What are the top 10 best American Airlines Airport Lounges for international travel, including their Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges? The best lounge option for AA and Oneworld elites are AA’s new flagship lounges which offer better food, drink, and service. American Airlines Flagship lounges are currently open in Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), New York-JFK, Miami (MIA), and Dallas (DFW), with future plans for Philadelphia (PHL).
Beyond the flagship lounges, there are still some great American Airlines lounges, although their non-flagship domestic lounges can be disappointing.
How To Access American Airlines Flagship Clubs
You can currently access the American Airlines Flagship Clubs if you are:
- Traveling on qualifying Oneworld long-haul international first and business class flight on the same day
- Traveling in First Class or Business Class on American’s premium transcontinental routes, including from Los Angeles to New York
- American Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members traveling on a qualifying Oneworld international flight, regardless of the class of travel
- Non-American AAdvantage Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members traveling on any Oneworld flight (even domestic)
- Concierge Key member traveling on any American flight
1. American Airlines Flagship Club, Terminal 5 LAX
Location: Terminal 4, across from Gate 40
One of the best American Airlines Admirals Club Lounges can be found in Terminal 4, LAX. This lounge is next door to an American Airlines Admirals Club.
This lounge is located just past security, across from gate 40, and is open daily from 5:00 – 2:00 am. Outside it is labeled American Airlines Flagship Lounge on a big sign. You can’t miss it! Once inside, the Flagship Lounge is to your left, and you can find the American Airlines Admirals Club to your right.
This club is divided into two The Admirals Admirals Club on one side and The Flagship Club on the other. The Flagship Club is an option for those with First Class and Business Class tickets. The Admirals Club tends to be used by those flyers with day passes and other memberships.
The lounge is large at 14,500 ft², including the Flagship First Dining area that’s only available to passengers traveling in First Class on a three-cabin aircraft.
The lounge has decor in the entrance that reminds me of a piano with black and white keys on the wall (perhaps this is just my head?) and offers semicircle windows overlooking the concourse. Beyond this is the best area in this lounge, in my opinion, which is the area right at the end. This area has huge angled floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and more floor-to-ceiling windows at the end, so this is a corner of massive windows where you can watch the planes.
Further along, there is a large bar with fun bobbly lighting hanging above it and bar stools set against it. This is a self-serve bar, and it has sections containing a huge variety of alcoholic drinks, including Bollinger Champagne, right from first thing in the morning! There are also cans of soft drinks with pretty much every flavor you could want.
Food-wise, there is a hot buffet with fried potatoes and eggs for breakfast, and there is a cold buffet area with bread, bagels, smoked salmon, salad, cold cuts, cheeses, cut fruit, etc. Best of all, there is an omelet station where you can order an omelet as you like with any filling you like (there are bowls of tomatoes, cheese, onions, etc., filling to choose from).
This lounge also has a business area and showers and a la carte Flagship First table service room with extensive dining that is always impressive and filling. There are also plenty of power outlets and USB ports to enable you to charge up.
2. American Airlines Flagship Lounge, JFK Terminal 8
Location: Mezzanine Level, after going through Concourse B Security
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge in New York JFK underwent a major overhaul in around 2017. This is a great American Airlines lounge, and its Flagship First Dining is excellent and puts it in the same league as some of the best airline lounges in the world. The only problem with this lounge is that not everyone gets access to the Flagship dining side of this lounge.
The JFK American Airlines Flagship Lounge at T8 is located up an elevator airside. The hosts will direct you to the left. If you instead turn right, you get to the American Flagship Bridge Lounge instead (more on that below).
The American Airlines Flagship lounge is a much nicer lounge than any previous American Airlines lounges at JFK, but it does get busy. The reason you’ll want to try this lounge is that it offers the exclusive Flagship First Dining.
This recently rejuvenated Flagship Lounge features updated interiors and all sorts of seating, from cozy single sofa seats to high stools. There are nice comfy single seats for the single traveler as well as communal tables and cafe chairs. The central piece is a wine and champagne display, much like the iconic tables in the British Airways’ lounges such as the BA Gatwick Business Lounge or the Galleries Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5. Here you can enjoy real champagne, or the “make your own” cocktail bar.
Along one wall are separated desk booths with workspaces, and some of them have computers in them. There is also a quiet room with more of those single sofa seats. The lounge also houses bathrooms with showers.
There’s a great selection of soft drinks, wines, and spirits in this American Airlines Flagship Lounge, pretty much everything you could wish for, whether you are in the Flagship First dining section or not. The standard lounge food on offer includes cheese, soups, an array of salads, bread, and some hot foods in silver dishes.
