Background and Booking
This week, I had the amazing opportunity of trying out the newest addition to the American Airlines family, the A321XLR. Launched on December 18th, 2025, on the New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) route, this aircraft type will replace all the A321 Transcons (A321Ts) in 2026, as well as serve some lower-yielding East Coast to Europe routes.
Over the years, the American A321T has been my favorite plane to get me from New York to Los Angeles, and that plane type will always have a special place in my heart, especially the Flagship First cabin. But I am excited for the A321XLR, which does offer a much better and more private Business Class product.
I was originally booked on the A321T in Business Class, but was able to make a same-day confirmed change to the frequency that had the A321XLR scheduled. There was one seat left, so I quickly changed to it on the website as soon as it was 24 hours before the flight’s departure. I love that American allows free same-day confirmed changes on Business Class award tickets.
Flight Details
American Airlines Flight 341
New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Aircraft: Airbus A321XLR (N303NY)
Cabin: Flagship Business
Seat: 10F
Status: On Time
At the Airport & Lounge
American’s Terminal 8 at JFK always feels a bit empty, which is nice for me, but I’m not sure if it’s good financially for the airline. At New York (JFK), since this is a Business Class product, you get access to the Greenwich Lounge, which is the international business class lounge for American and its Oneworld partners. It was great when I visited in 2018, but it’s a bit past its prime now. It beats a United Club on a transcon (since they don’t offer Polaris access on premium transcons), but of course, the new Delta One Lounge at JFK is a lot better. If you’re curious about the Greenwich Lounge, I wrote a review of it previously, and not much has changed, other than the food options being a bit limited.
Boarding
Boarding was scheduled 40 minutes before our scheduled departure time.
It was a bit confusing since they put “First Class” on my boarding pass and everyone else’s in Business Class (not sure why), and then at boarding, they announced “Business Class,” and everyone was confused. They probably should fix that.
Comparing the Layouts of the American A321XLR vs American A321T
The American A321XLR seats 155 passengers, including 20 Flagship Suite Business Class seats in a 1-1 configuration, 12 Premium Economy seats in a domestic first style 2-2 configuration, and 123 economy seats (only 12 of which are Main Cabin Extra seats).
The American A321T seats 102 passengers, with 10 Flagship First seats in a 1-1 configuration, 20 Flagship Business Class seats in a 2-2 configuration, and 72 economy seats (with half (36) being Main Cabin Extra seats).
The new Flagship Suites on the A321XLR look great and are very similar to the new JetBlue Mint product that I tried out a few years back. The product does take up a good amount of space, so I did feel the aisle was a bit narrow.
Premium Economy & Economy
I boarded on the earlier side and was able to peek into the Premium Economy and Economy cabins. I really liked the Premium Economy section, as it looked like a domestic first class setup. The only issue is that American did not opt for a mid-cabin galley and lavatory, so Premium Economy passengers have to trek all the way to the rear of the aircraft to use the bathroom, which I think is a major con. It seemed the FAs weren’t too excited with this aircraft’s layout as well, due to the lack of a mid-cabin galley.
The economy cabin looks nice and offers seat-back screens at every seat. The major con is the lack of Main Cabin Extra seating, with only two rows at the bulkhead/exit rows (14 & 15).
Overall, I think the A321XLR is a win for Business Class & Premium Economy passengers, but worse for economy passengers, especially those who opt for Main Cabin Extra seating. I know American is working to go premium, but it seems like it is at the expense of the economy.
The Flagship Suite Seat
When you’re sitting, the headphone jack is located to the right, as well as a wireless charging pad that’s suitable for your phone or AirPods. However, be careful not to drop your AirPods underneath the seat, as the flight attendant warned that these seats like to gobble up loose items.
There’s an armrest that comes out, and a little red cubby that can provide some storage, which is helpful since there really isn’t much storage space with this seat.
Going forward a bit, to the right, the tray table folds down from the seat above, which I like, and it’s a nice white marble finish. It has a half setting and a full setting, though for day 5, it was already sinking a bit, so I would be interested to see the durability of it over time.
