American plans to acquire Boeing 787’s, nice!

Just got this email from American:

Dear Lucky,

As American Airlines continues to focus on improving the travel experience for our customers – especially our business and premium travelers – we are investing in industry-leading products and services that we believe you will appreciate. Today, marking the latest investment in your travel comfort, American announced that we have entered into a new purchase agreement with Boeing and intend to acquire 42 B787-9 aircraft scheduled for delivery beginning in 2012 and ending in 2018, with the right to purchase up to 58 additional 787s.

The new 787 Dreamliners will support American’s wide-body replacement efforts, as well as international growth that is expected after American, British Airways and Iberia achieve antitrust immunity and implement a joint business agreement for flights between North America and Europe.

Boeing’s Dreamliner aircraft offers a new level of comfort for our passengers. It features improved air and water purification systems, as well as new humidification techniques and lower cabin pressure, which are expected to reduce passenger fatigue. In addition, the 787 advanced engine design provides a quieter operation, with an expected noise footprint 60 percent smaller than other aircraft of similar size, benefiting those in the air as well as those on the ground. The plane’s lower overall weight and improved design means we also will reduce our impact on the environment by burning less fuel.

The 787 aircraft also has the largest overhead bins in the industry – approximately 30 percent larger than comparable aircraft bins. The large 19-inch windows are designed to make the cabin feel more spacious. While American has not made any decisions about the configuration of the aircraft, the 787 is designed to carry up to 290 passengers.

This is our latest step in a series of fleet renewal efforts. American announced previously that we will take delivery of 76 fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 aircraft in 2009 and 2010 as we replace our narrow-body MD80 fleet. We’ve also undertaken multiple initiatives over the past several years to enhance our existing fleet with improved cabin interiors, on-board services and passenger amenities on the 767-300, 767-200 and 777 aircraft. Additionally, we continue to invest in the food and beverage product with the launch of our menu variety program for First and Business class customers and new buy-on-board options.

We hope you enjoy the improvements we have been making and that you look forward to the new 787 Dreamliner aircraft and all the updated features it will offer. For more details about our exciting news announcement today, visit AA.com.

As always, thank you for your business and continued loyalty. We look forward to serving you onboard soon.

Sincerely,
Rob Friedman
President, AAdvantage Marketing Programs

This is great news! While these deliveries are in the distant future, it’s nice to see a US airline investing in their fleet. I’m excited about the 787, probably even more so than I was about the A380, so seeing another US airline order these is a huge step in the right direction. Yet at the same time, as my friend David just said, “In 2018, maybe I will switch to them. Until then, I simply can’t stand the Mad Dog.”

Big kudos to AA on this one.