American Airways Flagship First Class is the one true First Class cabin provided by a serious North American airline.
So as to add pointless confusion, American Airways additionally has home “First Class” seats. This product isn’t significantly better than premium economic 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 all the things 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 associated fee through the use of 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 provided by different main airways, you’ll be able to nonetheless anticipate to have a memorable expertise in your flight.
Along with high-quality meals and drinks in a pretty big 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 finest 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.
In case you’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 usually way more crowded.
Within the Flagship lounges, you’ll be able to anticipate higher high quality meals, premium wine, and top-shelf Champagne choices, in addition to a extra snug surroundings 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 well swivel as much as 90 levels.
In follow, which means in case you’re located subsequent to a window, you’ll be able to rotate your seat to fully face the window.
What’s extra, the counter area to your aspect, which is correct in entrance of you together 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 completed or simply calm down with views of the horizon straight forward of you.
Rotating your seat additionally helps to supply 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 measurement, 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 toes. You’ll be able to select to kick up your toes and calm down, or to have somebody be a part of you through the meal service, because it’s additionally geared up with a seatbelt.
Meals and Drink
The American Airways Flagship First Class food and drinks service is designed to supply an expensive and premium expertise within the air. Passengers can anticipate to be served a variety of high-quality seasonal dishes and a number of top-shelf drinks.
For meals, passengers are in a position to dine-on-demand, which suggests you’ll be able to order off of the Flagship First Class menu everytime you’d like.
You’ll be able to look forward to finding a number of entrées, salads, and soups. Among the dishes which might be generally served embody grilled steak, pan-seared salmon, roasted hen, and pasta dishes.
The meals are sometimes accompanied by aspect dishes, equivalent to roasted greens, potatoes, and bread.
Along with the principle meal, Flagship First Class passengers are additionally provided a alternative of snacks and lightweight bites all through the flight, together with contemporary fruit, cheese, and crackers.
As for drinks, American Airways affords a pleasant number of premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. This consists of an in depth wine record, that includes vintages from around the globe, in addition to a wide range of cocktails, beers, spirits, and naturally, Champagne.
Non-alcoholic choices embody contemporary juices, mushy drinks, and scorching drinks, equivalent 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.
In case you’re travelling by yourself, Seats 1A, 1J, 2A, and 2J by the home windows present essentially the most privateness. Nonetheless, Seat 2A is your best option because it’s furthest from the bogs, and also you’ll have fewer individuals strolling within the aisle subsequent to you.
In case you’re travelling with a companion, then Seats 1D and 1G or 2D and 2G enable you one of the best likelihood 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 related seats, however a really totally different Flagship First Class format. As a substitute of eight seats, there are 10 First Class seats throughout 5 rows in a 1-1 configuration.
Because of this 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 could have fewer individuals strolling within the aisle beside you.
In case you’re travelling with a companion, selecting two seats throughout the identical row offers you one of the best likelihood of interacting with one another through 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 through the use of the ottoman as a buddy seat.
Elimination of First Class Cabins
In late 2024, American Airways will likely 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 wish to act fast in case 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 might 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 models.
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 quite a few 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 e book 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.
Notice that American Airways doesn’t have a set award schedule for reserving Flagship First Class flights with AAdvantage miles.
Due to this, there’s a variety you’ll be able to anticipate pay when redeeming AAdvantage miles for a Flagship First Class seat, however it’s nonetheless doable 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 charges beneath the dynamic pricing mannequin.
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless doable, albeit harder, to search out seats on choose flights at a value of 85,000 miles + $5.60 (USD).
American Airways additionally affords “Internet Particular – First Award” flights, which might help minimize down on the inflated prices.
With Internet Specials, you’ll be able to nonetheless cancel at no cost, however you gained’t be capable of make another adjustments as soon as it’s ticketed.
The easiest way to seek for American Airways Flagship First Class availability is on the American Airways web site. After looking out your required routes and dates, you’ll be able to choose “Calendar” on the subsequent web page.
Listed here are some examples of one of the best 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 easier to come back throughout, and others are extra uncommon.
For instance, in a whole 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 particular person per course.
American Airways additionally tends to launch last-minute award availability a few weeks out, with a lot of the most cost-effective choices discovered inside every week of looking out.
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 case you have been to make use of American AAdvantage miles.
In Canada, Etihad Visitor is a switch companion with American Specific 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 Specific 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 value 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 should name Etihad Visitor to make a reserving, however this system is about to debut reserving companion airways on-line as of Spring 2023.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
It’s doable to redeem miles in Alaska Airways Mileage Plan for American Airways First Class flights.
Alaska Mileage Plan not too long ago stopped publishing particular person award charts for every companion airline, however you’ll be able to anticipate the pricing to be much like what American Airways AAdvantage themselves would cost.
It’s gotten considerably tougher for Canadians to earn Alaska miles with the phasing out of the MBNA Alaska bank card.
These days, one of the best ways to rack up Alaska miles could be by way of 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, fairly 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 particular person.
Whereas the redemption charges by way of JAL Mileage Financial institution are cheap, the one solution 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 definitely discovered, however might be extraordinarily costly in case you aren’t capable of finding costs on the decrease degree.
Because of this, one of the best ways to safe a First Class seat at a less expensive charge – both with AAdvantage or a companion airline program – is to both e book a flight inside two weeks of departure, or nearer to a 12 months out.
Suggestions & Methods for American Airways Flagship First Class
When reserving American Airways Flagship First Class flights, you’ll wish to take note of just be sure you are in truth getting a Flagship First Class seat, and never a home First Class seat, which vastly pales compared.
To take action, you’ll wish to take note of the plane and the seat map. Something apart from the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A321T gained’t be a Flagship First Class product.
Notice that American Airways AAdvantage will maintain an award seat for you for as much as 5 days. Because of this in case 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 gained’t have to fret about your seat disappearing within the meantime.
In case you’re in a position to be versatile in your departure location, then it’s finest to fly out of Miami, Dallas, or Los Angeles with the intention 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 remaining.
It’s additionally doable to improve a enterprise class ticket to Flagship First Class. In case you’re ticketed in enterprise class, preserve a watch out for an improve provide at check-in, or upfront of your flight.
Lastly, in case 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 seems 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 individual 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 few of the world’s finest First Class flights.
Fortunately, American Airways Flagship First Class might be booked utilizing quite a few totally different factors currencies. On the entire, whereas it could be tough to search out availability, reserving by way of Etihad Visitor offers you one of the best stability between the benefit of incomes factors and the price of redeeming them.
