What happened
American Airlines will begin retrofitting narrow-body aircraft with more first class and Main Cabin Extra seats in late 2028. The project is not expected to finish before the early 2030s.
New Boeing 737 MAX 10s delivered from 2029 will have 24 first class seats. Airbus A321neos will be retrofitted to 24 first class seats beginning in late 2028. No American narrow-body currently carries more than 20 first class seats, though A319s and A320s are already gaining a first class row. Premium seating is slated to grow from about 25% of those cabins to 40%. Most of the fleet will also receive many more Main Cabin Extra seats for elites and for purchase. Seatback screens return to mainline narrow-body aircraft starting in 2028. American has not published full new cabin layouts.
More first class and extra-legroom inventory should make paid upgrades and elite Main Cabin Extra assignments easier, but travellers will not see the change for years.
There is nothing to book now; watch for cabin-layout details and retrofit schedules as late 2028 approaches.
- Numbers
- 25%: current share of premium seats on narrow-body aircraft
- 40%: planned share of premium seats after the project
- 24 seats: first class seats on new Boeing 737 MAX 10s
- 24 seats: first class seats on retrofitted Airbus A321neos
- 20 seats
- 24 seats: current Main Cabin Extra seats on American 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft
- Takeaway
- There is nothing to book now; watch for cabin-layout details and retrofit schedules as late 2028 approaches.