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American Airlines will give business class passengers Flagship dining
Flagship® Dining, the premium dining experience for international long haul first class passengers available at Dallas Fort Worth and Miami International Airports will now give access to more customers. As AA are phasing out its first class cabin, this makes sense. I have always really enjoyed the Flagship dining experience, which usually has better wines and champagne too.
American is also introducing an exclusive wine and chocolate pairing featuring KHK Wines and K+M Extravirgin Chocolate for Flagship Dining guests. Chef Thomas Keller, who co-founded K+M Extravirgin Chocolate with Italian olive oil producer Armando Manni and is a founding ambassador for KHK Wines, curated the pairing. The offering will also be available at The Chelsea Lounge® club at JFK New York airport.
From 15 September, customers travelling in Flagship® Business Plus and Flagship® Business on qualifying long-haul international, transcontinental and Hawaii Flagship routes will get access to Flagship® Dining. If you are interested in dining in the Flagship dining, I would expect it to be very busy when the change happens. You should check in with the host team inside the Flagship® lounge as soon as you get to the lounge, as there could be quite a wait. If all tables are occupied, you may be added to an electronic waitlist and notified when a table becomes available. It looks like it will only apply to those flying on AA rather than other oneworld airlines. AA are investing a huge amount in improving the customer experience, and I would definitely be inclined to give them another try on long-haul.
“At American, we’re continually looking for ways to elevate the customer experience and create moments that make travel more memorable,” said American’s SVP of Customer Experience and Design Rhonda Crawford. “By expanding access to Flagship® Dining and introducing new menu enhancements, including an exclusive wine and chocolate pairing from KHK Wines and K+M Extravirgin Chocolate curated by Chef Thomas Keller, we’re delivering an even more elevated hospitality experience that begins well before customers step on board.”
The private Flagship® Dining experience will also reopen at Los Angeles International Airport in late 2026.
A new Flagship Dining menu
Launching alongside the expanded access, American is unveiling a new four-course Flagship® Dining menu including the following dishes:
Roasted purple cauliflower steak
Flagship® burger
Churro bread pudding
Texas pear and burrata salad
Mesquite-grilled beef filet
California artisan board
A chef-curated pairing elevates the Flagship Dining experience
As part of the enhanced Flagship® Dining experience, American is introducing an exclusive wine and chocolate pairing featuring KHK Wines, K+M Extravirgin Chocolate and K+M hazelnut dragées.
The pairing features KHK Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon alongside a selection of K+M chocolates and K+M hazelnut dragées, served at The French Laundry, Chef Keller’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant in California.
Beyond Flagship® Dining, customers visiting all Flagship® lounges and The Chelsea Lounge® club can enjoy KHK cabernet sauvignon.
The pairing: KHK Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, K+M Extravirgin Chocolate and K+M hazelnut dragées
Radisson Rewards status match with Club Avolta
Club Avolta is an app where you can collect Avios and get retail and dining discounts across more than 5,100 airport, cruise port, and railway outlets across over 70 countries. Managed via the Club Avolta App, the program was formerly known as Red By Dufry
You get discounts at participating airport travel shops, including World Duty Free and Hudson (US), depending on your tier:
- Silver: Offers an immediate base saving of 5% off airport retail shopping.
- Gold: Increases the shopping discount to 7% off.
- Platinum: Provides the highest standard saving tier at 10% off retail purchases.
All tiers offer a universal 5% discount on food and drink at Avolta-operated airport dining locations.
Then you can collect points such as Avios in various loyalty schemes. You do this as follows:
- Open the Club Avolta App
- Tap the Account tab on the navigation bar.
- Select Explore Partners and choose either British Airways or Iberia for Avios for example
- Enter your airline frequent flyer membership number.
- Toggle the settings to Make this my preferred partner.
- Scan your Club Avolta QR code at the register during checkout
You can get Gold Club Avolta status by matching with many airline and hotel statuses. If you have almost any sort of airline status, such as BA Bronze, you can match, whereas for a hotel you generally need a higher status, such as Hilton or Marriott Gold or above. Most airlines and hotel schemes are included.
- Create an Account: Download the app and register to locate your Club Avolta membership number in the app’s wallet.
- Submit the Application: Navigate to the Club Avolta Status Match Portal.
- Provide Proof: Input your personal details, select your current airline or hotel program, and upload a digital image or screenshot of your physical/digital elite status card.
- Approval Timeline: Decisions are officially verified within three business days, though often it is much faster.
- Validity: Once your match is approved, your upgraded status remains active for 12 full months.
Now you can also match the other way and get status with Radisson from your Club Avolta status.
- Club Avolta Gold matches to Radisson Rewards Premium
- Club Avolta Platinum matches to Radisson Rewards VIP
Plus, earn 3 points per 1 USD you spend in Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana & Türkiye.
How to match to Radisson
According to the website if you link your accounts via the partner portal in your app menu, the match should be automatic. Previously you had to manually request your upgrade by emailing [email protected] with your respective member numbers and proof of your Avolta tier. So if it does not work automatically, I would suggest trying the email route.
Railcard offer with Virgin Trains Ticketing and double points
Buy any eligible Railcard through Virgin Trains Ticketing by 20 September, and you will get a 2,000 Virgin Points bonus. There are plenty of railcards to choose from, and they are not all for students/pensioners either! I have a Network Railcard and get 30% off most fares, which leads to substantial savings over the year. Railcards currently cost £35 a year. You can find the offer page here.
There is also a double points offer. Book a train by 20 September, and you’ll get double Virgin Points on every journey, which makes it 6 Virgin Points per £1 spent. You will need the Virgin Trains Ticketing app and to link it to your Virgin Red account.
