The Charlotte airport will soon get American Airlines’ biggest plane. What we know
When you’re a jet, you’re a jet all the way — and American Airlines is bringing the biggest one in its fleet to fly out of Charlotte’s airport starting this fall.
The 304-seat Boeing 777-300ER will handle one of three daily flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport starting Nov. 5, the airline confirmed for The Charlotte Observer Sunday. American decided on the move this weekend when it adjusted its “winter wide-body aircraft schedule,” the company said in a statement.
This is also the first time that plane has flown out of CLT on a regular basis, the airline said.
The news was first reported by aviation website Ishrion Aviation, which noted that “American has sent the 777-300ER to Charlotte before for last-minute equipment changes.”
These are the Charlotte-to-London flights that will see the aircraft, according to American: AA730 depart CLT 6:10 p.m., arrive LHR 7 a.m. (next day); and AA735, depart LHR 10:05 a.m., arrive CLT 2:25 p.m.
But it remains to be seen how long Charlotte passengers will be able to fly on the plane.
The airline’s winter international schedule runs through the end of March, and American said no decisions have been made yet on its summer 2025 or winter 2025 widebody schedules.
Flagship service on American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER
The biggest plane comes with premium perks — for those who can afford them.
American touts its “Flagship First” class ticket as providing “access to our most exclusive, personalized amenities and services on international flights between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, Europe and South America” on Boeing 777-300ER planes.
Consider:
▪ There are a total of 60 seats where passengers can lie flat, basically 1 in 5 seats aboard the aircraft. That includes the eight in “Premium First” class and 52 in “Premium Business” class.
▪ The seat width in “Premium First” is 21 1/2 inches. You can compare that to main cabin seats, which range in width from 16.2 to 17.1 inches.
▪ An arrivals lounge in Heathrow for Flagship First, Flagship Business and certain other categories offers shower suites, valet ironing, a breakfast and lunch buffet, and a coffee and champagne bar.
▪ There also is private check-in with access to an expedited security line in Heathrow and a few other airports for Flagship First and certain other customers. Alas, Charlotte is not on that list.
Such perks comes with a price, however
A round-trip flight on the Boeing 777-300ER from Charlotte to London departing Nov. 5 and returning a week later, for instance, cost $6,586 for Premium First. The price of the ticket was $718 for Basic Economy, an Observer review of prices on American’s website found on Sunday.
American Airlines and the Charlotte airport
American Airlines is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and has its second biggest hub at CLT. The airline accounts for 89% of all commercial passenger traffic out of Charlotte Douglas.
The Charlotte airport regularly ranks as one of the world’s busiest, and American said it carried more than 45 million people through the airport last year.
As some competitors, including Frontier Airlines, have added destinations from Charlotte, so too has American. In May, for instance, American said it will start flying to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean in December as part of a winter schedule expansion.
American also is increasing daily service from Charlotte Douglas to Antigua in December.
This story was originally published July 29, 2024 at 5:56 AM.
