US-based operator American Airlines announced earlier this week that it will be retrofitting newer cabins and products on board its older sub-fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs. The airline states this would enable an increase in its premium capacity, while aligning the -200ER’s onboard products with newer aircraft in the fleet.
This is part of the airline’s wider retrofit program, which includes revamping the cabins of aircraft such as Airbus A319s, Boeing 777-300ERs, and even the airline’s regional aircraft.
The Need For More Premium Capacity
American Airlines will be expanding its ongoing cabin retrofit program to include the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 777-200ER. As per AirlineGeeks, the carrier currently operates a sub-fleet of 47 -200ERs with an average age of 25 years. These aircraft are due to be retrofitted with new seats and cabins, including the airline’s Flagship Suites.
By retrofitting the 777-200s, the subfleet will see its premium capacity offered by Flagship Business and premium economy increase by 25%, while also seeing improvements such as the introduction of a new In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system throughout the aircraft. While exact details were not provided, it is reported that the retrofitted cabin would align the onboard product with the airline’s Boeing 787-9 and the brand-new Airbus A321XLR aircraft types.
Airline CEO, Robert Isom, stated the following,
“Extending the lives of those [aircraft] and putting those into service really gives us a capital spending holiday in terms of fleet replacement… So it’s a win-win-win-win for our customers, for our company, and more certainly for our investors.”
New Products, Onboard New And Old Aircraft
While the airline has been retrofitting its fleet of existing aircraft, which includes the larger Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A319 aircraft types, the carrier is also taking delivery of new aircraft with the latest products, which include the Boeing 787-9s the airline received this year and the newest member of American Airlines’ fleet, the Airbus A321XLR.
The carrier, earlier this year, took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 with the brand new Flagship Suites, which not only marked the introduction of an updated business class product, but also a significant increase in premium capacity from the airline’s traditional 787-9 configuration, from 30 to 51 in Flagship Suites (+70%) and 21 to 32 in premium economy seats (approximately +52%). The upcoming retrofits will increase the premium offerings of the 777-200 by 25%, which is currently configured in the following way:
|
Class |
Flagship Business |
Premium Economy |
Main Cabin Extra |
Main Cabin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Capacity |
37 |
24 |
66 |
146 |
Considering the aircraft currently has a combined offering of 61 seats across business and premium economy in its current configuration, a 25% increase would see the retrofitted aircraft take the number closer to 80 premium seats across the two products.
Refresh Includes Regional Aircraft
Apart from the airline’s mainline fleet, the retrofit program also includes regional jets operated under the American Eagle branding, which consists of Embraer (E145, E170, and E175) and Bombardier (CRJ700 and CRJ900) aircraft. The only type that will not be getting a retrofit is the Embraer E145s.
While the new product will be introduced on aircraft being delivered, the existing fleet will also receive technological advancements, such as installing onboard WiFi and power ports on aircraft that do not have the system currently. While the aircraft won’t feature lie-flat seats like the ones on American’s mainline fleet, the new interior does have some visual resemblance to the products on the mainline fleet.
American Eagle currently has nearly 400 regional jets being operated by three different subsidiaries owned by American Airlines — Envoy Air, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines, flying Embraer E170 and E175, CRJ 700 and CRJ 900, and E145 fleets respectively.
By retrofitting the regional jets, the airline improves the in-flight experience provided to the passengers, making the products more aligned between American Airlines’ mainline fleet and regional fleet. This can be particularly helpful for passengers, especially for premium customers who fly an itinerary that connects a mainline flight to a regional service.
