A Guide to Booking American Airlines New Flagship Business Suites with Alaska Miles

American Airlines is introducing brand-new Flagship Suite seats. These are for their long-haul Business Class cabins. The new suites offer more privacy. They feature a sliding door and direct aisle access. This is a huge upgrade for their premium experience.

Many travelers want to book these seats. I’ve found a fantastic way to do it. You can use Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. This method offers incredible value. For example, a flight from the US to Europe can cost just 55,000 Alaska miles one-way. This guide will show you exactly how to find and book these new suites.

Earning Alaska Airlines Miles

To use this strategy, you first need Alaska miles. Luckily, there are a few straightforward ways to earn them.

The most direct way is with co-branded credit cards. In the US, Bank of America issues these cards. These cards often come with welcome bonuses. They also help you earn miles on everyday spending.

Another excellent method is through Bilt Rewards. Bilt Rewards is a 1:1 transfer partner to Alaska Airlines. This is a great option if you earn Bilt points. You can transfer them directly to your Alaska Mileage Plan account to top it off for a redemption.

Which Routes Have the New Flagship Business Suites?

American Airlines Flagship Business Suites are being rolled out in phases. The rollout begins on their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Later, they will retrofit their existing Boeing 777-300ER fleet. It is important to know which routes feature these new seats to target your award search.

Confirmed Initial Routes (New Boeing 787-9)

Based on American’s official announcements, the new 787-9 aircraft with Flagship Suites are scheduled for these initial international routes:

• Chicago (ORD) to London Heathrow (LHR) – starting June 5, 2025
• Philadelphia (PHL) to London Heathrow (LHR) – starting August 6, 2025
• Philadelphia (PHL) to Zurich (ZRH) – starting September 3, 2025
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Brisbane (BNE) – starting October 26, 2025
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Auckland (AKL) – starting January 5, 2026

Likely Future Routes (Retrofitted Boeing 777s)

American Airlines will also begin retrofitting its existing Boeing 777-300ER fleet with the new Flagship Suites starting in late 2025. These planes currently fly on many of American’s most premium international routes. While the exact schedule for retrofits can change, I expect these popular routes to be among the first to see the updated cabins:

• New York (JFK) to London (LHR)
• New York (JFK) to Doha (DOH)
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to London (LHR)

Keep an eye on these routes. The list of aircraft with the new suites will continue to grow over the next few years.

Alaska Miles Required for American Airlines Flagship Business Suites

Here is Alaska’s award chart based on which the Miles required are calculated. You can use Great Circle Map to quickly calculate the distance between two airports.

Based on these award charts you will need 85,000 Alaska miles for the flights to BNE and AKL and will need 55,000 Alaska Miles for their flights to Europe.

Finding Award Availability

Finding partner award availability for these specific new cabins requires a targeted approach. My process involves two key steps: discovery and verification.

Step 1: Find Dates with Seats.aero

I start by using a powerful third-party tool called Seats.aero. It helps scan for award space quickly. This saves a lot of time compared to searching day-by-day on the airline’s site. Here’s the process I follow:

1. Open the Seats.aero website.
2. Find and use the “Explore Alaska Mileage Plan” feature.
3. Select one of the specific Flagship Suite routes we identified above (e.g., ORD to LHR).
4. Filter the search to show only “American Airlines” as the operating airline.
5. I also recommend selecting the filter for “Direct flights only” to narrow the results.
6. Finally, sort the results by the “Business” column header. This will group all available Business Class dates together, making them easy to see.

This process should give you a list of potential dates with award availability. Now you need to confirm it.

Step 2: Verify on AlaskaAir.com

After finding a promising date on Seats.aero, you must verify it. Go to the official Alaska Airlines website (alaskaair.com). Perform the same award search there. Use the exact route and date you found. This step is critical. It confirms the award seat is actually available to be booked by Alaska’s system. Third-party tools are great for searching, but the airline’s website has the final say on live availability.

Step 3: Booking Your Flight (And a Key Tip for Success)

You’ve found availability on Seats.aero. You’ve also confirmed the award seats on the Alaska Airlines website. Now it’s time to book! The process is usually straightforward.

First, you’ll need enough Alaska miles in your account. You can transfer them 1:1 from Bilt Rewards. Or you can use your Alaska Airlines co-branded credit card. Once the miles are in your account, you can complete the booking online. Simply follow the prompts on the Alaska Airlines website. Select your verified flights and pay the necessary taxes and fees.

Pro Tip: What to Do If Online Booking Fails

Sometimes, partner award bookings can be complex. You might find the flight on Alaska’s website, but get an error when you try to book. If this happens, don’t give up! The solution is to call Alaska Airlines directly.

Tell the agent the exact flights you want to book. If they initially can’t see the availability, here’s a key phrase to use: ask them to do a “manual route request.” This often prompts them to work with their partner support desk. They can then manually confirm the seats with American Airlines and complete your booking over the phone. I have found this simple tip to be very effective.

Confirm You’re Getting the New Suite!

After booking, there’s one final check I recommend. This ensures you’re on a plane with the new Flagship Suite® seats. The best tool for this is Google Flights.

Go to Google Flights. Search for your exact flight number and date of travel as a one-way cash ticket. When the flight appears in the search results, click on it to expand the details. Look for the description of the Business Class seat.

• The new cabin will typically be described as an “Individual suite”
• Older cabins are often just listed as a “Lie-flat seat.”

This quick check gives you extra confidence. It confirms you’ve successfully booked the brand-new American Airlines Business Class experience.

Conclusion: A High-Value Path to a New Suite

Booking a brand-new Business Class product is always exciting. American Airlines’ Flagship Business Suite represents a major improvement. It is now a top-tier way to cross the Atlantic or Pacific.

Using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles provides an incredible way to book it. The cost is often just 55,000 miles for US to Europe routes. This is a fantastic value for such a premium product. Earning the necessary miles is also very achievable. You can use co-branded credit cards or transfer points 1:1 from Bilt Rewards.

The process I’ve outlined requires a few specific steps. You need to identify the correct routes. You should use tools like Seats.aero for discovery. You must verify availability on Alaska’s website. You might even need to call Alaska to complete the booking. Finally, verifying the seat type on Google Flights adds peace of mind.

While it takes some effort, the reward is huge. You get to fly in one of the newest Business Class suites in the sky. You do this for a fraction of the cash price. This is a top-tier redemption I highly recommend exploring.