Feb 17, 2016, 11:08 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge, Flagship Dining Changes, Renovations & Additions
On 17 February 2016 American Airlines announced a number of additions and implied possible access changes. Link.
NOTES:: Day Pass sales have been suspended at all airports with Admirals Clubs under renovation.
Thirty day memberships ceased to be available 25 Jul 2016.
Read the newest posts for updated information.
Admirals Club, Flagship, Arrivals Lounges and Flagship First Dining
Chicago - O’Hare / ORD “L” Club is open again, after closure the month of October, 2019.
San Francisco / SFO New Admirals Club (and Terminal, gates move) March 2020 to new Terminal 1. See post #72.
DFW International Terminal “D” Flagship Lounge, Flagship First Dining and Admirals Club opened 16 May 2019.
NRT - Narita (Tokyo) Admirals Club is closing late March 2020.
PHL Terminal A East Admirals Club closed for refurbishment 6 May 2019.
PHL A-West Admirals Club to close 30 Sep 2019, to reopen as Flagship Lounge ETA July 2020. Mini-Club opened.
SCL / Santiago, Chile Admirals Club closed permanently as of 1 May 2019.
CLT / Charlotte Concourse B Club opened 20 Feb 2019) after expansion and renovation. Link.
New Flagship Lounge, Flagship First Dining and Admirals Club OPEN (16 May 2019). DFW Terminal D Club closed for refurbishment, Dining closed, interim Premium passenger lounge open ~7 Apr 2018. See this thread.
DFW Terminal A Club OPEN again as of 7 April 2018.
Current Flagship Lounges and Flagship First Dining: Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK). LHR planned.
Flagship Lounge Additions, Club Renovations and Flagship Dining expansion and access changes:
- Dallas - FT. Worth (DFW): Terminal "D” Flagship Lounge / oneworld Airlines Premium Lounge, Flagship First Dining and Admirals Club opened 16 May 2019 .
- Los Angeles (LAX): Renovation (Flagship Lounge, Flagship First Dining, Admirals Club) complete. T5 lounge OPEN in old Delta Sky Club space.[/b]
- London (LHR): Arrivals Lounge was renovated; OPEN 3 Aug 2016 with enhanced breakfast, expanded hours and 29 shower suites.
- Miami (MIA): D30 Flagship Lounge OPEN and Club renovation is finished, D15 renovation is finished, restrooms, children's room, business center all open; D30 new Flagship Lounge with 6 nice big showers, Arepa station, buffet and more is open; Flagship First Dining OPEN.
- New York (JFK): B12 Club closed for renovation (temporary lounge open on mezzanine bridge or use C42 Club); Flagship First Dining OPEN 25 May 2017. First Class Lounge renovation completed 8 Dec 2016 and Flagship Lounge name restored.
- Philadelphia (PHL): New Flagship Lounge planned - A West Club Gates A15/A16.
- Rio de Janeiro (GIG) OPEN Renovation completed 4 Aug 2016.
Narita (NRT) to close late March 2020.
Access changes from AA
- Flagship Lounge access AA: Starting mid-2017, Flagship Lounge access was extended to customers booked in Business and First Class on A321T three class transcon, Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific and deep South American flights, as well as EXP/EMD, PPRO/SAP & PLAT/SAP on qualifying flights in any class of service.
See and discuss in Expanded Access to Flagship Lounge as of Spring
- Flagship First Dining access: First Class customers on American’s 3-class international and transcontinental flights have exclusive access to FlagshipSM Dining as of 2017.
(This has put Flagship Dining into a category similar to the BA Concorde Room and a few other lounges - not oneworld lounges, restricted to long haul Flagship (three class) First passengers on AA marketed and operated flights, and CX at JFK, only.)
- Admirals Club access: Members other than Lifetime members) must be flying AA or a partner airline the day of access. Members not meeting that criterion will be turned away. Effective 1 Nov 2019.
Link to View from the Wing article
Link to archived posts 2016-2017
__________________
Guide to Lounge Changes: Flagship Lounge, Admirals Club, etc.
Mar 29, 2018, 1:12 pm
#16
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Much like the DFW D Club is undergoing closure and major changes, we’ve started an interim thread dealing with DFW-D AA lounge facilities to cover D Club closure ~April 6, 2018 - to coincide with an interim location premium lounge for international premium and status-qualified passengers here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-6-2018-a.html.
