- Introduction: LAX-ORD-JFK-LAX
- Mini-Review: Virgin America First Class Los Angeles To Chicago
- Review: Four Points By Sheraton Chicago O’Hare Airport
- Review: American Flagship Lounge Chicago O’Hare Airport
- Review: American Flagship First Dining JFK Airport
- Review: American First Class A321 New York To Los Angeles
American is in the process of revamping their international lounge experience, including creating new Flagship Lounges. American’s Flagship Lounges used to just be open to international first class and oneworld Emerald passengers, while now they’re also open to international business class and oneworld Sapphire passengers, which hopefully translates into a better experience for a lot more passengers.
American kicked off these changes with their newly refurbished Flagship Lounge in New York JFK, and the second lounge is in Chicago. That lounge opened last week. Later this year American should be opening Flagship Lounges in Los Angeles and Miami, and in 2018 they should be opening Flagship Lounges in Dallas, London, and Philadelphia.
As a reminder, the following passengers have access to Flagship Lounges:
- Passengers traveling in oneworld longhaul international first and business class same day
- Passengers traveling in first class and business class on American’s premium transcontinental routes, including from New York to Los Angeles, New York to San Francisco, and Miami to Los Angeles
- American Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members traveling on a longhaul international itinerary, regardless of the class of service
- All non-American AAdvantage oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members traveling on any oneworld flight, even if it’s domestic
I had the chance to check out the lounge this past Thursday, and wanted to report back on my experience. I arrived at the airport before 6AM, and my flight was only at noon, so I had the chance to check out both the breakfast and lunch spread in the lounge.
The American Flagship Lounge Chicago is open daily from 5AM until 10PM, and is located in the same area as the Admirals Club.
When you clear security at O’Hare you’ll want to follow the signage towards the H & K concourses.
Chicago O’Hare Terminal 3
Once you walk down the long corridor with the flags, you’ll see that the H and K concourse split off in a “V” shape. You can go either way, because the lounges are in an area that connects the two concourses.
Chicago O’Hare Terminal 3
The Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge share an entrance, so at the reception desk you’ll be sent to the appropriate lounge.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago exterior
American Flagship Lounge Chicago entrance
At check-in I was given an invitation to the Flagship Lounge, and on the back of the card the agent wrote “1,” which I’m guessing refers to the fact that I was traveling alone and didn’t have any guests.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago invitation
With my invitation in hand, I headed towards the elevators — the Flagship Lounge is located on the second floor, while the Admirals Club is located on the third floor.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago elevators
Once I got to the second floor there was an agent standing in front of the door to take my invitation, and then she let me through the door and into the lounge. It’s a bit of a weird system, but I guess that’s the only way they can properly control access to the lounge.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago entrance
The first great thing is that the new Flagship Lounge is huge, at roughly 17,000 square feet. In the morning it was almost completely empty, while it started to fill up mid-morning, ahead of several flights departing to Asia.
To give you a sense of the layout of the lounge, it’s in a rectangular shape, though the lounge consists of several smaller rooms to make it feel more private. Along the interior wall of the lounge is a long hallway that connects the various rooms.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago hallway
In this area was a display with plenty of magazines and newspapers.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare reading materials
The entire length of the lounge has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gate area, and runway in the distance. I love a lounge with good views, and that’s an area where the Flagship Lounge most definitely delivers.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare view
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare view
Inside the entrance to the lounge and to the right is a customer service desk, should you need help with any reservations, etc.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare customer service
The room just inside the entrance is also the most colorful, and I actually wish the rest of the lounge was designed in a similar way.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
To the right of that room is the largest single area of the lounge, and I really appreciate the variety of seating options they have, from communal tables, to workstations along the windows, to more traditional lounge seating.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
There are several smaller rooms along the main corridor.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seating
Further into the lounge was a quiet area. Not surprisingly I was the only person in there prior to the daytime flight to London, but as passengers for the Tokyo flight started to arrive, it became the most popular room in the lounge. 😉
American Flagship Lounge Chicago quiet area
American Flagship Lounge Chicago quiet area
On the opposite side of the above quiet area was another area with five reclined seats. I do wish American had gone with more comfortable loungers here, because these seats simply aren’t that comfortable for relaxing. It would have been nice if they instead had some some semi-private daybeds, and maybe even had pillows and blankets (then again, I realize people would probably steal those, so…).
