TravelingForMiles.com may receive commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on TravelingForMiles.com are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. TravelingForMiles.com does not include all card companies or all available card offers.
Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission which helps contribute to the running of the site – I’m very grateful to anyone who uses these links but their use is entirely optional. The compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site and does not impact reviews that are published.
On Friday American Airlines launched its brand new 787-9 (a stretch version of the 787-8) on the Dallas – Madrid route marking the start of the airlines first regular international 787-9 service (the new Dreamliner has already visited London on its ETOPS certification flight).
The larger Dreamliner is the first aircraft to feature American Airlines’ new Premium Economy product and, thanks to upgrades that don’t look like they’re going to clear, it looks like I’ll be trying out the Premium Economy product up to three times later this month! Standby for a lot of reviews 🙂
Dallas – Madrid 787-9 Schedule
AA36 DFW 17:45 – 09:55+1 day MAD (Daily)
AA37 MAD 11:10 – 16:25 DFW (Daily)
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner
The Business Class cabin offers 30 lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 layout giving every seat clear access to the aisle.
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Business Class Seat Map
The Business Class seats in the 787-9 are a completely new seat for American Airlines (made by B/E Aerospace) and, unlike the smaller 787-8 Dreamliner, all of these seats face forwards.
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Business Class
Passengers have already noticed one drawback to these seats – there is no central divider between the two middle seats and the seats angle towards one another.
That’s not great for privacy if you’re a solo passenger but probably not too much of an issue if you’re flying as a couple.
The new Premium Economy cabin is set out with a 6-across layout (2-2-2) and offer seats with a 38″ set pitch (leg room) and 19″ of seat width – the same dimensions Delta has chosen for its Premium Economy product which will debut next year.
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy
The best seats to have in this cabin are almost certainly those in the first row as they’ll offer a full leg rest….
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy
…as opposed to the foot rests that the other Premium Economy seats have:
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Premium Economy
The one downside to the front row seats may be that they have the TV screen in the arm rest as opposed to in the seat in front of them (as there is no seat in front of them).
The Economy Class cabin is where things get disappointing.
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Economy Class Seat Map
With 9 seats across the regular Economy Class cabin the seat width is a paltry 17″ and the seat pitch is just 31″.
American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner Economy Class
As someone who finds 31″ very tight on a 2 hour short-haul flight you can probably imagine how I’d feel in one of these seats on a long-haul flight!
Still, per American Airlines:
Main Cabin customers will have access to six more inches of legroom in the Main Cabin Extra section and personal in-seat entertainment with up to 250 movies, 180 TV programs, 350 audio selections and international live TV. International Wi-Fi capability and in-seat, universal AC power outlets/ USB ports are available for every customer on board. Additional advanced features on the Dreamliner include larger dimmable windows, improved cabin humidity and enhanced sound quality.
Bottom Line
I think we all know what to expect from the Business Class and Economy Class cabins so it’s the Premium Economy cabin that is the most interesting.
I’ve read reports that, despite the fact American is still allowing some of its elites to reserve Premium Economy seats for the cost of a regular Economy Class fare (that why I’m flying in PE in a few weeks), the airline is still offering a full Premium Economy product. That includes noise reducing headphones, amenity kits and an enhanced meal service.
Kudos to American if that’s true and I’m looking forward to finding out just how “premium” Premium Economy really is.