To the left are the seat controls, including a do-not-disturb sign, reading light, and the reclining/lie-flat controls. There is also a narrow spot to store your computer.
There is a mirror that folds out from the console, which is interesting, and a remote to control the screen.
Favorite Feature
My absolute favorite feature is the Illuminated Cocktail tray that has a white marble finish with the American logo, and it lights up. It looks sleek, elegant, and unique.
Then, there is some counter space, a universal power outlet with a USB-C connector, too.
And, a spot for the reading literature, and one to hold the amenity kit. Above this is a hook for the headset as well.
There is supposed to be a door that closes in theory, but it hasn’t been approved by the FAA as of yet, so it stayed open during the flight. They plan to get approval in early 2026.
In lie flat mode, there was ample shoulder space, and it felt quite wide, but I did feel the foot ottoman was a bit on the smaller side.
Bang & Olufsen headphones & bedding that included a pillow & duvet were provided and were all good quality. I do like that now they don’t collect the headphones before landing, so you can finish your movies until arriving.
The IFE features a 17″ 4K touchscreen display, which is larger than the 15.4″ screen on the A321T and is crisp and clear. It also houses Bluetooth audio functionality now.
Wi-Fi was available for $20 for a 1-hour pass, $29 for a flight pass, free with T-Mobile, or for a short trial session if you watch an ad. American plans to launch free Wi-Fi for AAdvantage members in January 2026.
The Flight
When it comes to amenity kits, on transcontinental American flights, you always get one class lower than international. So, since I was flying on a transcontinental Flagship Business Suite, I got the premium economy amenity kit. I like the new kits from Raven & Lily, and it was a nice kit that looked like a sunglasses case.
The kit included Joanna Vargas lotion & lip balm, earplugs, socks, an eyemask, a microfiber cloth, and a dental kit of toothbrush and toothpaste.
Shortly after boarding, the flight attendant came by with champagne or water in plastic cups. The pilot announced the flight would be 5 hours and 41 minutes in the air.
We pushed back the gate a few minutes past our scheduled departure time, and then ended up taking off 30 minutes past our scheduled departure.
At first, I was a bit bummed there was no water bottle waiting at my seat, but shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant came by to hand them out.
Shortly after, they came by with the (not-so-hot) towel.
Meal Service
To start, the meal service started with a drink of your choice and warm mixed nuts.
Then, the starter included a small plate of Grilled Halloumi Cheese and Seasonal Greens.
The selections for main plates include:
- Beef Short Rib
- Tamarind Glazed Chicken
- Seared Atlantic Salmon
- Smoked Mozzarella Manicotti
I decided to try the Seared Atlantic Salmon, and it was quite tasty! It seems American refreshed the menu recently, as I had never tried that dish before.
For dessert, you could get the Traditional Ice Cream Sundae with Häagen-Dazs and your choice of toppings, Gourmet Cheese Plate, or Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake.
The sundae on American is always my favorite, and I got it with chopped pecans and hot fudge.
With about 2.5 hours left, the flight attendant came by to take another round of drink orders, and about 1.5 hours before landing was the warm chocolate chip cookie service.
I didn’t see any snack baskets on the flight, which I generally look forward to.
For lavatories, there is one in the front of the cabin, and it was decent, with an automatic sink.
We landed exactly at our scheduled arrival time, and got to the gate about 10 minutes past our scheduled arrival time.
The Verdict
Overall, I was so excited to try the brand-new American A321XLR Flagship Suite on my premium transcontinental flight from New York to Los Angeles! The business class product is an improvement over the current A321T, though I will miss the Flagship First product on the A321T. Premium Economy is a nice cabin addition on the A321XLR, but at the expense of economy. I think it’s a solid plane for premium transcon routes, but I would probably opt for a widebody going internationally.
What do you think about the brand-new American A321XLR Flagship Suite? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
