In late May American debuted their new premium lounges at JFK. Specifically, American opened their newly refurbished Flagship Lounge, which can be accessed by international first & business class passengers, oneworld Emerald & Sapphire members traveling internationally, as well as those traveling nonstop in business class to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
American’s new Flagship Lounge JFK
This lounge represents a nice improvement over the old Flagship Lounge. Not only is the food & drink selection significantly better, but a lot more people have access to the lounge than before.
American also opened their new Flagship First Dining at JFK, which is open to American international first class flyers, as well as those traveling in three cabin first class to Los Angeles and San Francisco. It’s hands down the most impressive lounge facility offered by any US airline.
In September American opened their new Flagship Lounge in Chicago, which impressed me as well. We’ve known that American plans to open Flagship Lounges in Miami and Los Angeles this year, and in Dallas, Philadelphia, and London next year.
American’s new Flagship Lounge Chicago
A couple of weeks ago we learned that American is targeting a November opening date for their Flagship Lounge Miami, which is their next Flagship Lounge to open. We now have a more exact date when that will happen, following a media event they had for the lounge last night.
American’s Flagship Lounge & Flagship First Dining Miami are expected to open on Tuesday, November 21, 2017. American’s new Flagship Lounge Miami will be huge, at around 29,000 square feet, with seating for 475 people. As a point of comparison, American’s Flagship Lounge Chicago is about 17,000 square feet, so this one will be significantly larger. Then again, that’s probably needed, since a lot of passengers will have access to the lounge, and especially given how many flights American has to South America out of Miami.
This new lounge is a huge improvement for premium American flyers out of Miami, given that they haven’t had a Flagship Lounge for years (the one in Miami closed many years ago for a “renovation,” but was never reopened).
As a reminder, the following passengers will have access to the Miami Flagship Lounge:
- Passengers traveling in oneworld first and business class same day to Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City, New Zealand, and South America
- Passengers traveling in first class and business class on American’s premium transcontinental route from Miami to Los Angeles
- American Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members traveling same day to Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City, New Zealand, and South America, 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
Meanwhile Flagship First Dining will be available to passengers traveling in American’s 777-300ER first class, which is presently available on select flights to Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, and Sao Paulo. Accessing this Flagship First Dining in Miami will be a bit tougher than accessing the one at JFK, since there American’s A321T flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco qualify for access.
I hope to have a review of the facility as soon as it opens (in general I shy away from the media events, since I’d rather get a realistic look at what the lounge is like when in operation), though I still have to figure out how I’ll access the Flagship First Dining. Maybe I’ll actually have to go to Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, or Sao Paulo?
Anyone excited to check out American’s new Flagship Lounge in Miami?
(Tip of the hat to @jmmccarthy2002)
As of 12/28, MIA to LAX 1st class will not be allowed in the Flagship lounge. I booked an MIA to LAX 1st class tkt in Nov specifically so I could experience the lounge. I stopped by the lounge when I arrived in MIA on 1/6 to make sure I had access. I was told that I did not qualify.
The next day I called the Admirals Club and explained that I booked my...
As of 12/28, MIA to LAX 1st class will not be allowed in the Flagship lounge. I booked an MIA to LAX 1st class tkt in Nov specifically so I could experience the lounge. I stopped by the lounge when I arrived in MIA on 1/6 to make sure I had access. I was told that I did not qualify.
The next day I called the Admirals Club and explained that I booked my flight thru LAX specifically so I could visit the lounge. They explained that an email went out on 12/28 that changed the policy. After a 10 min hold, the representative told me that they verified the date of my tkt purchase and would honor my access to the lounge. I was very surprised and grateful for the response.
I had about an hour in the lounge prior to my flight. I was totally impressed with the facility and experience. The food, service and open bar were great. No crowds!!! Pity I’ll only get access to this club on int’l flights as an EXP. It will be hard to settle for the regular Admirals club after experiencing the Flagship lounge.
