American Airlines Increasing Premium Seating On Narrowbody Aircraft

Besides adding seatback displays, American Airlines has announced that it plans to increase premium seating across its narrowbody fleet from an average of 25% to 40%.

“We’re making one of the most significant investments in the onboard experience in our history,” said American’s Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden. “From next-generation seatback entertainment at every seat to substantially more premium seating options, these enhancements will give our customers more ways to relax, stay connected and enjoy their journey.”

It’s a shame American has only recently jumped on the premium bandwagon, but at least they are finally putting some effort into improving their products outside of its widebody and transcon fleet. Details are still limited, but customers can expect an increase in both its business class (domestic first class) and Main Cabin Extra seats on its narrowbody aircraft.

With retrofitting works starting some time in 2028, their fleet of Airbus A319s and A320s will feature an additional row of business class recliners, going up from 8 to 12 seats on the A319, and 12 to 16 on the A320s. They are also adding one extra row of business class seating to its fleet of Airbus A321neos, bumping the total to 24 from the 20 they currently have.

Their 103 Boeing 737 MAX 10 will also feature six rows of business class seats (2-2, totaling 24), with deliveries starting in 2029. American did not provide any hard numbers regarding its Main Cabin Extra adjustments, but I suspect the majority of MCE changes may apply to the rest of its such as its Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 800s, and Airbus A321-200s.

There is also no information on total seating capacity, so it’s unclear what sacrifices will be made in order to accommodate these new premium layouts. However, I suspect with all these positive changes, they may most likely favor sacrificing regular economy seating rather than trying to reduce economy seat pitch even further.  

All narrowbody cabins will also be refreshed with redesigned seats, extra storage space and improved mood lighting.

These are welcome changes, but seem very reactionary when compared to the likes of Delta, United and JetBlue. Even though American managed to return to profitability starting in 2022, margins remain extremely thin, reported at 0.2% of total revenue for the financial year ending 2025.

Meanwhile, both United Airlines and Delta Airlines have seen much more favorable results, with net profit margins increasing steadily on a yearly basis. Here’s a comparison showing 2025 performance.

Airline	Revenue	GAAP net profit	Net margin
Delta	$63.364 billion	$5.005 billion	7.90%
United	$59.1 billion	$3.4 billion	5.80%
American	$54.633 billion	$111 million	0.20%

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