Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge, London Heathrow

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Arriving into London’s Heathrow airport, I was able to check in at the Flagship check-in area, just off of the departure square. Inside, I was greeted by a security agent that confirmed my reasoning for traveling, and then proceeded to the only agent inside, who checked me in within a matter of seconds. Flagship check-in is available for Business Class, First Class and oneworld Emerald and Sapphire customers.

Once checked-in I proceeded to Fast Track security, which was a bit of a nightmare, since a family of several children was in front of me who clearly did not understand the no-liquids policy, as they brought out bottle after bottle of water, juice, milk and other consumables. Trying to get through the detector, I swear they had metal in every pocket, as it set off the machine multiple times as they continued to undress to a metal-less perfection. After several minutes of waiting, I proceeded through, and then to the American Airlines AAdmiral’s Club, which is where the Flagship Lounge is located.

To access the Flagship Lounge, you’ll proceed through the AAdmiral’s Club doors, check-in at the desk to verify access, and then to a small door sort of behind you and to the right, which leads into the Flagship Lounge. As a reminder, the lounge is open to First Class passengers, and oneworld Emeralds, including Executive Platinums.

The lounge is not as nice as the one in JFK, though certainly quite for some reason. There’s plenty of seating, both with tables and without. When I entered, which was in the afternoon, I counted no more than five people inside, which surprised me.

In any event, I checked out the food spread, which was average at best. To be honest, it was the same offering in the regular AAdmiral’s Club, with the addition of a warm pasta dish, which was actually rather tasty. There were plenty of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic.

The “secret” seating to the Flagship Lounge is a movie-theater style room located in a hallway next to the buffet spread. Here, you’ll find recliner style seats, facing a larger television, perfect for taking a nap, or watching the latest sports game.

My Take

This lounge isn’t a home run, but is less crowded than the main Flagship Lounge. The food offering is on-par in the basic lounge, with the exception of the rotating hot option, so don’t plan to come here extraordinarily hungry. Seating is plentiful, especially if you can snag a spot with the recliner seats in the movie area.