American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER: Virtual Tour and Review
American Airlines 777-300ER First Class Flagship Suite
The new Flagship Suite
American introduced its original Flagship Suite on its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft approximately a decade ago and installed it across all of its 777-200 aircraft in 2009. Configured in a 1-2-1 layout, the suite had many industry-leading features such as an extra-long bed, a separate desk, and a swivel feature.
American didn’t rest on its laurels. The new Flagship Suites are also configured 1-2-1 but are entirely new and far more plush. A key difference is that there are only eight Flagship Suites on the newer planes, versus 16 on the older aircraft.
Each Flagship Suite seat is 29” wide (including the armrests, which can be lowered, 21” with the armrests up) and the fully-extended bed is 80”. The suite itself is 45” wide. Each suite has a large and well-padded ottoman (which becomes part of the bed). As was the case on the previous generation Flagship Suite, the ottoman is more than large enough for a visitor to comfortably join in for a drink or dining.
The seats are upholstered in a comfortable combination of cloth and leather, both with a very soft and luxurious feel. Woodgrain is evident throughout. Center seats have a large, retractable privacy partition, which may be lowered when traveling with a companion.
Lavatory in first class
First-class passengers get a small LCD tablet for controlling the seat (there are preset positions such as bed as well as general controls for infinite adjustment). You can also turn on the do-not-disturb light from the controller.
Storage has been greatly enhanced. In addition to the large overhead bins (each passenger gets a minimum of one bin), the Flagship Suite has multiple compartments for storage including a shoe compartment and a tray for a laptop or tablet under the desk. There is also room under the ottoman for a bag
A 17” flatscreen monitor is situated above the ottoman and can be tilted for optimal viewing. A separate video controller is provided for the in-flight entertainment system, which offers 180 movies, 250 television programs, and 350 music tracks.
In addition, each seat has a USB port for charging, a video input, and an AC power outlet. These are behind a hidden panel at shoulder level.
When it’s time for converting the suite seat into a bed, the Flagship Suite receives a mattress topper that is placed on top of the seat in its lie-flat position and several pillows is provided, along with a light blanket and a duvet. The bed is 6’ 6” long and 35” wide.
American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class
The author’s seat in business class
At its news conference last year announcing the new cabin interiors, an American Airlines executive boasted that the new business-class seating will have one of the largest living spaces available in Boeing 777 business-class cabins offered by U.S. airlines. He wasn’t exaggerating.
The new business-class cabin on the 777-300ER has 52 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, just like in first class. If this sounds spacious, it is. Each seat is pitched at 75” (previously, the business-class pitch was 60”) and a width of 25” with the armrests down (20” with them up). The pod’s overall width is 44”. To say they are comfortable would be an understatement and my test of the seat confirms it.
Window seats are oriented towards the window while the center seats are slanted towards each other in a V-like configuration. Unlike with Lufthansa’s V-configuration in business class, there is a solid partition between the seats so there is no possibility that a passenger might accidentally kick a neighbor.
There is a very small ottoman (not really suitable for guests, however) that becomes part of the bed. The bed itself is a true 180º lie-flat bed that extends to 6’ 3 with a width of 25” (with armrests down).
Similar to first class, each seat has a USB port for charging, a video input, and an AC power outlet. These too are behind a hidden panel at shoulder level. For in-flight entertainment, each seat has a 15.4” monitor that swivels out for optimal viewing. Entertainment options are the same as in first class and the other cabins.
Click here to continue to Page 4 – Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin
