For many road warriors, the idea of a transatlantic single-aisle flight does not conjure images of relaxation and comfort, and I recall one very long trip from Atlanta to Paris in the back row (that didn't recline) of a Boeing 757, and that flight seemed to go on forever. 

But that was back when single-aisle aircraft (e.g., the B737, A320, or B757) did not match up well from a cost-per-seat mile perspective with their twin-aisle counterparts (e.g., the B777, B787, A350, A330, etc.), and that paradigm has been broken with the introduction into service of the Airbus A321XLR.  

Thanks to the innovative turbine engine and air frame technology embedded in the A321XLR, airlines will be able to profitably operate transatlantic routes year-round while offering passengers creature comforts previously only found on twin-aisle aircraft. In the past, some transatlantic city pairs have been seasonal due to cyclical demand, making off-season travel inconvenient and expensive, but with new technology coming to market, the seasonality will gradually be eliminated in many cities.

The impact of this emergent technology will be subtle and take time to manifest itself in the market due to relatively limited production, but, rest assured, this trend is here to stay.  

Travelers will see new routes open up because they are now financially viable compared to the constraints of utilizing previously available technology. This is so-called “route fragmentation,” during which primary routes are broken up or cannibalized by new routes, and service is added to multiple city pairs, resulting in more convenient, direct access to smaller markets.  

This will also help alleviate overcrowding at major hub airports. Route fragmentation will also mean reliance on smaller aircraft, which can be operated profitably on less dense routes, whereas twin-aisle aircraft cannot, supporting single-aisle production rate increases while putting downward pressure on twin-aisle rates.  The trend toward smaller aircraft has been here for more than a decade, and, with the entry into service of the A321XLR, it will accelerate and become more pronounced.

I'm looking forward to booking a transatlantic flight on an A321XLR to see how it measures up to the usual twin-aisle aircraft experience.