American Airlines has re-opened its Flagship business class lounges at New York JFK, Miami and Los Angeles. Flagship First Dining for long haul first class passengers has reopened at JFK and Miami. However the lounges in Dallas and Chicago remain closed.

Fortunately American Airlines is now talking up a target for their re-opening. The airline expects the Dallas – Fort Worth Flagship Lounge and Flagship First Dining to re-open this spring, and the Chicago O’Hare Flagship Lounge (which does not feature a First Dining section, though it was originally designed for one) to re-open in spring as well.

The Dallas – Fort Worth Flagship lounge and Flagship First Dining was supposed to be open much sooner. Among the issued faced have been challenges with hiring.

American’s Arrivals Lounge at London Heathrow has also re-opened. Among premium international-style lounges, their First Dining in Los Angeles will still be closed. Los Angeles has lost its status as American’s Asia hub and the carrier expects to offer limited long haul service to places like Sydney, Tokyo, and London from there.

Currently access to Flagship lounges is available to:

• Business and first class passengers flying on a oneworld airline to Asia; Australia or New Zealand; Europe; South America (excluding Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela) as well as business and first class passengers flying premium transcon routes (New York – Los Angeles and San Francisco and certain Miami and Boston – Los Angeles flights as well as New York JFK – Orange County).

• Business class passengers on long haul Hawaii flights

• American Platinum members and above and Alaska MVP Gold members and above who are flying to one of these eligible destinations on a oneworld airline.

• oneworld sapphire and emerald members in programs other than American AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan who are flying on any oneworld flight (including American and Alaska domestic flights)

• ConciergeKey members flying on a oneworld airline, including American and Alaska domestic

American Airlines Flagship Lounge LAX

Flagship First Dining access is limited to:

• Three-cabin first class passengers flying American Airlines to Asia; Australia; Europe; or South America or flying between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco

• Historically, to oneworld partners who have paid for access (such as British Airways for their first class passengers in some locations) and to Concierge Key members who have been given a limited number of passes, as well as to those offered a buy-in option or who purchased access through American’s Five Star premium ground service

  Concierge Key Flagship First Dining invitations currently expire in April. Since there’s been little corporate travel, and little Asia travel, and the DFW and Los Angeles First Dining locations aren’t even open I have to imagine they’ll extend these invitations or replace them, but the airline has so far been quiet on that.

Flagship First Dining New York JFK

Now broader pay-in passengers will supplement those with access via paid travel.