yanked away 45 minutes before landing anymore. Small victories.  

At 17.5 inches, they’re not the biggest IFE screens in the skies, and the thick bezel around the screens don’t help either, but they are sharp and responsive. You can control them via touch or a wired remote control.  

The business class amenities include Nest mattress pads and cozy blankets. We particularly appreciated the dual-sided pillows with cool-touch fabric on one side and traditional material on the other — a huge step up from the scratchy squares many airlines still hand out in business class. 

In lie-flat mode, we had no trouble positioning our feet comfortably in the footwell, which is a big win for getting a good night’s sleep in the air. 

Even the lavatory got a bit of flair, with a cloud-covered wallpaper reflected infinitely between mirrored walls. It's giving... airplane bathroom chic? Your mileage may vary. ☁️

Flagship Suite Preferred: The New Business-Plus 

In addition to the standard Flagship Suites, American installed eight Flagship Suite Preferred seats at the bulkheads. This is in line with a growing trend among U.S. airlines to replace differentiated first class cabins with more spacious and elevated front-row business seats. They’re particularly attractive for business travelers who may be prohibiting from buying up to first class, but not a “business plus” seat assignment. 

These Preferred Suites offer 19% more bed space and 42% more living area than a standard Flagship Suite. 

You’ll also get pajamas, elevated bedding, and upgraded amenity kits. 

In addition to being placed at the bulkhead, they’re differentiated by darker finishes, as well as a red accent stripe across the door.

As of now, American isn’t charging extra to select a Flagship Suite Preferred seat — but that likely won’t last (we see you, JetBlue Mint Studio and United Polaris Studio). That said, these seats also don’t include upgraded meals or extra ground perks… at least not yet. 

Premium Economy Gets a Glow-Up

While business class gets the most attention, American’s new premium economy offering is a big step up — and perhaps one of the best from a U.S. carrier.  

The cabin boasts 32 seats spread across five rows in a 2-3-2 configuration. These recliner seats feel very much like domestic first class, but optimized for long-haul travel.

Each seat has wings on the headrest for added privacy and something to lean on while you sleep. For couples, it’s actually easier to sit together and chat in these seats than it would be in business class. 

Seat pitch is generous at 38” and there are adjustable calf and footrests at every seat. The seats recline significantly farther than economy seats, which makes them more comfortable for sleeping, but also means it can become a bit cramped and more difficult to get out to use the bathroom when the person in front of you reclines.

Premium economy seats have many of the same tech upgrades as business class, with wireless charging pads, USB-A, USB-C and AC power, as well as Bluetooth audio pairing with the IFE. The screens were bright and crisp in 4k, measuring 13.3 inches.  

One quirk is that the wireless charging pad is semi-enclosed in a small cubby – potentially a perk so your phone doesn’t slide around, so long as it doesn’t lead to overheating issues.  

In terms of soft product, you can expect a small amenity kit, noise-reducing headphones, blanket, and lumbar pillow. 

Main Cabin Upgrades 

Even coach got some love. American's 787-9P includes 143 Main Cabin seats with 31 inches of pitch and 18 Main Cabin Extra seats with 34 inches.

That’s not a ton of extra-legroom seats (American’s existing 787-9s have twice as many), but if you’ve got American or Oneworld elite status, you might be able to snag one for free during booking or check-in.

Extra-legroom seats sport brown headrests, while standard economy seats feature navy blue ones. If you want endless legroom, you’ll want to pick is a seat in row 23, the emergency exit row 👇

Coach seats are arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, but you’ll find a few rows of two-seat pairs toward the back of the plane. 

Every seat includes a range of power ports — USB-A, USB-C, and AC outlets — plus 4K seatback entertainment screens with Bluetooth audio pairing.  

Even better, starting in 2026, AAdvantage members will get free in-flight Wi-Fi on all Viasat- and Intelsat-equipped aircraft, including this one. 

All economy passengers on long-haul routes also get a fleece blanket and a pillow. 

Bottom Line 

American Airlines’ new Boeing 787-9P with Flagship Suites feels like a turning point. While the Flagship Suites (and Preferred Suites) understandably steal the spotlight, the upgrades don’t stop at the front of the plane.

From sleek new premium economy seats to meaningful improvements in coach, the entire aircraft feels like an investment in the passenger experience.

Sure, the real test will be whether the service, food, and lounges can rise to match the new hard product, but if this plane is any indication, American’s future looks... dare we say it... a little more first class. 😏