On Thursday, November 21, 2013, American Airlines took the next step in its fleet renewal process by taking delivery of their first Airbus A321, designated by American Airlines as the A321T (Transcontinental). The aircraft will be used to offer coast to coast service with fully lie-flat First and Business Class seats and main cabin extra seating that gives main cabin customers the option of up to an extra six inches of legroom. Every seat will feature in-seat entertainment with up to 200 movies, up to 180 TV programs, more than 350 audio selections and up to 20 games, along with individual AC power dockets and USB charging jacks. The aircraft will also be equipped with Gogo’s ATG-4 Wi-Fi connectivity.
Virasb Vahidi, American’s Chief Commercial Officer commented “As the only airline to offer a three-class transcontinental service, we’re delivering on what our customers flying between New York and the West Coast value. With fully lie-flat seats in the premium cabins, new menu options, and enhanced amenities, the A321T aircraft allows us to provide our customers with amenities that, until now, have traditionally been reserved for those traveling internationally.”
The Airbus A321T will initially operate between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with service commencing in January, 2014. Following that will be service between JFK and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) commencing in March 2014. By June 2014, there will be 13 daily flights between JFK and LAX and five daily flights between JFK and SFO.
With the fleet renewal initiative, American expects to take delivery of 60 new aircraft by the end of 2013, including new Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 737-800s, Airbus A319s and Airbus A321Ts. The fleet renewal will be extended in 2014 with the arrival of the first Boeing 787 and additional new aircraft deliveries.
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