American Airlines First U.S. Carrier To Fly The 777-300ER Takes First Flight

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American Airlines First U.S. Carrier To Fly The 777-300ER Takes First Flight

By Mike Mitchell

February 3, 2013 - Marking an important milestone in its plan to create the industry's most modern, fuel-efficient fleet, American Airlines welcomes the first Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) aircraft into its fleet. American becomes the first U.S. carrier to fly the 777-300ER when it departed on its inaugural flight on Thursday from Dallas/Fort Worth to Sao Paulo.

"This is a monumental day for all of us at American, and one that many of our people and customers have eagerly awaited," said Virasb Vahidi, American's Chief Commercial Officer.

"The 777-300ER is a critical part of our fleet renewal program, offering additional network flexibility and providing increased efficiency, while delivering a state-of-the-art experience for our customers onboard. Welcoming our first 777-300ER into our fleet is a great reminder of American's proud past and promising future."

Freshly painted with American's new look, the aircraft features the modern, new logo with the iconic eagle; silver mica paint to maintain the "silver bird" heritage of American's aircraft; and stripes flying proudly on the tail as a symbol of the airline's origin and name. In conjunction with today's historic flight, American also announces the airline will once again light the tails of most of its aircraft as it converts to its new look.

The 777-300ER introduces new enhancements to the inflight experience, including fully lie-flat seats in First and Business Class – all with direct aisle access; a walk-up bar for premium cabin customers that offers snacks and sweets; and a sophisticated entertainment system offering hundreds of hours of audio and video programming options at every seat throughout the aircraft, including up to 250 movies, more than 180 TV programs and more than 350 audio selections.

The 777-300ER offers an elevated international premium class experience including increased customer choices with new menu selections, new china and flatware designs, and industry-leading amenity kits. Customers will see the product enhancements across all international fleet types, providing a more consistent travel experience for those flying American's global network.

Every customer can also stay productive and connected onboard. The 777-300ER is the first aircraft in American's fleet to offer international Wi-Fi, enabling customers to remain connected throughout the flight, whether over land or over water. To celebrate the new international Wi-Fi service, American will offer complimentary inflight Internet access through March on all flights operated with the new 777-300ER aircraft. In addition, all customers will have access to individual 110-volt AC power outlets and USB jacks for charging personal electronic devices.

American was the first U.S. airline to order and take delivery of the state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300ER and intends to take delivery of a total of 15 of the aircraft through 2014. In addition to service to Sao Paulo, the aircraft is slated to fly to London Heathrow Airport from both Dallas/Fort Worth and New York Kennedy.