American Airlines Flagship Discussion

[kangarooflyer88]

It should be noted that you can access any American Airlines lounge on arrival provided you hold OneWorld Sapphire (e.g. Qantas Gold) or better status and are travelling on American or a OneWorld Partner airline like Alaskan.

Note: For US airports you’ll need to be coming in from a U.S. domestic flight or a flight from a country that has U.S. precedence like Canada or Ireland.

-RooFlyer88

 

[justinbrett]

It should be noted that you can access any American Airlines lounge on arrival provided you hold OneWorld Sapphire (e.g. Qantas Gold) or better status and are travelling on American or a OneWorld Partner airline like Alaskan.

Note: For US airports you’ll need to be coming in from a U.S. domestic flight or a flight from a country that has U.S. precedence like Canada or Ireland.

-RooFlyer88

Also any pax travelling Flagship (including domestic Flagship) can access Flagship lounges on arrival, they don't need status.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Also any pax travelling Flagship (including domestic Flagship) can access Flagship lounges on arrival, they don't need status.

Speaking of Flagship a OneWorld Sapphire member can enjoy the Flagship lounge on arrival (provided again you are on a OneWorld operated flight). It should also be noted that arrivals access to American lounges have the same frequent flyer requirements. Namely if you are travelling domestically within the U.S. you must be a Sapphire or Emerald of any OneWorld program except American’s or Alaskan’s.

-RooFlyer88

 

[justinbrett]

Namely if you are travelling domestically within the U.S. you must be a Sapphire or Emerald of any OneWorld program except American’s or Alaskan’s.

Except if travelling Flagship

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One question I don't have the answer to is whether Qantas Club members have access to American Airlines Admirals lounge and/or Flagship lounges on arrival from an American (or potentially OneWorld) flight.

Except if travelling Flagship

I was referring to access based solely on status (and not class of travel). If you hold OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald status on any airline except American or Alaskan, you can access those flagship lounges on departure, connection, or arrival when flying OneWorld on any itinerary (including domestic). For AAdvantage and Alaskan elites, that perk only comes for international trips.

To your point on flying flagship again, even then it's not always clear. Per the AA website if you fly flagship:

• Intercontinental (i.e. Oceania to North America)
• Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK)
• LAX and Miami (MIA)
• LAX and Boston (BOS)
• JFK and San Francisco (SFO)
• JFK and Orange County (SNA)
• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Honolulu (HNL)
• DFW and Maui (OGG)
• Chicago (ORD) and HNL
• Charlotte (CLT) and HNL

Note: For international journeys, flying business or first class on a OneWorld partner like Qantas or British Air will also do the trick here.

 

[justinbrett]

To your point on flying flagship again, even then it's not always clear. Per the AA website if you fly flagship:

• Intercontinental (i.e. Oceania to North America)
• Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK)
• LAX and Miami (MIA)
• LAX and Boston (BOS)
• JFK and San Francisco (SFO)
• JFK and Orange County (SNA)
• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Honolulu (HNL)
• DFW and Maui (OGG)
• Chicago (ORD) and HNL
• Charlotte (CLT) and HNL

Note: For international journeys, flying business or first class on a OneWorld partner like Qantas or British Air will also do the trick here.

What's an example of Flagship that's not on that list?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

What's an example of Flagship that's not on that list?

That's a good question and one for which I don't have the answer. Most flights (even those with lie flat business) are typically marketed as simply First class. However, knowing AA there is a chance there are a couple of stray routes that are marketed as Flagship yet aren't on that list given the many destinations AA flies to and the equipment they operate.

-RooFlyer88

 

[justinbrett]

That's a good question and one for which I don't have the answer. Most flights (even those with lie flat business) are typically marketed as simply First class. However, knowing AA there is a chance there are a couple of stray routes that are marketed as Flagship yet aren't on that list given the many destinations AA flies to and the equipment they operate.

-RooFlyer88

I'll help - there's no examples of Flagship not on that list. AA could have just said any flight marketed as Flagship.

 

[anat0l]

I'll help - there's no examples of Flagship not on that list. AA could have just said any flight marketed as Flagship.

I guess the list of routes was to help people establish which have Flagship flights on them.

Since most of us are seasoned travellers and oneworld Sapphire or Emerald but not in the AAdvantage programme, we're sort of desensitised to the need to worry about which routes we're flying let alone which cabin we are flying for lounge access purposes. The most exposure that we have to the nuances of access by AA in the USA is if one were to fly without Emerald or Sapphire status, where even some domestic First (or Business, not sure what they sell them as now) does not give you lounge access. I remember one member of AFF started a thread bitterly complaining about just that, i.e. they had a domestic First ticket (not enough oneworld status), and it did not give them lounge access.

 

[justinbrett]

I guess the list of routes was to help people establish which have Flagship flights on them.

Since most of us are seasoned travellers and oneworld Sapphire or Emerald but not in the AAdvantage programme, we're sort of desensitised to the need to worry about which routes we're flying let alone which cabin we are flying for lounge access purposes. The most exposure that we have to the nuances of access by AA in the USA is if one were to fly without Emerald or Sapphire status, where even some domestic First (or Business, not sure what they sell them as now) does not give you lounge access. I remember one member of AFF started a thread bitterly complaining about just that, i.e. they had a domestic First ticket (not enough oneworld status), and it did not give them lounge access.

And that was the whole point of my original comment, that there are some domestic routes (Flagship) that gets you lounge access based on cabin and not status.

 

[anat0l]

And that was the whole point of my original comment, that there are some domestic routes (Flagship) that gets you lounge access based on cabin and not status.

Are all services on "Flagship routes" always Flagship flights?

For example, are all flights between LAX and MIA Flagship flights (offering Flagship Business and Flagship First), or only some of them are? That would imply that just because a route is on the list doesn't mean you get access (based on cabin), so you would need to be discerning when selecting your flight in the first place.

 

[justinbrett]

Are all services on "Flagship routes" always Flagship flights?

For example, are all flights between LAX and MIA Flagship flights (offering Flagship Business and Flagship First), or only some of them are? That would imply that just because a route is on the list doesn't mean you get access (based on cabin), so you would need to be discerning when selecting your flight in the first place.

No, it has to be Flagship, which is why the route list is confusing, it should just say Flagship.

Any widebody on the route would be marketed as Flagship but if it's single aisle, it has to be the A321T to be marketed as Flagship.