Global321

Never mentioned FFD. However, I would bet most, if not all FC passengers would give up FFD to have a quieter more personal lounge. I would.

AY has a lounge dedicated to their elites and Emeralds. BA, CX, JL etc all have FC/Emerald lounges.

As I said before - if you are flying Business Class/Saphire/Plat Pro/Plat, this is a better deal. If you are flying FC/Emerald, this is a terrible deal.

I fly 150K+/15k+ a year on OW as EP. With these changes, I don't see a need to concentrate my spend/flights on AA in the future. Maybe I get EP, maybe not. With 1/2 the spend, I get basically the same benefits and can save money and be an opportunistic business/FC flyer.

Adelphos

Is it possible to just stay in the Flagship First Dining area after your meal or to just sit at the small bar (honest question here)?

aaupgrade

I personally don't see why not.

FWIW, this is a similar concept to that of BA at IAD. They have a business lounge with Concorde dining for F customers. From my experience they pace the dining so as to have you occupy the Concorde dining area until boarding is called for your flight. I doubt AA will do this, but there is no reason one couldn't hang out there; after all that is for whom the FFD area and bar are provided.

Next month I'm flying DCA-JFK-HKG and will see what it's like. My DCA-JFK flight gets in at 7:22 and I plan to take advantage of FFD if they still allow CX F to use it. I'll probably get there a bit before 8:00 and hopefully have a leisurely dinner ending around 9:10 or later, with only the GRU and LHR AA flights remaining. My flight is not until 1:35 AM, so I am very happy that they now keep the lounge open until 1:00 which they obviously do for the CX flight since the last international AA flights depart at 10:25.

oysterhead43

Seems like an over-reaction to me. Of all the changes made, this one is minor IMO.

Global321

Not really an overreaction for me. I fly mostly international, connecting in JFK/ORD/MIA to my international flight. I tend to want 3+ hours before my international connection to ensure no problems with IRROPS. So I tend to work/relax in the lounge. I liked the quiet FC/FL, but times change. And I am not anti-AA at all. New lounges look great. But, before I would fly AA/OW even if the price/connection was not the best. Now, like many, I choose the best option. Last year, I was well over 200k with big spend. This year, I am already well over 100k and $12k, but may or may not hit 150k with OW. That spend has gone to competing airlines/alliances when the price was better.

AANYC1981

I'm at the JFK FL now. I'm only flying JFK-SJU.....didn't think that would qualify for access, did I just get lucky? Or was it because I am in "Business"? It's very busy here but was able to find a decent seat with power.

AANYC1981

Bloody Mary bar during the day gets swapped out for something I'm new to: Austin Cocktails pre-mixed ruby red drinks.....kind of like a pre-mixed Skinny Girl drink it looks like.

JDiver

You lucked out. Congratulations!

MikeTucson

The exclusivity of Flagship is gone. I traveled through JFK this week as a CK and it seems AA has changed their entry policy and now there are lines and the lounge is packed. For the first time all three counters were busy and there was a line - to make it tougher they took out the self-service check-in machines so I had wait. The new Flagship lounge was packed with limited seats available - I think the Admirals Club was nicer with fewer people.

Why did they open it up to a new group of passengers

laagima

I wonder if the AC side is quieter?

Centurion

I thought the answer was in your original post. Any CK can use the lounge now even on short domestic.

JonNYC

That's cute but definitely not the reason.

Discussion of this new entry policy here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ne-2017-a.html

BOStonTravels

100% agree with you. Horrid idea. Even if they allowed in business's class passengers on AA and all OWE but changed all OWS and other OW airlines business's and first passengers to AC access would be a massive improvement. My anecdotal sense is that allowing all OWS and OW business passengers in overwhelms the lounge capacity. Keeping it to AA business abandoned first only and OWE seems a good compromise. Isn't it really about AA wanting to attract business and (almthoygh limited to a few routes first class) passengers? It is so heaving and a madhouse at JFK I now just go to AC. Really poor show AA.

cova

What AA should have done is upgraded the AC at airports which also have Flagship Lounges and called the Flagship lounge the First Class lounge (like they do at LHR).

Those AC's would serve buffet food like other International J lounges in OneWorld.

Most AC would be standard AC as they don't serve international or F class.

Like LHR, AA should be:
1. AC (or Business Lounge) - buffet food for J passengers and Sapphire and paid AC.
2. Flagship (or First Lounge) - both buffet and menu order - like other OneWorld F lounges. For OneWorld F and Emerald.
3. Separate seating section in Flagship for true F - like Concorde.

If an Emerald flies a domestic Europe or domestic UK flight from LHR - they get BA First lounge.

Most people in the BA LHR First Lounge are Emerald.

muishkin

They should have done that but at minimum they could have just made the bars and the food menu in the JFK ACs complimentary for all sapphires and business class travelers on intl/transcon flights.

I wonder how long is the current .... show going to last before AA reconsider the admission policy for a lounge that should be Emerald and First class only. I am certainly going to write a scathing letter to AA about this.