Like most US airlines, American has struggled in recent years to stay aloft. But new routes and its latest Business Class product augur well for the future, says Sheron Crossman New Year business travellers boarding American Airlines’ Boeing 777 aircraft will be among the first to test out the airline’s sleek new Next Generation business class product featuring lie-flat seats, extravagant workspace and a vast amount of privacy and pampering. The new product was originally installed on its B767-300 aircraft earlier this year, but system-wide implementation across its B767 and B777 fleets was delayed until 2007 to allow for fine-tuning and customer feedback. Furthermore, based on rave passenger reviews of its Flagship Suite First Class service, American is to roll out this premium product to 20 additional aircraft. Add that to the spanking new Business Class, and the airline is set to provide what it hopes will be unrivalled luxury for international travel. The investment is a brave move. Three years ago, in common with other US carriers, American found itself teetering on the brink of financial ruin. Rather than resort to the bankruptcy courts to seek Chapter 11 protection, the airline decided to tough it out, unaided. CEO Gerard Arpey’s own ‘turnaround plan’ was unveiled in May, 2003. Its key tenets were lowering operating costs, giving value to customers, building a sound financial plan and, in US marketing speak, a ‘pull together, win together’ team-building strategy. And, to be fair, American’s financial results have slowly started to reverse. This year’s first quarter earnings were up US$139 million on the same period for 2005, albeit recording a net loss of US$92 million. So while there is obviously far more to be done, progress is being made. Not least on international expansion. Since 2004 American has launched nearly two dozen new routes. Together with American Eagle and AmericanConnection, it now operates more than 3,900 daily departures to 250 destinations in 40 countries. In November last year, American inaugurated its longest non-stop service, a 7,500-mile route from Chicago to New Delhi; and the same month it saw the launch of daily non-stop flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Osaka, using Boeing 777s. Earlier in 2005, it started flying to Ireland, operating non-stop services between Boston and Shannon as well as direct flights between Chicago and Dublin. This year American trumpeted non-stop flights to Shanghai, complementing its existing Far East network, which includes flights to Tokyo from six US points.
So with the Next Generation business class, what can travellers on these new routes expect? Business Class will continue to consist of five rows of six seats on 767s, but the star performer is the lie-flat seat. For ultimate comfort it features no fewer than five separate motors allowing an infinite number of seating positions. And, unique to American Airlines, the seat can be shifted forwards, giving passengers added privacy and moving them closer to the seat-back tray table for work or meals. The seats are also surrounded by fixed shells which stop the passenger in front from invading the space of those behind. American should be applauded for that alone. But perhaps the best innovation and claimed to be unique to the carrier, are the interlocking tables which create a sensible-sized work or dining space. Two separate tables are available, one dropping from the seatback in front, the other lifting from the centre console, both of which can be linked to provide sufficient space to work on a laptop and pick at a plate of pasta at the same time. Finally, for anyone who’s struggled trying to squeeze weighty bags into overhead lockers or, indeed, anyone shorter than six feet, American’s redesigned cabin features swish new overhead bins that swing down to make loading a breeze. Now that’s progress.
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