American Airways Flagship First Class is the one true First Class cabin supplied by a significant North American airline.
So as to add pointless confusion, American Airways additionally has home “First Class” seats. This product isn’t a lot better than premium financial system, although, and it may be discovered on most intra-North American flights, in addition to on some short-haul worldwide flights.
On this information, we’ll be specializing in American’s “actual deal” Flagship First Class product, touching upon every part from the bottom expertise to what you’ll be able to sit up for within the air.
Most significantly, we’ll look at how one can get pleasure from American Airways Flagship First Class at a fraction of the price by utilizing factors.
The American Airways Flagship First Class Expertise
Whereas American Airways Flagship First Class doesn’t fairly measure as much as many First Class cabins supplied by different main airways, you’ll be able to nonetheless count on to have a memorable expertise in your flight.
Along with high-quality meals and drinks in a reasonably large First Class seat, you’ll obtain a set of pajamas and slippers to go together with your lie-flat seat, in addition to a pillow and blanket for optimum consolation.
Floor Expertise
Whereas First Class is greatest skilled within the air, American Airways’s signature expertise begins in earnest with entry to its Flagship Lounges. In some airports, you can too benefit from the extra unique Flagship First Eating.
In North America, Flagship Lounges might be present in Chicago, Dallas Fort Price, Los Angeles, and Miami, with a lounge in Philadelphia set to open within the close to future.
Overseas, London Heathrow has an American Airways Flagship lounge that you just’ll have entry to on each arrival and departure.
Alternatively, Flagship First Eating might be discovered nestled contained in the lounges in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami.
These fine-dining areas take the lounge expertise to a different degree, with a extra unique and elevated eating service and an à la carte menu.
If you happen to’re flying out of New York (JFK), you’ll have entry to 2 premium lounges: the Soho Lounge and the Chelsea Lounge. These premium lounges are a step up from American Airways’s different Admirals Membership lounges, which are typically way more crowded.
Within the Flagship lounges, you’ll be able to count on higher high quality meals, premium wine, and top-shelf Champagne choices, in addition to a extra comfy setting to calm down earlier than it’s time to board.
Seat
Maybe essentially the most distinctive characteristic of the American Airways Flagship First Class seat is that it may swivel as much as 90 levels.
In observe, which means that in the event you’re located subsequent to a window, you’ll be able to rotate your seat to utterly face the window.
What’s extra, the counter area to your facet, which is correct in entrance of you along with your chair swivelled, can fold out to behave as a desk that’s giant sufficient for a laptop computer, permitting you to get some work achieved or simply calm down with views of the horizon straight forward of you.
Rotating your seat additionally helps to offer extra privateness, because it blocks out all views of the aisle. Sadly, American Airways doesn’t have any doorways or dividers to shut off your First Class seat.
Regardless of not being industry-leading by the use of dimension, these seats are nonetheless noticeably bigger than American Airways’s enterprise class seats. You’ll get pleasure from a seat width of 21” and a mattress size of 82.5” on the Airbus A321, and a width of 21.5” and mattress size of 78” on the Boeing 777-300ER.
Each seat additionally has an ottoman by your ft. You may select to kick up your ft and calm down, or to have somebody be a part of you throughout the meal service, because it’s additionally geared up with a seatbelt.
Meals and Drink
The American Airways Flagship First Class foods and drinks service is designed to offer an expensive and premium expertise within the air. Passengers can count on to be served a variety of high-quality seasonal dishes and a bunch of top-shelf drinks.
For meals, passengers are in a position to dine-on-demand, which implies you’ll be able to order off of the Flagship First Class menu everytime you’d like.
You may anticipate finding a number of entrées, salads, and soups. A few of the dishes which can be generally served embody grilled steak, pan-seared salmon, roasted rooster, and pasta dishes.
The meals are sometimes accompanied by facet dishes, akin to roasted greens, potatoes, and bread.
Along with the principle meal, Flagship First Class passengers are additionally supplied a alternative of snacks and lightweight bites all through the flight, together with contemporary fruit, cheese, and crackers.
As for drinks, American Airways presents a pleasant number of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. This consists of an intensive wine listing, that includes vintages from all over the world, in addition to quite a lot of cocktails, beers, spirits, and naturally, Champagne.
Non-alcoholic choices embody contemporary juices, delicate drinks, and sizzling drinks, akin to espresso and tea.
American Airways Flagship First Class Cabins
The American Airways Flagship First Class cabins can solely be discovered on two plane: the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A321 transcontinental, or “A321T” format.
Boeing 777-300ER
The Boeing 777-300ER Flagship First Class cabin consists of eight First Class seats in a 1-2-1 format throughout two rows.
If you happen to’re travelling by yourself, Seats 1A, 1J, 2A, and 2J by the home windows present essentially the most privateness. Nevertheless, Seat 2A is the only option because it’s furthest from the bogs, and also you’ll have fewer individuals strolling within the aisle subsequent to you.
