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American's final Flagship Lounge will reopen next week

April 13, 2022
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4 min read
American Airlines Flagship Lounge First Dining JFK Reopening
American's final Flagship Lounge will reopen next week
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American Airlines will soon have all five of its Flagship Lounges reopened.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline shared updated reopening plans on Wednesday, April 13, which includes some good news for those flying out of Chicago.

Specifically, the Flagship Lounge in Chicago O'Hare (ORD) will reopen on Thursday, April 21. You’ll find the full directory and updated reopening timelines below.

  • New York-JFK: Lounge reopened on Sept. 14, 2021.
  • Miami (MIA): Lounge reopened on Sept. 28, 2021.
  • Los Angeles (LAX): Lounge reopened on Jan. 26, 2022.
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW): Lounge reopened on March 2, 2022.
  • Chicago (ORD): Lounge reopening on April 21, 2022.

Originally, the airline had planned to reopen the Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth outposts last fall, but the timeline slipped due to ongoing issues related to staffing.

Flagship Lounge in Los Angeles. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)



In addition to its Flagship Lounges, American also operates Flagship First Dining facilities. These outposts are essentially a lounge-within-a-lounge, offering a seated restaurant-style dining experience — with Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne available — to those ticketed in long-haul or premium transcontinental first class on American’s three-cabin jets.

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All Flagship Lounges, except for the one in Chicago, feature a Flagship First Dining outpost. Flagship First Dining facilities in JFK, Dallas and Miami have already reopened, with the full timeline available below.

  • New York-JFK: Flagship First Dining reopened on Sept. 16, 2021.
  • Miami (MIA): Flagship First Dining reopened on Sept. 30, 2021.
  • Los Angeles (LAX): No timeline available for reopening Flagship First Dining.
  • Chicago (ORD): Doesn’t feature a Flagship First Dining facility.
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW): Flagship First Dining reopened on March 3, 2022.
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(Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
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American started reopening its Flagship Lounge network in September 2021, following a nearly 18-month closure due to the pandemic. The Flagship Lounge is American’s business-class-only ground experience that’s exclusively open to premium flyers and top-tier elites traveling on eligible long-haul and premium transcontinental routes.

In addition to the Flagship Lounge network, American also reopened its premium London Heathrow (LHR) Arrivals Lounge on Monday, Jan. 31.

As American reopens its premium lounges, it’s also reimagining the experience inside. This includes a Champagne welcome toast for all passengers, as well as new locally-inspired chef partnerships through the James Beard Foundation, with the full list of chefs available in American’s press release.

Related: 6 ways American Airlines’ newly reopened Flagship Lounge has changed

Along with the upgraded food and beverage offerings, American is expanding its partnership with D.S. & Durga for new hand soaps and shower amenities in its Flagship Lounges. The airline is also adding Dyson Supersonic hair dryers to the shower suites as well.

American Airlines is also offering new ways to access the Flagship Lounge. Customers traveling to Hawaii in Flagship First and Flagship Business will be able to access the elevated lounge experience.

The airline is now selling day passes at $150 a pop to enter the lounge as well.

Of the U.S. airlines, only American and United offer an elevated lounge experience for their most valuable passengers. All six of United’s Polaris Lounges have already reopened. Meanwhile, Delta is rumored to open its first-ever Delta One lounge in LAX (and possibly one in JFK as well) in the coming years.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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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.