Airbus' A321XLR is about to launch. See what to expect on board the first airlines to fly the jet, like Qantas and American.

According to Airbus, the A321XLR is 30% more efficient than competing previous-generation narrowbodies. The plane can carry up to 220 people in two classes and, thanks to its extra fuel tank, can fly up to 5,400 miles or 11 hours nonstop.

Its predecessor, the A321LR, could carry 206 people with a 4,600-mile range.

After Iberia officially inaugurates the A321XLR into service in November, carriers including American, Qantas, United, JetBlue, IndiGo, Air Canada, and Wizz Air are expected to follow in 2025 and beyond.

The A321XLR's versatile capacity and extended range make it ideal for lower-demand markets that would be otherwise inefficient with a widebody or previously unreachable with other narrowbodies used across the Atlantic.

This concept is not new, with airlines like JetBlue and United having flown the A321LR and Boeing 757 on niche routes across the Atlantic for years. However, the A321XLR variant will give airlines a more efficient replacement for existing routes and open more options than before.

Air Canada and United have both expressed interest in using the A321XLR to connect North America to Africa and to far-away destinations across Europe, such as Scandinavia, France, and Italy.

"We use the 757 to fly to smaller markets like Tenerife, Spain, and Reykjavik," United's SVP of global network planning and alliances, Patrick Quayle, told Business Insider in August. "The 757 is getting a bit uneconomic, but we want to continue flying to these cities, and the A321XLR is longer-ranged and has much better fuel burn and maintenance costs."

Beyond these expected long-haul routes, American suggested in March that its A321XLRs could connect smaller markets like Raleigh, North Carolina, nonstop to London.

A former executive of lost-cost carrier IndiGo, Willy Boulter, said in 2021 that the XLR could fill the gaps in flying between Indian cities and Europe and Asia, pointing to options such as Beijing, Seoul, and Amsterdam.

Airbus has designed its "customer-centric" A321XLR Cabin with bigger overhead compartments, versatile seat configurations, calming mood lighting, and a low cabin altitude of 6,000 that the planemaker says helps reduce jet lag.

The plane also boasts larger windows and enhances the working environment for pilots and cabin crew.

Middle Eastern carrier Saudia announced its seats for the A321XLR in 2023. The airline said the lie-flat seats will offer 18-inch screens and a door.

Economy will also get new seats called the z400 with a 13-inch screen and "generous recline."

JetBlue already uses the same seats, made by Thompson Aero, across the Atlantic, and it's possibly the same seat Iberia chose for its A321XLRs.

Quayle said United's 50-strong A321XLR order won't be as premium heavy as some of its Boeing 767 planes, but it will get a new lie-flat Polaris cabin that is an upgrade from the aging business class on its Boeing 757s.

"These smaller markets simply don't have the premium flatbed demand that Singapore, Cape Town, or London has," he said. "We're matching the right airplane to the attributes of the market."

The Executive Traveller reported in September 2023 that United's A321XLRs would also have a premium-economy cabin.

American's new Flagship Suites will debut on its Boeing 787 and its A321XLR aircraft and be retrofitted onto its Boeing 777-300ER jets. The new suite features lie-flat seats, a sliding door for privacy, and the other regular bells and whistles of long-haul business class.

The A321XLR, of which American has ordered 50, will have 20 pod-like business seats in a 1×1 configuration and 12 premium economy seats in a 2×2 layout.

American said the upgraded premium-economy cabin is designed with more space and privacy, including a bigger recliner and seatback screen, headrest wings, and double storage space.

Mark Nasr, Air Canada's EVP of marketing and digital, told the Executive Traveller in 2023 that the company had developed a brand new "Signature" business cabin for its XLRs.

"Those aircraft will feature 14 Signature Class suites in a 1x1 layout — so that's all-aisle access, obviously — and these will be private flatbed suites," he said but did not comment on if they will have a door.

Nasr said premium economy would not be installed on the XLR, but regular coach would have a mix of standard and extra-legroom seats.

Unlike many of its mainline competitors, Qantas' A321XLR cabin will not have lie-flat seats. Instead, it will have 20 loungers in a 2×2 layout in business class and 177 seats in a 3×3 layout in economy.

The planes won't have a seatback screen either, meaning passengers must bring their own pre-downloaded content or tap into Qantas' entertainment app on their own device.

Qantas said the planes would replace Boeing 737 routes and open up a "wider range of direct domestic and short-haul international routes," like to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The Executive Traveller reported that the flights will still be around the five-hour mark, and that is why Qantas stuck to the more traditional narrowbody layout.

The A321XLR's 220-passenger capacity increases to 244 in an all-economy configuration — and many budget airlines are expected to go for the more cramped layout.

Wizz Air, for example, already flies a no-frills A321neo on long and short routes, with some treks exceeding six hours. The airline relies on ancillary revenue from things like bags and food but sells barebones seats at a low price, and its no-frills strategy keeps fares cheap.

Other low-cost A321XLR buyers, like Air Arabia, VietJet, and Chile's Sky Airline — the latter hoping to use the jet to fly to the US — will more than likely also boast economy-only planes.

JetBlue is a low-cost US airline that operates like a mainline carrier across the Atlantic. Its Airbus narrowbody planes have economy seats with 32 inches of pitch and fully private business class VantageSOLO suites.

The airline plans to install the same pod-style business class, called Mint, on its A321XLRs — the complete opposite of its low-cost counterparts.

In November, citing unnamed airline sources, the Economic Times of India reported that IndiGo's A321XLR fleet is also expected to have business class — ditching its typical all-economy planes. Adding premium cabins would make the budget airline more competitive with mainline options like Air India.

Although flights are just over two months away, Iberia has yet to release photos of what passengers can expect on board the world's first A321XLR commercial flight.

A May press release revealed some details about the planned A321XLR cabin, including 14 lie-flat seats up front and 168 seats in economy. Business class will be in a 1×1 layout, providing direct aisle access for all passengers. The entire cabin will boast Bluetooth-capable televisions, USB A and C charging ports, plentiful storage, and headrests.

"One of the great innovations of the A321XLR is to operate transoceanic routes with a single-aisle aircraft, offering a premium service at the same level as that of our A330 or A350," Iberia said on its website.

In June, X user Ryan Ma posted a screenshot of the Thompson Aero seat with Iberia branding, saying it was of the "321XLR interior on [Iberia's] booking loading screen."

Iberia did not immediately respond to BI's request for more information about its new business class.