The AA product has indeed improved since their first near bankruptcy in 2003. Meals are returning in first on shorter flights. I still run across dirty airplanes, however, and IME pre-departure beverage service is generally not offered. I was on a flight a couple of days ago from DFW to Nashvillle and there was a substance that looked like vomit all over the back of the seat in front of me (I hope it wasn't). This was first class. They didn't pick up jackets pre-flight and didn't offer pre-departure beverage service -- not even water. This was probably a bad crew, but I never had anything happen like that on CO. Maybe I was just lucky.