Mini-Suites

At Fort Worth, Texas-based American, new Airbus A321 single-aisle jets entering the fleet in November are being modified for transcontinental service. They will have 10 mini suites with flat-bed seats, 20 fully flat business-class seats and 36 coach seats with extra legroom. There will be only 36 traditional coach seats.

“You can tell quickly that this aircraft was not configured for leisure travelers,” Vahidi said.

Other coddling is available as well. Atlanta-based Delta pours Veuve du Vernay Brut sparkling wine from France’s Bordeaux region for its business/first passengers, along with premium California offerings such as Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc.

The market for high-dollar passengers is so tempting that even JetBlue is breaking with a tradition of all-coach service. It’s adding premium seats on A321s entering transcontinental routes next year, Chief Commercial Officer Robin Hayes said.

Moving Up

“Our No. 1 target is customers who are already flying JetBlue today, but we don’t always carry them on the transcon,” Hayes said in an interview. New York-based JetBlue hasn’t given details of its plans.

Virgin America, the low-fare carrier part-owned by Richard Branson and known for touches such as white leather seats and mood lighting, is considering upgrading cross-country food and entertainment, Chief Executive Officer David Cush said. Burlingame, California-based Virgin America doesn’t have lie- flat beds and isn’t planning to add them.

“The main thing I care about is how comfortable is the seat and are we on time,” said Jeff Straebler, managing director for aerospace in the bonds and corporate finance group at John Hancock Financial Services in Boston and a veteran of dozens of New York-Los Angeles flights.

That view was echoed by travelers such as Biagas, the sports agent, and Jay Levy, 32, co-founder and partner at New York-based venture capital firm Zelkova Ventures. He goes cross country every other week, usually on Delta or Virgin America, for trips that include checkups on his new California wine label, Uproot Wines.