Airline News

American Airlines unveils loaded new suite seats for long-haul flights

A new kind of seat is en route.

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Fort Worth-based American Airlines will be debuting fancy new premium seating for its long-haul flights that will include privacy doors, more storage space, and even an optional chaise lounge.

The new seating will be part of the airline's Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, in the premium cabin only, with availability beginning in 2024.

American’s Vice President of Customer Experience Julie Rath says that "the arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customized seat design of the Flagship Suite seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet.”

The Premium Economy seat will afford more privacy and double the amount of in-seat storage space.

Premium seating on American’s long-haul fleet will grow more than 45 percent by 2026: American’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft will have 51 Flagship Suite seats and 32 Premium Economy seats, and the airline’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft will feature 20 Flagship Suite seats and 12 Premium Economy seats.

American will also retrofit its fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to include Flagship Suite seats, as well as its 16 Airbus A321T fleet, and will continue to offer lie-flat seats on transcontinental routes departing New York and Boston along with its Northeast Alliance partner, JetBlue Airways.

Customers can share personal space can on the Boeing 787-9. The Boeing 787-9 Premium Economy seats feature headrest wings to increase privacy and larger inseat entertainment screens.

The Flagship Suite on the Boeing 787-9 offers more comfort with lie-flat seating and can also convert to a chaise lounge position.

The Airbus A321XLR will have 20 Flagship Suite seats when it is delivered in 2024.

Premium customers are getting perks galore such as newly redesigned Admirals Club lounges, the first of which will open at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this fall. They'll feature branded elements and sustainable wood designs created by design company Teague that will be echoed on the aircraft for a seamless aesthetic experience. Because if there's one thing you don't want, it's to leave the scrumptious sustainable wood designs of your premium lounge only to enter a premium cabin bereft of all wood.

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Holiday News

TSA is predicting that Thanksgiving 2024 will break travel records

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Photo by Arno Senoner on Unsplash

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A new forecast by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) predicts that 2044 will be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record.

According to a release, the agency is projected to screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday, November 26 through Monday, December 2 — representing a volume increase of approximately 6 percent from 2023.

Passenger volumes have reached record highs in 2024, with an increase of 17 percent since 2022.

TSA projects the three busiest travel days with their expected volumes as follows:

Tuesday November 26: more than 2.8 million people
Wednesday November 27: more than 2.9 people
Sunday December 1: more than 3 million people

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas says the TSA team is standing by with metal detection wands in hand.

“Many members of the TSA workforce will be on duty throughout Thanksgiving Day and week and I am immensely grateful for their selfless dedication and professionalism," Mayorkas says in a statement. "I encourage travelers to plan ahead, follow TSA’s travel tips, and take advantage of programs like TSA PreCheck – simple steps that will make everyone’s journey smoother, our skies safer, and TSA’s job easier.”

TSA has screened more than 2.9 million passengers on multiple days in 2024. The record for the heaviest passenger volume in TSA history was Sunday, July 7, when Transportation Security Officers screened more than 3 million people at airport security checkpoints nationwide.

“The 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have all occurred in 2024, and we anticipate that trend to continue," TSA Administrator David Pekoske says.

TSA's Travel Tips

TSA advises passengers to pack smart and start with an empty bag. Passengers who do so are less likely to bring prohibited items through the checkpoint.
For carry-on bags, all liquids, gels and aerosols must be 3.4 ounces or less.
Foods such as gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, and preserves – considered liquids or gels – must be packed in a checked bag if they exceed 3.4 ounces.
Passengers can bring solid foods such as cakes and other baked goods through the checkpoint.

The TSA PreCheck Trusted Traveler Program offers faster checkpoint screening with wait times that are almost always 10 minutes or less. Passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck do not need to remove shoes; belts; 3-1-1 liquids, aerosols and gels; laptops; food items and light jackets during security screening. TSA PreCheck members are reminded to make sure their Known Traveler Number (KTN) is in their airline reservation so it appears on their boarding pass.

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