Last month, I flew American’s inaugural flight on the A321XLR in Premium Economy. Recently, I boarded the swanky new plane again, this time to experience American A321XLR Business Class. The verdict: the Flagship Suite is a nice seat, but with a few notable flaws, and the consistently inconsistent service that plagues AA these days.
American Airlines (AA) Flight 341
- Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Depart: New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) , Terminal 8, Gate 35, 15:57, 27m late
- Arrive: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Terminal B, Gate 151, 18:57, 4m late
- Duration: 6 hours 0 minutes
- Seats: 3A, 3F
- Equipment: Airbus A321XLR
Interestingly, this was the same plane (N303NY) that operated the A321XLR in December.
Check-In and Boarding
We checked in at DFW earlier in the morning, so my son and I headed straight to the lounge after landing at JFK. A seeming glitch of Business on the A321XLR – your boarding pass displays “First Class”, though it books into “Flagship Business”.
Since my boarding pass displayed First Class, I decided to take a chance on the Chelsea Lounge at JFK. No dice, though; the lounge agent directed me to the Greenwich Lounge next door. To be clear, I didn’t expect access to the Chelsea Lounge. But the boarding pass issue makes things confusing for those who don’t know any better.
Anyway, my son and I quite enjoyed the Greenwich Lounge, and waited until the incoming flight arrived to head to the gate. The income flight was a little late due to a snow squall moving through, so things ran about 20 minutes late. Boarding began about 40 minutes before departure, and I admired the American “Centennial” branding at the door.
American A321XLR Business Class – Seating and Interior
On the A321XLR, American’s Flagship Business Class consists of 20 Collins Aerospace Aurora herringbone seats in a 1×1 configuration. First impressions: the aisle is really tight and narrow, as the seat shells intrude significantly. This makes boarding really congested, though the lower capacity makes it go faster at least. On the flip side, for a design where the seats angle towards the aisle, it’s a lot more private than I expected. Looking down the aisle, it’s actually pretty hard to see into the suites on either side. Even in a mostly full cabin, it feels like an empty one taking photos. I also quite like the mood lighting onboard.
At the front of the cabin is a sleek “Flagship” moniker on the bulkhead.
About halfway through the flight, I snuck in a photo of the Main Cabin section. On the one hand, the seats seem decent for coach, with 31″ of pitch, 18″ of width, and 5″ of recline. The new entertainment screens also look excellent. But, there are two issues I see. One, American eliminated the mid-cabin galley and lavatory, leaving three for both Premium Economy and Main Cabin at the back. Second, American configured coach with just 6 Main Cabin Extra seats, and only in the two exit rows (14 and 15).
One of the useful status perks American offers is the ability to book MCE for free if you’re Platinum or above. Whether traveling domestically or internationally, it’s probably the perk I find most useful when traveling with my family. But with this setup, MCE is off-limits for families (or if you’re like me and just don’t like the exit row). I think this is a big miss by American, and doesn’t feel very “premium” at all.
Speaking of lavs, that’s also a potential issue in the Business Cabin. There’s just one lavatory for the entire cabin of 20 passengers. I actually ended up having to use the one in the back because it was occupied for a good period of time.
The A321XLR Flagship Suite seat measures 21″ wide, and folds into a fully flat bed. I couldn’t readily find a measurement, but I believe the bed is 76″ long fully flat. I do like the seat finishes; the looks seems much more premium than the minimalist grey usually found in AA’s premium cabins. Waiting at the seat were a Re-Thread by John Horsfall pillow and blanket.
Although the seat appears a little narrow at first glance, I didn’t find it tight at all while seated. This was true whether in upright, relaxed, or bed mode. I thought the seat might prove too firm, but it’s actually nicely padded and comfy in all positions.
Now, there is one problem with this herringbone configuration, reported in other reviews of this seat. Due to the angle towards the aisle, you have to turn your head 90 degrees to look outside. Needless to say, if you like looking out the window, expect a sore neck at the end of your flight.
In addition, the footwell appears narrow, but I found it adequate in practice. This is because the seat opens up on that end towards the aisle. Unfortunately, space underneath the footrest is inadequate for anything other than a small purse or shopping bag. Everything else must go in the overhead bins.
