Why did American Airlines order the Boeing 777-300ER?

The Boeing 777 family has become a massively successful program for American aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The model is designed to carry high passenger volumes long distances, and has remained a popular aircraft to be deployed on long-haul routes with airlines across the world.

In the United States, two major commercial airlines operate the type: American Airlines and United Airlines (Delta retired its remaining 777 models during the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Boeing 777 family has two major commercial variants: the 777-200 and 777-300. However, there are a few smaller differences within these models that offer different benefits for operators:

• Boeing 777-200
• Boeing 777-200ER
• Boeing 777-200LR
• Boeing 777-300
• Boeing 777-300ER

The 777-200LR is the least popular of these models, though it is still used by Emirates. Of these different 777 variants, the most popular is the extended-range (ER) version.

These aircraft, as the name implies, offer range improvements over standard models. According to Boeing, the 777-300ER offers an impressive range of 7,370 nautical miles.

Meanwhile, according to Skybrary, the standard 777-300 model can only travel 6,005 nautical miles. The added range gives operators more flexibility regarding what high-demand routes can be flown with the aircraft, and this feature has been embraced by US airlines. A large portion of US-operated 777s boast an extended range.

American and United both operate the Boeing 777-300ER, and the aircraft is the largest model in both of their fleets.

However, it was American Airlines that first took delivery of the widebody aircraft over 10 years ago as part of a larger reinvestment in the company's fleet and image.

Despite the aging nature of the 777-300ER, it continues to play an important role in the carrier's network.

American's first 777-300ER

American's first Boeing 777-300ER joined the airline's fleet in December 2013- over a decade ago. Its first delivery came at a transformational time for the airline as it reinvented its fleet and visual identity.

According to American, in the early 2010s when the first 777-300ER arrived in Dallas, the carrier was aiming to modernize its aircraft to create the most fuel-efficient fleet in the United States. As a part of this initiative, the airline also took deliveries of brand-new A320 family aircraft.

All 777-300ER delivered to American Airlines were given the carrier's new paint job, which took a bold step away from the chrome livery the American name had become synonymous with. Interestingly, the delivery also came as American announced it would light the tails of its aircraft again following the release of its new branding.

The first revenue 777-300ER flight departed Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport bound for São Paulo, Brazil on the evening of January 31, 2013.

The almost 10-hour journey would feature a brand-new cabin offering lie-flat seats with direct aisle access in first and business class, and offer a higher capacity than any American flight before it.

The aircraft's initial schedule included additional long-haul services from the carrier's biggest hub in Dallas and some flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport :

• Dallas/Fort Worth to São Paulo
• Dallas/Fort Worth to London Heathrow
• New York JFK to São Paulo
• New York JFK to London Heathrow

All services to London started with a once-daily frequency, as did American's JFK to São Paulo service. However, flights to São Paulo from Dallas were operated at varying frequencies depending on the month.

An upgraded passenger experience

In addition to a higher capacity, American's 777-300ER brought an elevated experience for its passengers, specifically in its premium classes.

The aircraft's cabin is configured in a three-class layout featuring Flagship First, Flagship Business, and Main Cabin seats. All passengers were greeted with a large, spacious archway and mood lighting to give the cabin a more modern look.

American also unveiled a premium cabin featuring a new, walk-up bar offering a variety of snacks and drinks. This addition was a first for any US carrier.

Each seat, regardless of ticket class, featured power outlets and USB jacks, and an in-flight entertainment system that initially offered 120 movies and over 150 TV shows for passengers to enjoy during their flight.

According to aeroLOPA, American still configures its 777-300ER in a premium-heavy layout. The carrier offers six Flagship First seats at the very front of the plane.

While the carrier is moving away from first class in favor of an improved business class suite, the cabin is still available for booking on flights using the 777-300ER.

Behind Flagship First, American offers an impressive 52 Flagship Business seats. Each seat features 43" of pitch, is 20" wide, and offers direct aisle access thanks to its layout.

Following Flagship Business is the carrier's Premium Economy Cabin, which consists of 28 seats offering 38" of pitch in a 2-4-2 layout. Behind Premium Economy is American's Main Cabin seats.

Though Main Cabin is classified as one ticket class, it has two different sections: Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin. The 28 Main Cabin Extra seats on the 777-300ER offer 35" of pitch and 4" of recline. Meanwhile, American's Main Cabin seats offer 31" of pitch and 3" of recline.

In total, American's Boeing 777-300ER seats up to 304 passengers. However, this number is set to rise as American reconfigures these aircraft with a higher-density configuration. Once the retrofits are complete, these aircraft will seat up to 330 passengers.

American's 777-300ER schedule today

Today, American Airlines operates a total of 67 Boeing 777 aircraft, according to ch-aviation. This fleet has an average age of 20.3 years old. However, American's 20 777-300ER variants are much younger, having an average age of only 11 years old.

This month, American's largest jet will be operating flights across the carrier's network, and hubs like Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, and Los Angeles will see the aircraft type more than others.

According to Cirium, an aviation data analytics company, the route the 777-300ER is deployed on most frequently is from Dallas/Fort Worth to London Heathrow. The aircraft will operate the trip 51 times in each direction in February 2025, meaning this jet offers a total of 31,008 seats in the market.

Miami International Airport to London Heathrow is the second route on this list, with 49 frequencies and 14,896 seats available in each direction this month. The outbound sectors of American's remaining 777-300ER routes are as follows:

From Dallas, American offers flights to only two destinations:

• London Heathrow
• Miami

Meanwhile, Miami has a much more robust 777-300ER schedule:

• London Heathrow
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Buenos Aires
• São Paulo

Each Miami route has 28 frequencies in each direction, except for London Heathrow, which has 49 frequencies this month. Meanwhile, from American's New York hub, American offers a small list of similar 777-300ER routes:

• Buenos Aires
• London Heathrow

All of these services are operated 28 times each way this month, too. American's 777-300ERs also frequent its West Coast hub of Los Angeles International Airport. From the California city, the carrier flies its largest 777 variant to several destinations, including two domestic hubs:

• Sydney
• London Heathrow
• Charlotte
• Miami

Sydney and London Heathrow flights are operated 28 times in each direction, whereas domestic flights to Charlotte and Miami are flown just one time this month with the 777-300ER.

Charlotte is also connected with London Heathrow with a 777-300ER flight, though the widebody will only be deployed on the route 21 times in each direction this month.

London Heathrow has appeared on this list several times, and there is good reason for this. The airport is notoriously slot restricted, meaning it is difficult to gain permission to operate more flights to the hub than an airline already has.

Being American's highest capacity aircraft, American can transport more passengers with the same number of slots compared to smaller aircraft models.

American is still underperforming compared to its peers

American is massive - it boasts over 980 aircraft in its fleet and serves almost 350 destinations across the world. However, the airline has been under intense criticism for performing poorly compared to its peers Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

While the challenges and obstacles the airline faces are complex, some major factors contribute greatly to American's relatively lower earnings.

According to Skift, American lacks an international presence as large as its US-based competitors. Demand for long-haul travel has been on the rise, and the airline is not in a position to capitalize on it to the extent that its rivals are.

Seeking Alpha reports that the carrier has also failed to grow its revenues over the past several years, while United and Delta enjoy record revenues as they invest in more premium products that command higher fares.

Regardless, American Airlines has a strong network and a massive fleet. While its performance is dependent on how management chooses to address the airline's issues, American has solidified itself as one of the US' dominant players in the commercial airline industry.