World’s First Long-Haul Airbus A321XLR Passenger Flight Arrives in Boston Tomorrow

Updated: November 13, 2024, 7:37am CST

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Iberia Chose Boston fo rhe First Airbus A321XLR Passenger Flights
What’s It Like Flying on Iberia’s Ultra Long-Range Airbus A321?
Final Thoughts

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There’s a first time for everything, and Thursday, November 14, 2024, will be the day that the Airbus A321XLR finally debuts on a long-haul route.

Spanish flag carrier Iberia is the launch customer for the jet, which will operate from its hub in Madrid to Boston.

“We are very proud to be the first airline in the world to start flying the A321XLR,” said Marco Sansavini, Iberia’s president. “It’s a real milestone in aviation history.”

Here’s more on Iberia’s historic launch and what you can expect when flying the jet.

Iberia Chose Boston fo rhe First Airbus A321XLR Passenger Flights

A new era of international, long-haul travel will start for Iberia on November 14.

After initially being slated for 2023, Iberia’s first A321XLR will finally enter long-haul service when it crosses the Atlantic to Boston (BOS) for the first time.

This will also be the first time the passenger jet has operated to or from the U.S.

The first-of-its-kind passenger jet has a range of up to 4,000 nautical miles, which is around 7,500 kilometers or 4,603 statute (land) miles.

Except for November 16, it appears the A321XLR will operate each of Iberia’s 5 weekly flights to Boston once it’s launched.

The airline is the latest carrier to introduce narrow-body aircraft on long-haul routes where you’d normally expect to find larger, wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777, Airbus A350, or A380.

Hot Tip:

If you’d like to test out this new aircraft, or any of Iberia’s jets for that matter, you can spend less cash doing so, thanks to the Iberia Plus Avios program.

What’s It Like Flying on Iberia’s Ultra Long-Range Airbus A321?

Iberia chose to pack a total of 182 seats into its newest aircraft.

This includes a total of 14 seats in business class, all featuring lie-flat capability and direct aisle access — similar to what you’d expect on a wide-body aircraft.

However, given the images Iberia has released, the seats look very narrow and are angled facing into the aisle with the window behind the passenger.

A321 XLR lay flat seats — Image Credit: Iberia

This setup was likely chosen to fit as many seats as possible into the economy cabin, which, in this case, holds 168 seats.

For example, TAP Air Portugal’s long-haul Airbus A321LRs (jets with less range than Iberia’s new A321XLRs), feature 16 seats in business class with a staggered 2-2, 1-1 layout.

These jets feature more spacious throne seats, ideal for solo passengers, as well as the option for passengers to sit next to their travel companions.

It will be interesting to see how Iberia’s narrow-looking seats fare in terms of passenger experience and comfort on these long-haul flights.

In economy, seats are in a standard 3-3 configuration. Passengers can enjoy up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of recline and headrests that adjust in 6 ways, plus 12-inch (30-centimeter) 4K resolution IFE screens and both USB-A and -C charging outlets.

Final Thoughts

Whether you like long-haul narrow-body flying, it’s here to stay.

Iberia’s new Airbus A321XLRs entering service highlights airlines’ changing attitudes toward fleet optimization and the prevalence of newer, smaller aircraft on longer routes that are likely to afford greater yields.

Would you fly narrow-body across the Atlantic?