Earlier I wrote about American's new Flagship First Dining facility at JFK, which is the first of its kind. American will be opening these in Los Angeles and Miami later this year, and in Dallas and London in the future. These are available exclusively for those traveling in three cabin first class, so this isn't…
Continue reading: American’s New Flagship Lounge Has Much Better Food, Including A La Carte Dining!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Looks fantastic, and even better than the buffet in EK's lounges! I wonder if they will cut access to Sapphires like Qantas does for the "business lounge" (which is OWE flying Y or J only).
With UA's Polaris, and now this for AA, DL looks pretty awful leaving international J passengers to use subpar SkyClubs. At least at JFK there's the option of the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse, but I think your flight has to be to the UK to use it
I'm also concerned about overcrowding, but have been wondering if AA has been looking at their internal numbers on Aadvantage elite members historical spend and predicting the ranks of the Platinums and above will be falling significantly starting in 2018.
I'm curious to see how long this can reasonably last. It looks fantastic, but the naysayer in me always presumes there's a limited time that this will stick around before AA realizes it's ultimately NOT profitable and they take it away.
Lucky, yesterday you mentioned how status may not be worth it to you anymore. As a mere Platinum, I now have access to this lounge on international flights out of my home airport of JFK regardless of my class of service. It makes those Main Cabin Extra redeye flights over the Atlantic much easier to take. Given amenities like this, why isn't status valuable?
"I’m curious to see how long this can reasonably last. It looks fantastic, but the naysayer in me always presumes there’s a limited time that this will stick around before AA realizes it’s ultimately NOT profitable and they take it away."
@AdamR +1
This is exactly what I fear. Better use it while you can.
@Aaron S -- Transcon J and F pax can use this lounge. Only Transcon F pax get the sit-down Flagship First Dining. But the fact that transcon J pax can get the more limited a la carte options is a surprise, and frankly, a welcome improvement.
Have AA published schedule when LAX and MIA lounges will be refurbished and open?
@Gordon - No schedule. AA says both should open "later in 2017." Some FT members say that lounge agents in LAX have told them October.
Thanks.
I think this helps make the AA transcon product more competitive. Unless I'm mistaken, there's no comparable food spread in DL's lounge, B6 gives no lounge access at all, and while UA's new Polaris lounges look nicer, p.s. won't give access.
I was there this past Friday. Flagship Dining was not open and they did not have the a al carte menu out yet. The food spread was good, but did not change all day (was there for several hours). Under the old system, the options changed every few hours. I also did not like that they had no more sandwiches. I much prefer sandwiches to hot food when in a lounge.
@Ben or anyone else, the small a la carte menu here is very similar to what is currently available in the LHR Flagship lounge. For American EXPs or OneWorld Emeralds who have access to first class al la carte dining in Qantas and Cathay Pacific first class lounges but not in American Flagship lounges, I'd say this is no improvement.
@ john -- I agree there are plenty of other lounges with menus at least as good, but it's certainly an improvement compared to what people had access to at this particular airport before.
I was there on Tuesday, the day before the dining room opened. However, they gave me a tour of it and explained all the new buffet items in the main part. They are very proud of this product which you don't often see from domestic airline employees, in my opinion.
I really like this lounge. The (not so very) old FCL was so small and this one is so spacious. They also have a gorgeous triptych by Christy Shiele.
Lucky,
I would say "at this terminal" BA's Concorde Room has had a great dining room for years at JFK.
I'm there now and was told a la carte dining is only available in the Flagship Dining Room for passengers in First