American Airlines Drops First Class on 777-300ERs - Thoughts?

So, American Airlines just rolled out their revamped Boeing 777-300ER, and guess what? No more first class. They're totally ditching it. This plane now has 70 business class suites, 44 premium economy seats, and 30 extra-legroom economy spots. It flew its first route from New York to Buenos Aires on September 2nd.

I kinda get why they're doing it. First class is super pricey to maintain and fill up, and let's be real, business class has gotten pretty fancy these days. But I'm curious about what this means long-term. Are they focusing more on business travelers now? Seems like it. Premium economy is also pretty popular these days, so maybe that's part of their strategy too.

But I wonder if this is the right move. Do you think other airlines will follow suit and ditch first class? Or maybe this is just American Airlines trying to streamline their offerings? I'm not sure how frequent flyers are going to feel about this. Anyone here flown on the new setup yet? Would love to hear what you think about the changes!

I think it's a smart move by American Airlines. First class was always a niche market, and business class nowadays offers almost the same luxury but at a lower cost for the airline. Plus, with the rise in premium economy demand, it makes sense to allocate more space there. I wonder how this will affect their competitors though. If others follow, first class might become a rare find. Anyone know if United or Delta are considering something similar?