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare quiet area
Past the quiet area was a media room, which had a couple of dozen seats in it. It would have been kind of cool if they had gone with a much larger TV, rather than just the two standard wall-mounted TVs. But then again, I’m not the target market for that — I hate TVs in lounges.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago media room
American Flagship Lounge Chicago media room
American was really thoughtful in terms of their placement of power outlets, which all too often isn’t the case. They had both 110v and USB chargers. I was also impressed that many of the leather chairs had ottomans that could be pulled out from underneath the seats.
American Flagship Lounge Chicago seats with ottomans
All of the above seating was inside the entrance and to the right, while to the left was the dining area and some more seating. This included an area with the below semi-private seating arrangements, which I’m a fan of.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare seating
The dining area was large, with plenty of dining tables and communal tables.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare dining area
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare dining area
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare dining area
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare dining area
That’s also where the buffet was located.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare buffet
The lounge had several drink stations throughout. On the far right of the lounge was an area with water and an espresso machine, with both mugs and to-go cups.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare drink station
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare espresso machine
There was another station with fresh fruit, candy, soft drinks, and the specialty cocktail, which I believe changes throughout the day.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare drink station
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare snacks
In the morning it was a “create your own bloody mary” station. I love the concept of this, as they really go all out in terms of the ingredients you can use to prepare a drink to your liking.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare bloody mary station
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare bloody mary station
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare bloody mary station
The main food & drink selection was of course near the dining area. The centerpiece of that was a beautiful self serve wine display.
Hey, I’ve gotta give American credit for serving Bollinger — that stuff isn’t cheap, and I heard corks pop faster than in a rap music video. Seriously, kudos to American… I’m curious to see how long that lasts.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare Bollinger champagne
There was also a decent selection of both red and white wine.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare wine selection
On the opposite side of the room was the impressive self serve liquor selection.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare liquor selection
There was also one of those fancy Coke soda fountains that serves dozens of different varieties of Coke products. Then there was a fridge with beer, water, and soft drinks. Big kudos to American for serving San Pellegrino — now if only they’d serve it onboard!
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare drinks
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare drinks
In addition to an espresso machine, there was also La Colombe drip coffee. Personally I prefer that to most of the stuff that comes out of machines, so I was happy they had that option as well.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare dining area
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare coffee
Breakfast was served until 11AM, and the selection was impressive. I’ll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast selection
In addition to the above, there’s a custom made crepe station, with a “chef” on hand. Apparently what they serve rotates throughout the day. I love the concept, and you could choose whether you wanted a savory or sweet crepe.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare crepes
However, I felt like the execution could have been a bit better. The crepes were already pre-made, so really the “chef” just heated the crepe for a moment, and then put the toppings on top. When I ordered one early in the morning the lounge was still empty, so I felt like they could have made the crepe on the spot, and it would have tasted better. Then again, I get that the lounge filled up quite a bit later, so I guess the priority is being able to make them efficiently.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast crepe
In addition to the crepe, I had some eggs and a (tiny) yogurt parfait.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare breakfast
At 11AM the lunch selection was brought out, and the spread was equally impressive. I’ll once again let the pictures speak for themselves.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
There was also a small dessert selection.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch selection
I had some salmon, potatoes, and the delicious spicy tofu curry dish.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare lunch
I was impressed by the quality of the food, and everything was flavorful. I was also impressed by them always making sure they had enough of every dish. The lounge filled up around 10AM and a dozen people were constantly grazing the buffet, yet I never saw an empty dish.
In terms of the lounge’s other features, there are six shower suites.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare shower rooms
These are really nice shower suites, and each room has a rainforest showerhead, a toilet, sink, etc.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare shower room
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare shower room
Toiletries were provided by CO Bigelow.
American Flagship Lounge O’Hare CO Bigelow toiletries
American Flagship Lounge Chicago bottom line
Overall I was very impressed by American’s Flagship Lounge Chicago. Let’s start with the positives.
The lounge is large, and I don’t think crowding will ever be a major issue, unlike in the Flagship Lounge at JFK. The lounge is well designed, has lots of different seating zones, and has great shower suites. I also love the amount of natural light that the lounge gets. The drink selection in the lounge is fantastic, especially that they serve Bollinger champagne. The food selection is great as well.
