Feb 22, 2015, 6:28 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 2015 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. This Wiki covers both AA and US flights, but as of September 2014, AA and US offers identical meal service domestically, so that part of the merger has its' harmonization completed.
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.
Last updated: 7/26/2015 2:33pm, MrAndy1369
2015 Combined AA/US Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (Consolidated)
May 4, 2015, 11:51 am
#826
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
This is exactly the problem. We don't need a new chicken dish. We need allnew chicken dishes. The quality of the actual meat they use needs to be restored to its former level. What is on offer right now would have been passed over in my middle school cafeteria. If AA wants to serve crap meals, by all means, serve them in Y. But maintain some kind of respectable standard in the F cabin, please.
May 4, 2015, 11:59 am
#827
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,204
This looks new, I see it on MIA-PHL in June.
Chicken with Tomato and Olive Tapenade
With polenta and broccoli
One is better than nothing. Change can't happen overnight.
Chicken with Tomato and Olive Tapenade
With polenta and broccoli
This is exactly the problem. We don't need a new chicken dish. We need allnew chicken dishes. The quality of the actual meat they use needs to be restored to its former level. What is on offer right now would have been passed over in my middle school cafeteria. If AA wants to serve crap meals, by all means, serve them in Y. But maintain some kind of respectable standard in the F cabin, please.
May 4, 2015, 12:01 pm
#828
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
May 4, 2015, 2:48 pm
#829
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: WAS, LAX
Programs: AS 100K
Posts: 1,330
Not to derail the ongoing conversation entirely, buuut...
Yesterday on DFW - SNA reserved the suspiciously-named "Tetragon Chicken Cold Plate" and look what appeared on my tray table...
http://i.imgur.com/oauPEIO.jpg
Now that's a sight for sore eyes! The PMAA chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, red onions, quinoa and feta cheese. Boy, did I ever miss this: a light, healthy meal with a great combination of flavors.
Anyway, there were no freakin linens and the rolls were still the same crappy choice of cardboard cheese bread or blasé sourdough. Warmed on board cookie was very close to the original baked on board.
Overall some major improvement in the lunch entree department.
Yesterday on DFW - SNA reserved the suspiciously-named "Tetragon Chicken Cold Plate" and look what appeared on my tray table...
http://i.imgur.com/oauPEIO.jpg
Now that's a sight for sore eyes! The PMAA chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, red onions, quinoa and feta cheese. Boy, did I ever miss this: a light, healthy meal with a great combination of flavors.
Anyway, there were no freakin linens and the rolls were still the same crappy choice of cardboard cheese bread or blasé sourdough. Warmed on board cookie was very close to the original baked on board.
Overall some major improvement in the lunch entree department.
Last edited by JDiver; May 4, 2015 at 3:14 pm Reason: Oversized image - IMG tags removed
May 4, 2015, 2:51 pm
#830
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Wow, this is turning into quite the pissing match. I'm certainly not a fan of (re: I dispise) the post-9/1 changes, but likening the new meals to those served in third world soup kitchens is a little excessive. I'm hoping that AA delivers on the improvements, and I think we should at least give them a little bit of time before we accuse them of lying. Fingers crossed for now...
I don't know where you get it, but it's certainly appreciated! ^^
I don't know where you get it, but it's certainly appreciated! ^^
May 4, 2015, 7:18 pm
#831
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,620
Thinking Out Loud
Let's say they reverted partially to the legacy AA catering spec, why deviate in the first place place? My guess is to save money and from one perspective I can understand that, but if AA were making money previously and from my limited understanding since the catering upgrade under Horton, AA was making some amount of money, than in my simple thinking why mess with what was not broken?
In-Flight Catering
DFW-LAX Dinner Choices
1) Grilled Beef Filet
With miso cream mustard sauce, twice baked potato and Italian green beans
2) Cheese Tortelloni
Served with an Arrabiatta Sauce
I choose the Beef as I have not seen a fillet domestically since the changes, we will see, I figure it will be better than the September changes and probably not as good as the pre-September catering, but I guess small steps are better than no steps.
Let's say they reverted partially to the legacy AA catering spec, why deviate in the first place place? My guess is to save money and from one perspective I can understand that, but if AA were making money previously and from my limited understanding since the catering upgrade under Horton, AA was making some amount of money, than in my simple thinking why mess with what was not broken?
In-Flight Catering
DFW-LAX Dinner Choices
1) Grilled Beef Filet
With miso cream mustard sauce, twice baked potato and Italian green beans
2) Cheese Tortelloni
Served with an Arrabiatta Sauce
I choose the Beef as I have not seen a fillet domestically since the changes, we will see, I figure it will be better than the September changes and probably not as good as the pre-September catering, but I guess small steps are better than no steps.
May 4, 2015, 8:17 pm
#832
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Thinking Out Loud
Let's say they reverted partially to the legacy AA catering spec, why deviate in the first place place? My guess is to save money and from one perspective I can understand that, but if AA were making money previously and from my limited understanding since the catering upgrade under Horton, AA was making some amount of money, than in my simple thinking why mess with what was not broken?
In-Flight Catering
DFW-LAX Dinner Choices
1) Grilled Beef Filet
With miso cream mustard sauce, twice baked potato and Italian green beans
2) Cheese Tortelloni
Served with an Arrabiatta Sauce
I choose the Beef as I have not seen a fillet domestically since the changes, we will see, I figure it will be better than the September changes and probably not as good as the pre-September catering, but I guess small steps are better than no steps.