@Joan
The Premium Lounge still shows open in Terminal E on oneworld.com (Daily: 06:00 - 22:30). I have no word on if this lounge will close. Normal OW access rules (www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access) apply to this lounge (Considered a business class lounge). Also, Admirals Club members departing from E (Not D) can access it.
Lucky,
Is that cavernous joint airline "Premium Lounge" still in Terminal E?
If so...what are the access requirements.
Thanks,
Joan
What about those traveling first or business with no status to Europe from MIA via JFK. Do you get to access the both flagship Lounges in MIA and in JFK
MIA is my home airport so I'm looking forward to it!
PHEW....
long time EP booked MIA to LHR 11/22
excited ? yes
can photo & review .. what do you need ?
AA used to offer a 1x daily 777w between MIA-LAX. They don’t now but I imagine they will bring it back when it works for their utilization. When they do have it. Unlike DFW-LAX. All 3 classes are sold including first and first is the same service on the 77W at the A321T so they would get f class dinning
What a shame I'll be passing through twice soon, both times in on AA, but out on BA/LA. I assume I won't be able to use a lounge in the "wrong" concourse?
The page you link to on the AA Flagship Lounge site no longer has LAX-MIA listed. I'm also shopping for a flight from MIA-LAX next Feb and only one of the eight flights that day has lie-flat seats (and its only a 2-class 777). Are you sure that MIA-LAX and vice-versa premium passengers still have access to this? If not, you should update your post.
Try Sao Paulo! Very different since your last time there!
Not that I have any firsthand experience, but it seems as though AA is really executing the new lounges quite well. In terms of capacity (appropriately sized), food and beverages (quality and quantity), accessibility (CK, F, J, and even to elites in Y), amenities (yay showers, even in AC!), and roll-out (fast), it seems to have been pretty well thought out.
Contrast that with UA, whose single Polaris Lounge is severely undersized and will be...
Not that I have any firsthand experience, but it seems as though AA is really executing the new lounges quite well. In terms of capacity (appropriately sized), food and beverages (quality and quantity), accessibility (CK, F, J, and even to elites in Y), amenities (yay showers, even in AC!), and roll-out (fast), it seems to have been pretty well thought out.
Contrast that with UA, whose single Polaris Lounge is severely undersized and will be the only one until at least mid-2018. No domestic UCs will have showers and not even GS can access the superior lounge without flying longhaul J. I guess the only thing going for the PL is the good(?) F&B.
I'm flying out MIA on 11/24, but I may go and take a look before going to work on 11/21 if I wake up early in the morning ;-)
How about business class passengers to Middle east??? Do they hate Qatar so much that they excluded MIA-DOH pax or they just forgot they had a 1W partner to middle east out of MIA?
@Lucky what about first class on LAX-MIA? Correct me if I’m wrong but they fly the three cabin 777-300 ER on the route daily and I believe that they sell first class so shouldn’t first on LAX-MIA count for first dining. Could also be a good way for you to review the dining there either using miles or by finding a cheap routing.
Yeah just like Morgan said they do fly 3 cabin F between MIA and LAX. I recently was granted access to Qantas F lounge LAX for flying LAX MIA on AAs A321 F
some, if not all, of LAX - MIA flights are considered Flagship as of this year. do you know if first class on them would qualify for dining?
There's no flight between HKG and MIA, on AA or any other metal. Right now I'm seeing 77W service with first class only between MIA and EZE, GRU, and LHR
Yes, I am booked in F from MIA to London next July, looking forward to Flagship checkin, lounge and First dining for the first time although it still seems like it is a long time in the future. I had been hoping the Flagship lounge would be open for my recent MIA-CDG flight in J but I missed it by a month or so.
Great news! Will get to MIA super early for my MIA-DEN flight on 21 Nov to check it out. Happy to have decided to pursue double OW status so I can access it.
It's been a longtime since you've been in Sao Paolo, maybe you can take Ford there?