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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 Aug 15, 2017, 4:29 am
  #856  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,994
Flying SAT-LAX at some ungodly hour of the morning in a few weeks on the Compass/Eagle E175.

Is breakfast the choice of a cold sandwich or cereal?
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Old Aug 15, 2017, 10:27 am
  #857  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dubai , UAE and Leeds, UK
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum, BA Bronze, And EK silver
Posts: 161
Mia- sfo in f

Hi there,

Can anyone let me know if the kosher special meals are any good? I'm due to travel from Miami to San Francisco in first class and the current standard meal options aren't very good as I've tried them two weeks ago.
The current options include grilled chicken with couscous or cheese pasta neither of which were any good from my previous domestic flights in first with AA last week.

Cheers guys
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Old Aug 15, 2017, 4:19 pm
  #858  
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
LGA-ORD
LAA 738
Lunch

PDB of choice, with a 2nd round offered ^

orders taken on the ground, and pre-orders acknowledged

hot towels followed by nuts and drink of choice and proactive refills offered

choice of lasagna or greek salad with chicken.



this is one of the better salads i've had domestically and finally a salad where the dressing actually works. felt very healthy.

cookies after the meal.....like the new ones that were introduced this month.

very nice flight and Laurie our FA got a certificate and a DM to AA on Twitter from me.

Also I noticed a difference in the bread offered....it appeared more artisan and wasn't that standard round size piece of bread.

Last edited by AANYC1981; Aug 15, 2017 at 5:42 pm
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 10:11 am
  #859  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: AA-EXP, Flying Blue-Silver
Posts: 727
PHL-LAS
A321
First Class
Dinner
August 2017


PDB of choice offered even though we were a few minutes late boarding. ^

After take-off, hot towels were offered.

Beverage of choice and warm nuts.

Dinner was a choice of couscous or chicken; I went with/pre-ordered the couscous

The couscous had a vegetable medley in the middle of the dish and a red sauce dispersed throughout the plate. Overall, I found it to be flavorful and tasty.

The main was accompanied by an appetizer of salmon “pâté” served with four pita rounds (I’ve had this before and always think it’s very tasty --- it doesn’t look that great, but it tastes good), a side salad (really just some greens, very plain) with vinaigrette dressing, and choice of bread (I had the parmesan bread and it was good)

After dinner, ice cream was offered (it was triple caramel chocolate chunk) and it was also very good.

Frequent passes for refills on drinks throughout the entire flight.

A mint was offered prior to landing.

Overall, a decent meal and good service.
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 11:04 am
  #860  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
Originally Posted by PremiumSeat
PHL-LAS
A321
First Class
Dinner
August 2017


PDB of choice offered even though we were a few minutes late boarding. ^

After take-off, hot towels were offered.

Beverage of choice and warm nuts.

Dinner was a choice of couscous or chicken; I went with/pre-ordered the couscous

The couscous had a vegetable medley in the middle of the dish and a red sauce dispersed throughout the plate. Overall, I found it to be flavorful and tasty.

The main was accompanied by an appetizer of salmon “pâté” served with four pita rounds (I’ve had this before and always think it’s very tasty --- it doesn’t look that great, but it tastes good), a side salad (really just some greens, very plain) with vinaigrette dressing, and choice of bread (I had the parmesan bread and it was good)

After dinner, ice cream was offered (it was triple caramel chocolate chunk) and it was also very good.

Frequent passes for refills on drinks throughout the entire flight.

A mint was offered prior to landing.

Overall, a decent meal and good service.
Had the same choices on last night's ORD-SFO. I wish I had ordered the veggies - the chicken was a big disappointment. Watery haricot vert and then a really sad, small piece of dry chicken on top (that oddly had some kind of fishy taste). The guy across the aisle from me got a much larger, juicier looking piece of chicken.

The salmon / creme fraiche pate/dip thing with dill though was delicious. Honestly could have eaten an entire plate of it. We got the new cookies and I had a Voodoo Ranger IPA - which the FA was excited to share was brand new and profiled in this month's American Way (told her I knew!)

