American Airlines To Retrofit Regional Aircraft With New Interiors, WiFi, & Power Ports

American Airlines has announced that it will be performing a thorough interior retrofit of its regional American Eagle aircraft. The changes will include a visual refresh of the colors, materials, and finishes (CMF) as well as more charging points and installing fast Wi-Fi on all regional jets. American’s new cabins will initially be rolled out in the fall.

The new cabins will first be seen on newly delivered E175 and CRJ900 aircraft, and will then be retrofitted into all two-class American Eagle aircraft: the Bombardier CRJ700, Bombardier CRJ900, Embraer E170, and Embraer E175. The Embraer E145s operated by Piedmont Airlines will not receive the upgraded interiors.

A Look At What’s New With American Eagle

During the summer, American Eagle and PSA unveiled the new standard for American Eagle interiors. The first aircraft, a CRJ900 registered as N639NN, is already in service, and all CRJ900 deliveries, as well as new Embraer E175s, will come with the new interiors. At the time, no indication was given on whether other aircraft would be retrofitted, but American has now confirmed that all two-class regional jets will receive the new interiors.

Visually, the most striking change is the new seat covers to match those being installed on American’s new “787-9P” aircraft and Airbus A321XLRs. First class seats feature dark blue leather seat covers with titled vertical stitching patterns, while economy seats feature two-tone blue seats with the same stitching pattern. Additionally, first and Main Cabin Extra seats come with brown headrests, while standard economy seats feature dark blue headrests with brown on the sides.

While the new seats make the interior look prettier, perhaps the more impactful additions are the addition of high-speed Wi-Fi (which American has been installing on regional jets since 2023) and powerports throughout the aircraft (not currently found on all RJs). Additionally, American is working with Embraer on a new overhead bin design, although this is still in development.

Looking At American Eagle’s Operations

American Airlines partners with five airlines for regional operations. Three of these are American’s wholly owned subsidiaries, while the other two are independently owned SkyWest Airlines and Republic Airways. Republic exclusively operates the Embraer E-Jet, while SkyWest flies the CRJ700 and the E-Jet series for American Eagle.

Amercan’s three wholly-owned subsidiaries are Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, and PSA Airlines. Envoy Air flies the E170 and the E175, while PSA Airlines (the first to introduce the new cabins) flies the CRJ700 and CRJ900. Piedmont Airlines, meanwhile, exclusively operates the Embraer E145, a single-class 50-seater, which will not receive the updated cabins.

Regional jets typically offer the worst passenger experience in a given airline’s fleet based on amenities. Adding Wi-Fi and powerports improves the passenger experience while also bringing it in line with customer expectations on mainline planes. Especially for American, an airline that does not offer seat-back screens, this makes the experience of flying American more uniform.

Changes Happening At American Airlines

Visual branding updates are commonplace at any airline, and while American Airlines has had consistent cabin designs throughout its fleet, it’s become less distinctive as passengers have become more familiar with the interior design. As such, this helps separate American from competitors once again with its new design elements.

In the mainline fleet, American is introducing new seats and cabins on the 787-9Ps and the A321XLRs. Additionally, the carrier is improving its soft product through updated catering options and amenities. The carrier is making a deliberate attempt to move upmarket, as it trails behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, two carriers with a more premium brand image.

The changes to the American Eagle fleet don’t include much compared to what you’d expect on a mainline aircraft or a widebody. However, product consistency is key to managing customer expectations, and the added Wi-Fi and power ports make the American Eagle experience consistent with mainline. The visual elements, meanwhile, align with the carrier’s future branding direction.