5 Airlines Flying The Airbus A321XLR With Lie-Flat Business Class Seats

The Airbus A321XLR is an aircraft designed for thin long-haul routes. By bringing narrowbody economics to intercontinental services, the aircraft promises to open up new city pairs that couldn't be served economically by widebodies. The aircraft is small, and it sips fuel in comparison to even a modern Boeing 787 or Airbus A350, let alone an A330 or 777. It has already proven reasonably popular for its niche, but even though the economics are great for airlines, passengers still want widebody comfort. A321XLR operators, as well as operators of the older A321LR, are now widely installing lie-flat business class seats on these planes. While these are narrowbody-optimized models with significant differences from those used on widebodies, they still provide passengers with a lie-flat seat, while newer models offer direct aisle access by using either a herringbone or reverse herringbone layout. As the A321XLR is introduced by more airlines, these are the five carriers with the largest lie-flat business class cabins on this aircraft type. 5 Iberia 14 business class seats Credit: Airbus Iberia was the global launch operator of the A321XLR, having operated the type's first commercial flight on November 6, 2024, from Madrid to Paris, as well as its first long-haul flight from Madrid to Boston on November 14. The airline now operates eight A321XLRs, with no more currently remaining on order. Iberia uses the type to serve destinations such as Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington-Dulles, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Recife, and Fortaleza. Iberia installs 182 seats on the A321XLR, which is a relatively high number for this aircraft. 14 of these are business class seats, which are based on the Thompson VantageSOLO. This is a herringbone seat model optimized for narrowbodies, and was first introduced by JetBlue in 2021 on the A321neo as its new Mint Suites. Unlike JetBlue, however, Iberia did not option sliding doors, nor did it opt for the front row 'business class plus' option that JetBlue did. Air Canada also operates the A321XLR with 14 business class seats, and its examples also feature 182 seats in total. However, Iberia gets the bump over Air Canada in this list because it operates more examples, with Air Canada currently flying five A321XLRs to Iberia's eight. With that being said, Air Canada holds orders for 30 XLRs in total, which means that it will eventually operate substantially more A321XLRs. It will, in fact, be one of the larger A321XLR operators in the world. 4 Aer Lingus 16 business class seats Credit: AV8 Photos I Shutterstock Aer Lingus was originally set to be the worldwide launch operator for the A321XLR, but a dispute with parent company IAG over pilot pay led the holding company to allocate the first A321XLR to Iberia instead. However, Aer Lingus would soon begin receiving its own XLRs, and the Irish flag carrier now operates six examples. These planes complement the airline's existing fleet of eight A321LRs, giving it a total fleet of 14 long-range A321neos with lie-flat seats. Aer Lingus installs 184 seats on the A321XLR, including 16 business class seats. Unlike Iberia, the carrier uses the Thompson Vantage, a staggered seat model featuring three rows configured four-abreast and two rows containing 'throne seats'. This seat is ultimately far from cutting-edge, as it debuted in the late 2000s and it doesn't even offer direct aisle access. However, the seat remains quite space-efficient, and Aer Lingus also uses it on its A330 fleet in addition to the A321s. The A321XLR is ultimately an improved, more capable A321neo, and Aer Lingus already operates eight A321LRs. Aer Lingus's A321LRs have the same configuration as the XLRs, while also using the same exact business class seats. The main way to tell the two apart on the inside is the fact that the XLRs feature the Airbus Airspace cabins, while also featuring newer, larger screens. In addition, Aer Lingus installs newer Recaro seats on the A321XLR, while the A321LRs are equipped with the Collins Aerospace Meridian. 