American Airlines has rolled out the first Boeing 777-300ER refitted under its 'Project Olympus' programme, and the numbers are striking. The rebuilt jet, which entered service between New York JFK and Buenos Aires in September 2026, now carries 70 enclosed Flagship Suites, 44 premium economy seats and 330 seats in total — up from 304. First Class is gone entirely, absorbed into a much bigger business cabin with privacy doors, chaise-lounge seating and extra storage. Roughly 35% of the aircraft is now premium, the highest proportion of any major US carrier's flagship jet; United's 777-300ER sits at about 24% and Delta's A350-900 at around 29%. The logic is commercial: premium travellers reportedly brought in nearly half of American's ticket revenue in a recent quarter while occupying only about 30% of seats.

One thing that hasn't changed is the crew. Since October 2020, the 777-300ER has flown with 11 flight attendants instead of 13 — a pandemic-era cut that never reversed. The flight attendant union APFA fought it through a grievance that went to arbitration in 2024, but the arbitrator sided with the airline that December, ruling the contract let management set new staffing formulas. The old setup had two attendants in First, five in Business and six in economy; the new one is two, four and five, with galley staff doubling up on aisle duties and crew flexing between cabins.

For context, that's lean by international standards. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines each staff the same aircraft type with about 15 attendants, and Air France with 13 to 15. United matches American at 11. Whether passengers notice depends on the flight — service pace on American's jet increasingly hinges on when galley work frees attendants up to move through the aisles.

So what does this mean for your next long-haul on American? If you're booking the retrofitted 777-300ER, expect a genuinely competitive business product: a fully enclosed suite on routes like JFK–Buenos Aires, with the full 20-aircraft retrofit due to finish during 2027. The trade-off is that the crew-per-passenger ratio is tighter than on Gulf or Asian carriers, so the service style is more streamlined than the 15-strong crews you'd find on Emirates or Singapore. If top-tier personalised service is your priority, that's worth factoring in; if you mainly want a private suite at a competitive price, the new cabin is a real upgrade. The premium economy expansion — 44 seats versus 28 before — is also good news for travellers who want extra space without business-class fares. The first retrofitted aircraft, registration N718AN, is already flying, so check the equipment on your route before booking.

Story sourced from Simple Flying.