American has elevated transcontinental travel today with the inaugural flight of its Airbus A321XLR, carrying more than 150 passengers between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As the only U.S.-based airline to operate the A321XLR, the aircraft is a class above the rest, offering customers a Flagship Suite®, Premium Economy and Main Cabin experience.
Customers on the inaugural received a gift bag that included a specially designed flight tag to commemorate the aircraft’s first transcontinental flight.
As American takes delivery of additional A321XLR aircraft, the airline will schedule the aircraft on its transcontinental routes between Boston (BOS)-LAX and JFK-San Francisco (SFO) for service starting early next year. This additional transcontinental service will complement new service between JFK and Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), that will launch on the XLR on March 8, 2026.
| Departure airport | Arrival airport | Service start date |
|---|---|---|
| Boston (BOS) | Los Angeles (LAX) | July 2, 2026 |
| New York (JFK) | San Francisco (SFO) | May 7, 2026 |
Featuring the luxurious 20 Flagship Suite® seats, a dozen relaxing Premium Economy seats and 123 reimagined Main Cabin seats, American is offering customers a refined premium transcontinental journey with high-speed Wi-Fi and complimentary seatback entertainment featuring Bluetooth connectivity.
Customers traveling in the Flagship Suite® seat have direct aisle access, lie-flat seating, more storage space and wireless charging. Premium Economy seats feature enhanced winged headrests, calf and footrests and wireless charging.
