American Airlines Plans Interior Upgrades For Regional Jet Fleet

American Airlines plans to retrofit all its dual-class regional jets with refreshed interiors, amidst a continued push to expand premium offerings.

Upgrades will feature new seat coverings, in-seat power and a continued rollout of onboard satellite Wi-Fi.

The interior retrofits are slated for all of the American Eagle-branded Bombardier CRJ-700, CRJ-900, Embraer E170 and E175 aircraft operated by its regional carriers. American has already taken delivery of four E175s with the new interiors, it confirmed, in addition to seven upgraded CRJ-900s.

The remainder of the retrofits are expected to start in 2026 and be completed in a phased rollout “over the coming years.”

American’s interior work is intended to better align the experience onboard its regional aircraft with that of its mainline aircraft, the airline detailed in a Sept. 30 announcement. The carrier is also working with Embraer to design and develop bigger overhead bins for its larger regional jets, expecting those to roll out “in the coming years.”

By the end of July, American’s active regional fleet numbered 566 aircraft, comprising 122 CRJ-700s, 86 CRJ-900s, 70 E145s, 56 E170s and 232 E175s. The carrier has previously voiced plans to retire its 50-seat single-class regional jets before the end of the decade. It placed a firm order for 90 E175s in spring 2024.

Meanwhile, American is also making investments onboard its mainline fleet, including a new premium-heavy configuration for its Boeing 787-9s unveiled in May. Consumer demand for upgraded experiences remains healthy, outperforming American’s main cabin.

“You will see us continue to invest in the premium experience,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told investors during a July earnings call. He noted that planned adjustments are “going to result in the ability to serve almost 50% more premium customers in premium seating as we move out into 2030.”

Earlier this year, American launched a customer experience organization under the leadership of Heather Garboden as chief customer officer and formed a customer experience advisory board, tasked with helping shape related strategy.