- American Airlines extends Flagship Dining to business class passengers from September 15 at Dallas Fort Worth and Miami.
- The airline removes first class from its long-haul fleet, reconfiguring Boeing 777-300ERs without the cabin.
- Dining access is tied to an eligible American-operated itinerary and subject to available space.
- new four-course menu and a Thomas Keller-linked wine-and-chocolate pairing are introduced.
- The Los Angeles Flagship Dining room is due to reopen late in 2026 after six and a half years.
American Airlines has extended its Flagship Dining to business class passengers, challenging Delta and United while planning a late-2026 reopening at Los Angeles. Starting September 15, eligible Flagship Business and Business Plus customers can use the dining rooms at Dallas Fort Worth and Miami. Los Angeles is due to return late this year, six and a half years after it closed.
The removal of “First” from its name records the end of that model, as American is dismantling the cabin that gave Flagship First Dining its purpose. Boeing 777-300ERs are being reconfigured without first class, with the first plane already equipped with the new Flagship Suites, while Airbus A321XLRs with business suites and premium economy are replacing three-cabin A321Ts on premium transcontinental routes.
The expanded policy stops well short of admitting everyone who can enter a Flagship Lounge. American’s elite members, travelers with alliance status, and passengers flying premium cabins on partner carriers will not qualify on those grounds alone; dining access is now tied to an eligible American-operated itinerary. The airline has placed a consequential qualification on the benefit by making every visit subject to available space. Guests must check with the host, take an immediate table if one is open, or join an electronic waitlist. Demand will be concentrated before major evening departures, when international passengers have the strongest incentive to eat before boarding.
The new four-course menu comes from American’s culinary team, with Texas pear and burrata salad, roasted purple cauliflower steak, mesquite-grilled beef filet, a California artisan board, the familiar Flagship burger and churro bread pudding among the announced dishes. Alongside the four-course menu, American is introducing a wine-and-chocolate pairing linked to multi-Michelin-star chef Thomas Keller, though his involvement does not extend to the main dishes. Keller co-founded K+M Extravirgin Chocolate, and the company’s chocolates and hazelnut dragées will be served with KHK Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, made in collaboration with Napa winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. American says the cabernet will also be available throughout its Flagship Lounges and at the Chelsea Lounge at New York JFK.
Rhonda Crawford, American’s senior vice president of customer experience and design, shared: We are delivering a hospitality experience that begins well before customers step on board.
Gary Leff, aviation analyst, shared: I think this is a smart move, but I personally lament it a bit as these spaces have been truly special.
American Airlines shared: The new dining experience is designed to offer a more elevated pre-flight meal to our growing business-class customer base.
