FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - 2025 AA International Meal / Meals

Aug 9, 2025 | 4:59 am

#317

TropicalTripper

Join Date: Feb 2006

Location: EBL/DCA/IAD

Programs: AA EXP MM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, HHonors Diamond, National Exec, Hertz PC, Nexus

Posts: 501

AA120: PHL-DOH
Dep: 8:30PM
Arr: 4:25PM +1
Dinner, Midflight Snack, Breakfast
787-9 (N831AA)
Business Class
Seat 8A

I normally fly Qatar Airways and Etihad when traveling to the Middle East and South Asia. I chose this flight with hopes of getting a miles and copay upgrade (25k miles & $350), which cleared for me at about 32 hours prior to departure, allowing me to preorder. It will be a shame to see the miles & copay option go. I am living in the Middle East for a year and I was planning to try upgrading this way on my trips back to the states. Unfortunately, my fares aren't eligible for SWUs. The miles and copay option ends on 8/12. The instant upgrade offer I got before waitlisting for business class was over 300k miles, which was close to the business class redemption. I have a lot of AA miles, but I'm not burning that many for this product. I'll probably go back to flying Qatar Airways. I'll be in an economy seat, but the food will be better. Every time I've flown QR in Y, the F/As came to me before takeoff or meal service to ask me my meal choice (it's a Oneworld Emerald thing), which I appreciate.

The Moutable, Hummus, and Tabouli was cold and not very flavorful. There was naan in the bread basket (which I thought was aimed at people with the Indian meal), but I didn't think about it when the F/A presented the breadbasket. Without a proper bread vehicle, I ate appetizers with a spoon. Qatar Airways gives you pita squares plus a choice of non-Middle Eastern bread when you get the Middle Eastern starters. The lemon dressing on the salad was good.

Preordered the sea bass. Everyone is always raving about the fish on AA, and I'm a big seafood guy, but I was disappointed with this main and the last time I had fish on an AA transatlantic flight. The portion size was generous, but the fish was a bit too dry and fishy, and the sauce was richer than I'd like. I didn't care for the purple mash. I should have gotten the chicken kabsa or Indian meal.

Sunday was a bit too hard, but not rock solid, and I was able to eat it with some effort.

The midflight falafel wrap, which was fine. The falafel was really crumbly, so I had to eat a lot of it up with a fork. The raita had a bit of sweetness, which I thought was odd. The hummus was unremarkable. The F/As turned on all the cabin lights and served the full cabin (at least those awake) at once. I really wish they'd offer these midflight meals on-demand like the Gulf carriers. I had eye shades, but was woken up by sound from the service. We were over western France at mealtime.

The breakfast service started about 1h45m for landing. The omelet was decent, the fruit was excellent, and the croissant was crispy and dry.

Someone must've dropped a half-eaten brownie bite on the last flight, which the cleaners missed. I asked for the F/A for a napkin so I could pick it up, but she got down on hands and knees, and fished it out from under the footwell.