Last edit by: JY1024
AA/US Domestic Dining (including Canada, Mexico, & the Caribbean)
Note: this thread is about meals served on AA-US. There is another thread for the contingent that wishes to debate and discuss linens as a primary subject, including related presentation issues: Linens / presentation debate for meal service on AA, US / both.
PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST. /Moderators
Welcome to the 2017 Domestic Dining thread and the resulting discussion/trip reports/photos/shared experiences. Here, in this wiki post, I'll strive to explain what you should expect on AA flights in First and Business, meals-wise. Keep in mind that there are many domestic flights, so there are quite a few parameters to keep track of.
Basically, in its best condensed form, you should expect to receive a meal between 4:59am - 8pm on flights longer than 900 miles, which equals about two hours in the air. From that point, there are exceptions, and specific timing parameters.
What to Expect - Mainline:
Keep in mind that this list is not entirely inclusive, and there may be certain exceptions and/or abnormalities.
- Up to 699 miles: Light snacks such as a fig bar, cookies, and/or pretzels
- 700-899 miles: Warmed nuts, a snack plate (fruit/cheese, pita/hummus, or spinach dip/pita), and a cookie
- 900-1298 miles: A meal (fruit/breakfast entree; salad/entree) followed by a cookie; no meals between 1:30-4pm
- 1298-2199 miles: A full meal including an appetizer, with cake for lunch desserts and premade ice-cream for dinner desserts
- 2200 miles and above: Same as 1298-2199 miles, but consists of made-to-order sundaes or a cheese plate for both lunch and dinner desserts
What to Expect - Regional:
Keep in mind that this list is not entirely inclusive, and there may be certain exceptions and/or abnormalities.
- Up to 175 miles: A light snack mix along with beverage service
- 176-899 miles: Sweet and savory, organic/healthy snack choices (snack basket)
- 900-2199 miles: Warm mixed nuts, two meal options, and dessert. (For flights over 2200 miles, you will receive the same selection of snacks from 176-899 miles as a pre-arrival snack. All regional meal flights leaving after 8:00pm will also receive sweet and savory snacks as the only option. Editor's note: A regional jet for 2000+ miles? Hope that never happens!)
All of the meal flights that fall under the above timing parameters will receive two choices; normally, one meat and one vegetarian.
Longer westbound flights leaving from the east coast (transcontinental; non-premium) are not officially exceptions, but some flights after 8pm receive a full dinner service (such as the 8:05pm MIA-SAN flight, or the 8:30pm PHL-LAS flight). Additionally, non-premium transcontinental red-eye flights will receive snack basket service upon departure, then a continental breakfast box prior to arrival.
Official Exceptions:
The following flights all fall under 900 miles, but will receive a full meal service, with the exception of flights leaving between 1:31-4pm. Despite some of the listed flights being over 900 miles, they are remaining listed here, based on the AA website for documentation purposes.
- Chicago (ORD) - AUS/BDL/BOS/DCA/EWR/JFK/LGA/MSY/RDU
- Dallas (DFW) - BJX/ORD/MEX/QRO/SLP
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - PAP
- Los Angeles (LAX) - DEN
- Miami (MIA) - DCA/IAD/PAP
- New York (LGA) - ATL
- Phoenix (PHX) - MZT
Additional Information:
- JFK-LAX/SFO; MIA-LAX are considered premium transcontinental flights, and as such, receives a more refined service with three meal choices, per-course service, printed menus, and tray/tablecloth linens in both F/J. Those flights now are the only domestic flights in the system to offer special meals as another option (which can be reserved by either preordering online, or calling). Red-eye flights will receive a full "supper/snack" meal service, which is basically a condensed dinner service.
- Hawaiian meal service is very similar to what you'd expect on 2200+ mile flights, but there also will be Hawaiian rolls served, along with a pre-arrival continental breakfast/snack (dependent on the length of the route). Tropical warmed nuts are also currently served.
- All flights over 700 miles, regardless of a meal being served or not, will receive warm mixed nuts and a cookie.
Disclaimer: The editor of this Wiki does not guarantee the information presented above will always be accurate or properly followed by AA, given catering mishaps, irregular operations, rogue crews, or mismanagement. For the best up-to-date information, it would be prudent to check AA's website constantly for any updates, or call AA. The editors of this Wiki will keep this Wiki updated as often as possible.
2017 Combined AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)
#511
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
AA2569 IAD-DFW
April 2017
MD80
First Class
Breakfast
Steel Cut Oatmeal
brown sugar, various fruit garnishes
Brie Cheese Omelette
mango-jalapeņo chicken sausage links, potato medley
April 2017
MD80
First Class
Breakfast
Steel Cut Oatmeal
brown sugar, various fruit garnishes
Brie Cheese Omelette
mango-jalapeņo chicken sausage links, potato medley
#512
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, SkyMiles
Posts: 4,159
Where did the details about meals (such as times, types of food, etc.) go?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ium-dining.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ium-dining.jsp
#513
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,458
Where did the details about meals (such as times, types of food, etc.) go?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ium-dining.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ium-dining.jsp
#514
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
#515
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,734
Okay, stop laughing now at the thought of that actually happening.
#517
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
#520
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Empire State
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 461
Yup, looks like Ken Chase is out.
AA's Flagship First Dining landing page notes that its Master Sommelier is Desmond Echavarrie:
http://exploreamerican.com/flagshipf...ing%7CCarousel
http://sommconusa.com/bios/Desi-Echavarrie_Bio.html
AA's Flagship First Dining landing page notes that its Master Sommelier is Desmond Echavarrie:
http://exploreamerican.com/flagshipf...ing%7CCarousel
http://sommconusa.com/bios/Desi-Echavarrie_Bio.html
#521
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, SkyMiles
Posts: 4,159
I believe DL and UA still posts meal time windows and details on their respective websites. I hope this isn't a ploy by AA to be able to make cutbacks to meal service at any time!
#522
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 579
That's odd because there used to be details of times meals were served in F, what kind of food was served, etc.
I believe DL and UA still posts meal time windows and details on their respective websites. I hope this isn't a ploy by AA to be able to make cutbacks to meal service at any time!
I believe DL and UA still posts meal time windows and details on their respective websites. I hope this isn't a ploy by AA to be able to make cutbacks to meal service at any time!
#523
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
It's not a recent change... The details on F meals disappeared more recently, but I looked for the Y BOB menu last summer for a particular flight and it was gone by then. I've checked back periodically to see if it's returned, and no dice. I'd guess it's been gone roughly a year now.
#524
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Seems to have been removed from the U.S site about last November or so:
#525
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, SkyMiles
Posts: 4,159
Interesting. I've been busy with other things, so kind of put AA on the back burner, then checked out of curiosity and noticed the information being gone.
It was definitely useful to know the meal times and whatnot, so people could prepare better and know what to do in advance. However, I guess with preordering, it's not that much of an issue.
It was definitely useful to know the meal times and whatnot, so people could prepare better and know what to do in advance. However, I guess with preordering, it's not that much of an issue.