Let's say they reverted partially to the legacy AA catering spec, why deviate in the first place place? My guess is to save money and from one perspective I can understand that, but if AA were making money previously and from my limited understanding since the catering upgrade under Horton, AA was making some amount of money, than in my simple thinking why mess with what was not broken?
In-Flight Catering
DFW-LAX Dinner Choices
1) Grilled Beef Filet
With miso cream mustard sauce, twice baked potato and Italian green beans
2) Cheese Tortelloni
Served with an Arrabiatta Sauce
I choose the Beef as I have not seen a fillet domestically since the changes, we will see, I figure it will be better than the September changes and probably not as good as the pre-September catering, but I guess small steps are better than no steps.
May 4, 2015, 9:09 pm
#833
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Not to derail the ongoing conversation entirely, buuut...
Yesterday on DFW - SNA reserved the suspiciously-named "Tetragon Chicken Cold Plate" and look what appeared on my tray table...
http://i.imgur.com/oauPEIO.jpg
Now that's a sight for sore eyes! The PMAA chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, red onions, quinoa and feta cheese. Boy, did I ever miss this: a light, healthy meal with a great combination of flavors.
Anyway, there were no freakin linens and the rolls were still the same crappy choice of cardboard cheese bread or blasé sourdough. Warmed on board cookie was very close to the original baked on board.
Overall some major improvement in the lunch entree department.
Yesterday on DFW - SNA reserved the suspiciously-named "Tetragon Chicken Cold Plate" and look what appeared on my tray table...
http://i.imgur.com/oauPEIO.jpg
Now that's a sight for sore eyes! The PMAA chicken salad with sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, red onions, quinoa and feta cheese. Boy, did I ever miss this: a light, healthy meal with a great combination of flavors.
Anyway, there were no freakin linens and the rolls were still the same crappy choice of cardboard cheese bread or blasé sourdough. Warmed on board cookie was very close to the original baked on board.
Overall some major improvement in the lunch entree department.
The new snacks are rolling out and a HUGE improvement from the garbage they were serving just last week.
Guaranteed-- this week and next we will see many reports and very positive ones, many things are happening and some are very surprising in how close to pre-9/1 evisceration standards we will be.
Salads with side of chosen protein being very well received as well.
Thank god they didn't just try a few changes around the edges-- this is huge change for the better.
I'm gonna try and throw up some photos of the new items on travelingbetter, if any have any they'd like to contribute, PM or email me.
May 4, 2015, 9:21 pm
#834
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold AA Gold Choice Gold Wyndham PLAT IHG PLAT Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,263
Received a flood of reports tonight and all positive.
The new snacks are rolling out and a HUGE improvement from the garbage they were serving just last week.
Guaranteed-- this week and next we will see many reports and very positive ones, many things are happening and some are very surprising in how close to pre-9/1 evisceration standards we will be.
Salads with side of chosen protein being very well received as well.
Thank god they didn't just try a few changes around the edges-- this is huge change for the better.
I'm gonna try and throw up some photos of the new items on travelingbetter, if any have any they'd like to contribute, PM or email me.
The new snacks are rolling out and a HUGE improvement from the garbage they were serving just last week.
Guaranteed-- this week and next we will see many reports and very positive ones, many things are happening and some are very surprising in how close to pre-9/1 evisceration standards we will be.
Salads with side of chosen protein being very well received as well.
Thank god they didn't just try a few changes around the edges-- this is huge change for the better.
I'm gonna try and throw up some photos of the new items on travelingbetter, if any have any they'd like to contribute, PM or email me.
May 4, 2015, 9:25 pm
#835
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Again, I do NOT hold this opinion nor does my gut tell me that it's the case from what I've seen so far (and the quality of ingredients aspect will take longer to really evaluate-- I'm skeptical,) but, for sure, the improvements exceed what I was expecting and predicting once one factors in the still in-the-works restorations.
May 4, 2015, 9:31 pm
#836
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 123
Today on BOS-ORD we got Delta cookies... yup, the ones they give out in coach. I joked with the FA about it and she said they had some catering issues in BOS.
May 4, 2015, 11:16 pm
#837
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 2,085
DCA-ORD same thing. FA said catering forgot to load cookies so she raided a snack basket for Milanos. I applauded her for being resourceful and thinking quick.
May 4, 2015, 11:37 pm
#838
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
May 5, 2015, 5:47 am
#839
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,620
Originally Posted by cmd320
This is the same exact menu that has existed since 9/1, they've just dolled up the description of the beef a bit. I'm going to go on a limb and say you're probably not actually going to get a Filet, but please report back.
She said the plate used for the salad made eating the salad somewhat difficult but the taste was fine. She said the Salmon filet was also fine, but some pax felt it should have been served warm and ask the FA to heat it up which my wife said the FA did.
I have no illusion I could end up with the pot roast masquerading as a filet, but I almost do not care either way as the salads are a partial step in the right direction, especially if they used a bowl vs the square casserole they are using now.
As I see things this is 2015 and customers are no longer first, now it is all about profits, very very few places are still customer centric and as much as I dislike another company going in that direction, I have resided myself to that fact.
Last edited by kmersh; May 5, 2015 at 5:52 am Reason: Correct QuotQuote
May 5, 2015, 8:37 am
#840
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP (LT Plat 2MM), Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat75, UA1K
Posts: 1,248
Flew DFW-ORD yesterday on AA #2331. Choices offered were Chicken Curry with Rice or Cheese Tortellini. Ordered the Chicken but, when it came time to serve the meal, the FA said that there had been a mistake on the paperwork and it was actually Beef (aka something masquerading as pot roast). Worst meal I have had on AA this year after 99K+ miles. I think this entrée was actual the loser of Saturday's Kentucky Derby!