Inside seat 1D, a Flagship Preferred suite on the American Airlines 787-9P. An IFE screen is in view, as is the word Flagship on the monument in front.

Flagship Suite Preferred impresses on American 787-9P inaugural

Cartoon of passengers, flight attendant and pilots onboard an aircraftAmerican Airlines is leveling up its premium game. With the debut of its new premium-heavy Boeing 787-9 — internally designated the 787-9P for “Premium” — the airline isn’t just unveiling a new cabin. It’s launching the most premium-dense widebody in its fleet, signaling a bold new chapter in how it competes for high-value international flyers.

As part of our signature Runway Girl Network nose-to-tail test, we boarded American’s first 787-9P for a one-time domestic preview flight from Chicago O’Hare to Los Angeles.

This aircraft is one of a cluster already delivered in the new configuration, each performing a short domestic turn required for FAA certification before transitioning to long-haul service.

American Airlines 787-9P at the gate.

After this flight, the same aircraft continued to London Heathrow, where it began the true Flagship mission. Over the next two years, 30 Dreamliners like this one will roll out of the factory with a dramatically rebalanced layout designed for premium demand — followed by retrofits to American’s 777-300ERs. New A321XLR twinjets will arrive with a version of the interior.

With just 244 seats, the aircraft sacrifices 41 seats compared to its predecessor, but the premium growth is significant: 51 Flagship Suites (up from 30) and 32 Premium Economy seats (up 52%). Overall, premium capacity has grown by nearly 65%, making this by far the most premium-dense aircraft in American’s fleet.

Looking down the Flagship business class cabin of the American Airlines 787-9P

Subtle celebrations at the gate

At Gate K19 in Chicago O’Hare, the celebration was light-touch: a few banners, balloons, and a gate announcement. A handful of AvGeeks lingered near the windows, while a commemorative swag bag at each suite included a postcard, AA-branded “remove before flight” tag, and Flagship stickers.

Gate K19 at Chicago O’Hare: balloons and signage celebrate the inaugural

Boarding through L2, we entered a cabin that immediately signals its departure from the past. A black ribbed wall bearing the backlit “Flagship” wordmark and AA Flight Symbol sets the tone — this is not another grey widebody cabin.

Backlit logo against dark monumentThe look and layout, designed by Teague, is intentional and unmistakably premium.

A black ribbed wall bearing the backlit “Flagship” wordmark and AA Flight Symbol

Concierge Key and Executive Platinum members boarded first, followed by business class. Our purser — a seasoned 46-year American Airlines veteran — welcomed us with a nod: “Please bear with us as we learn this beautiful new aircraft ourselves.”

Two American Airlines flight attendants welcome passengers

Pushback was right on time. After a lengthy 41-minute taxi at O’Hare, we lifted off quietly, thanks to the aircraft’s GEnx engines. While today’s flight didn’t feature the full Flagship soft product and service, the hard product offered a clear view into American’s long-haul future.

Flagship Suite Preferred: It’s all about the space

My seat, 1D, was one of eight biz-plus Flagship Suite Preferred seats located in the first row of each business class cabin. These bulkhead positions maximize otherwise unused space to deliver 19% more bed surface and 42% more living area compared to standard Flagship Suites. Importantly, there is no price premium or elite restriction for booking these seats —yet.

Seat 1D on the 787-9P

Manufactured by Elevate Aircraft Seating (formerly Adient Aerospace), the Ascent suite is laid out in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration with all seats having direct aisle access. Inside pairs face each other; window seats face outward.

Two center seats face each other.

The suite is surrounded by high walls and a privacy door, though the door was not FAA-certified for inflight use at the time. American notified passengers in advance and credited 5,000 AAdvantage miles for the inconvenience. Certification is expected soon.

High walled seat with an open privacy door

The Preferred suites feature a moody, high-contrast design: black faux marble, charcoal upholstery, brushed aluminum fixtures. The palette feels exclusive, but combined with the high suite walls, it noticeably dampens natural light.

Looking into the American Airlines 787-9P Preferred suite.

Passengers in center seats can’t see the windows, and even at the sides, visibility is limited. Still, it doesn’t feel confined — just dark. And for many, privacy is the point.

Inside a closed suite with dark furniture.

As someone who is 5’6″ in height, the extra space in the Preferred suite was immediately noticeable and appreciated. The suite’s chaise lounge mode, which American patented, as enabled by a second seatbelt, lets the passenger sit against the seat shell. If the bedding was in place, it would be a more comfortable surface.

The footwell felt generously wide — no pinched toes or awkward angles. The floating headrest adjusted easily to act as lumbar or neck support.

Storage and design touches

Storage is another place where this suite shines. I counted numerous compartments.

  • A shoulder-level shelf with enough depth for a full-size tablet or hardback book.
  • A vanity-lit cabinet with mirror and space for amenity kits or grooming items.
  • A trinket tray beside the seat for small personal items.
  • Under-armrest storage, which also doubles as a hidden nightstand.
  • Storage on the ledge in front of the monitor, which acts as another table a la the Old Flagship First Service
  • Additional cubbies for shoes, water bottles, and amenity kits.

A shoe cubby in the 787-9P suite

There’s also a distinct drinks tray beside the wireless charging pad, finished in white marble — a contrast to the otherwise all-black design. It’s the only visible use of white in the Preferred suite and feels slightly out of step, but elegant nonetheless.

