American Airlines Business Class: What It’s Like and How to Fly for Less

American Airlines is one of the most ubiquitous airlines on the planet, flying to more than 350 destinations across six continents. Not only is it well connected, but it’s got a slew of partnerships that allow you to book American Airlines flights even if you’ve got zero American Airlines miles.

For these reasons and more, point.me ranks American Airlines AAdvantage among the best airline rewards programs.

American Airlines’s long-haul international and transcontinental flights offer some of the highest-quality business class seats of any U.S. carrier. There’s a wide variety of them, too. Let’s cover everything you need to know about American Airlines business class and how you can book these luxury seats for as little as $5.60.

What to know about flying American Airlines business class

American Airlines offers several types of business class seats, each of varying quality. They include standard business class, Flagship Business, and Flaship Business Plus.

Not counting domestic first-class seats, which are oversized recliners, you’ll find lie-flat business class seats on long-haul American Airlines flights on the following aircraft:

• Boeing 777-200 
• Boeing 777-300 
• Boeing 787-8
• Boeing 787-9 
• Airbus A321

The best routes to fly in American Airlines business class

American Airlines serves several dozen destinations with its various lie-flat business class seats. Here’s a general route map of where you should be able to find them:

Fan favorite seats include those aboard the airlines’ two Dreamliners — the Boeing 788 and 789 aircraft. These planes (as well as some Boeing 777-200s) offer the top-tier Flagship Business Plus experience.

Fun business class routes include:

• MIA (MIA) to Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
• Chicago (ORD) to Athens (ATH)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL)
• Dallas (DFW) to Maui (OGG)

American Airlines also flies to popular destinations like Qatar and Japan. But if you’re traveling to those countries, you may want to use your AAdvantage miles to book partner airlines like Qatar Airways or Japan Airlines instead. Their business-class products are a step above American Airlines in many ways.

What to expect when flying American Airlines business class

When you book the best American Airlines business class, you’ll get more than just a fancy lie-flat seat. The pampering starts as soon as you step into the airport.

Check-in and security clearance

Business class passengers get American Airlines’s Priority privileges. This includes expedited check-in and security lanes.

This means you won’t have to stand in those serpentine lines to check your bags. American Airlines has dedicated lines exclusively for business class. Depending on the airport and the time of day, this could save you an hour or more.

You’ll also be one of the first to board the plane, giving you time to decompress with a drink before takeoff.

Luggage allowance

Another money-saving angle to business class is its generous checked bag policy. Passengers can check two 70-lb bags for free. Economy passengers have to pay $35 or more for their first bag (maximum 50 lbs) — except for most routes to other continents, where they typically get the first bag free and the second bag for $100.

Here’s a handy chart to help you understand the potential savings.

Regions	First bag	Second bag
Within and between U.S., Puerto Ric,  and U.S. Virgin Islands	Main Cabin: $40 ($35 when paying online)Business: $0	Main Cabin: $45Business: $0
Between Honduras and U.S.		Main Cabin: $45Business: $0
Within and between Canada and U.S.	Main Cabin: $35Business: $0	Main Cabin: $45Business: $0
Between Mexico,the Caribbean (excluding Cuba / Haiti), Central America (excluding Panama) and U.S.	Main Cabin: $35Business: $0	Main Cabin: $45Business: $0
From U.S. to Cuba	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $150-$200Business: $0
To or from Haiti	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
Between Guyana, Suriname and U.S.	Main Cabin: $35Business: $0	Main Cabin: $45Business: $0
Between Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and U.S.	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
Between South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Suriname) and U.S.	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
Between Israel and U.S.	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
Between Qatar and U.S.	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
Between Europe and U.S.	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
To or from India, China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0
To or from Australia and New Zealand	Main Cabin: $0Business: $0	Main Cabin: $100Business: $0

Lounge access

If you’re flying international, transcontinental, or other eligible domestic long-haul American Airlines business class flights, you’ll get access to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges — some of which are incredible. They often provide free alcohol and snacks (sometimes hot meals), comfy chairs, and relatively quiet surroundings.

When traveling in Flagship Business, you’ll have access American’s Flagship Lounges, located at several of AA’s hubs:

• Chicago (ORD)
• Dallas (DFW)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Miami (MIA)
• Philadelphia (PHL) — coming soon

These lounges have sit-down dining with chef-inspired meals, a premium wine table, a specialty cocktail bar, shower suites, and more.

Flagship Business tickets also get access to the arrivals lounge at London Heathrow, as well as entry into oneworld partner lounges.

