American Airlines has announced that its Flagship First product will be discontinued later this year, making it the last U. S. airline to offer a long-haul international first-class product.

Effective November 19, Flagship First will no longer be available for purchase on American’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. However, it will still be available on select transcontinental flights until March 28, 2027.

This change does not affect American’s domestic first-class product. Flagship First is a separate cabin located above business class on the airline’s 777-300ERs and specially configured Airbus A321Ts.

The decision to eliminate Flagship First was first announced in 2022 when American introduced its new Flagship Suite business-class product. At the time, then-Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja stated that the demand for a separate first-class cabin was limited.

Raja explained that advancements in business-class seats had narrowed the gap between the two cabins, and removing first class would allow for more business-class seats, which were in higher demand by customers.

American’s first retrofitted 777-300ER entered service on Wednesday, operating between New York-JFK and Buenos Aires, Argentina. This aircraft features 70 Flagship Suite business-class seats, 44 premium economy seats, and 30 Main Cabin Extra seats. Prior to the retrofit, the 777-300ERs had eight Flagship First seats, 52 business-class seats, and 28 premium economy seats.

The Flagship Suites on American’s 777-300ERs offer sliding privacy doors, additional storage, and a chaise lounge seating position. The airline is in the process of installing this product on all 20 of its 777-300ERs, replacing the separate Flagship First and business-class cabins with a larger, unified premium cabin.

American’s Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper stated that the 777-300ER represents the next step in the airline’s commitment to providing a premium travel experience for customers. The aircraft features elegantly designed interiors and spacious premium seating.

Originally, American had planned to begin retrofitting its 777-300ER fleet in late 2024. However, the first aircraft did not enter service until nearly two years later due to delays in the airline’s premium-cabin rollout.

Last year, American introduced Flagship Suites on its Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The 787-9 has 51 suites, while the A321XLR has 20. As more A321XLRs are added to the fleet, they will take over premium transcontinental flights currently operated by American’s A321Ts. The A321Ts have 10 Flagship First seats and 20 business-class seats, while the A321XLR combines the two into a single Flagship Suite cabin.

American also plans to reconfigure its A321Ts to match the standard domestic layout used on its other Airbus narrowbody aircraft.