The first of American Airlines’ 100 new Airbus A321neo aircraft on order is entering scheduled service. These 196-seat aircraft represent another first, as American is the launch customer for the Airspace XL bins, which provide approximately 40% more overhead storage space. There is further good news for the airline’s customers, as American also plans to retrofit its entire in-service fleet of earlier A321 models – accounting for more than 200 aircraft – with the cabin features included on the new A321neos.
The Airspace XL bins can accommodate luggage dimensions of up to 24 x 16 x 10in, and enables standard roll-on bags to be loaded into the bins on their sides instead of being inserted flat, which creates space for up to four bags in each bin instead of the current three. The larger bins can also reduce the number of passenger bags that are checked at the gate and sent to the cargo hold.
Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus’s VP of cabin marketing said, “We constantly work with airline customers to improve our aircraft cabins, and American in particular played an instrumental role with us in developing our biggest and best overhead bins to date.”
American‘s selected cabin layout also allows the airline greater flexibility in seating arrangements and use of cabin space. The two-class cabin will gain an additional row of first-class seats, bringing the total to 20. Outfitting the A321neo with a free wireless IFE system allows passengers to select a wide-range of options from their own devices.
