I was through Philadelphia on a domestic itinerary, so I decided to redeem a Flagship Lounge single visit pass at the new Flagship lounge there to see what American had launched first-hand over in terminal A West between gates 15 and 16.

Walking up to the lounge entrance there’s a sign on the terminal level that says they aren’t accepting day passes. This applies to both the Flagship and Admirals Clubs. I’m an Admirals Club member and would be able to use that space, but I wasn’t giving up.

I went up to reception and asked if maybe the sign just hadn’t been taken in yet, since it was midday midweek and surely the Flagship lounge wasn’t crowded? They offered that, no, they weren’t accepting day passes even though the lounges were empty “because it is new.” “Gosh I was really hoping to see it” and the woman offered that they wouldn’t sell a pass but that she’d redeem one – and I was in.

They opened the e-gates, I walked through, and was immediately offered champagne. Far friendlier, too, than the champagne greeting I usually encountered in Dallas.

Here are my general takeaways spending time here:

• The space is beautiful

  

  

• But it is small, and this place reportedly gets absolutely packed in the evenings – given the common design and that the spaces are connected, surely they will eventually convert the Admirals Club next door into an extension of Flagship (like they did at New York JFK).

  There is a ‘connector’ or ‘swing space’ between the two lounges, directly behind the reception desk. It can be opened up to either side.

  

  

  

  

  

  While I was there, it was open to be part of the Flagship lounge and it was empty. There is a door marked ‘private’ that was unlocked on the Admirals Club side that anyone could have entered through.

  

• The soda machine wasn’t functioning properly while I was there. Maybe it was just the carbonation rather than the machine itself, but as new as the place was and as many staff were standing around it seems like they should be paying attention to these details (or marking the device out of service so it wouldn’t spray on patrons).

  These machines remind me of the ones in the Capital One DFW lounge:

  

  

  

• Too many seats lack outlets – anything that isn’t beside a wall or with furniture beside it doesn’t have one.

• Buffet is more limited than at other Flagship lounges, but QR code ordering is available (in the dining room only).

  

  Most of the items, like pretzels and charcuterie plates, really ought to be buffet items. The chef station offers omelets and pork sandwiches, the latter aren’t really prepared fresh just assembled.

  This was the menu:

  

  

  

  

  And the chef station:

  

  

  

  

The cheesesteak was better than expected. The pretzel was a strange item to order via QR code. It came out lukewarm. I ordered the cheese and charcuterie plate, but that was never delivered. Their non-alcoholic ‘Dream of ’76’ was delicious and I was surprised to see a $25 and $35 Pinot Noir on the menu – it would be nice if even Flagship First Class boarded wines as nice as what’s served on the ground in the business lounge.

In the mornings and early afternoon this is a fantastic lounge. The most important thing in an airport lounge is tranquility (and assistance with flights during irregular ops). And this is a nice space to visit, with a nice soundtrack in the background. I’d be happy to work from here, and so I think this is a great addition for ConciergeKey members and for foreign airline oneworld elites who can access the space on domestic itineraries. But I’m not sure I see the point for American and Alaska elites and premium cabin transatlantic travelers.

I’ve heard from several readers that the lounge gets completely packed – with nowhere to sit – during the 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. hours before transatlantic departures. Some folks give up and try the Admirals Club next door, but that isn’t less busy. It offers a similar design, just less food, and both feature showers. This was a Flagship lounge shower:

And here’s the offerings on the buffet while I was there. The buffet is definitely more meager than what’s available in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.

And the bar area and drink menu:

American Airlines shouldn’t have closed the terminal A East Admirals Club. This space should be 100% dedicated to Flagship. Otherwise they undermine the very idea they’re trying to create here. Sure, it’s a business class lounge. But to be as premium as they’d like it to be it needs enough seating to accommodate premium passengers. Remember that they’ll be flying new Boeing 787-9Ps from here with 51 business class seats!

Access is available to oneworld business class passengers (currently American, British Airways, Qatar) as well as oneworld sapphire members traveling on any oneworld flight if their status is in a program other than American Airlines or Alaska Airlines. American and Alaska mid-tier elites have access traveling in coach and premium economy long haul international, but not on domestic flights. You can also redeem 15,000 miles for a day pass, or those are normally sold at $150.