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Transcon Flagship First vs. Flagship Business

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Transcon Flagship First vs. Flagship Business

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Old May 22, 2023, 4:44 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Cleveland, OH
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 122
Transcon Flagship First vs. Flagship Business

Any real difference besides the seat and access to the Chelsea lounge in New York? Flying SFO to JFK and no Flagship Lounge in SF.
TritonFlyer is offline  
Old May 22, 2023, 5:35 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, AmEx Membership Rewards
Posts: 874
1-1 configuration versus 2-2 and a soup course.

It was never worth paying the difference, but even less so now with the removal of Flagship First Dining.
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Old May 22, 2023, 10:34 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 239
By no means a guarantee, I find the service to be much more attentive, but the catering nearly identical. I adore a 1-1 narrow body and it’s my favorite cabin in the fleet. Not worth the cash layout if it’s my dime, but a fun way to burn an expiring SWU.
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Old May 22, 2023, 10:55 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: SFO
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Originally Posted by gophish11
By no means a guarantee, I find the service to be much more attentive, but the catering nearly identical. I adore a 1-1 narrow body and it’s my favorite cabin in the fleet. Not worth the cash layout if it’s my dime, but a fun way to burn an expiring SWU.
Done both, worth the money to take the in-app UG IMHO.
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madmanshoney is offline  
Old May 22, 2023, 10:57 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: SFO
Programs: AA sPLAT, Hyatt Globalist
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Originally Posted by TritonFlyer
Any real difference besides the seat and access to the Chelsea lounge in New York? Flying SFO to JFK and no Flagship Lounge in SF.
I quite like the op-up on the return leg.
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Old May 22, 2023, 11:07 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 239
Originally Posted by madmanshoney
I quite like the op-up on the return leg.
That is a sweet-spot for a much better overall experience for marginal extra cost. The delta flying WB is augmented by the ground experience. I’ll occasionally op-up if on the EB red eye but I tend to avoid such short overnighters when I can avoid it.
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Old May 22, 2023, 11:38 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,119
I have never paid but take the opup every time I am offered

Well except the one time I was with a companion…the lucky person next to my companion got a F seat instead.
lrdpenn is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 12:19 am
  #8  
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,093
I use my BusinessExtra upgrades here when travelling on a revenue AA ticket.
Markie is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 3:03 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Agoura Hills, CA USA
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I actually love the 1-1 seating in first.. And since I am a JFK based flyer, really find that because of my trans con frequency I am in first most of the time.. But when I travel in business class , as a CK , I get into the Chelsea Lounge which is excellent IMHO.. It is the extreme privacy in first that I cherish
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RTW4 is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 6:52 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Washington DC
Programs: AA Plt Pro (2MM)
Posts: 199
Lots of trip report content out there (written and video) about transcon F and J...perhaps worth a quick review so you can see it for yourself if you're into that kind of thing. In SFO, the ground experience is the same for business and first. The lounge is the Admirals Club which is nice but isn't what you'll have at JFK. When I flew out of there last summer, check in was crazy busy and the ground staff was so-so....no special treatment at all...typical security and lines...fantastic onboard experience in business (one of the best FAs I've had in years). If you're with a partner, business might be better IF you want to sit next to them and chat because you won't really have that option in first. Either way, it's the best domestic premium cabin in the fleet.
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Fly'nAAgain is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 7:36 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: BAEC
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I think transcon F is a really nice way to cross the country. I probably make 3-5 trips a year. Don't mean to be precious, but I've only done J a few times. I'd never pay serious extra money to be in F. But I've usually gotten a cash upgrade either in app or at the airport in the region of $250-350 (record low was like $240 on a 6am Sunday morning SFO-JFK) and I think that's well worth it for the extra privacy on longish flight. Somehow the crews on these flights tend to be more fun than the frostier ones on TATL F.
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RichieMc is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 7:36 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
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Originally Posted by LowValueCustomer
Gonna be a real hellscape when ChatGPT breaks out of its cage and starts producing material online and then training itself on it.
That will be nothing compared to when it learns to create its own email accounts and then use them for MFA on logins for other sites. I presume it already could do this if it was allowed to.
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arlflyer is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 10:42 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Boston, MA
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Posts: 1,386
Is flagship First transcon dine on demand. I have a 6:30am and really would prefer to eat towards the end of the flight
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kq747 is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 12:15 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Posts: 6,675
Originally Posted by kq747
Is flagship First transcon dine on demand. I have a 6:30am and really would prefer to eat towards the end of the flight
theoretically yes you can always ask them to "save your meal for later" but how well it holds up is another question
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platbrownguy is offline  
Old May 23, 2023, 4:45 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
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Posts: 1,913
I would avoid using the term "dining" in association with American's transcon breakfasts. Dining sets far too lofty of an expectation.
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Last edited by enpremiere; May 23, 2023 at 7:33 pm
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