Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

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

Daniel Ross's image
Daniel Ross
Daniel Ross's image

Daniel Ross

Senior Content Contributor

717 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 64U.S. States Visited: 17

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points...
Edited by: Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith's image

Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

306 Published Articles 433 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 197U.S. States Visited: 50

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
Jump to Section

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

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?

Daniel Ross's image

About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status