AA Announces "Delicious Meals in Flight--AT NO CHARGE!"
 

Link to the Announcement

DELICIOUS MEALS IN FLIGHT--AT NO CHARGE!

So many passengers tell our Stewardess "How good your food is! . . . . why don't you charge for it?" . . . . and others say "How pleasant it is to be served a delicious hot meal at no cost . . . . to have no fuss about change or tips!" We believe one comment answers the other.

We enjoy serving fine meals to our passengers at no charge. We believe they appreciate this courtesy. And certainly, when comparing travel costs, most American Airlines' passengers realize the saving on several meals which otherwise would have to be paid for at 75c to $1.25 each.

Our chefs are chosen first for the quality of their cookery; second for the daintiness of preparation. Cost is the last consideration.

Our Stewardesses are schooled in meal service. However proficient otherwise, no Stewardess can tend the needs of American Airlines passengers until she can serve properly a delicious Fried Chicken Dinner and the other tasty meals "American" provides; until she can set-up properly a transcontinental Flagship dining table with silverware, china, and napery.

American Airlines complimentary meals are so good, because we take pains to make them good.

-- American Airlines Timetable, November, 1936

My, how the mighty have fallen!

Why do you say that? As the OP cited, "most American Airlines' passengers realize the saving on several meals which otherwise would have to be paid for at 75c to $1.25 each"

They are STILL worth about a dollar! :D

Before I saw the 1936 date, I thought this post was exactly three months early.

Note the Year
 

In 1936, the world was in the depths of the Great Depression. Yet American Airlines managed to serve hot, "delicious" meals to all passengers. Why? Quite simply because the airline wasn't going to hang on to fare-paying passengers without exceptional service.

I'm not sure I know the whole secret to AA's success in 2005 and beyond. But I know the answer does not lie in delivering an inferior product.

Yet, I would bet that if you inflation-adjust the 1936 fares, they were probably double, or even triple, what we pay today for the same flights.

Edit: I will gladly pay $400 less for my fare and pay an extra $20 to bring my own hot meal. Airline food sucks, anyway, even American's "delicious" hot meals, most of which are horrible.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that on some of the international routes in business. I've actually enjoyed the Kentucky Bourbon chicken and salmon entrees on trips to Europe a couple times, and they're pretty decent meals.

Using this site indicates that meals costing $0.75 to $1.25 in 1936 would have cost $10.21 to $17.02 in 2004 dollars.

Apparently the quality was higher back then. :D

Travels on AA in the late 50s
 

With the "delicious" food, served on a tray which you balanced on a plump pillow (every seat had one) while trying to cut the food. Being pre-teen at the time, I remember how hard it was to cut the meat without the tray and food sliding onto the floor or my lap. Tray tables were yet to come, AND every tray had a small pack of three cigarettes.

This would have been big savings on the Dallas-El Paso-Douglas-Tucson-Phoenix-LA route! :D

^ ^

Horrible is an overstatement, but I'm hard pressed to remember an AA meal that was better than what I could carry on board for $20.

Steak Dinner Flight - Men Only
 

Thanks for the link to that site.

Here is another one from United: United Ad for the Chicago Executive Flights

The text reads:

FOR MEN ONLY
"The Chicago Exectuive"

United's 5 pm "club in the sky" nonstop to Chicago

Cigar and pipe smoking permitted - cocktails, steak dinner - relaxing atmoshere in pressurized DC-6 Mainliner. Ten other DC-6 nonstops daily.

Call MUrray Hill 2-7300 or an authorized travel agent.

And here is a link for American's new low cost product:

Blue Ribbon Aircoach Service

I'm guessing that's a New York-area newspaper ad from circa 1955. (AA starting operating DC-6s on transcontinental routes in 1947 and retired the type in the 1960s.) That $33 fare to Chicago would be $216 or so in today's dollars, which is not terribly outrageous, is it?

Note that Douglas doesn't even have airline service any more, to anywhere. There are some other places on that 1936 route map that don't either. :(

Would you all please cut it out before AA gets the idea to put DC6's back into service.