American Airlines Unexpectedly Schedules New Premium Boeing 787-9 To Tokyo

American Airlines’ (AA) new premium Boeing 787-9P (P for premium) aircraft flew its first flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) only two months ago. Now, data from FlightAware shows that one of those jets was scheduled to operate route AA27 to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) on Wednesday at 10:35, but it is now scheduled to depart on Thursday at 10:00, nearly 24 hours late.

Boeing 787

First Delivery

September 25, 2011

Number Delivered

1,138

American had not yet revealed plans to fly the new premium heavy 787-9 to HND, and this jet was last recorded flying out of ORD, according to Flightradar24. The original destinations were limited to select US destinations, London, Switzerland, and Australia, as Simple Flying’s Channing Reid previously reported.

Teething Days For AA’s 787-9(P)

N828AA American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner sn 40698

Photo: Tomas Del Coro | Flickr

American Airlines took delivery of its newest Boeing 787-9P models on April 29th, 2025: registrations N846AN and N845MD. Peter Hanson of Simple Flying, who previously covered the story, wrote that more jets are expected to be delivered through October of this year. Unfortunately, N8646AN has encountered some turbulence with its fleet introduction.

The troubled bird of the pair has seen multiple delays, cancellations, and maintenance cycles as the jet, fresh off the line, works out all its kinks. Prior to this delay of 24 hours, another 32 hour occurred as the plane was unable to be prepared for its voyage on time.

Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, commented on the debut of the new widebodyjets:

“Every aspect of our new 787-9 is designed to feel premium in nature. Whether flying for business or pleasure, having the opportunity to explore other parts of the world should be an exciting and memorable experience that begins the moment you book your flight, long before you reach your final destination.”

American’s Premium-Heavy Dreamliner

N824AN - Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner - American Airlines

Photo: Steve Knight | Flickr

The retasked Dreamlinerthat will fly AA27 is one of a select line of Boeing’s latest long-haul widebody jets. Only yesterday, Simple Flying’s Alexander Mitchell wrote that N845MD was expected to serve on the carrier’s nonstop route between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airportt (DFW) and Auckland Airport (AKL) at the beginning of 2026. Until now, the shiny new plane has only been seen flying routes out of ORD.

The 244-seat jet operating the LAX-HND route features lie-flat seats in business-class in Flagship Suites that also have privacy doors. New premium economy seats with longer recline and additional leg support are also installed alongside a redesigned economy-class cabin. American has emphasized that the new layout is a major upgrade in comfort for every seating class from nose to tail.

According to the airline, all seats across classes come equipped with USB-C and AC power, plus the new Dreamliner’s in-flight entertainment (IFE) even features Bluetooth connectivity built in. The seat-back screens are 4K QLED, and the dining options have been upgraded across all classes as well, but the most impressive is the curated multicourse meals served with wine pairings in the Flagship Suites. All-in-all, the new and improved flying experience has a lot to offer for every travel budget.

American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration N820AL) landing at Chicago O'Hare