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tl;dr – Flagship First dining at the MIA Flagship Lounge is an enjoyable dining experience. The food and drinks are delicious and well-crafted, and the service is on-point. This restaurant-within-a-lounge feels miles away from the busy halls of Terminal D. The Flagship First dining experience is not unlike one you might encounter at a casual-yet-upscale restaurant around town, so for this to be a complimentary offering as part of a Flagship First ticket, it’s a no brainer.
On my most recent visit to MIA’s Flagship Lounge in July 2024, I got the chance to experience Flagship First Dining. It was included as part of my first-class ticket from Miami to São Paulo (GRU) on American. If you’re curious, here are separate reviews for the first-class flight and main Flagship Lounge.
What is Flagship First Dining, and How Can You Experience It?
Flagship First Dining (FFD) is a complimentary dining experience for passengers flying on American Airlines in Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus on qualifying international or transcontinental flights. Presently, FDD is available at three American Airlines Flagship Lounge locations: MIA, DFW, and LAX. It’s like a ‘club-within-the-club,’ an upscale dining experience you can enjoy if you’re ticketed on a first-class or business-plus itinerary.
American Airlines partners with the James Beard Foundation to curate the menus and food offerings at all of its Flagship Lounges, and that follows for FFD as well. The dining experience is just like one you’d expect in a traditional upscale restaurant, with a (routinely rotating) menu allowing you to select from appetizers, entrees, desserts, and (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) beverages.
Here’s some guidance on the routes where FFD is available:
If you’re flying American Airlines’ Flagship First International, you can bring one guest to enjoy FFD with you. Transcontinental Flagship First and Flagship Business passengers are not eligible to bring guests.
My FFD Dining Experience
FFD at MIA is available from 1 pm to 10:30 pm daily. We arrived at MIA from a morning flight around 11 am and immediately went to the Flagship Lounge. Upon arrival, we were reminded that our ticket included access to FDD and to let the staff know when we were ready to have our meal (once the dining room was open).
After relaxing and letting our appetites grow, we made our way to the Flagship First Dining room.
The dining room was inviting. The big windows just past the full bar offer views of the jetway and allow tons of light, illuminating the marble flooring and walls that dominate the space. Unsurprisingly, most wooden tables are two-tops, with just a handful of tables capable of seating bigger parties. I loved the spacing choices—no table was too close to another. We were seated at a booth, and only one other party was dining there at the time (another party departed right as we sat down).
Flagship First Dining Room – MIA – Source: You Are Travel. –
Two friendly servers greeted us, presenting menus and a wine/cocktail list. The wine list included the selections that were available for self-serve outside in the main Flagship Lounge area but also featured a few additional premium offerings – red, white, and sparkling (denoted by the outlined grey).
Flagship First Dining – MIA – food and beverage menus – Source: You Are Travel
I chose the Bibb salad and the Flagship Burger for my meal. Mrs. Blackbeard opted for crispy polenta appetizers featuring Florida little neck clams and fish—a Florida dorade. However, we planned to share almost everything.
Bread service came out shortly after—some light, airy cheese rolls with harissa butter spread. These were tasty, and I enjoyed them alongside a snappy cocktail—the Caribbean Hibiscus Cooler, Mrs. Blackbeard – a glass of the Palmes D’Or. One bite of the roll, one sip of the cocktail, and the tone for the rest of the meal was set—I knew everything was going to be on point. Bread, cocktails and sparkling to start off – Source: You Are Travel
My salad was well-presented and refreshing. The bibb lettuce leaves were delicate and tender, and the tomato white wine sauce accompanying the clams and polenta was incredibly flavorful.
Bibb salad and polenta with little neck clams – MIA – Source: You Are Travel
Alongside our entrees, we ordered two more glasses of wine – the Robert Craig ‘Affinity’ Cabernet and the Phil Long Reserve Cabernet. I was incredibly excited to see Phil Long’s wine, as I’d visited his winery – Longevity – in Livermore, CA, several years back and enjoyed his Barbera. Additionally, he does excellent work as president and founder of the African American Vintners Association.
The burger came served on a cutting board with a cup of seasoned fries. The fish was beautifully plated on a semicircle of quinoa, alongside black olive tapenade and tomatoes. I found the burger to be a solid effort and a healthy portion size. The fish was cooked perfectly, and all the accompaniments made the dish whole. Again, I was impressed. Flagship Burger and dorade at FFD – MIA – Source: You Are Travel
We weren’t feeling dessert, but that never stopped anybody, so here are the photos of the desserts we ordered.
Dessert Menu and two great desserts – Source: You Are Travel
You’re looking at the “Signature Flagship Desert”—key lime coconut tart, strawberry, and cashew—a tribute to South Florida, no doubt, and the “Chocolate Fondant” (passionfruit ice cream and toasted hazelnut). These desserts hit! They’re a great way to finish the meal.
After finishing up, we left some gratuity and headed back into the central part of the Flagship Lounge to await our flight.
Ending Thoughts
FFD was a great experience. If you are flying on an itinerary that grants you access, you should take the chance to dine with American Airlines. Honestly, the only hesitation I could think of is for someone who is super bullish on enjoying a full meal service in-flight. Given that this is a full meal, you may not have an appetite for the in-flight offerings. That said, the quality of the FFD was much stronger than the in-flight offerings on my flight to São Paulo, so I highly doubt anyone would be upset with their decision to eat a bigger meal on the ground.
Lastly, there’s been talk over the years that AA’s Flagship First offerings will sunset. If that does come to fruition, it’s unclear what this will mean for the future of the Flagship Lounges and the accompanying FFD locations. This product was a true standout experience from American Airlines, and I’d love to see it stick around (if not grow) as I’m keen to check out how the FFD experience differs at DFW and LAX.