Matthew over at Live and Let’s Fly reported on a…potentially problematic lack of privacy in the seats. Specifically, he reported being able to see fully into the suite across the aisle. However, I didn’t notice the same problem in my suite. In fact, despite the angle towards the aisle, I couldn’t see into my son’s suite at all without getting up. Maybe that’s an issue specifically to Row 1? Personally, I thought the design of the shell afforded these suites a good level of privacy. In addition, the relatively wide opening to the aisle also made the suite feel relatively spacious.
I found the bedding excellent, both the duvet and the pillow. (Apparently the pillow is of the cooling variety, though the cabin wasn’t warm so I didn’t really notice.) I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and 20 minutes. On an overnight flight, I think the seat would be comfortable for a longer sleep.
Privacy remains good while sleeping, even without the door. The door is awaiting certification by the FAA, and so remains locked in the open position for now. American did proactively offer 5,000 miles for the non-functioning door. I’ll take it, especially since I don’t really care about the door that much.
Waiting at each seat was a Raven + Lily amenity kit with toiletries by Joanna Vargas. The pouch seems kind of small, more like an eyeglasses case, though comes reasonably well equipped. with a dental kit, earplugs, socks, lip balm, and lotion.
Storage space is noticeably lacking in these seats. Due to the angle of the seat, window-side storage is limited to a small shelf in the corner. It does open up to reveal a small but fairly deep cubby.
Meanwhile, the aisle side of the seat includes another small-ish shelf. I do really like the translucent beverage coaster, which is a unique and classy touch.
Also at the side of the seat are a water bottle holder, and a small compartment that can hold a small laptop or tablet. Notice the scratches on the life jacket compartment, though. Considering this plane was all of 30 days old, it makes me wonder how these seats might hold up.
One rather unique feature is a vanity mirror that flips open from the seat shell. I often see these mirrors, but usually there’s a storage compartment that goes with it. I can’t say I’ve seen a stand-alone one like this before.
Seat controls are found on the aisle-side armrest, and are generally intuitive and easy to use. I found it easier that for both recline and the legrest, there are separate buttons to recline and retract.
It did take me a bit to figure out what the reading light button was for, though. I finally found it on the side wall. You have to push the light open before turning it on or off.
Finally, I liked the faux marble tray table, which folds in half and slides forward and backwards.
Overall, the new seat and cabin are a noticeable upgrade over the A321T this plane replaces on transcon routes. The main drawback is the narrow aisle, which makes it a bit difficult to get through. But as American tries to project a more premium image, the A321XLR Flagship Suite is a good first step.
In-Flight Entertainment
Needless to say, IFE is a huge step up on the XLR compared to older planes in the American fleet. Front and center is a 17″ 4K display (though actual 4K entertainment selections remain limited). It’s far better than the 15.4″ display it replaces on the A321T.
I won’t go over the selection, as it’s the same as in Premium Economy, just with a larger screen. One thing you’ll see floating around on the interwebs is the requirement to stow your monitor during meal service. Honestly, I found it easy enough to watch the TV even when stowed. In any event, on this flight, I really just wanted to zone out and watch the moving map, so it was fine.
American provides an excellent pair of Bang & Olufsen headphones in Business Class. Matthew reported that his didn’t work, but mine seemed to work fine. You can also connect your own wireless headphones via Bluetooth if you wish. I didn’t try to connect them on my flight, so can’t comment on how it worked.
Another major improvement – you no longer have to turn in your headphones an hour before landing. You can keep them from gate to gate.
There is also a handheld unit, which doubles as both a controller and a picture-in-picture device. Very handy if you want to occasionally glance at the moving map while watching a movie.
Each suite includes a single 110v outlet and USB-C port. There is no USB-A port available, so don’t forget to bring the proper cable with you. Both are easy to reach from the seat, and the location makes it easy to store your cords on the armrest shelf when not in use.
Underneath the window-side armrest is a wireless charging pad. And unlike the one in Premium Economy, this one actually worked! Only problem is, the position of the armrest makes it a tad bit difficult to access.
While American promised free WiFi effective January 6th, it wasn’t free on this flight. A flight pass ran $29 as usual for this flight. Lucky over at OMAAT reported the rollout mostly complete as of January 25th, so maybe things changed in the week since this flight. I’m not sure, as 2 of the 3 flights we took on this trip offered only paid options. And I guess thanks to the new partnership with AT&T, the old, free option for T-Mobile customers is no mas.
