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Premium passengers and some elite members in the City of Brotherly Love are about to get something they’ve long wanted from American Airlines. A Flagship Lounge is slated to open in Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) this summer according to statements made on the last quarterly earnings call.
American Airlines currently operates three Admirals Clubs at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). This lounge will be located in Terminal A-West. This is part of American’s plan to restore and increase service at its northeast hub. Robert Isom, American’s CEO, said that the airline is “getting back to where it should be” in Philadelphia after the pandemic. Service from the Pennsylvania airport should meet or exceed what was offered in 2019.
Access to American Airlines Flagship® Lounges is granted to passengers flying longhaul Business or First Class. This includes transcontinental, transatlantic, transpacific, and some flights to Hawaii on American Airlines and its oneworld® partner airlines, American Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members as well as Alaska MileagePlan™ MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold members on qualifying international flights, ConciergeKey℠ members regardless of cabin or flight, oneworld® Sapphire™ and Emerald™ flyers from other airlines, or with a single-visit pass (these cost $150 per person). One guest is allowed for all those with access above with the exception of ConciergeKey℠ members who may bring in immediate family or up to two guests.
American operates Flagship Lounges in the following cities:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) (my review here)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
It’s noted on American’s site that Philadelphia is coming soon.
Anthony’s Take: I loved my visit to the Flagship Lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). These lounges are on a par with United’s Polaris® Lounges and a little bit less luxe than the Delta One® Lounges. It’s great to see American finally adding one in Philadelphia.
(Image Credit: American Airlines.)
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4 comments
Anthony, keep in mind that while PHL does have a nice frequency of AA flights to LAX, and a smaller dose of flights to SFO, these are not considered Transcons by AA management despite route length. So a flagship lounge is less useful to non-elites based at PHL than, say, a non-elite at JFK. A non-elite isn’t getting into this PHL flagship lounge on any domestic flight. An elite AAdvantage member who often flies international out of PHL may like the thought of non-elite shoobies being largely kept out, but may not like it in practice, because the limited accessibility will really reduce this new lounge’s ability to relieve occasional crowding at the other (non-flagship) PHL Adm. Clubs, which elites will have to continue to use sometimes based on gate location or destination.
Good points. I was thinking of this as a nice add for transatlantic passengers.
Yeah……riiiiight
Nice enough I suppose. It would be pretty spectacular if AA would “getting back to where it should be” in CLT as well by doing whatever necessary to ease crowding and building more lounges but unfortunately that’s not the Isom way.