If you happen to’re travelling with a companion, then Seats 1D and 1G or 2D and 2G permit you the perfect probability at experiencing American Airways Flagship First Class collectively. In these seats, a partition might be lowered or raised, relying on whether or not or not you need privateness.
Airbus A321T
The Airbus A321T has comparable seats, however a really totally different Flagship First Class format. As an alternative of eight seats, there are 10 First Class seats throughout 5 rows in a 1-1 configuration.
Which means that each seat is a window seat and an aisle seat, and there’s little benefit of selecting one seat over the opposite.
With that in thoughts, Seats 5A and 5F are furthest from the bogs and may have fewer individuals strolling within the aisle beside you.
If you happen to’re travelling with a companion, selecting two seats throughout the identical row provides you with the perfect probability of interacting with one another throughout the flight, however you’ll nonetheless be separated by an aisle.
Understand that you’ll be able to at all times have your journey companion be a part of you in your seat by utilizing the ottoman as a buddy seat.
Elimination of First Class Cabins
In late 2024, American Airways might be phasing out all Flagship First cabins in favour of newly renovated enterprise class cabins that arguably look extra spectacular than the present First Class fashions. You’ll need to act fast in the event you’d prefer to check out Flagship First Class.
Debuting in 2024 on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A321XLR plane, these new premium seats will embody many options which can be missing within the present First Class cabins.
Most significantly, they’ll characteristic a privateness door, bigger storage areas, and up to date excessive definition private leisure items.
American Airways Flagship First Class Routes
American Airways solely operates their Flagship First Class cabin on choose transcontinental and worldwide routes.
The transcontinental Flagship First Class routes can be found on each the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A321T, and might be discovered on the next home routes:
In the meantime, the American Airways worldwide Flagship First Class can solely be discovered on the Boeing 777-300ER on the next long-haul routes, spanning fairly plenty of American Airways hubs and premium-heavy worldwide locations:
Learn how to Redeem Factors for American Airways Flagship First Class
American Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance, which has many companions that can be utilized to guide American Airways Flagship First Class flights.
American Airways AAdvantage Miles
In Canada, American Airways AAdvantage miles might be most simply earned by transferring from RBC Avion factors at a ratio of 1:0.7, or from Marriott Bonvoy factors at a ratio of 60,000 Bonvoy factors = 25,000 American miles.
Within the US, you’ll be able to earn AAdvantage miles on a sequence of co-branded bank cards from Citi.
Be aware that American Airways doesn’t have a fixed award schedule for reserving Flagship First Class flights with AAdvantage miles.
Due to this, there’s a variety you’ll be able to count on pay when redeeming AAdvantage miles for a Flagship First Class seat, but it surely’s nonetheless attainable to get a good deal.
For instance, flying on the favored New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) route can value as a lot as 400,000 AAdvantage miles + $5.60 (USD) in taxes and costs underneath the dynamic pricing mannequin.
Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless attainable, albeit tougher, to seek out seats on choose flights at a price of 85,000 miles + $5.60 (USD).
American Airways additionally presents “Net Particular – First Award” flights, which may help lower down on the inflated prices.
With Net Specials, you’ll be able to nonetheless cancel at no cost, however you received’t be capable of make every other adjustments as soon as it’s ticketed.
One of the simplest ways to seek for American Airways Flagship First Class availability is on the American Airways web site. After looking your required routes and dates, you’ll be able to choose “Calendar” on the subsequent web page.
Listed here are some examples of the perfect costs in AAdvantage miles for a one-way flight in Flagship First Class on a number of transcontinental routes:
- Los Angeles (LAX) – New York (JFK): 43,500 miles + $5.60
- San Francisco (SFO) – New York (JFK): 42,000 miles + $5.60
- New York (JFK) – Orange County (SNA): 37,500 miles + $5.60
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Boston (BOS): 42,000 miles + $5.60
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Miami (MIA): 52,000 miles + $5.60
And right here’s some examples for worldwide routes:
- New York (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR): 85,000 miles + $5.60
- New York (JFK) – Doha (DOH): 104,000 miles + $7.65
- New York (JFK) – New Delhi (DEL): 93,500 miles + $5.60
- Los Angeles (LAX) – London Heathrow (LHR): 85,000 miles + $5.60
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD): 220,000 miles + $27.40
- Miami (MIA) – São Paulo (GRU): 60,000 miles + $5.60
- Dallas-Fort Price (DFW) – London Heathrow (LHR): 85,000 miles + $5.60
Understand that a few of these costs are simpler to come back throughout, and others are extra uncommon.
For instance, in a complete 12 months, the New York (JFK) to Doha (DOH) route solely had a single flight at 104,000 miles, with most dates requiring round 350,000 miles per individual per route.
American Airways additionally tends to launch last-minute award availability a few weeks out, with a lot of the least expensive choices discovered inside per week of looking.
Etihad Visitor
You probably have factors within the Etihad Visitor loyalty program, you may get some American Airways Flagship First Class flights for lots cheaper than in the event you have been to make use of American AAdvantage miles.
