American will fly its swankiest plane to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas
Short of flying on a private jet, American Airlines will offer perhaps the most premium way of getting to the Super Bowl.
Over the weekend, the Fort Worth-based carrier added eight special flights between New York and Las Vegas — the host city for the 2024 Super Bowl — between Feb. 8 and Feb. 12, 2024, all of which will be operated by American's Airbus A321T.
Additionally, after arriving in Las Vegas, the A321T will continue onward to Los Angeles on select frequencies, giving flyers on this short 236-mile route a welcome upgrade to the onboard experience.
The A321T is one of the poshest planes operated by a U.S. airline. It features three cabins, including 10 Flagship First pods, 20 Flagship Business lie-flats and 72 economy seats, half of which are in an extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra configuration. With just 102 total seats, American's A321T features a whopping 126 fewer seats than Spirit Airlines stuffs on the exact same type of jet.
Usually, the A321T is exclusively deployed on transcontinental routes from Boston and New York to Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco in California. But every so often, American uses the plane for premium-focused missions to special events.
In this case, American seemingly believes there will be plenty of demand for its fancy cabins to the Super Bowl. If you book a ticket on the A321T in business or first class, you'll enjoy lounge access in New York at either the Greenwich or Chelsea lounge, respectively — both of which are posh spots to relax before your flight.
Aside from flying the A321T, American will also upgauage select flights from Miami and Philadelphia to Las Vegas on Feb. 8, Feb. 9 and Feb. 12. These flights were originally supposed to be operated by domestic narrow-bodies, such as the regular configuration of the Airbus A321 and the Boeing 737, but they'll instead be operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
In total, American says that it'll offer more than 150 lie-flat seats to and from Vegas during Super Bowl weekend.
Interestingly, this is the third time in just a few months that American will deploy the A321T on routes to Las Vegas. In November, it'll fly the jet there for the Formula One race, and in January, it'll be deployed on flights to Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show.
Over the years, American has also used the A321T to shuttle film executives and aficionados between Los Angeles and Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival, but that's basically been the extent of the non-transcontinental flying for the A321T.
Either way, these one-off special trips on the A321T will come to an end in the coming years. That's because American will retrofit these 16 planes with a standard domestic configuration as it debuts new Flagship Business cabins on the upcoming deliveries of Boeing 787s and Airbus A321XLRs.
The Super Bowl isn't the only special event to catch American's attention. In fact, the carrier is also making special arrangements for flights to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress trade show taking place between Feb. 26 and Feb. 29, 2024.
From Feb. 23 to March 3, American will operate nonstop service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Barcelona — a nonstop route that isn't currently served by American but will operate as a summer seasonal service starting in June.
American will also upgauge flights from Miami and New York to Barcelona for the convention between Feb. 22 and March 3. These flights will be operated by the Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 777-300, respectively.
“With more than 6,000 additional seats in and out of Las Vegas and Barcelona, we’re adding more convenient ways to connect fans and enthusiasts to experience all the action," said Jason Reisinger, American’s managing director of global network planning, in a statement about the move.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.