3 United Airlines 20 Polaris suites Credit: RTX United Airlines is the newest operator on this list, having taken delivery of its first A321XLR in May 2026. The carrier now operates three examples, and it has another 47 on the way. These planes are currently only flying from Washington-Dulles to Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, they will eventually fully replace United's Boeing 757 operation across the Atlantic, serving thin destinations in Europe with far greater efficiency than what the 757 could do, while also featuring all-new interiors. These aircraft are equipped with 20 Polaris suites, based on the Elevate Altitude. This is a herringbone seat installed at a notably high 49-degree angle. However, the row pitch of 32 inches (81.3 centimeters) is standard for a narrowbody herringbone seat. In addition, these seats are equipped with privacy doors, whereas the A321neo Coastliner subfleet that will also feature these seats will not be equipped with doors. This represents the first time that an Elevate seat has been put into service on an Airbus aircraft. United will use the A321XLR to replace its 757s on transatlantic services, but the two aircraft are configured very differently. United's 757s feature 16 business class seats and 160 economy seats. Meanwhile, the A321XLRs have four additional Polaris suites, 42 fewer economy seats, and a Premium Plus cabin consisting of 12 seats. While the A321XLR is currently only operating domestic services for United Airlines, it will begin flying the aircraft transatlantic in December, initially deploying it from Washington-Dulles to Amsterdam and Dublin. 2 American Airlines 20 Flagship suites Credit: George Mutch | Shutterstock American Airlines was the US launch operator of the A321XLR, having taken its first XLR in July 2025. For American, the A321XLR serves a similar role as it does for United, but the airline is using its current fleet of 11 A321XLRs to serve both transatlantic and transcontinental routes. United's deployment of the A321XLR on transcontinental services is temporary until the type begins long-haul flights. However, this is American's long-term strategy for its 40 A321XLRs. Just like United, American Airlines installs 20 Flagship suites on the A321XLR, although American gets the bump in this list as it has more examples. American selected the Collins Aerospace Aurora, a herringbone seat model very similar to the Thompson VantageSOLO and Elevate Altitude. American Airlines Future Lie-Flat Narrowbody Fleet United Airlines Future Lie-Flat Narrowbody Fleet 40 Airbus A321XLRs 50 Airbus A321neo 'Coastliners' 50 Airbus A321XLRs Just like the Elevate Altitude on United's examples, American's version of the Collins Aurora is pitched at 32 inches (81.3 centimeters), and it comes equipped with privacy doors, as is increasingly becoming the standard. Since the A321XLR will be serving thin European routes for both airlines, the configurations that American and United have selected are remarkably similar. Both airlines have opted to install 20 business class seats, along with 12 premium economy seats. The main difference is that American sells five extra economy seats on its A321XLRs, as United has installed a snack bar at the rear of the cabin, which takes up a set of three seats, while it has also blocked two exit-row seats to bring the total seat count down to 150. 1 Saudia 24 business class suites Credit: AlfonsoSM I Shutterstock Saudia has ordered 15 A321XLRs in total, and took delivery of its first example in May 2026. The airline now already has five A321XLRs in its fleet, and they're currently being used to serve thinner routes to the Maldives, Mauritius, and Europe out of the carrier's hubs in Jeddah and Riyadh. Saudia was the first customer in the Middle East to take delivery of the A321XLR, and it expects to have all 15 aircraft on property by the end of 2027. The airline installs the largest business class cabin on the A321XLR of any operator, equipping these planes with 24 business class seats. It uses the Thompson VantageSOLO, similar to Iberia. Current Narrowbody Lie-Flat Seat Models Being Used By Airlines Description Select Operators Collins Aerospace Aurora Herringbone direct aisle access lie-flat American Airlines, Air Canada Collins Aerospace Diamond Four-abreast lie-flat Copa Airlines, STARLUX Airlines Elevate Altitude Herringbone direct aisle access lie-flat United Airlines Safran VUE Reverse herringbone direct aisle access lie-flat Delta Air Lines (delayed) Stelia Opera SA Reverse herringbone direct aisle access lie-flat Etihad Airways, ITA Airways Thompson Vantage Staggered lie-flat Aer Lingus, SAS Thompson VantageSOLO Herringbone direct aisle access lie-flat Iberia, JetBlue, Saudia ​​​​​​​However, Saudia has opted for privacy doors as well as the front-row business class plus seat, similar to JetBlue. The configuration is also strikingly similar to JetBlue's layout for the A321LR, as both aircraft feature 24 business class seats and no premium economy, while JetBlue's aircraft have six fewer economy seats. Saudia has been growing, and it has an active order book of nearly 200 aircraft. Saudi Arabia is looking to attract more visitors, which it hopes to accomplish in part by expanding Saudia's operations while also starting a new full-service airline named Riyadh Air. The A321XLR plays a unique but important role in connecting the country to destinations such as Barcelona, where demand from Jeddah Airport (JED) could be low. The A321XLR enables the airline to expand its reach and relevance without committing to an expensive widebody.