How I booked everything
American Airlines Flagship Dining Room DFW
Etihad First & Business Class Lounge LHR
Etihad A380 First Class Apartments LHR-AUH (Video)
St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge DOH (Video)
Qatar A380 First Class DOH-BKK
Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge (Video)
Cathay Pacific 777-300ER First Class HKG-LAX
American Airlines doesn’t face a great amount of competition at its DFW hub in terms of creature comforts. There are four Admirals Clubs, which are perfectly sufficient but nothing spectacular. There is not a Flagship Lounge like at more competitive hubs (ORD, LAX, JFK). Honestly, American’s clubs didn’t really need to be excellent because there was no other lounge for any other airline that was much better at DFW.
All of that changed when American Express opened its Centurion Lounge in DFW’s Terminal D. American was surprised and upset by the news of the impending opening, but was powerless to stop it. I personally cancelled my Admiral’s Club membership because I ended up in the Centurion Lounge every time I was at DFW.
Recently, American announced a new Flagship Dining program at it’s Terminal D Admiral’s Club. It’s not much, but represents American acknowledging they need to get better at their home hub. I checked it out while waiting for my first flight of an amazing trip.
You are eligible for the Flagship Dining room if you are traveling in international First Class on a oneworld character or are on an international itinerary while holding oneworld Emerald status. Basically if you would otherwise be eligible for the Flagship Lounge elsewhere, you’re in.
When I say it’s not much, I mean it. It’s a room. A decently sized room, but still just a room. With the service personnel kind of standing around looking at everyone eating. Anyway, back to the review. When you first walk in you see a drink station with the typical soft drinks you’d expect, although they had some nice(r) beers and sparkling wine.
Drink station
Soft drinks
Beer
The room was very crowded when I was there (during the prime transatlantic travel time) so I initially had to stand but eventually found a seat and started working on my Shiner Bock.
I walked over to the buffet and was pleasantly surprised with the items. While the food isn’t to the quality of the Centurion Lounge it’s definitely a step above the normal Admiral’s Club fare.
Buffet
Sammiches
Hummus
It was a nice selection of salads and cold cuts. Down the line a bit they had soups and awesome little desserts.
Desserts
MOAR DESSERTS
I ate a plate of food and then: got bored and ended up back at the Centurion Lounge.
Is the Flagship Dining room worth a stop? Sure, if you don’t have access to the Centurion Lounge. While it’s not the most amazing thing ever I hope it represents American investing in DFW and hopefully someday bringing a Flagship Lounge back to its home airport.
Have you been? What did you think?
I enjoy it. I’m often in a scramble before my international flights and have skipped one or more meals leading up to departure. When I asked the gentleman in charge of AC’s globally about a lack of “substantial” food in the past, his answer was something to the effect: “We’re looking at some changes, but aren’t you about to eat on the plane?” he made a reasonable point, but it is nice to have some options for a light bite before the 2 or so hour wait for service aloft, and this is much better than the snack mix and pretzel options that I’ve grown tired of after 11 years of OW Emerald status. Is it CX’s The Wing? No. But it is a nod to the need for improvement and a solid step in the right direction for DFW.
I was recently visited the DFW’s First class dining room from my trip back from South Africa. Highly disappointed as there is about a dozen tables there and limited food options (as compared to a true Flagship lounge). The only thing that I liked about it is that they had Diet Dr Pepper. While the people were sitting down and working on their laptop or eating, their luggage or bags was on the floor so it was difficult for anyone to move about. I would suggest AA should give out vouchers for drinks and food so people can go outside to order and hang out without the need for nickle and dime (ie at the bar or a table) so they won’t have to deal with the busyness inside the Flagship dining room or sit on the plastic chairs. Plus, if you want to make a phone call, I needed to step outside so I can do it without the need to annoy the other guests in the room. Next time, I going to skip Admiral and go to Amex’s lounge.
David, I agree for the most part. I’m glad to see American recognize that it was lacking and they made a somewhat dead space into something better than the rest of the Admirals Clubs in DFW. Hopefully it’s just a start of great things to come.
Was there in early December for a TATL flight to Paris and was, well, “whelmed”. The spread was certainly better than what you’d expect from an AC, true. And it was free, which is certainly nice. But as others have mentioned, it’s small. And it very much gives off the vibe of being a nice buffet-style lunch one would have while attending a work conference at a higher-end SPG or Marriott property.
The seating isn’t particularly comfortable and is reminiscent of office-building cafeterias. There’s *no* room for carry-on luggage – and that’s a shame since the clientele who have access to the dining room tend to be carry-on-only passengers anyway. And given how small the room is, makes for awkwardness for the waitstaff as there’s really no place for them to go to be away from the passengers.
The food was fine and perfectly enjoyable for the low standards I have for US carriers. It was presented very nicely, which I appreciated, too. And I thought the drink spread was quite good for what they’re attempting to do in such a tight space.
Overall, though, I’d absolutely NOT arrive early or extend my layover in an effort to eat here or spend any time here. As Richard mentioned, it’s great as a supplemental meal prior to what’ll be served on the flight, but that’s about it. It’s good to see AA attempting to keep up with international standards, but everything about this space and service seems rushed or haphazardly implemented, even if it’s just temporary. How hard is it to take a cue from CX’s The Wing/Pier or BA’s Concorde Room? Both of which are OW members and have lifted the standard fairly high.
Your “how I booked everything” page is empty. My daughter (9) is wondering how long it takes to fly around the world and I told her I follow someone who has done that. Can you re-post your itinerary? Thx!