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American Adds First‑Class Rows to A319 and A320 in Fleetwide Retrofit

The airline is shrinking seat pitch and reworking galleys to keep or raise total capacity so it can sell more premium seats.

Overview

  • American announced June 23, 2026 that the first retrofitted A320 has entered commercial service, validating a rollout that began earlier this year with A319s.
  • The reconfiguration adds a row of first‑class seats on each type, raising A319 first class from 8 to 12 seats and A320 first class from 12 to 16 seats.
  • Cabin upgrades include power at every seat, larger overhead bins, new trim and mood lighting, and redesigned premium seats with privacy wings while Starlink Wi‑Fi installations are planned for 2027.
  • To make room for more premium seats the airline reduces seat pitch, shifts lavatories to the extreme rear and tightens galley space, which removes some A319 seatback screens and alters crew work areas.
  • The program covers roughly 132 A319s and 48 A320s that average more than two decades in service and is aimed at boosting premium capacity as American tries to narrow service gaps with rivals; further retrofits will continue over the coming years.