A phone is charging next to the white drinks table

The main tray table folds in two stages, sturdy enough for both work and dining.

A laptop sits on the suite tray table

Lighting and seat presets are intuitive, with controls for takeoff, chaise, full-flat bed, ambient lighting, and Do Not Disturb indicators.

Seat controls in the furniture, including the chaise lounge option (Almost) First Class problems

The Preferred Suites offer added space and exclusivity, but there are a few trade-offs. Being so close to the forward galley and lavatory means passengers may experience occasional light and noise, particularly on red-eyes or long-haul flights. I didn’t find it bothersome, but more sensitive flyers might.

Passengers are walking around the cabin. The Preferred suite is in the foreground.

IFE and connectivity: deep content, streamlined features

American’s Thales AVANT IFE system with Optiq displays is the most advanced IFE in its fleet. A 17.5-inch 4K HDR display anchors the suite, paired with a wired remote, Bluetooth audio, USB-C charging, and a wireless charging pad (though mine was intermittent).

Thales AVANT Optiq system featuring a 17.5-inch 4K display. A 'Welcome Aboard' gift bag awaits the passenger.

The system includes nearly 1TB of content, housing a robust mix of Hollywood, international films, TV shows, music, games, and curated collections. Only Interstellar was offered in true 4K on our flight, but the depth and layout were impressive. Given both its distance from the passenger and the thick bezel, the screen feels a bit small and cheap in Preferred. But there is a subtle backlit detail, which gives it more depth.

Various content options on the IFE aboard this American Airlines 787-9P

A first for American’s widebody fleet: you can now wirelessly stream cached IFE content to your own phone or tablet, mirroring the functionality on American’s Viasat-fitted narrowbody aircraft.

The IFE system’s remote control, while physical and basic, works well for browsing but doesn’t fully replicate the screen or offer moving map features.

The embedded IFE screen is in the background and the IFE remote is being held by the author in the foreground.

Notably, the screen still displays the aircraft type incorrectly as a “787-900” — a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by the AvGeek crowd.

IFE screen in a thick bezel.American is aware of the issue and working on a fix. The Bluetooth pairing was a bit temperamental requiring me to unpair my AirPods from my phone and iPad. In candor, the IFE could have used some instructions.

Bright IFE screen showing content about Tokyo in the Preferred suiteInflight Wi-Fi, delivered by Viasat Ka-band satcom, was available gate-to-gate but was underwhelming during the flight. A speed test showed 26.6 Mbps down and just under 1 Mbps up.

A screenshot showing the wifi speeds inflight

Cabin Service: high effort, high marks

American staffed the 51-seat Flagship business class cabin with just four flight attendants — though the experience is a significant step up in workload from the 30-seat cabins on earlier 787s. Despite the extra complexity, the crew rose to the occasion with grace, good humor, and professionalism.

Staff on the flight

The drinks service began about 40 minutes after takeoff. Beverage options were displayed on the IFE screen, a nice touch.

Inflight beverage options are displayed on the embedded IFE

I chose a Cabernet and used the white shelf to keep it out of the way while working.

Glass of red sits on the white drinks table.For breakfast, options included a Monterey Jack cheese omelette with chicken sausage, potatoes, and fruit, or a continental breakfast with yogurt and fruit. The omelette was hot, flavorful, and satisfying — a pleasant surprise for a short domestic flight.

A Monterey Jack cheese omelette with chicken sausage, potatoes, and fruit

Behind the business cabin, on the left side of the aircraft, sits the new vertical snack station monument. Though unstocked on this flight, it replaces the traditional galley-top setup and is expected to offer a rotating selection of self-serve items on long-haul routes.

Vertical snack station monument on the 787-9P

Lavatories and lighting

There are four lavatories serving the business cabin, including one at L1 behind the cockpit. This location minimizes disruptions. Inside, a blue-sky cloud motif adds visual lightness, though it doesn’t quite match the dark, premium feel of the suites.

Blue-sky cloud motif inside the aircraft lavatory. The author is seen in this photo of the long mirror.

Lighting throughout the suite and cabin is fully customizable. Each seat includes ambient light strips, a reading lamp, and a soft-glow sconce with four brightness levels. The suite’s Do Not Disturb indicator is activated by a touchpad at the seat control panel.

A reading light is on in the corner of the suite

Final Thoughts

Though this flight didn’t include the full Flagship experience — no pajamas, mattress pad, or luxury headsets — it proved that the 787-9P is more than a product refresh. It’s a big step forward in American’s global premium strategy as it works to catch up to Delta and United.

Rotation

The Flagship Suite Preferred is a highlight: spacious, well-designed, and very comfortable, with intuitive controls, deep storage, and meaningful privacy.

The design leans dark, but your author did not find it oppressive. The added real estate makes a real difference, and the seating comfort — especially in bed mode — is impressive.

The entire upscale cabin’s ergonomic, comfort, and design elements, and the hardworking crew of American’s new Premium Dreamliner makes a strong case for Flagship’s next chapter.

The author, Chris Sloan, with the male captain and female first officer in the cockpit.I can hardly wait to try the full long-haul product with its upgraded catering and soft product.

Next up: we try American’s all new Premium Economy cabin to see the next evolution of PE.

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All images of American‘s 787-9P are credited to the author, Chris Sloan