American Airlines Rolls Out First Refitted A319 for Better Seats

Fort Worth‑based American Airlines is set to debut its first upgraded Airbus A319 this weekend, marking a new chapter in the carrier’s cabin refresh plans. The aircraft will feature an extra row of first‑class seats, larger overhead bins for carry‑on luggage, and power outlets at every seat—though it will not have seatback entertainment. The move follows years of work to modernize the airline’s fleet of “baby buses. ” American owns 133 A319s, mostly older models inherited from America West and US Airways. These planes never had seat‑back screens, so the airline began retrofitting its newer “legacy” A319s first. The prototype retrofit was carried out on a different airframe, but the actual first upgraded aircraft is N9002U.N9002U was removed from service in September and flown to El Salvador for the overhaul. The country hosts a major maintenance facility where American and other airlines perform cabin upgrades and heavy maintenance. Although the plane is scheduled to return to U. S. service this weekend, its exact departure time has not been confirmed. American plans to replace its A321‑T fleet with newer models and will also add more first‑class seats to its A320s and widebody Boeing 777s. The company’s goal is to meet rising demand for premium travel by offering more comfortable cabins across its network.