At long last, American Airlines has set a date for the debut of its newest, premium-heavy plane.

Just before the holidays, the Fort Worth-based carrier will inaugurate service on its first-ever Airbus A321XLR, a single-aisle aircraft that will sport its newest-generation Flagship Suites — along with a bona fide premium economy cabin and the fuel efficiency required to criss-cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Anticipated since American first placed its order for 50 of the XLR jets in the late 2010s, American on Wednesday took delivery of its first such aircraft, which arrived to the airline’s Texas headquarters from Airbus’ facility in Hamburg, Germany.

The plane will officially enter service on Dec. 18, when it flies nonstop from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural flight — and all flights the aircraft operate through Feb. 11.

And seats look to be in high demand; business-class suites on the Dec. 18 inaugural flight were sold out, at first check Thursday. Front-cabin award tickets on the second westward flight, on Dec. 19, were going for 105,000 AAdvantage miles.

American will be the first U.S. airline to debut the A321XLR, which first entered the global market with Spain’s Iberia last November.

And it’ll seriously up American’s premium game — both domestically and, eventually, on the international stage.

“Whether customers are traveling from coast to coast or across the ocean, American’s newest aircraft demonstrates our commitment to providing a premium travel experience,” Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden said in a statement Thursday.

On board American’s new Airbus A321XLR

On board, American’s new XLR sports 20 of the airline’s brand-new Flagship Suites, complete with sliding privacy doors — the same concept that the carrier debuted in June on its newest Boeing “787-9P” Dreamliner.

Behind those suites, travelers will find 12 premium economy recliners featuring winged headrests and cocktail trays, reminiscent of a domestic first-class seat.

Those premium economy seats will complement 123 seats in the main cabin.

All throughout, the cabin features the new color palette that first appeared earlier this year on its 787-9P — as shown in photos shared by the airline Thursday. You’ll see the lighter blue seat coverings with brown leather accents in each cabin — and the carrier’s emblem displayed more prominently.

As for that more premium-heavy configuration on this narrow-body plane? American will deploy on its most premium routes.

From the outset, the XLR will operate top transcontinental routes currently served by American’s outgoing Airbus A321T. (We should note, unlike the A321T, these XLRs will not have Flagship First, a cabin American is sunsetting).

By next year, the airline expects to deploy the plane on international routes — from Europe to South America. Last fall, American’s top network planner told me he expects the aircraft to open up new long-haul destinations the airline can’t justify serving with a larger Boeing 777 or 787 Dreamliner.

Bottom line

News of American’s first XLR delivery came on the same day the carrier announced more big plans for its fleet. Executives on Thursday revealed the carrier will retrofit its biggest long-haul workhorse, the Boeing 777-200ER, with all-new interiors — including the airline’s new Flagship suite concept.

Meanwhile, the carrier is also planning to update its larger 777-300ERs with the new suites and cabin aesthetic.

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