American Airlines
will increase capacity between New York and Madrid next summer. The airline that operated its age Boeing 777-200ER
on the route for years, will convert the flights to the larger ones 777-300ER
.

The move comes after the airline is based in Fort Worth, Texas

The airline recently introduced the aircraft type on its long-haul route between Charlotte and London
. The 777-300ER not only has more than 30 seats on board, but also more premium seats in a total of four classes.

For almost three months

Independent aviation blog Ishrion Aviation first reported the development on Saturday. The aircraft replacement will not be permanent; it will take less than three months. The change begins June 5, 2025 and runs until September 3.

AA94 will depart from American’s hub John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
just after 7:00 p.m. and the planned arrival time is around 8:00 a.m. the next day. The return journey, AA95, takes place Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)
around 10:30 a.m. and land back in New York around midday.

Equipment turned upside down

The 777-200ER operated almost exclusively on the New York-Madrid route until the 787-8 Dreamliner began operating at the end of October this year. The aircraft began flight operations on October 27 and was the American’s only equipment on the route throughout November. This month, the 787-8 operates all but one of the 60 frequencies between JFK and MAD. According to aviation data and analytics company Cirium, the 777-200ER briefly returned to the route for a flight last week.

Starting in January, American will begin moving all operations back to aircraft. The 787-8 will only serve a total of 13 frequencies – six to Madrid and seven to the Big Apple. On January 8th, all flights will again be operated with the 777-200ER. However, in February the 787-8 will return and replace the 777-200ER, but the route will not be served daily. Data shows American will pause and not operate flights from Jan. 30 to Feb. 12. The 787-8 will resume daily operations the following day.

In March, the 787-8 will handle the majority of frequencies, but the 777-200ER will return at the end of the month. Starting March 29, the widebody aircraft will once again become the exclusive operator of the route for the remainder of the month, April and May, before the 777-300ER makes its debut in June.

American oneWorld Alliance partner, Iberia
also operates the route daily.

Interested in this route? Find flights between New York and Madrid here!

Increase of almost 2,000 monthly seats

The switch to the larger aircraft means a total of 18,848 seats are available for the entire month of July. During the same period last year, when the 777-200ER operated all frequencies, only 16,926 seats were offered. With a total of 304 seats on board, the 777-300ER has a capacity of 31 more passengers than the 777-200ER with 273 seats. The change will also mean an increase in the number of premium seats offered, as the -300ER is the only widebody in American’s fleet to feature four classes.

In addition to the main cabin, Premium Economy and Flagship Business, there is Flagship First – the airline’s premium class. It includes just eight reclining seats, each 21.5 inches wide. Flagship First also offers upscale amenities such as private check-in, preferred privileges and chef-inspired dining at select Flagship Lounge locations.

On board, passengers are treated to amenity kits with travel essentials from Shinola and DS & Durga. When sleeping, travelers can stay comfortable with pillows and blankets designed exclusively by Casper, a sleep technology company. The flagship 777-300ER is somewhat similar in terms of the onboard experience. However, the sets are slightly smaller at 20.5 inches wide.

According to ch-aviation, American’s 777-300ER fleet consists of 20 aircraft. It is noteworthy that in 2013 the airline became the first US airline to use this type of aircraft. This means the fleet has an average age of 10.9 years. In contrast, the 777-200ER fleet is larger and significantly older. American has 47 examples of the aircraft – many of which were delivered between 1999 and 2001, giving an average age of 24.1 years.