American A321XLR Business Class – Food, Beverage, and Service
I pre-ordered meals for me and my son, but for those that didn’t, menus were left next to the amenity kit.
No pre-departure beverage was offered on this flight. I thought the reason was our late boarding, but apparently, it’s the combination of the narrow aisle and boarding through only the front door. That’s unfortunate if that’s the case. In any event, the FA came through only after take-off to confirm lunch orders and take beverage requests. (I did appreciate that she asked me if my son could have a soda before just handing it over.) Eventually, about 50 minutes after take-off, we received a ramekin of mixed nuts to start. I’ve always liked American’s nut mixture, which includes pecans and pistachios.
I ordered a glass of the Mon Frere pinot noir to drink. For a cheap (~$15 a bottle) wine, it’s really not bad at all. Not too dry, and some nice plum and cherry notes. If you’re going for the champagne, the Boizel Brut Reserve retails for about $60 a bottle, and rates fairly highly.
About 15 minutes after drinks, the FAs served the shrimp and fish ceviche and seasonal greens salad. Both were fresh and tasty, and I appreciated the relatively simple mixed greens. The bread basket included pretzel rolls, which are always tasty.
About 20 minutes later came the main course, the beef filet for both of us. Beef is always dangerous in the air, but this time, it was a decent cut of meat and well-seasoned. But unfortunately hammered to a well-done. The vegetables and potatoes were pretty good. I actually really enjoyed the crispy brussels sprouts dipped in the demi glace sauce. And bonus points for serving the sauce on the side, instead of slathering the meat to excess. It’s definitely an improvement over what I’ve come to expect in AA premium cabins.
For dessert, the FA brought out a hot fudge sundae. Only one problem, though – I ordered a cheese plate, not a sundae. In any event, I didn’t turn it down, and enjoyed it. And my son seemed happy that we had matching desserts.
In all, meal service took about an hour and 20 minutes to complete. That’s fine for a westbound daytime flight, though it took an inordinate amount of time to get started. We were supposed to be served a warm cookie and snack basket prior to landing, but didn’t receive one. I’m not sure if it was on request, or just an oversight.
Anyway, the meal service was one example of my main concern on this flight – inconsistent, uneven service. Of the two Business Class FAs, one was excellent. The other (the one taking care of the meal service), not so much. She was nice enough, but lacked polish, and struck me as not very competent. Some things were done well, like checking with me about my son’s drink. But my dessert order was messed up, my empty drink glass was still sitting there when I got up from my nap (an hour and a half after meal service ended), and the pre-landing snack was skipped. Just not very premium in my opinion.
Flightseeing
With a daytime departure out of New York, I did get to enjoy some planespotting during taxi. First up, an Alaska Airlines 737 that just arrived from Seattle.
Next up, a gorgeous Qantas 787, operating QF3 as a Fifth Freedom flight from Auckland.
And lastly, an equally gorgeous Etihad A35K headed to Abu Dhabi.
While sitting in the lounge, a quick hit of snow blew through, leaving a dusting on the ground to stare at as we headed to the runway. Fortunately, not enough to significantly delay us.
Shortly after take-off, you could see the dusting off snow all across Long Island.
One of the fun things about flying west is the drawn-out sunset, in this case over a cloud-filled, snowy landscape over Pennsylvania.
A little later, we passed right over the west end of Lake Erie.
And finally, just before the last of the light faded, the clouds cleared to reveal a city below. I think it’s Des Moines, but I’m not for certain.
Despite the slight delay on departure, we ended up making it to Los Angeles only 4 minutes late. I briefly considered hitting up the Flagship Lounge at LAX, but Mini-Me wanted to go straight to the hotel. He still has some things to learn about being a hardcore avgeek…
Final Thoughts
In short, this flight in the American A321XLR Business Class Flagship Suite shows why American still has work to do. The airline is making an effort to be more “premium”, and the seat and cabin certainly fit the bill. It’s a good, comfortable product, though I’d prefer a seat that isn’t angled away from the window. There are also significant improvements in aspects like IFE, and even catering, which was much better than I experienced previously. But for all the good, inconsistent service marred the experience. Maybe one day they’ll actually get that in order.