Jan 1, 2016, 11:58 pm
Last edit by: Genius1
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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 2016 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.
2016 Combined AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)
Apr 13, 2016, 10:14 am
#872
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Apr 13, 2016, 10:29 am
#873
Join Date: Aug 2011
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We can speculate as to the reason why, and your guess above is as good as any, but the fact that AA maintains this route as one of its special exceptions that still receives a meal despite being under the distance threshold indicates that AA cares about the route for some reason or another. And so yes, I agree that it makes sense that AA would staff the route well.
Apr 13, 2016, 11:31 am
#874
Join Date: Apr 2012
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We can speculate as to the reason why, and your guess above is as good as any, but the fact that AA maintains this route as one of its special exceptions that still receives a meal despite being under the distance threshold indicates that AA cares about the route for some reason or another. And so yes, I agree that it makes sense that AA would staff the route well.
My experience also suggests that they're are far fewer 'VIPs' on DCA to ORD than JFK to LAX. I think the FAs in F on the JFK - LAX flights tend to prove that point; i.e. no special staffing. Potentially many celebrities onboard and they too get lAAzy service.
Apr 13, 2016, 11:36 am
#875
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Sure, I didn't mean to make it sound like they were cherry-picking FAs, though my post came across that way. Just that it was a decent route, and thus likely to get decent staff - with the caveats of course that YMMV at all times from flight to flight, and we're not dealing with SQ here.
Apr 13, 2016, 12:55 pm
#876
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pmAA used to serve meals in a multi-course manner on longer midcons and all transcons, with the implementation somewhat inconsistent. Some can argue this manner of service is better, as it spreads the service out, but others prefer everything on the tray at once for efficiency or to switch between plates while eating.
Apr 13, 2016, 5:29 pm
#877
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
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I agree with the logic of the meal being offered to select markets suggests AA has has deemed to be important, e.g. BDL, DCA, BOS, RDU, etc; but they're most assuredly not staffing the DCA flights with politicians in mind. I suspect the line is bid on just like every-other line in the system.
My experience also suggests that they're are far fewer 'VIPs' on DCA to ORD than JFK to LAX. I think the FAs in F on the JFK - LAX flights tend to prove that point; i.e. no special staffing. Potentially many celebrities onboard and they too get lAAzy service.
My experience also suggests that they're are far fewer 'VIPs' on DCA to ORD than JFK to LAX. I think the FAs in F on the JFK - LAX flights tend to prove that point; i.e. no special staffing. Potentially many celebrities onboard and they too get lAAzy service.
To be fair, most meals in the AA system are served this way (all at once), even on longer non-premium transcons (i.e., PHL-LAX). Off the top of my head, the only domestic routes that receive proper multi-course service would be JFK-LAX/SFO and MIA-LAX, as well as international F/J service.
Apr 13, 2016, 7:24 pm
#878
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AA5 DFW-HNL
April 2016
B767
First Class
Contrary to the wine list, real Champagne (NV De Castelnau Reserve Brut) was offered as PDB. Refills provided during short maintenance delay. ^
Lunch
tropical mixed nuts to start:
all-in-one meal service
but, at least the larger sized Hawaiian salad has returned (though not near as good as pre-merger)
Teriyaki chicken:
Sundae with pineapple and hot fudge:
Snack
April 2016
B767
First Class
Contrary to the wine list, real Champagne (NV De Castelnau Reserve Brut) was offered as PDB. Refills provided during short maintenance delay. ^
Lunch
tropical mixed nuts to start:
all-in-one meal service
but, at least the larger sized Hawaiian salad has returned (though not near as good as pre-merger)
Teriyaki chicken:
Sundae with pineapple and hot fudge:
Snack
Apr 14, 2016, 5:17 am
#879
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
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pmAA used to serve meals in a multi-course manner on longer midcons and all transcons, with the implementation somewhat inconsistent. Some can argue this manner of service is better, as it spreads the service out, but others prefer everything on the tray at once for efficiency or to switch between plates while eating.
Apr 14, 2016, 6:44 am
#880
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
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Posts: 1,798
Sure, I didn't mean to make it sound like they were cherry-picking FAs, though my post came across that way. Just that it was a decent route, and thus likely to get decent staff - with the caveats of course that YMMV at all times from flight to flight, and we're not dealing with SQ here.
JFK - LAX has a lot of high profile clients (I.e. Celebrities) but they do not really have a lot of sway on travel policies outside of their own preferences. The customers AA really want to please are typically those you will find in F on ORD-LGA. I flew in F on the Monday 6am ORD-LGA flight before and the cabin was filled with corporate heavy hitters. Those are the kind of customers that can easily sway their company/department's travel purchasing patterns (talking about millions in annual revenue here).
Apr 14, 2016, 9:15 am
#881
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Gotta love the double Chardonnay on the wine list DFW-HNL (how about a Pinot Grigio or SB?).....same wine list as JFK-SFO in FC.
Apr 14, 2016, 9:29 am
#882
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Apr 14, 2016, 11:53 am
#883
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Apr 14, 2016, 12:13 pm
#884
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Apr 14, 2016, 1:55 pm
#885
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Question for the experts on a PHL-LAX flight departing at 1:50pm. According to the meal time frames this flight should be a snack / lite bite, but the booking reference says Lunch.
Anyone know which one it is? I am outside the 30 day window so I can't see any meal selection.
Anyone know which one it is? I am outside the 30 day window so I can't see any meal selection.