American Airlines has business class lounges at New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Miami and Dallas – Fort Worth. They’ve been promising a lounge for their primary transatlantic gateway – Philadelphia – for many years. It’s finally almost here, and should be really worth the wait.
According to staff on the ground there, the lounge is expected to open for this summer’s flights. While a specific opening date hasn’t been announced, there’s increasing confidence that we’ll see it open at least by June.
Philadelphia Flagship And A-West Admirals Club Entrance, Credit: American Airlines
I’m actually glad it’s taken this long. They were going to design the space in the old Flagship lounge template which is ok at best.
DFW Airport Flagship Lounge
Chicago O’Hare Flagship Lounge
Instead, they’ve used the new design template which has made truly special spaces at Washington National (E Concourse), Denver, and Newark.
National Airport E Concourse Admirals Club
Flagship lounges are for customers flying long haul business class or first class on American and its oneworld partners; American Airlines Platinum members and above flying international regardless of class of service; and for oneworld sapphire members and above (from airlines other then American and Alaska) and American Airlines ConciergeKey members even when flying domestically.
Passes for Flagship lounge access are available as choice benefits for achieving various loyalty point thresholds each year, and as an ‘Enhance With Miles’ redemption option. (There’s also an option for elites to redeem miles for Flagship First Dining in Miami and Dallas.)
With the new design template, the Philadelphia Flagship lounge – located between gates A15 and 16 – will depart from all the rest of the American Airlines business class spaces – and will be a more elevated experience.
LAX Flagship Lounge
The A West Admirals Club will similarly be the nicest at the airport, and one of the four nicest in the system along with Newark, Denver, and National Airport E. The only other announced ‘new template’ club is Austin, but that one is no longer even slated to be in the same location in the airport – and the new portion of the terminal where it’ll be located isn’t even built yet.
Opening dates are hard to predict because work has to complete, permits have to be issued. But opening is very close at hand!