In Canada, Etihad Visitor is a switch companion with American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:0.75, with the switch taking round three enterprise days.
Within the US, Etihad Visitor is a switch companion with American Categorical US Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, and Capital One, all at a 1:1 ratio. The switch instances with Amex US and Citi ThankYou are on the spot, whereas Capital One transfers can take as much as 36 hours.
On either side of the border, you’ll be able to switch Marriott Bonvoy factors to Etihad Visitor on the optimum ratio of 60,000 factors = 25,000 Etihad Visitor miles.
Certainly, Etihad Visitor miles are simpler to earn than AAdvantage miles, and there are additionally some very compelling costs for redemptions if you’ll be able to discover award area.
The transcontinental Flagship First Class routes value simply 25,000 miles, and the worldwide routes price out as follows:
- New York (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR): 50,000 miles
- New York (JFK) – Doha (DOH): 67,500 miles
- New York (JFK) – New Delhi (DEL): 67,500 miles
- Los Angeles (LAX) – London Heathrow (LHR): 50,000 miles
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD): 62,500 miles
- Miami (MIA) – São Paulo (GRU): 50,000 miles
- Dallas-Fort Price (DFW) – London Heathrow (LHR): 50,000 miles
As of now, you’ll must name Etihad Visitor to make a reserving, however this system is ready to debut reserving companion airways on-line as of Spring 2023.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
It’s attainable to redeem miles in Alaska Airways Mileage Plan for American Airways First Class flights.
Alaska Mileage Plan just lately stopped publishing particular person award charts for every companion airline, however you’ll be able to count on the pricing to be much like what American Airways AAdvantage themselves would cost.
It’s gotten considerably more durable for Canadians to earn Alaska miles with the phasing out of the MBNA Alaska credit card.
These days, one of the simplest ways to rack up Alaska miles could be through the US-issued Financial institution of America co-branded bank cards or by transferring Marriott Bonvoy factors on the optimum ratio of 60,000 Bonvoy factors = 25,000 Alaska miles.
Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution
The quantity of Japan Airways miles you’ll must redeem for American Airways flights are primarily based off of a distance-based award chart, moderately than a region-based one.
For round-trip flights, transcontinental Flagship First Class routes value 90,000 miles, and the worldwide routes value anyplace between 120,000–145,000 miles relying on the route for a round-trip flight for one individual.
Whereas the redemption charges through JAL Mileage Financial institution are affordable, the one technique to meaningfully earn JAL miles is by changing Marriott Bonvoy factors on the optimum ratio of 60,000 Bonvoy factors = 25,000 JAL miles.
American Airways Flagship First Class Award Availability
Since American AAdvantage makes use of a dynamic pricing mannequin, Flagship First Class award availability is well discovered, however might be extraordinarily costly in the event you aren’t capable of finding costs on the decrease degree.
In consequence, one of the simplest ways to safe a First Class seat at a less expensive fee – both with AAdvantage or a companion airline program – is to both guide a flight inside two weeks of departure, or nearer to a 12 months out.
Ideas & Methods for American Airways Flagship First Class
When reserving American Airways Flagship First Class flights, you’ll need to take note of just be sure you are in reality getting a Flagship First Class seat, and never a home First Class seat, which vastly pales compared.
To take action, you’ll need to take note of the plane and the seat map. Something apart from the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A321T received’t be a Flagship First Class product.
Be aware that American Airways AAdvantage will maintain an award seat for you for as much as 5 days. Which means that in the event you’re capable of finding an award flight with Flagship First Class and wish a while to switch, say, RBC Avion or Marriott Bonvoy factors into your account, you received’t have to fret about your seat disappearing within the meantime.
If you happen to’re in a position to be versatile in your departure location, then it’s greatest to fly out of Miami, Dallas, or Los Angeles to be able to get entry to Flagship First Eating. Whilst you’ll nonetheless have entry to lounges in different airports, American Airways’s Flagship First Eating Lounges are a step above the remainder.
It’s additionally attainable to improve a enterprise class ticket to Flagship First Class. If you happen to’re ticketed in enterprise class, preserve an eye fixed out for an improve provide at check-in, or upfront of your flight.
Lastly, in the event you solely have a restricted quantity of factors to spend, it could be price ready till late 2024 to check out American Airways’s new enterprise class product as a substitute, which appears to be a step above their present Flagship First cabins.
Conclusion
With American Airways Flagship First Class set to be phased out in 2024, there isn’t a lot time left to check out North America’s solely “true” First Class product.
With a swivel chair that equips you with your personal window-facing desk within the sky, the American Airways Flagship First Class expertise is definitely price attempting out, even when it may not evaluate to a number of the world’s greatest First Class flights.
Fortunately, American Airways Flagship First Class might be booked utilizing plenty of totally different factors currencies. On the entire, whereas it could be difficult to seek out availability, reserving through Etihad Visitor provides you with the perfect steadiness between the convenience of incomes factors and the price of redeeming them.
