Does American Airlines Airbus A321 have lie-flat seats?

Both first class and business class on the A321T aircraft have lie-flat seats. American only operates a subset of the A321 aircraft in this transcontinental version. The vast majority of A321 aircraft do not have lie-flat seats.

The American Airlines A321T is a normal Airbus A321 aircraft, but it offers 3 classes of service: first class, business class, and main cabin. It primarily flies select transcontinental routes from New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS).

Is there a dress code for first class on American Airlines?

There is no dress code to fly in first class, though clothing with profanity or clothing that reveals too much may not be allowed on board the aircraft.

Which American Airlines planes have lie-flat seats?

American Airlines operates lie-flat seats on the Boeing 777-200, 777-300, 787-8, and 787-9 and Airbus A321T.

How many A321 Transcon does American have?

American has 15 A321T aircraft.

5 Things You Should Know About American Airlines Flagship First Transcontinental on the A321

Updated: November 14, 2024, 8:00am CST

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Table of Contents

1. Better Lounge Access
2. Upgraded Food
3. More Personalized Service
4. More Comfortable Seat
5. Price Difference Can Be Minimal
Final Thoughts

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One of the absolute best ways to fly across the country is on American Airlines’ A321T aircraft, which flies from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), and Orange County (SNA), as well as Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX).

These special aircraft feature 3 classes of service on board: Flagship First, Flagship Business, and main cabin. If you’re looking for the comfiest way to fly, you’ll want to book a ticket in Flagship First, which includes a better seat, better food, an upgraded service, and an all around better time!

There are 5 things you should know about flying Flagship First on this one-of-a-kind configuration.

1. Better Lounge Access

If you’re flying American Airlines Flagship First, you get the best possible lounge access, but only if you’re departing from certain airports. Some airports — such as Boston (BOS), Orange County (SNA), and San Francisco (SFO) — only have basic Admirals Clubs. If you’re departing from one of those airports, there is only 1 American Airlines lounge, so you won’t receive any better lounge or access.

If you’re leaving from Los Angeles (LAX), you’d normally have access to Flagship First Dining, which has a restaurant-like atmosphere where you can order off of a menu and be served at your seat by waitstaff. Flagship First Dining is currently closed, so you can use the nearby Flagship Lounge, an upgraded Admirals Club-like location with better food, drink, and amenities, including showers. If you’re up for a walk, you can go to the Qantas First Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, though this can come with a headache, as lounge staff there sometimes aren’t aware of the policies and procedures and frequently turn away passengers who are in fact eligible to enter.

Departing from New York (JFK) is the real lounge heaven, as you’ll have access to the Chelsea Lounge. It’s in a separate complex on the other side of the Flagship Lounge area, right next to the Soho Lounge (for Oneworld Emerald customers). The Chelsea Lounge features a sit-down restaurant area, a Champagne bar, showers, and a luxurious atmosphere to relax or work in.

American Airlines JFK Chelsea Lounge — At JFK, you have access to the Chelsea Lounge.

Hot Tip:

With access to the Chelsea Lounge, or other lounges with better food services, you may wish to arrive at the airport earlier than you usually would to take advantage of these benefits.

It’s worth noting that both Dallas (DFW) and Miami (MIA) have Flagship First Dining facilities, but these are of little use if you’re on a transcontinental flight.

2. Upgraded Food

Once on board, you’re treated to a more impressive meal service than in the business class cabin behind you. While it might not be worth splurging to upgrade just because of the food, having an enhanced service is nice.

American Airlines first class entree — Food in Flagship First is served on larger plates than in Flagship Business.

Here’s where Flagship First differs from other classes of service:

Flagship First receives a choice of 2 appetizers, while Flagship Business only has 1.
Flagship First features a soup course, whereas Flagship Business does not have a soup course.
When it comes to entrees, Flagship First meals are plated on square plates with a higher-end presentation, and these entrees definitely have a more luxurious feel to them. Offerings might include shrimp, crab, lobster, filet mignon, and so on.
If you order the sundae for dessert, it comes in a proper sundae glass.
Snacks, including small plates, sandwiches, and cheese, are available throughout the entire flight near the front galley.

Bottom Line:

Dining is one of the major differentiators between Flagship Businesses and Flagship First. With Flagship First, you get more options presented in a higher-quality format.

3. More Personalized Service

The Flagship First cabin on the A321T aircraft is laid out in a 1-1 configuration and has only 10 seats. The lead flight attendant, known as a purser on this type of flight, is responsible for all first class passengers, and you have a dedicated flight attendant. A second flight attendant assists in the galley and with passenger requests, so it’s highly personalized.

Having traveled in Flagship First on this plane, I generally find 2 things to be the case:

Because the lead flight attendant is usually a senior or highly trained flight attendant who has undergone purser training, the service is generally much better than in other cabins or on regular domestic flights.
Because of the cabin configuration and easier access and visibility to passengers, service is more noticeable, and flight attendants are more proactive about offering beverage refills and checking on passengers.

Of course, the type of service you receive on any particular flight may be different depending on the flight attendant’s attitude, though I usually find the transcontinental crews more senior, experienced, and willing to go the extra mile to ensure passenger happiness.

American Airlines First Class Sundae — Let’s not forget the best part of first class, the ice cream sundaes!

4. More Comfortable Seat

The A321T uses a first class seat that is very similar to the business class seat on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. As noted above, seats are laid out in an all-aisle-access configuration, with 1 seat on the left side of the plane and 1 on the right. You can get up from your seat and immediately step into the aisle, instead of having to hop over the person next to you, as is the case in the Flagship Business cabin.

All Flagship seats on this plane recline into a fully flat bed, but the Flagship First seats are much more private. Instead of your feet resting in a small cubby, there’s a reasonably large foot box for you to spread out in.

To accommodate the more extensive meal service and your ability to work, there’s a larger tray table, which easily slides into the side console. For additional light and ambiance, there are at least 2 windows for each Flagship First passenger.

American Airlines A321T First Class Seat — Flagship First seats are arranged in a 1-1 format for the ultimate level of privacy.

One of the major downsides of this seat is that you can not view the inflight entertainment screen while it is stowed for taxiing, takeoff, and landing. The screen snaps into the angled side panel in front of you, forcing you to either watch your own device for these periods of flight or watch the world go by through the windows at your seat.

Hot Tip:

Compare a Flagship Business flight aboard the A321T to a Flagship First flight aboard the A321T in our detailed reviews.

5. Price Difference Can Be Minimal

For a significantly better seat than Flagship Business, upgraded catering, better lounge access, and more, you’d think the price difference between the classes would be pretty high, but in many cases, it’s reasonable.

Take, for example, this flight from Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX). You’ll see that the one-way Flagship Business price is $860, while the Flagship First price is $200 more, at $1,060. While you’ll need to weigh whether this $200 difference is worth it, you can see that it’s not terribly more than business class. For extra privacy, this might be worth it.

BOS LAX A321T Price in Business Class and First Class — Image Credit: American Airlines

It’s worth noting that this price difference can be significantly higher when you’re flying out of JFK, as customers there are willing to pay a much higher price. If you’re looking for a cheaper transcontinental first class experience (in terms of money, not necessarily product), flying out of Boston can save you a lot.

Final Thoughts

American’s A321T Flagship First is hands down the best way to travel from coast to coast. With a solo seat, better food, and a more refined lounge experience, it’s really the only way to travel to Los Angeles or New York.

The price for the service can be high, though, so it’s best to purchase as far in advance as possible to get the best deal. Still, if the price is right, you may find the extra cost to be well worth it for one of the best seats in the sky to get you from one end of the country to the other.