Seats

American Airlines business class seats don’t disappoint. They’re not disrupting the industry with cutting-edge innovation — but they’re a perfectly enjoyable environment to spend a lengthy commute.

The vast majority of AA’s long-haul seats appear in a convenient 1-2-1 configuration, meaning you’re guaranteed to have direct aisle access. However, the Airbus A321 (32B) seats are older and in a 2-2 configuration. In other words, only half the passengers will get direct aisle access.

Seat pitch varies between 58 and 61 inches (though the bed length typically stretches to at least 75 inches. You can expect the seat width to be between 21 and 21.5 inches.

All seats I’ve flown have been comfortable, though the arrangement of the seats is intrinsically less private. That’s because seats aren’t staggered, as you’ll find with other airlines’ configurations which afford “better” seats than others. Nearly all business class seats are angled so that your head is right next to the aisle, as you can see from the below screenshot.

Food and drink

The menu you’ll receive onboard varies by region — from pan-roasted chicken to corn-fed tandoori chicken with basmati rice to Korean bibimbap. American Airlines has even teamed up with James Beard award winner Sam Choy for meals aboard Flagship transcontinental and Hawaii flights.

No matter where you’re going, American Airlines prioritizes healthy meals. While the airline doesn’t offer dine-on-demand in business class, it does let you choose your meal before you board. You’ll also get free alcohol onboard – the carrier also prides itself on its award-winning wine selection.

Service, amenities, and in-flight entertainment

American Airlines touts a solid inflight entertainment system, with Apple TV+ and around 600 movies and shows to choose from. Alternatively, you can use inflight Wi-Fi to stream Netflix, Hulu, etc. (though you’ll have to pay for it).

Waiting at your seat will be an amenity kit, the specifics of which will vary depending on your route. Amenity kits come in a quality bag and contain creams, sprays, wipes, etc from brands like Joanna Vargas and Relevant.

American Airlines’ bedding is also a treat, with a cool-touch pillow and premium duvet. You’ll also get Nest Bedding slippers and pajamas on select flights.

Service onboard tends to be solid among business-class cabins in my experience. I find American Airlines flight attendants more pleasant than those aboard Qatar Airways, which is considered one of the best business-class experiences in the world.

How much it costs to fly American Airlines in business class

In terms of cash prices, American Airlines business class is not cheap. On most international routes, you’ll pay over $3,000 for a one-way ticket. That’s not doable for most of us — and it makes booking travel through a credit card travel portal equally indefensible. That’s because you’ll only get between 1 cent and 1.5 cents per point when redeeming for flights through a bank portal.

Instead, you can reserve these seats by booking an American Airlines award flight. American Airlines doesn’t have an award chart, but you can typically find business class seats to Europe for around 57,500 miles. You’re virtually guaranteed to pay fewer miles than if you book through your credit card’s travel portal.

You can also book American Airlines flights through partner airlines such as British Airways and Alaska Airlines. Depending on the route, you could save rewards by using these loyalty programs instead of American Airlines (we’ll dig into this in a minute).

How much it costs to upgrade to business class on American Airlines 

First things first: You cannot use miles to upgrade an award flight. If the game plan is to book economy and upgrade later, you’ll have to pay cash for your seat.

Beyond that, you can use American Airlines miles to upgrade to business class at different rates, depending on your route. To upgrade a discount economy fare, you’ll pay the following:

• 15,000 miles and $75 for flights within the U.S.
• 25,000 miles and $350 for flights to Southern South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and much of Asia and Oceania.
• 15,000 miles and $75 for flights to Central America
• 15,000 miles and $150 for flights to Northern South America

It’s also sometimes possible to upgrade eligible flights with cash after you book an award flight. American Airlines will let you know within the app (and potentially through other means) if this opportunity is available to you. Prices vary wildly.

Finally, if you have American Airlines elite status and earned at least 175,000 Loyalty Points in a status year, you may be able to use the program’s systemwide upgrades to get into business class for free. You can request this within your American Airlines online account and be immediately upgraded if space is available.

How to save on American Airlines business class tickets

Sales

We’ve seen some fantastic American Airlines sales in the past few years. Even so, business class fares are prohibitive unless you’re in the mood to seriously splurge. Still, if you find a double-take-worthy economy fare to your destination, it could be worth booking and then using miles to upgrade later. It’s a great way to secure a ticket worth thousands for a fraction of the price.

