Waggy

Flying in Economy from MIA to SJO (Costa Rica) with family. I am GCH but no one else has status. Can I check in at Flagship First even if we can’t all use the lounge?
Not done MIA for 10 plus years so any other useful info gratefully received!!

jerry a. laska

I think officially the Oneworld Emerald + 1 can use Flagship First Check In. You haven't said how large your family is, but I would expect MIA to be difficult for anyone other than the OWE + 1 and maybe a child or two. This is the thread in the AA forum regarding FFCI:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...rd-rev-20.html

Waggy

Thanks. We are 5 people - 2 adults and 3 kids. Is that really the limit to simply check in? Not expecting lounge access.

By way of comparison - can always check in as a family in the First Wing at LHR T5 but then we go to regular security line.

Is it worth even trying FFCI or not bother and just go to business check in at regular AA desk?

jerry a. laska

Different rules for FFCI. In MIA they usually guard the entrance fairly zealously so I would probably just use the business check in. I'm usually traveling by myself and just use the regular business or F check in (even though as a BA Gold I have access to FFCI).

orbitmic

indeed you shouldn’t. I agree with Jerry a. Laksa. aa tend to guard ff check in quite fiercely so if we are talking 1 card holder with 4 guests and no one flying f, I suspect they will resist.

Waggy

Thanks both. I’ll head for regular check-in then. Appreciate the heads up

Barcky

As a GCH you should be able to use the Priority queue rather than the regular queue.

guytp

With me and my two family members this was not permitted when we tried (just to jump a security line, didn’t even have any bags to check) at MIA a few months back. Priority queue is never longer for check in at Miami though in my experience. Security on the other hand can be a pain depending on time of day but longest I’ve waited is 20 minutes in priority security.

kingcole974

Can I ask the same question for the same airport of 4 Afults, 2 kids with 2 gold cards and 1silver?

guytp

Depends on destination. Some international destinations get guest per gold (so would be fine) others do not. My gut here is it would be OK and worst case scenario priority check in is directly next door anyway

Frequentflyer99

I was very firmly told by the man guarding the red-rope at MIA, that Flagship check-in is for trans-continental F and inter-continental F tickets only. No ifs, no buts, no exceptions. Maybe, like the CCCR, some mega-high-status AA pax may get it, but certainly nothing BA related will get anyone in.

guytp

I have had this once and loaded the AA page saying otherwise on my phone and politely asked the lady to check with a colleague. She came back with colleague who let me in and apologised as person guarding the rope was on training and had never experienced it before.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...t-check-in.jsp

Page doesn’t mention guesting policy so I wouldn’t expect that to work with someone who isn’t trained. The bit of paper they have in front of them is names of everyone on the transcon J/F and intl F but not any OWE members.

Frequentflyer99

I was flying on BA metal so that would explain it, since BA Gold only qualifies for AA flights.

revorgap

There are no BA check-in desks in the AA Flagship First check-in cube.

Roughneck57

I came through MIA last night, GCH with wife and 2 kids (16 & 18), managed to get all four of us into the lounge. We went to AA lounge next to gate D15 so not the flagship at D30 - think this may have been a factor as was told I could go to flagship lounge. I said but this is closer to our gate D3, I then added "don't suppose I could sneak my two kids in?".

We used check-in desk no 1 at the far end, it was empty - quieter than business - and after the usual AA shenanigans that two cases were overweight, they're not but their staff don't seem to know that GCH have 32kg weight limit we checked in quickly and used priority security. Scanner on the far right side is newer and no need to take laptops out.

On the way to security we passed the FFCI and I asked if I could have used it as a gold/emerald member, lady said yes. You walk past it to get to check in no 1 so worth asking.