Well, if you're looking to start your trip in style, the Fort Worth-based carrier has a new option for you. Effective immediately, top-tier elite status members can redeem miles to use the Flagship First dining facility before departure.
This new option is part of American's "Enhance with Miles" program that debuted in recent years, and the functionality of being able to redeem miles for Flagship First dining was teased earlier this year.
An American Airlines spokesperson told TPG that the redemption rates are fixed at:
- 20,000 AAdvantage miles for Executive Platinum members
- 24,000 AAdvantage miles for Platinum Pro members
To maintain the exclusivity of the Flagship First dining areas, American will only let Platinum Pro members redeem miles for entry passes twice per year. If you also reach Executive Platinum status, you'll be able to redeem a pass for Flagship First dining two additional times.
For those not familiar, American's Flagship First dining facilities are the airline's lounge-within-a-lounge concept at select airports. This restaurant-style dining experience debuted in New York in 2017 and has since expanded to Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Miami.
During the height of the pandemic, American shuttered all of its Flagship First dining facilities and has since only reopened the locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami. The outpost in Los Angeles may never reopen (it's been "temporarily closed" since the early days of COVID-19), while the facility in New York has been converted into a joint-use lounge space for American and British Airways flyers as part of the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)'s Terminal 8.
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To redeem miles for Flagship First dining, log in to your AAdvantage profile. Then, under "Enhance with Miles" in the rewards hub, you'll find the option to redeem miles for the pass.
Based on TPG's valuations, 20,000 miles per pass equates to $320. This could be worthwhile for special milestone trips, but for most travelers, I'd recommend saving the miles for flights themselves.
The one wrinkle is that Flagship First dining also includes access to the Flagship Lounge, so if you have a really long layover, this could make sense. Also note that you'll need a same-day departing boarding pass to access the lounge and that your pass provides access to your immediate family (spouse, domestic partner and/or children under 18) or up to two guests. Children aged two and older count as guests.
I personally haven't been to a Flagship First dining facility this year, but travelers still seem to enjoy the above-average table service with a wide-ranging a la carte menu and high-end drinks. At one point, American was even serving Krug Champagne in these facilities, but that's since been swapped for cheaper bubbly.
Note that this option to redeem miles for Flagship First dining joins the existing day pass that American sells for its business-class-only Flagship Lounges. These day passes go for $150 or 15,000 miles. If you're torn between redeeming miles for a Flagship Lounge pass or a Flagship First dining pass, the 5,000-mile upcharge for a decent meal (and more private space) could be worth it.
Perhaps most interestingly, the move to sell access to Flagship First dining comes as the airline gears up to officially retire long-haul and premium transcontinental first class. The phased retirement is slated to start early next year when the Airbus A321T and Boeing 777-300ER — the two jets that currently feature first class — get reconfigured into different seating layouts.
American hasn't shared what it'll do with its Flagship First dining facilities once the product is no longer marketed, but selling access to top-tier elites is an easy way to monetize the space in the meantime.
Related reading:
- The best credit cards for airport lounge access
- The ultimate guide to American Airlines Admirals Club access
- The 8 do's and don'ts in an airport lounge
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- 9 domestic lounges that are worth going out of your way for
- Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
