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2017 Combined AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)

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Old Dec 31, 2016, 10:45 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: JY1024
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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 2017 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.
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2017 Combined AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)

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Old Jan 7, 2017, 7:16 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ORF/LHR/HEL
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Originally Posted by iadisgreat
I'm skeptical of shelf stable yogurt, but otherwise seems fine. It's too bad though they can't get catering in ORF.
Yes, I've given up on ever having catering out of ORF, although I'm sure they could make snow-cones this evening! - I suppose as DFW is the farthest one can fly from ORF, not enough demand for catering....

BTW- I had the same thought about the yogurt - odd enough it was a strange product of the Netherlands as listed on the label!!
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Old Jan 7, 2017, 7:31 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by surftb15
two pieces of poop on a plate
01/01/2017
SAN to ORD
AA1296

This was the stuffed pepper. It looked awful and smelled even worse. Didn't even eat a bite. Seriously though... the smell was similar to what the pepper looked!
when i saw "two pieces of poop" i was thinking well at least it didn't look like the "penis" that was served on QF that made the news lately lol.
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Old Jan 10, 2017, 3:19 pm
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Looks like AA shut down public access to the galley pages and now they redirect to a login page.
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Old Jan 10, 2017, 3:31 pm
  #19  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Originally Posted by legalalien
01/03/2017
AA3659 EWR-ORD E75
Dinner

The choices were salmon salad (salmon was served separately from the greens) or veggie/cheese plate (pictured below).
That looks more like an charcuterie/cheese plate than a veggie/cheese plate.
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Old Jan 10, 2017, 3:57 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Originally Posted by ryan182
Looks like AA shut down public access to the galley pages and now they redirect to a login page.
Not exactly surprising (and hard to be upset) considering these pages were never intended for public access.

-FlyerBeek
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Old Jan 10, 2017, 4:32 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
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Originally Posted by FlyerBeek
Not exactly surprising (and hard to be upset) considering these pages were never intended for public access.

-FlyerBeek
I know and I'm neither surprised nor upset but it is a bummer as it was a nice resource to have.
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Old Jan 15, 2017, 10:40 pm
  #22  
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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Now playing the field, my last AA mainline flight was 5 months ago.
Only a cheap fare and expiring SWUs brought me back to this sorry excuse for an airline.
Hard to believe but catering has gone from bad to disgusting.

MSY-LAX
AA 2480
737-800
4:35p-6:45p
January 15, 2017
Dinner


Choice of chicken pot pie or stuffed peppers. I pre-ordered one of each so Mrs. SFO777 could choose between the lesser of the evils.
Unfortunately, both were gross and inedible.





Both the corn and arugula salads were awful. But they were both positively gourmet compared to the chicken pot pie...



Which had absolutely zero chicken...



Or the stuffed peppers, which smelled and tasted just plain nasty...



After I asked, one of our FAs brought me a BOB chicken wrap and refused my offer to pay.
Amazingly, unlike the chicken pot pie, the chicken wrap actually had chicken. What a concept.





To complete today's wonderful AA experience, catering forgot to load dessert.
Our FA apologized for the lack of cheesecake and tried to make the best of it...


Last edited by SFO777; Jan 16, 2017 at 3:28 pm
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 8:51 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by ryan182
I know and I'm neither surprised nor upset but it is a bummer as it was a nice resource to have.
Totally agree. It was really great to have access and the small photos of the dishes personally helped me to choose what to pre-order almost as much as the dish descriptions.
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 9:01 am
  #24  
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Originally Posted by orbitmic
Totally agree. It was really great to have access and the small photos of the dishes personally helped me to choose what to pre-order almost as much as the dish descriptions.
Promo photo will never look like what is delivered.
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 9:04 am
  #25  
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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Spot the difference!

AA1120: JFK-MCO: 6.30pm
Dinner
737-800
First Class, 4A




AA2285: MCO-LGA: 6.45pm
Dinner
737-800
First Class, 4F




On the JFK-MCO flight the sugar cookie came on the tray, and the return flight the chocolate chip cookies were made onboard.

When I pre-booked the food the options were the same both ways but on the return flight it sounded like the second option a coconut curry of some kind which didn't match the description of what I recall from the time I ordered. I didn't ask further because the superb FA came by to confirm the order I had made before I heard him talking to the passengers behind.
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 11:32 am
  #26  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 743
Thank you, SFO777 for the photos. Helps me a lot.
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 12:34 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by SFO777
...But they were both positively gourmet compared to the chicken pot pie...

Which had absolutely zero chicken...
Hot Pockets anyone?
cmd320 is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2017, 1:40 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: SNA LAX
Programs: AA PLT
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Originally Posted by cmd320
Hot Pockets anyone?
Ha! Totally what I was thinking...
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 3:16 pm
  #29  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Promo photo will never look like what is delivered.
The photos on the galley pages are to show the crew what the meal should look like rather than to tempt the public. However they still have to use what is actually supplied They were very useful but it was surprising that they were ever accessible.
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Old Jan 16, 2017, 10:14 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by MADPhil
The photos on the galley pages are to show the crew what the meal should look like rather than to tempt the public. However they still have to use what is actually supplied They were very useful but it was surprising that they were ever accessible.
Again the photos and what is served will never look the same, When there is an inch of water at the bottom of a dish the FA would take care of that before serving, you need see that in the photo gallery pages...
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