To share a few of the negatives, I will say that I think the decor of the lounge is a bit boring. A few of the seating areas have a cool design, though most of the rooms feel no different than an Admirals Club, so I feel like that was a missed opportunity. However, the fact that the lounge is spacious and has lots of natural light largely makes up for that. I also wish that the lounge had proper workstations/cubicles, rather than just communal tables.
Overall this is such a huge improvement over the old Flagship Lounge in Chicago, which was my least favorite one in the system. So it’s great that this lounge is not only an improvement, but that so many more people have access to it without diminishing the experience.
Well done, American! Once again, these Flagship Lounges are some of the best airport lounges domestically.
blows away every T5 lounge at ORD
If I'm connecting off a BA Club World flight and connecting onto a domestic American flight (so going LHR-ORD-TYS) if I show my boarding pass for the LHR-ORD sector will I be able to gain access?
Sitting in the flagship lounge ORD right now and the bollingers gone! replaced with a much smaller selection of champagne delamotte
Would a AA platinum member connecting to Etihad on a J ticket have access to the Flagship Lounge, or no since Etihad is not OneWorld?
Do they still have the air side shuttle bus that will transport you from the Flagship area to T5? Did that last time after arriving from DFW, great not having to go through security again. But we were required to be in T5 very early prior to CX to HKG and sitting over there for any length of time was torture.
The Flagship lounge is awesome! Just came in from Shanghai and had 4 hours to kill before my connection. I had a very tasty meal, some really good wine and even showered...these showers are spa quality showers. Feel so much better getting on my connecting flight! Thanks AA!
"Bollinger — that stuff isn’t cheap, and I heard corks pop faster than in a rap music video" HA!
@Frank - tell him he's dreamin'...
@schar - essentially, an Admiral's Club is a bog-standard lounge that you can earn OR buy your way into even in Y &/or without any elite status, whilst the Flagship Lounges are intended more as an elevated level of lounge that are solely for premium cabin (J/F) and elite status (OW Sapphire/Emerald) customers only.
When traveling economy on AA, does Priority Pass (Chase Reserve card privilege) allow access to this lounge?
It's a very good lounge. Not on the same level as The Pier, obviously, but certainly a bit better than The Wing and The Bridge. I'd even give it the nod over the Sakura Lounge at NRT (curry beef notwithstanding).
There are times when this lounge gets extremely busy. I was there on a Sunday afternoon a week ago and it was absolutely packed. No issues getting a shower or a place to sit (luckily), but it was the busiest I've seen it.
@randy
Marco Polo Silver is Oneword Ruby so would NOT have access to the flagship lounge when flying CX economy or premium economy.
Kudos to AA this lounge looks like a big improvement and I love Bollinger!
Excellent photos as usual. Based on them I would give this AA lounge a 2.5 out of 5. The lighting is ghastly, harsh, glaring mercury vapor like in a non-descript office - along with that corridor entrance which gives the feeling of entering a cold corporate cave; very uninviting, even intimidating! The furnishings look cold, sterile and void of comfort and colours that could help to mute the overall cheap minimalist style. I prefer a...
Excellent photos as usual. Based on them I would give this AA lounge a 2.5 out of 5. The lighting is ghastly, harsh, glaring mercury vapor like in a non-descript office - along with that corridor entrance which gives the feeling of entering a cold corporate cave; very uninviting, even intimidating! The furnishings look cold, sterile and void of comfort and colours that could help to mute the overall cheap minimalist style. I prefer a First lounge like CX in Hong Kong which has a tastefully decorated and comfortable home/living room feel.
@williamc whats the difference between admiral club and flagship lounge then?
@Hiro:
You do realize this is a Flagship Lounge, not an Admiral's Club?
Not sure you can compare the United Club at T7 in LAX to this.
The admittance to the Flagship Lounge cannot be purchased via membership.
Pretty good for an american-based airline. Not bad.
@Lucky
Is there a room for children by chance?
Bleh! Although I appreciate AA's ensuring that the new Flagship Lounge is spacious enough to prevent overcrowding, it otherwise looks incredibly sterile and uninspired compared to the ORD Polaris Lounge. The seating is straight out of a dentist's waiting room.
@Richard G
Hi Richard,
BA flies out of T5 while AA flies out of T3 where this lounge is located. You can get to T3 from T5 by taking the landside ATS and then clearing security at T3. The TSA agents may ask you why you are in this terminal, but just say it is for accessing a particular lounge. You can then head to the Flagship Lounge.