American Airlines may also (very rarely) accidentally leave a zero off a published fare price, making a ticket drastically cheaper. These are called mistake fares, and they’re the rhodium unicorns of the travel industry. Good ones don’t come around very often — and they aren’t always honored, either. For this reason, you should wait to reserve your other travel details until the airline has confirmed your ticket.

Upgrades

Again, upgrading to a business-class seat can save you money, but you’ll have to be willing to pony up some cash. Whether you upgrade a paid economy fare with miles, or you book an economy flight with miles and hope for the opportunity to upgrade with cash, your travel will be far from “free.”

Travel rewards

As ever, using your miles for an award flight is the most economical way to fly in style. Flights to Europe can be had for around 57,500 miles each, flights to Australia sell for around 80,000 miles, and flights to South America typically sell for as little as 30,000 miles.

When booking through American Airlines, taxes and fees are reasonable. Booking the same seat through select partners can result in sky-high fuel surcharges.

How to book American Airlines business class with points 

Booking American Airlines business class with AAdvantage miles is often the best deal. But even if you don’t have any American miles, you still have options.

How to book American Airlines using your credit card portal 

American Airlines business class seats cost thousands of dollars each way. You could book these seats through your credit card’s online travel portal, but you’ll need a whole lot of points to do it. That’s because travel rewards are worth between 1 cent and 1.5 cents each toward airfare.

For example, a business class trip between New York (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) costs $2,333 in late October 2025. When booking through a travel portal, you’d need:

• 233,300 Capital One through Capital One Travel (or directly with the airline)
• 156,000 points through Amex Travel if you hold The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• 187,000 points through Chase Travel if you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Meanwhile, the same flight costs a paltry 45,000 American Airlines miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees. All to say, booking business class seats any way other than awards is typically a bad idea.

The only real upside to using a travel portal is that you don’t have to worry about award availability — and you’ll earn redeemable miles for your flight.

Which credit card points transfer to AAdvantage miles?

No bank-issued points transfer to American Airlines. The only reward currency that you can convert into American Airlines at a reasonable rate is Marriott Bonvoy. The transfer ratio is 3:1 (3 Marriott points = 1 AA mile). You’ll also get a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.

How to book American Airlines business class using AAdvantage miles 

To book your fancy business class seat through AAdvantage, head to AA.com and tick the “Redeem miles” box to begin your search.

You’ll then be led to the search results page, where you can filter by the price of business class. You can even click on each American flight’s seat map to see the cabin’s layout.

If you don’t have the miles you need for your flight, you can visit this page to convert Marriott points into AAdvantage miles. You can also buy miles, though the cost is quite high (except during some promotions).

What other loyalty programs can you use to book American Airlines business class?

American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It’s also got a handful of non-alliance partners. You can book many of these airline loyalty programs to book American Airlines flights, including:

• Alaska Airlines MileagePlan
• British Airways Executive Club
• Etihad Guest
• Finnair Plus
• Iberia Plus
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Some of these airlines offer excellent deals that rival American Airlines itself.

How to book American Airlines business class using points from a partner airline

American Airlines generally offers hard-to-beat prices for its own flights. Booking through partners can sometimes be cheaper, but the real benefit of booking through partners is that their rewards are easier to earn than American’s. It’s convenient to have the option of booking American Airlines business class even if you don’t have AAdvantage miles.

For example, a flight from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) costs 54,000 miles in early 2026.

The same exact flight costs 55,000 miles (and a few more dollars in taxes and fees) with Alaska Airlines miles, which are considerably easier to accrue.

Booking an American Airlines business class flight through a partner airline is just as simple as booking through AAdvantage. Search your desired itinerary and dates, then examine the flight details to ensure the trip is operated by American Airlines.

Tips for finding business class award availability on American Airlines

American Airlines allows you to book awards up to 331 days before departure. You’ll conceivably have better luck booking business class seats far into the future, as those seats have been on the market for less time. However, American may decide to withhold availability for a while and randomly dump it later in the year.

Instead of searching for business class from your home airport, you’ll often have the most success when searching from AA’s major hubs, like Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Philadelphia (PHL), Miami (MIA), etc. You can then book an inexpensive hop to one of these airports to catch your fancy international flight.

Should you book American Airlines business class? 

You should absolutely book American Airlines business class if you have the opportunity. Its prices are typically reasonable, and the experience competes with what you’ll get from other airlines’ premium cabins — especially when you can make use of AA’s Flagship Lounges.

And because of American Airlines’s strategic partnerships with airlines like Alaska Airlines and Iberia, you can book its business class seats even if you don’t have any American Airlines miles.