AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
The long-awaited American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) finally opened its doors to eligible travelers in May 2025. Flagship Lounges are a cut above Admirals Clubs in both amenities and exclusivity, and the Philadelphia lounge is a cut above the rest of the Flagship network, too.
Here’s what you’ll find inside the Philadelphia Flagship Lounge so you can make the most of your time there.
Page Contents
What It’s Like Inside the American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia still has the look and feel of a brand-new lounge. Compared to other Flagship Lounges, such as those at Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, and Miami, it's noticeably more modern. And the modern feel is apparent from the moment you arrive.
Location and hours
The American Airlines PHL Flagship Lounge is located in Terminal A between gates A15 and A16 on the fourth floor. It sits directly across from the new Admirals Club and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Provided you're eligible to get in, you simply scan your boarding pass at the electronic gate instead of checking in with an airline staff member. This makes for seamless entrance with no virtually no waiting in line required.
But perhaps the reason there was no line was because the crowd was already inside. I visited around 4 p.m. local time, which was a couple of hours before the bank of evening international American Airlines flights began departing. And most of the crowd disappeared as those planes began to board.
Layout and dining program
The lounge is long and not particularly large. It measures nearly 12,500 square feet and is shaped like a rectangle, and the space is divided into four main areas. From the entrance, you first come to a small living room with seating, a fireplace, and a small kiosk where you can grab a glass of Veuve Clicquot.
After the living room is a small dining room. This area is not very big either (considering the crowd size), but there are tables in the center where you can enjoy a meal and seats along the windows that offer great tarmac views.
On the right side of the dining room is a self-serve station with a stocked refrigerator of canned and bottled drinks, a coffee machine, sodas on tap, and a few sweet snacks.
Behind the dining room are the buffet and bar. During my visit, the Flagship Lounge offered several hot dishes, desserts, and sandwiches you could grab at will. Later in the evening, the lounge began serving made-to-order sundaes and Italian ice.
If you're not feeling the buffet, you can order a few dishes and beverages using a QR code found at your table. The order page advertised delivery within 15 minutes, and that was accurate. I ordered a charcuterie board and a Caesar salad from my phone, and both were tasty. The lounge allegedly serves cheesesteaks as well, but they were unavailable during my visit. And I'm still sad about it.
The last big area in the lounge is offers additional seating. It’s similar to the dining room, but with more variety in seating arrangements. You’ll find cubby-style seats for two, dining tables that can seat pairs or larger groups, and more solo seats facing the tarmac.
My biggest gripe about this area, though, was the lack of outlets. After a while, I was close to needing one, but packing up and moving might have meant not finding another place to sit since the lounge was so crowded.
Private room
There’s more to the PHL American Airlines Flagship Lounge than these four main areas, but these are the spaces you’ll inevitably visit if you walk through. Beyond them, there’s a room labeled “Private,” though that’s a bit of a misnomer since you didn't have to check any particular box to get in.
I later learned it’s mainly used for overflow seating and as a quieter spot to relax. It’s also where you’ll find the candy bar and a few self-serve beverage options.
Customary amenities
The lounge offers all the standard Flagship Lounge amenities, including high-speed Wi-Fi, restrooms, and shower suites. This location has six shower suites, which you can reserve by speaking with a staff member.
Even with the large crowd during my visit, there was no wait for a shower, but your experience may vary.
Who’s Eligible to Access the Philadelphia Flagship Lounge?
American Airlines Flagship Lounges aren’t the same as Admirals Clubs, meaning the entry requirements are different. If you want to enter the Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia, or any other Flagship Lounge in the network, you need to check one of these boxes:
- Fly a qualifying First or Business Class fare to an eligible destination. Fly First or Business class on a qualifying same-day international, transcontinental, or domestic flight marketed and operated by American, a Oneworld airline, or Aer Lingus. You can bring one guest.
- Hold an eligible tier of AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elite status and fly to an eligible destination. Eligible tiers include AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum, or Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold. Get access if you’re departing, arriving, or connecting on a qualifying same-day international flight marketed and operated by American, a Oneworld airline, or Aer Lingus. You can bring one guest.
- Hold Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status. Get access if you’re departing, arriving, or connecting to any same-day flight marketed and operated by American or a Oneworld airline, regardless of cabin. You can bring one guest.
- Hold ConciergeKey status. Get access when traveling on any same-day flight marketed and operated by American, a Oneworld airline, or Aer Lingus. You can bring immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, and children under 18) or up to two guests.
- Purchase a single-visit pass. American Airlines sells same-day, one-time use passes for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage miles per person. However, access is subject to lounge capacity, and Flagship Lounges often post signs stating passes are not currently being accepted. Guests are not allowed.
Bottom Line
The American Airlines Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia was the third Flagship Lounge I’ve visited, after Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s by far my favorite — partly because I’m a sucker for a new lounge, partly because the food was tastier than what I’ve had at other Flagship Lounges, and partly because it’s just an aesthetically cool place to spend a few hours before a flight.
But as I’ve mentioned, the lounge was incredibly busy. It was busy enough that guests were regularly circling to find a seat, and the constant foot traffic made it hard to focus on work. And I’d bet crowds will be a persistent issue as American adds its new premium-heavy Boeing 787-9P to more routes out of Philadelphia, which will only mean larger numbers of passengers eligible for the Flagship Lounge.
That said, my flight left well after the largest bank of American Airlines international flights departed, so once the crowd thinned out the space became much more pleasant. Timing your visit can be the difference between a great experience and an okay one.
However, Philadelphia clearly sets the bar for American Airlines Flagship Lounges. The lounge itself is impressive, and every staff member I interacted with was helpful and courteous, which makes a big difference. All told, this is a lounge I’m looking forward to visiting again.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.