The American Airlines Flagship Lounge in Los Angeles is one of the airline’s most premium lounges in the USA. These are a cut above the Admiral’s Club and there are only five in the country.
As well as LAX, you will find one at JFK airport in New York, one at O’Hare airport in Chicago, plus Dallas Fort Worth and Miami. Out of the three I have visited (JFK, ORD and now LAX) this one is the most underwhelming from a design perspective.
Flagship Lounge Access
Anyone is permitted to access the lounge if they purchase a single visit pass for US$150. Otherwise oneworld Emerald and Sapphire frequent flyers who are not members of American’s AAdvantage or Alaska’s Mileage Plan programme may access the lounge on any itinerary at any time.
Otherwise access is limited to first and business class passengers on international itineraries, select transcontinental itineraries, and certain flights to Hawaii. Full details are on the American Airlines Flagship Lounge webpage here.
Flagship Lounge Los Angeles
Once granted entry into the lounge, you come to the seating at the very top of this article. You then proceed around to the left into the lounge proper and here’s what everything looks like.
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- First you pass this bank of seating.
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- Arriving into the lounge proper.
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- Dining tables are down one side.
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- They are also at the rear.
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- Looking back the other way – food is on the right.
Quite frankly I was bored by the overall design, and I imagine it has been constrained by space more than anything. New York and Chicago are much more pleasing to the eye all round.
Food, Glorious Food!
Niggles about the design aside, the food selection is pretty much on par with the other two lounges I have visited, right down to the style of the plates. There is a nice variety of hot and cold items available.
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- The extensive menu with options for any kind of diet.
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- These aircraft tail shaped plates always make me smile.
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- Looking good – salads are the same on both sides of the island.
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- Girasol Pesto Rice, Yucca Bravas and more.
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- Chicken and Onions, Pacific Rockfish and more.
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- Red White and Blue Mix, Seattle Espresso Mix, Bourbon Praline Pecans, York Peppermint Patties and That Fig Bar.
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- Fruit infused water, because LA.
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- Little bowls by AMKO for American Airlines.
All of it looked quite fantastic and I had a tiny bit of it. I’d been well fed on my flight from London to Los Angeles so hungry I was certainly not.
How About The Drinks?
In the centre of the space is a self-service drinks bar, with Champagne and Wine available. Glasses are perched nearby so you don’t need to go far to get what you want.
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- Champagne and Wine
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- Oh alright, I’ll have a glass!
There is also a coffee machine, water and presumably some other kind of drinks somewhere, but I didn’t really go looking. I was fine with a glass of bubbles before my next flight.
Overall Thoughts
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge Los Angeles is quite fine. While it doesn’t look as ritzy and glamorous as some of the other ones, the food and drink is the same, which is good.
Spending $150 would be a hard sell for this particular one. I’d probably only ever pay that if I had 8 hours to kill, was really hungry and very thirsty. I suppose the fee is meant to deter people rather than for people to be running to buy, so there is that.
What do you think of the American Airlines Flagship Lounge at LAX? How do you think it compares to the others? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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I visit the Flagship Lounges at LAX and JFK regularly. In fact, today. While the article addresses the lounge, readers should note that Flagship First Dining at LAX is still closed and there are rumors that it will never reopen. As such, only two Flagship Lounges offer Flagship First Dining. Moreover, AA has permanently cut aircrew staffing in both Flagship First and Flagship Business, making the in-flight experience less premium than it was. Disappointing. Compared to the average airport lounge, one would say the Flagship Lounge at LAX is on the nicer side. But, when one compares it to other… Read more »
Thanks for taking the time to put together that interesting analysis there. I have never flown with Delta, so I welcome hearing about what is happening at the competition. For me, the lounge is part of the overall travel experience, without a doubt. While I am no longer so green as to get there early to really soak up the ambiance, I still count it as an integral part of my trip. Really interesting stuff there, thanks again for the comment!
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I appreciate the insight. I’ll be rolling through that lounge mid June.
Oh cool, glad it was useful!