Service was excellent, for the fourth flight in a row, and a legacy AA crew to boot. This despite a lot of turbulence midcountry that required the FA to sit for parts (which she was very apologetic for). Came at the beginning of the flight with the lAAzy PDB tray but imagine my surprise when she said, here is some water, let me know if you want anything else from the galley! Keep it up AA
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 3:05 pm
  #861  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,031
currently on 5933 to Houston. I'm in 2B. Flight attendant comes around to 1A "lunch?" she says and continues to hand out a cold salmon plate. She gets to the guy eventually behind me in 3C and she says "lunch?" again. He asks: "is there anything else". I thinking no way Jose or she would have given options from the get-go. "Ah, yes I have chicken".

Think she might have mentioned that starting out!


ETA: I think this gal needs some re-training. After she handed out the cold meals she immediately came by with the snack basket. However out of nowhere 15 minutes later she comes around with the nuts in ramkins....a little out of order LOL

Last edited by enviroian; Aug 16, 2017 at 3:44 pm
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 4:48 pm
  #862  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,977
Originally Posted by Schwann
Flying SAT-LAX at some ungodly hour of the morning in a few weeks on the Compass/Eagle E175.

Is breakfast the choice of a cold sandwich or cereal?
I wouldn't know. I was on that flight late last year and was asleep during the service. When I woke up with nearly 90 minutes left in the flight she said I couldn't have breakfast because she "threw the rest away".
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 8:41 pm
  #863  
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
ORD-LGA
LAA 738
Dinner
ORD based crew

Full PDB offered despite chaotic boarding ^

orders taken front to back while taxiing

only the cous cous curry was left as I was in the last row (fine by me because I know how boring the alternative chicken dish is). It was tasty and no complaints.

hot towels, drink of choice with nuts



multiple refills offered despite an in-air time of just 1h30m.

also I don't remember ORD-NYC-ORD Dinner flights getting the more substantial longer flight appetizer......usually it's just the salad and a bread plate for dinner but I could be mistaken.

cookies very good

AA basically blows DL out of the water on this route.....even if DL goes mainline, the DL service is so basic there is no comparison (no mixed nuts, no pre meal beverage even though there really should be, no 3rd course of a non-prepackaged dessert option).
AANYC1981 is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2017, 9:04 pm
  #864  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
Originally Posted by AANYC1981

only the cous cous curry was left as I was in the last row (fine by me because I know how boring the alternative chicken dish is). It was tasty and no complaints.
Is that asparagus with the couscous? Okra?
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Old Aug 16, 2017, 9:10 pm
  #865  
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Originally Posted by jcatman
Is that asparagus with the couscous? Okra?
99% sure asparagus
AANYC1981 is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2017, 1:02 pm
  #866  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
MSP-DFW yesterday in MCE with the family. Asked the FA to try the "new IPA".

"The what?"

"The new Ranger IPA"

"Huh? What are you saying, honey?"

"The Voodoo Ranger IPA? The new beer y'all are carrying..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

(Pulls out meal card from seat back, shows picture) "This one..."

"Uhh... let me look. Never seen it. ...oh, is this it?"



(BTW, it was very nice.)
econometrics is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2017, 1:40 pm
  #867  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,932
Much the same MAN-ORD a couple of weeks back in J. It was available but I guess CC have enough to think about without learning about new stock.
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Old Aug 17, 2017, 3:42 pm
  #868  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dubai , UAE and Leeds, UK
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum, BA Bronze, And EK silver
Posts: 161
Help needed!

Due to travel in F domestic from MIA to SFO. Choices are either:

Cheese Cappelletti
Grilled Chicken Grilled couscous

Ive tried the grilled chicken before from MCO to DFW and it was dry and tasteless. Is it worth ordering a special meal, like Kosher for example? Other airlines have excellent kosher meals as they are provided by Hermolis.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Cheers
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Old Aug 17, 2017, 8:12 pm
  #869  
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Kosher meal will be atrocious.
JonNYC is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2017, 8:22 pm
  #870  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,459
Originally Posted by AANYC1981
ORD-LGA
LAA 738
Dinner
ORD based crew

also I don't remember ORD-NYC-ORD Dinner flights getting the more substantial longer flight appetizer......usually it's just the salad and a bread plate for dinner but I could be mistaken.
Your memory matches mine, especially for these ORD-NYC/BOS "exception" flights. Seems like a "bank error in your favor"-type miscater to me.
dkc192 is offline  


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