But, be warned, the Flagship First Dining part of the lounge is only for American’s own First Class customers. Cathay Pacific First Class passengers also get access to this lounge and the American Flagship First Dining in New York JFK. As a result of its exclusivity, the Flagship First Dining is never too busy, and it features sit-down dining and table service and an a la carte menu.
The Flagship Dining room is a beautiful space, much like a high-end restaurant, but with floor-to-ceiling windows down one side offering great views of the planes. If you have access to the Flagship sit-down dining, you will be blown away by the experience and the food. Starters are things like soups and beet salad. Mains include filet mignon, squid ink linguini, red Thai curry, and salmon fillets, as well as the Flagship Burger. Sweets are delicious cakes and sundaes. The Flagship Lounge beats the likes of the United Club or Delta SkyClub and easily makes this American Airlines lounge the best at JFK.
3. American Airlines Flagship Lounge, Miami
Location: North Terminal, near Gate D30
The American Airlines Flagship lounge is one of the best airport lounges in Miami airport and can be found in the North Terminal.
If you’re flying on British Airways to London Heathrow from Concourse E, you can also use this lounge instead of the Oneworld premium lounge on Concourse E, although you will have quite a walk to the gate.
American Airlines offers First Class travelers extra exclusivity with this lounge with its Flagship First Dining. To get access to the Flagship First lounge, you must be traveling in First Class on American’s three-class international flights between the US and Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. You can bring one guest.
This lounge is located next to the Admirals Club across from Gate D30. Once you go up in the lift, you turn left for the Admirals Club or right for the Flagship lounge.
The lounge is enormous at 29,000 ft². It has plenty of navy and cream seats, mainly in the form of armchairs (most seats in the lounge have power outlets) and a cafe area with cafe tables and chairs next to the buffet. There are lots of pine partitions separating one area from the next.
Food-wise, there is an extensive hot and cold buffet. There’s a hot egg dish for breakfast, and there’s a cold buffet with bread, bagels, smoked salmon, salad, cold cuts, cheeses, cut fruit, etc. During the rest of the day, there are numerous plates of salads and meats. Best of all, there is a live chef station where you can order custom-prepared dishes at mealtimes.
There is a drinks area within the main dining area with a vast range of self-service drinks, including spirits, wines, beers (Blue Room, Budweiser, Samuel Adams, and Stella Artois). The available Champagne is Bollinger Brut, and there is also a cocktail-making area. The bar area also offers magnificent views of the planes.
For soft drinks, there’s a coke fountain, juices, and water. The lounge also features large shower suites and some daybeds for relaxing and freshening up.
4. American Airlines Flagship Lounge, Chicago-O’Hare
Location: Between gates H6 and K6
One of the best airport lounges at Chicago airport is the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. The lounge is located in the same area as the American Airlines Admirals Club. The length of the lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the planes and the runway. You could spend all day watching American’s planes. There are some terrific desk seats with powerpoints looking directly out to the planes in this lounge, ideal for catching up with work.
There are chaise longue style day beds, numerous other seating areas, and a dining area. Within the dining area, there is self-serve alcohol, including champagne and wines. There are whole fruit and sweets plus a huge selection of good quality food. At breakfast, expect muffins, freshly cooked fried potatoes, sausages, bacon, eggs (scrambled), sushi, smoked salmon, salami, nuts, veggies, berries, cut fruit, mini boxed cereal, etc. crepes. The coffee is good, and the bathrooms and shower suites are smart with rainfall and handheld showerheads and high-end toiletries. If you get access to Flagship First dining, your experience in this lounge will be further enhanced.
5. American Airlines Flagship Admirals Club DFW, Dallas
Location: Terminal D, By Gates D21 & D22
The best airport lounge at Dallas International is the brand new American Airlines Flagship Admirals Club in Terminal D, complete with Flagship First Dining. The look is similar to other Admirals Clubs across the country, but the design is long and thin with floor-to-ceiling windows located above the gates, so it gives really great views of the tarmac, planes, and runways.
There is a good food buffet located close to the bathroom in this lounge, with international foods, and at breakfast, chefs prepared omelets and pancakes. During the rest of the day, there are plates of delicious salads and marinated meats. This really extensive and impressive spread is both hot and cold. There are plenty of spirits, beers, and wine to enjoy in this lounge too.
Flagship First Dining is in an exclusive section. It offers complimentary table-service dining with delicious Texas food, and there are some incredible food/beverage options, including specially designed cocktails, exclusive to Flagship First Dining.
