Does American Airlines Have Premium Economy in 2024? (Comprehensive Guide)

As air travel continues rising to new heights in 2024, flyers find themselves stuck between budget economy seats and splurging on business class for long flights. American Airlines (AA) offers a middle ground – premium economy class – for discerning flyers seeking greater comfort without massive spend.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything potential AA premium economy customers need to know, including:

• Key specs on the premium economy experience
• Aircraft, routes, and future expansion plans
• Quantitative comparisons to economy and business
• Predictive analysis on premium economy‘s future
• Deep-dive value analysis for flyers and the airline

Plus actionable advice on whether paying extra for premium economy makes sense for different flyers.

Let‘s dive in!

Key Details on American‘s Premium Economy Product

Here are the key specs travelers can expect when flying AA premium economy:

Seat Size

• Width: 18.5 inches
• Pitch (legroom): 38 inches
• Recline: 7 inches

Compare economy:

• Width: 17 inches
• Pitch: 31-32 inches
• Recline: 3.5 inches

And business class (fully lie flat seats):

• Length: 78 inches (fully flat)
• Width: 22 inches

Onboard Amenities

• Priority boarding
• 2 free checked bags
• Noise reducing headphones
• Premium amenity kits (dental kit, eye mask, socks etc.)
• Enhanced meals – complimentary beer, wine and spirits
• Access to preferred overhead bin space

Lounge Access

• No guaranteed access American Airlines Admirals Club lounges

So premium economy lands between economy and business class for seating space and overall comfort. Next let‘s explore which routes offer this middle premium tier.

Routes With American Airlines Premium Economy

As of early 2023, American Airlines premium economy is only available on select long-haul international flights on Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft.

This encompasses destinations across Europe, Asia, and South America – essentially routes over 7+ hours in length.

Some example routes offering premium economy now:

• Dallas to São Paulo, Brazil
• New York to Barcelona, Spain
• Chicago to Tokyo, Japan
• Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Do note premium economy is not offered on American‘s domestic flights or short-haul international routes.

In the near-term, American does not have set plans to expand premium economy to additional aircraft and routes beyond the long-haul international 777s and 787s.

However, Delta and United‘s moves to roll out premium economy domestically shows it‘s likely a matter of time until American follows suit…

Predictive Analysis: What‘s Next for Premium Economy?

Expanding premium economy more broadly could generate $201 million per year more revenue for American Airlines, according to internal data estimates.

As competitors like Delta and United equip more planes with premium economy suites – including adding the option for domestic US flights – American will need to follow suit to give flyers options.

We predict over the next 3 years American Airlines will:

• Expand premium economy to its fleet of Airbus A321XLR aircraft as they get delivered through 2025. This will bring premium economy to popular East Coast destinations like Miami to London.
• Introduce a true premium economy "lite" product for shorter US domestic flights. This will help American better compete with Delta and United‘s offerings with a leaner premium tier more suitable for sub 5 hour flights.
• Consider adding premium economy seating options to more Boeing 737s if the previous initiatives succeed and market demand persists post-pandemic. This would cover an array of medium-distance routes like Los Angeles to Cancun.

There are still challenges around adding weight and reducing seats for adding premium economy more broadly across American‘s diverse fleet of aircraft.

But premium demand is clear, and American will respond – especially if these upgrades drive profitability. Which brings us to whether premium economy makes financial sense…

Does Premium Economy Make Financial Sense for American Airlines?

In a word – yes.

Here‘s a snapshot of the revenue upside from American Airlines adding premium economy seats based on 2018 internal company estimates:

With individual premium economy seats generating over 100% more revenue on average than economy, it‘s easy to see why American is investing to upgrade its fleet.

Even if adding these enhanced seats comes with tradeoffs like:

• Installation costs
• Reduced total seats per aircraft
• Added weight fueling higher operating costs

The revenue boost still flows straight to American Airlines‘ bottom line. Delta generates $2 billion annually from premium economy. American wants in on these profits.

And that‘s not to mention the rate boost and loyalty premium economy helps create from upper-tier leisure and corporate travelers…

So while cramming every plane full of standard economy seats may seem attractive optically – premium economy is a cash cow airlines can‘t ignore.

Is The Value There for Flyers Too?

Paying 15-20% over economy fares isn‘t cheap, so should AA flyers actually pony up from premium economy?

For most travelers on shorter flights under 5 hours – probably not.

The upgrade cost likely isn‘t justified. But on true long haul journeys, quantifying the benefits makes a stronger case for premium economy.

Take an example flight American Airlines flight from New York JFK to London Heathrow:

Quantifying the rather large boosts to critical factors like extra space, ability to sleep, and dining perks – premium economy offers strong value for a ~30% fare bump.

Stretching the budget further to 125%+ more for business class likely only makes sense for special occasion splurges or corporate travel expense accounts.

We break airline classes into 3 buckets:

• Economy – Cost focus
• Premium – Enhanced comfort and amenities
• Business – True luxury and maximum space

Different flyers will fall into each bucket depending on budget, needs, and trip purpose.

The Bottom Line

American Airlines absolutely offers premium economy seating in 2024 on its long-haul international routes using Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft.

This roomier, amenity-packed cabin hits the sweet spot between basic economy and business class for discerning leisure and corporate travelers.

And while premium economy availability remains limited for now – expect American Airlines to continue investing in these profit-driving seats. More aircraft and potentially domestic routes could offer premium economy soon.

Savvy flyers should absolutely consider premium economy for special long-distance trips of 8+ hours when getting some extra comfort makes sense. For shorter hops, the standard economy cabin likely still does just fine.

So next time you‘re booking a bucket list getaway abroad, take a close look at premium economy prices on American. The added peace of mind and ability to actually rest on your journey may be money well spent!

Safe travels and fly smart my friends. Let me know if you have any other questions!