Earlier I wrote about Delta VIP Choose, which is Delta’s secret program providing precedence floor providers for a charge. On this publish I needed to speak about American 5 Star Service. In contrast to at Delta, it is a revealed program, and there are some variations between what the 2 packages supply.
How American’s 5 Star Service works
American 5 Star Service is the Fort Price-based service’s premium floor service package deal that’s out there to pick passengers. For these keen to pay, American 5 Star Service provides custom-made service and additional facilities, which ought to make your floor expertise seamless. Let’s take a better take a look at how this works.
What does American 5 Star Service supply?
American 5 Star Service is meant primarily for passengers who’re both departing or connecting. Once you ebook American 5 Star Service, you’ll obtain the next perks:
- Entry to Flagship First Examine-in, which is American’s unique worldwide first-class check-in facility; at airports with out Flagship First Examine-in, you’ll get precedence check-in
- Entry to American Admirals Membership places
- Precedence boarding and re-accommodation standing
- Automotive service coordination, so that you simply’ll be met while you arrive on the airport
- Personalised service all through the airport, so that you simply’ll be escorted each step of the way in which
Word that formally 5 Star Service doesn’t embrace any automobile or golf cart transfers throughout the airport, however reasonably you’ll be able to count on to be escorted by foot. Your precise expertise might differ primarily based on the airport or the precise scenario, because it’s not unusual to be pushed in a golf cart. As I’ll cowl beneath, 5 Star Choose is extra prone to get you this service, and that prices further.
Who’s eligible for American 5 Star Service?
American 5 Star Service is solely out there to first and enterprise class passengers, so you’ll be able to’t purchase it when touring in economic system or premium economic system. It doesn’t matter if you happen to’re touring internationally or domestically.
You need to use this service if touring on American, together with on itineraries that embrace journey on choose oneworld companions. You’ll have to achieve out to 5 Star Service to ask about particular eligibility with companions, because it’s all primarily based on whether or not American brokers have the power to supply this type of service at a specific airport.
How a lot does American 5 Star Service price?
American 5 Star Service prices $350 for the primary passenger, and $100 for every further passenger. Youngsters as much as 17 years outdated could be added for $50 every.
You too can redeem miles towards the expertise, on the charge of 1 cent per mile (which is lower than I worth AAdvantage miles). So you might ebook this for 35,000 AAdvantage miles for the primary individual, 10,000 AAdvantage miles for every further grownup, and 5,000 AAdvantage miles for every further little one.
Once you buy American 5 Star Service, you’re paying particularly for the service at one airport. So if you happen to needed this service in any respect factors of your itinerary, you’d should pay the charge individually for every airport. You should ebook at the least 24 hours prematurely for US places, and 48 hours prematurely for worldwide places.
What airports have American 5 Star Service?
American 5 Star Service is accessible at 22 airports, together with 16 airports in the USA and 6 airports overseas.
The next 16 airports in the USA supply 5 Star Service:
- Austin (AUS)
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Boston (BOS)
- Charlotte (CLT)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Dallas (DFW)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- Nashville (BNA)
- New York (JFK & LGA)
- Newark (EWR)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington (DCA)
The next six airports exterior the USA supply 5 Star Service:
- Buenos Aires (EZE)
- London (LHR)
- Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
- Sao Paolo (GRU)
- Tokyo (HND & NRT)
How do you ebook American 5 Star Service?
American 5 Star Service is bookable by telephone, at 877.578.2702. Alternatively, you’ll be able to ebook by e-mail by contacting 5 Star Service at [email protected].
American’s uber-exclusive 5 Star Choose
Along with 5 Star Service, American has 5 Star Choose, which is an much more unique service. What’s the incremental worth of this?
- You’ll be pushed in a automobile throughout the apron or in a golf cart via the terminal, when attainable
- You’ll get entry to American Flagship First Eating, which is the service’s unique pre-dining facility, positioned inside Flagship Lounges; there are solely Flagship First Eating services in Dallas (DFW) and Miami (MIA)
American 5 Star Choose prices $650 for the primary passenger, and $150 for every further passenger. Youngsters as much as 17 years outdated could be added to your plan for $75 every. In different phrases, this prices an additional $300 for the primary passenger, an additional $50 for every further passenger, and an additional $25 for every little one.
Is American 5 Star Service value it?
Admittedly everybody values their time and minor incremental comfort otherwise, although personally I’ve a tough time getting excited concerning the worth proposition of 5 Star Service. $350 is quite a bit to spend for a bit hand holding on the airport, particularly if you have already got Admirals Membership entry:
- You’re unlikely to be pushed on the apron to or out of your plane, however reasonably you’re sometimes simply escorted
- Flagship First Examine-in would possibly prevent a couple of minutes, however when you have TSA PreCheck, I can’t think about it’ll make a lot of a distinction
- I suppose some would possibly have the ability to justify this for a really big day, if a liked one who doesn’t journey typically is flying (and also you wish to make their journey simple), or when you have a decent connection and it’s crucial that you simply make it
Simply as some extent of comparability, I’d contemplate Delta’s equal service to be a greater worth. If you happen to’re connecting, you’ll sometimes be pushed throughout the apron to each your arriving and departing flight, and also you gained’t have to attend in any line to get right into a Sky Membership.
So far as 5 Star Choose goes, you’re mainly paying an additional $300 to make certain you gained’t should stroll, and to get entry to Flagship First Eating. I feel there are significantly better eating experiences that may be had for that type of a premium exterior of an airport. However that’s simply me.
Backside line
American Airways 5 Star Service is the service’s paid VIP service, meant to take any problem out of the bottom expertise. For an additional $350 (for one individual) you could be taken care of from the curb to the gate, and get entry to the Admirals Membership. Then for $650 you should purchase 5 Star Choose, which provides the incremental worth of being pushed via the airport, and in addition having access to Flagship First Eating.
I wouldn’t contemplate any of this to be an excellent worth, however I figured it’s at the least value masking…
What do you make of the worth proposition of American 5 Star Service?