Review: American Airlines Flagship First Dining New York (JFK)

Background:

I recently visited the American Airlines Flagship First Dining at New York (JFK) before my flight to Los Angeles. It is really nice how American offers access to the Flagship First Dining on transcontinental first class flights. I had previously visited the Flagship Lounge (JFK) back in 2018, so I was excited to gain access to the exclusive Flagship First Dining section of the lounge and try it out!

Note: the experience I got will be a bit different come December 1st, as the new joint American and British Airways lounges will take over.

Location and Details:

The American Airlines Flagship First Dining at New York (JFK) is open daily from 4:30AM until 12:15AM. It is located inside the Flagship Lounge, next to the buffet area. The lounge itself is located just right off the Concourse B security checkpoint.

Flagship First Dining is also offered at Dallas (DFW) and Miami (MIA). Los Angeles (LAX) has one, but it is still closed.

Gaining Access:

If you’re flying on American Airlines in Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus on qualifying international or transcontinental flights, you automatically have access.

Qualifying international flights are those to Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, New Zealand and South America. And, qualifying transcontinental flights are New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX)/San Francisco (SFO)/Orange County (SNA), Los Angeles (LAX) to Boston (BOS) on the A321T, and Los Angeles (LAX) to Miami (MIA) on the 777-300.

Those flying in international Flagship First get to bring 1 guest, while those in Transcontinental Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus do not get to bring any guests.

My Visit:

I visited the Flagship Lounge and Flagship First Dining on a Friday afternoon around 4pm. For a business class lounge, the Flagship Lounge is a great place to hang out before a flight.

The Flagship Lounge itself was quite crowded during my visit. Luckily, there were still places to find a seat as it is quite large. It also has shower rooms and spacious bathrooms. The buffet selection looked pretty solid, but I was saving my appetite for the Flagship First Dining 🙂

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Enter the Flagship First Dining Area:

Near the buffet, there is a large sign showcasing where the Flagship First Dining is.

I was given a pass to hand to the representative at the Flagship First Dining section, and they told me I could choose any seat. I chose a nice booth, as I wanted to work on my laptop a bit as well. It was so nice and peaceful here, much more tranquil than the Flagship Lounge. So, I decided to make it my little hideaway and stayed here most of my visit.

The only other sit down dining lounge experience I have had was the Qantas First Lounge at LAX back in 2018, so it was fun to try another one!

Dinner:

The booth was a nice spot to view some airplanes and get work done.

All the food and drinks are included here, and I started with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne (which retails at over $150 per bottle). I personally did not love the taste, but I can’t complain! For my appetizers, I tried the Baby Iceberg Salad and Spiced Crab Croquettes. Both were quite tasty!

For my main dish, I went for the Pancetta Wrapped Mahi. It tasted decent, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture. If I ever went back, I would definitely try another dish. A friend really raved about the burger, so perhaps I’ll give that a try next time.

Dessert:

I opted for the Warm Chocolate Cake for dessert, and it was delightful. Topped off with a green tea, and I was a happy camper.

It was so nice to get a full service fancy restaurant experience in an airport lounge that I almost forgot I was at an airport.

Also, the service was amazing, and all the hosts were very attentive and always kept checking in on me.

The Verdict:

The best part about flying American Airlines’ Flagship First is definitely the access to the Flagship First Dining. Particularly on a transcontinental flight from New York to Los Angeles, it’s one of the best ways to fly.

 

Have you visited any of the American Airlines’ Flagship First Dining locations? How was your experience? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!