American will Fly their Flagship Jet to Charlotte

by Krish Patel

American Airlines will soon launch flights to Charlotte on their flagship Boeing 777-300ER.

Currently, the Boeing 777-200ER is the only wide body in the American fleet that flies to their east coast hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). However, things will change on November 5, 2024. CLT will be connected to London Heathrow via American’s 777-300ER.

Historically, the 777-300ER was deployed on American Airliens’s most premium routes from their hubs at LAX, DFW, MIA, and JFK.

Heathrow is already a mega hub for American’s OneWorld partner, British Airways, who does not fly to Charlotte. The upgrade to a larger variant of the Boeing 777 on the route will allow more passengers to connect via London onto a British Airways flight to their final destination. The 777-300ER’s service on the route will run seasonally in the winter until March 29, 2025.

American’s 777-300ER features eight Flagship First Class seats, 52 in Flagship Business, 28 in Premium Economy, and another 28 in Main Cabin Extra. Towards the back of the AA flagship are 188 Main Cabin (Economy) seats. This will be the first time American offers First Class between CLT and LHR. While the aircraft is premium-heavy, American doesn’t have a Flagship Lounge at Charlotte Airport. Instead, First and Business Class passengers will be directed to use the less-premium Admirals Club.

American Airlines has plans to retrofit the 777-300ER fleet with the Flagship Suite seats in Business Class, which will replace the First Class product that’s set to go extinct. So, it’s possible that First Class isn’t available for purchase during this winter season.

Soon, American Airlines will have a second widebody flying to their second largest hub at Charlotte. This will be especially exciting for Flagship First and Business Class passengers.