As you are a BA Executive Club...
@Richard G
Hi Richard,
BA flies out of T5 while AA flies out of T3 where this lounge is located. You can get to T3 from T5 by taking the landside ATS and then clearing security at T3. The TSA agents may ask you why you are in this terminal, but just say it is for accessing a particular lounge. You can then head to the Flagship Lounge.
As you are a BA Executive Club Gold Member, you have oneworld Emerald status. This gets you and a guest flying on ANY same-day oneworld flight into the Flagship Lounge, even if it was a domestic flight.
@Jacob McCarthy
Thanks! I'm surprised that it's even possible. Got to love this site for knowledgeable posters!
Ben, I am a reader of your blog who is blind. I enjoy reading your reviews, specifically because of how generally how descriptive they are. However, on occasion, you tend to rely too heavily on pictures. For example, in this review, you have inserted pictures of the various food options at the lounge and there is no description of the actual food items, except for the crêpes. I would really appreciate it if, in addition...
Ben, I am a reader of your blog who is blind. I enjoy reading your reviews, specifically because of how generally how descriptive they are. However, on occasion, you tend to rely too heavily on pictures. For example, in this review, you have inserted pictures of the various food options at the lounge and there is no description of the actual food items, except for the crêpes. I would really appreciate it if, in addition to the pictures, you could outline what options are available, and whether, from looking at the food, how appetising it appears.Similarly, in your flight reports, instead of taking a picture of the menu, could you list what is on the menu, because, as this would be text, it would be easier for people who are blind to read.Apart from this, I really like your reviews.
The liquor selection loooks good in general but they’ve really downgraded the Japanese choices. The sake is vastly inferior and there didnt appear to be any shochu at all. Both were pretty reasonable in the old flagship space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcaeyJTx4Co
Take a look at this.
@neil - Looks like Anti-Hero IPA from Revolution in there, but agree that only one local beer is a disappointment.
Lucky,
La Colombe is a Philly institution and is now the official coffee of all AA lounges, not just the ones in cities where they have cafes (Philly, Boston, NY, Chicago, DC, LA). Welcome to the cult ;) There's one in Century City and one in Beverly Hills if you feel like a fix outside of the airport.
Brain not engaged... completely forgot this would be behind security. Oh well!
So Lucky, Flagship or Polaris, as far as lounges go?
Actually, I found the info... and not the same terminal terminal as BA. That's a shame. I wonder if I could pop over and use it anyway? :D
Two quick questions...
1. Is this in the same terminal as BA fly out of?
2. Assuming 1 is the case, if I wanted to use this lounge as a Gold BA Executive club member (but flying say, premium economy with BA), would I be able to take a guest in? My assumption would be no... but no harm in asking!
Beer selection looked disappointing - way too many bottle of domestic swill for an international crowd. How about showing off some of the local Chicago brews.
Thank you, Polaris for forcing AA to do this.
AA really doesn't give a crap about us in DFW do they? It's supposed to be the headquarters of the company but all we have is the tiny little room called Flagship dining where you have to ask to get drinks and there aren't even tvs to watch.
Looks so much better Vs the older First class lounge.
Im guessing Miami is next?
Love it! Can't wait to use it in my flight next month to CDG! Great review!
The food does look impressive -- particularly compared to what you'll likely get on board :D Although, while the "crepes" were a nice concept, the fillings are meant to go inside, not on top. That AA has put together something both crepe-like and edible is commendable.
Hi Lucky!
For JFK, I know Cathay uses the American flagship/admirals lounge. For a silver member traveling economy on Cathay, do you know if the lounge access would be to the flagship or admirals lounge?
I know that business class on Cathay automatically has flagship access, but I wasn't sure about silver marco polo members. Thanks!
It is truly an excellent lounge and I agree with Lucky! Well done with the review!
Wow, this looks great, actually better than the JFK one assuming you don't have access to the Flagship First Dining there. JFK is a total zoo around the time of the evening flights leaving for Europe, with very few empty seats and far too many people FaceTiming.
Puts BA's lounge in the other terminal (which actually has international F passengers using it) to shame.
Compared to what I have seen from AA and other airline domestic lounges in the past this looks like an improvement.
What a huge difference in food spread compared to United Club Lounge at LAX T7!
A lot different than that Crap Polaris lounge at Ord.
Never again will I waste a dollar on that mess.