The Centurion Lounge is better than the best American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth, in our opinion, unless you get access to the Flagship First dining, which is outstanding.
6. Admirals Club, LAX, Terminal 5
This lounge is a relatively new lounge that opened in 2017, and this Terminal 5 lounge is larger than the Terminal 4 lounge. Both are excellent AA Admirals Club lounges, and it is hard to choose between them in terms of which is best.
The Admirals Club lounge, Terminal 5, is nice looking with artwork on the walls and autumnal grey, brown, and red hues in the decor. Parts of the ceiling have intricate designs, and there are cool paper airplane designs made out of metal stuck on some of the walls. There are all sorts of seating along with business pods to work at connected to a printer, and there are loads of charging and USB points.
The cold buffet is similar to the options in the Terminal 4 lounge, with breakfast which includes bread, bagels, smoked salmon, salad, cold cuts, cheeses, cut fruit, etc. Later in the day, there are complimentary light bites, including tomatoes, carrots, olives, edamame, pasta salad, chips, and chicken. There’s also made-to-order guacamole and avocado toast with prosciutto in the morning.
The dining area also has a staffed bar with complimentary wine, house spirits, and beer, as well as premium beverages for a fee. There’s an espresso machine, self-serve soda, tea, juice, and water.
Beyond the buffet, there are more chairs and tables, all with a great view of the planes. Finally, there is fast Wi-Fi, and there are showers in this lounge too.
7. Admirals Club, Dallas, Terminal B
The location of the American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge DFW, Terminal B, is at the end of the terminal near gate B4 and not far from gates D36 – D40 in Terminal D. The Terminal B Admirals Club Lounge is one of the smallest of all the Admirals Clubs in DFW.
There is a bar next to some windows that are rather nice as the sun streams in through them. House wine, certain spirits, and beers, including Bud Light, are on draft and free, and you can see the departures board from the bar, which is useful.
The seating area also has views of the planes as the lounge is at the gate level. The decor is pleasant but nothing special with pine walls. The buffet area has two different types of soup, plus the usual rather uninteresting light bites; cheese, vegetables, chips, hummus, apples, bananas, cookies, and brownies.
8. Admirals Club Honolulu Airport
The American Airlines Admirals Club, also JAL’s Sakura Lounge, is located in Terminal 2, airside, 3rd Floor. This lounge is one of the best airport lounges at Honolulu airport. It is quite different from other Admirals Club Lounges as JAL probably has more flights out of HNL than American does. This means it has more of a skew to JAL, and the seating is orange rather than AA colors, plus Hawaiian music is played, which gives it an international feel.
The decor is a little dated, but there’s loads of seating. The power sockets are from the US for reference. In terms of dining, you can eat chicken noodle soup, a Japanese dish that is made up of hot rice, usually Japanese beef curry with rice, and a chicken dish with rice. There are also chicken-flavored instant noodles. Snacks include buns, packaged cheese, and crackers in the refrigerator, plus cookies. Breakfast is croissants and cake. Overall, the food selection is better than most domestic Admirals Club lounges. For alcohol, there’s beer in a refrigerator, self-serve spirits, juices, and soft drinks from a soda fountain.
There is no meeting room or showers in this lounge, but there are toilets. This is not a great lounge, but it’s better than nothing, and this is one of the better choices in Honolulu airport as most of the lounges are pretty poor. The views from this lounge are onto a garden rather than the tarmac, but at least it has natural light, unlike the Delta Sky Club reviewed below.
9. Admirals Club Lounge, DFW, Terminal A
The Terminal A lounge reopened in April 2018 after a renovation. The new lounge is big and has everything you could need. This lounge is large and smart, with lots of artwork. It has a unique look, which is a little different from other AA lounges. The main bar area is also where a unique guacamole bar can be found where a lounge attendant makes guacamole on request.
10. Admirals Club Lounge DFW, Terminal B
The location of the American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge DFW, Terminal B, is at the end of the terminal near gate B4 and not far from gates D36 – D40 in Terminal D. The Terminal B Admirals Club Lounge is one of the smallest of all the Admirals Clubs in DFW.
There is a bar next to some windows that are rather nice as the sun streams in through them. House wine, certain spirits, and beers, including Bud Light, are on draft and free, and you can see the departures board from the bar, which is useful.
The seating area also has views of the planes as the lounge is at the gate level. The decor is pleasant but nothing special with pine walls. The buffet area has two different types of soup, plus the usual rather uninteresting light bites; cheese, vegetables, chips, hummus, apples, bananas, cookies, and brownies.
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