Mar 31, 2018, 5:47 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Actually, the FL dining experiences at both LAX and ORD are not so great. Seems form over substance is the key ingredient here as the offerings, while many, were poorly prepared or maybe left out too long-as I was on the LAX-HKG 1:50am flight recently. And, the First Class Dining at LAX is not open to EXP, only FC pax. So, sticking to the QF FC
Mar 31, 2018, 10:25 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
I'm a regular visitor, at least once a month, to ORD Flagship, starting from within a week after it opened. When it first opened, it was a "WOW" experience. Since then, I've noticed a steady decline in the quality of the food offerings. It seems to go down a notch with every visit. Example: when first opened, the carving table had your choice of three great entrees. Later, it was just two. Even later, just one ... but it was great. Now it's just one and it's ordinary.
Has anyone else noticed this same downward spiral? ORD FL is still good ... far better than the AC ... but it "ain't what it used to be", just a few short months ago.
Has anyone else noticed this same downward spiral? ORD FL is still good ... far better than the AC ... but it "ain't what it used to be", just a few short months ago.
Mar 31, 2018, 10:36 pm
#20
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA
Posts: 609
Verified everything is staged for A Club reopening (no fitness room, but six showers; some uncertainty if the showers will still be the enormous rain showers that were part of the Flagship Lounge or not).
The D lounge will close for extensive refurbishment o/a6 April 2018. The Admirals Club will be smaller, but there will be an extended Flagship Lounge (also to be used by British and Qatar eligible passengers) and full Flagship First Dining.
(The interim “D” Flagship Dining today was predictably crappy, other than a passable lobster bisque and decent whole meal peasant style bread.)
The D lounge will close for extensive refurbishment o/a6 April 2018. The Admirals Club will be smaller, but there will be an extended Flagship Lounge (also to be used by British and Qatar eligible passengers) and full Flagship First Dining.
(The interim “D” Flagship Dining today was predictably crappy, other than a passable lobster bisque and decent whole meal peasant style bread.)
Apr 2, 2018, 2:16 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP, 2 Million Miler
Posts: 821
I am in the JFK Flagship lounge right now. It's mobbed, hardly any seats left and it's like a kindergarten with crying babies, kids crawling around, etc. The staff is not keeping up - no plates left to put food on, I grabbed the one of the last 6 flatware sets, drinks in the cooler running out. I've never seen it like this. The terminal gate seating is quieter with more plentiful seating then here!!!
Apr 2, 2018, 2:23 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
I am in the JFK Flagship lounge right now. It's mobbed, hardly any seats left and it's like a kindergarten with crying babies, kids crawling around, etc. The staff is not keeping up - no plates left to put food on, I grabbed the one of the last 6 flatware sets, drinks in the cooler running out. I've never seen it like this. The terminal gate seating is quieter with more plentiful seating then here!!!
Apr 2, 2018, 2:25 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: 32.7758° N, 96.7967° W
Programs: AA EXP,SPG 75
Posts: 318
I know LAX and JFK get busy, it seems like ORD stays calm. I am not sure about MIA, but I'd guess it skews towards JFK/LAX.
Feels like AA is going to end up kicking out the sapphires.
Feels like AA is going to end up kicking out the sapphires.
Apr 2, 2018, 8:04 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Apr 2, 2018, 9:00 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,106
I am in the JFK Flagship lounge right now. It's mobbed, hardly any seats left and it's like a kindergarten with crying babies, kids crawling around, etc. The staff is not keeping up - no plates left to put food on, I grabbed the one of the last 6 flatware sets, drinks in the cooler running out. I've never seen it like this. The terminal gate seating is quieter with more plentiful seating then here!!!
Apr 7, 2018, 8:32 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SFO/STS
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond
Posts: 396
DFW A Open as of today
New A lounge is open and spacious. The showers are in the old FL area and there is still some business center space. Very open. Can't seem to figure out how to get the pictures to attach so I'll try again when I get home.
I
Spoke with the Club folks and they said that the temp space for D was open but that they did not yet have their liquor license so no alcohol until next week.
Bar area
Business Center
Seating space
Food Bar
Entrance (upstairs, viewed from the bar wing)
I
Spoke with the Club folks and they said that the temp space for D was open but that they did not yet have their liquor license so no alcohol until next week.
Bar area
Business Center
Seating space
Food Bar
Entrance (upstairs, viewed from the bar wing)
Apr 7, 2018, 9:45 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,005
Apr 7, 2018, 11:14 am
#30
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,105
Looks like they're definitely taking design cues from the Flagship Lounges. Though, admittedly, I haven't been in an AC co-located with a Flagship Lounge yet.
Even with blurry photos it still looks good.
Even with blurry photos it still looks good.