How to Access American’s Flagship Lounges

Within the years earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, airways battled to supply premium passengers a superior product — within the sky in addition to on the bottom. As a part of this effort, American Airways designed the aptly named Flagship Lounges. Now in late 2021, American is step by step reopening the snazzy lounges as air journey begins a fitful return.

Together with these reopenings, vacationers now have new methods to entry the lounges. Here is a have a look at the entire methods you may entry American Airways Flagship Lounges — and why you may need to.

Flagship Lounges are American Airways’ worldwide enterprise class lounges positioned in choose hubs. These lounges supply “chef-inspired” buffet meals, self-serve liquors, premium wines and cocktail bars.

Along with grabbing a drink and a chew to eat, you may calm down in quiet rooms, watch TV in theatre-style rooms or get some work finished earlier than your flight. You may even clean up in particular person bathe suites.

American Airways constructed Flagship Lounges in 5 of its largest hubs. Two are at the moment open, with the others set to open later this 12 months.

Two areas are at the moment open:

1. New York-JFK (Terminal 8, proper after safety) — open every day from 4:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.

2. Miami (Concourse D, close to gate 30) — open every day from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Areas reopening by the tip of 2021:

• Los Angeles (Terminal 4, close to gate 40).

• Dallas-Fort Value (Terminal D, between gates D21 and D22).

• Chicago-O’Hare (between gates H6 and K6).

As well as, American Airways is at the moment constructing a Flagship Lounge in Philadelphia and plans to open a lounge in London-Heathrow sooner or later.

American Airways additionally operates a community of dozens of airport lounges referred to as Admirals Golf equipment. These areas can be found to lounge members, passengers on qualifying flights and vacationers who buy a day cross.

At Admirals Membership lounges, passengers usually have entry to free snacks and restricted alcoholic drinks. Some areas even have bathe suites, a enterprise heart and made-to-order avocado-based snacks. Admirals Membership company pay further for premium drinks and meals.

In the meantime, Flagship Lounges supply a variety of complimentary self-serve alcohol, a buffet of complimentary meals and bathe suites in all areas.

You may try an American Airways Flagship Lounge for your self one among 3 ways:

You may go to a Flagship Lounge if you happen to’re flying on a qualifying route in enterprise or firstclass on American Airways or one other Oneworld airline.

Nerdy tip: Typically, passengers aren’t in a position to convey a visitor with them into the lounge. Nonetheless, passengers in firstclass on qualifying worldwide flights can convey one visitor to the lounge.

In the event you’re flying in financial system, you should still have the ability to entry the Flagship Lounge due to your elite standing. Qualifying American AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan elites can entry the Flagship Lounge anytime they fly on any qualifying worldwide route on a Oneworld airline.

Qualifying AAdvantage and Mileage Plan elites embody:

Elites can convey one visitor with them into the Flagship Lounge.

Even higher, when you have American Airways’ invitation-only ConciergeKey standing, you may get entry to the Flagship Lounge any time you fly American Airways or different Oneworld airways. Plus, you may convey your speedy household or as much as two company.

Along with AAdvantage and Mileage Plan elite members, Emerald and Sapphire elite members of different Oneworld airways can entry Flagship Lounges. Entry is granted to you and one visitor any time you fly an American Airways or Oneworld flight, no matter which cabin you fly.

Buying a day cross is the most recent option to entry American Airways Flagship Lounges. Passengers flying on any American or Oneworld flight can buy entry to the Flagship Lounge for $150 per particular person.

Day cross entry will be restricted on account of capability and is accessible solely on the lounge the place you bought it. Since Flagship Lounges function self-serve alcohol, you may have to be at the very least 21 to buy a day cross to the Flagship Lounge.

American Airways affords an much more unique and refined expertise: Flagship First Eating. These unique eating places are positioned inside choose Flagship Lounges and are restricted to American’s most beneficial passengers.

Similar to at a flowery sit-down restaurant, passengers are seated at tables and order chef-prepared meals from a printed menu. Meals are complemented by high-end liquors and top-tier Krug Champagne.

American constructed Flagship First Eating eating places in 4 of its hub airports:

3. Dallas-Fort Value; reopening by the tip of 2021.

4. Los Angeles; reopening in 2022.

Entry to Flagship First Eating is not open to everybody. You may usually have to be flying in American’s Flagship First Class to qualify. Nonetheless, American additionally has agreements with a number of of its companions to supply this sit-down eating to pick passengers.

To entry Flagship First Eating as an American Airways passenger, you may have to be flying Flagship First Class on qualifying worldwide or transcontinental flights.

American Airways affords Flagship First Class on two of its plane solely: The Boeing 777-300ER on worldwide flights and Airbus A321T on home transcontinental flights.

American Airways at the moment operates Flagship First Class on the next transcontinental routes:

• New York-JFK and Los Angeles.

• New York-JFK and San Francisco.

• New York-JFK and Orange County (Airbus A321T plane solely).

• Los Angeles and Boston (Airbus A321T plane solely).

• Los Angeles and Miami (Boeing 777-300 plane solely).

Qualifying worldwide flights are restricted to first-class flights between the U.S. and Asia, Europe, Australia and South America. In the event you’re flying on a qualifying worldwide route, you may convey one visitor with you into Flagship First Eating. No company are allowed for Flagship First Class passengers on transcontinental routes.

Along with qualifying American vacationers, qualifying passengers on three airways also can entry Flagship First Eating. However the guidelines are particular for every associate.

Cathay Pacific firstclass passengers departing from New York-JFK can entry Flagship First Eating. This contains passengers which can be connecting in different U.S. airports on their option to Hong Kong. Though Cathay Pacific additionally operates first-class flights to Los Angeles, solely the New York-JFK location is roofed by this settlement.

Equally, British Airways firstclass passengers also can entry Flagship First Eating. Nonetheless, entry is accessible solely in Dallas-Fort Value and Miami for first-class passengers on nonstop flights to London-Heathrow. Passengers departing from different airports with Flagship First Eating (New York-JFK and Los Angeles) do not qualify.

Japan Airways additionally companions with American Airways to supply qualifying passengers entry to Flagship First Eating. Nonetheless, not like American’s partnership with Cathay Pacific and British Airways, the Japan Airways settlement is not cabin-specific. As an alternative, entry is just granted to sure VIP passengers.

To get VIP remedy all through your journey, American Airways first and enterprise class passengers can buy 5 Star Choose service. Along with the various different perks, 5 Star Choose clients get entry to the Flagship Lounge and — in choose lounges— Flagship First Eating.

However this selection does not come low cost: 5 Star Choose is $650 for the primary passenger plus $150 for every further grownup and $75 per youngster age 17 or youthful.

After a protracted closure, American Airways is reopening its Flagship Lounges. Along with getting entry by qualifying flights and/or elite standing, American is now making Flagship Lounges accessible to anybody who’s keen to pay for the entry.

The reopening of Flagship Lounges marks a major improve to the bottom expertise for qualifying American Airways and Oneworld passengers. And as all of us lengthy for a return to normalcy, we will respect this step in the appropriate route.

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