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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
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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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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Old Oct 25, 2017, 10:26 am
  #1081  
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Originally Posted by CloudCoder
Do other frequent flyers carry a "sauce and condiment" baggie in their rollaboard? Or am I the only one? < Special Shout-Out to FTW and your legendary stash of Serendipity >

Airline Meal Survival Kit:
  1. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning packets
  2. HP Sauce packets
  3. You don't actually need anything else
Hot Sauce (I have small bottles of Sriracha) https://sriracha2go.com/ makes a world of difference.
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 10:32 am
  #1082  
 
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Originally Posted by Kurt
  • Cheese Lasagna with pomodoro sauce
  • Beef Filet with cipollini onon, asparagus, quinoa
  • AVAILABLE BY PRE-ORDER ONLY - Fruit and Cheese Plate with fresh grapes and berries with assorted cheeses
I've had the lasagna many times. It has always been very good. I shy away from airplane beef as it's almost always overcooked.
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 4:06 pm
  #1083  
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Originally Posted by USFlyerUS
I've had the lasagna many times. It has always been very good. I shy away from airplane beef as it's almost always overcooked.
+1 I avoid airplane beef when possible on a domestic flight. I'll chance it every once in while on an international premium cabin flight, though.

Originally Posted by flightrisk
It's supposed to come with a horseradish sauce, but I've only seen it about 2 out of 5 times. But I agree, at least the (red sauce) lasagna meets its expected level of mediocrity. The squash lasagna has a greater variation and can be downright inedible.
+1 Some days the squash lasagna is quite good. Other days the pasta is so gummy and the cheese is so...weird...that there's no part of the dish worth rescuing.

Originally Posted by CloudCoder
Do other frequent flyers carry a "sauce and condiment" baggie in their rollaboard? Or am I the only one? < Special Shout-Out to FTW and your legendary stash of Serendipity >

Airline Meal Survival Kit:
  1. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning packets
  2. HP Sauce packets
  3. You don't actually need anything else
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Hot Sauce (I have small bottles of Sriracha) https://sriracha2go.com/ makes a world of difference.
Based on what I read on FT years ago, I always travel with tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce. (Sometimes I'll nick a bottle from a lounge or from a room service tray.) Those go in my "liquids" baggie for use in case of emergencies.
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 5:16 pm
  #1084  
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ORD-LGA
LAA 738 AVOD
Refreshments (the afternoon hour where no meal is served on this route)

Full PDB offered despite late catering

Hot towels, nuts and drink of choice offered after take off.



Then choice of fruit and cheese or this (is AA really serving caviar now in domestic FC?):



Not a bad offering for a non-food flight of 1H40Mins.

Very good service and watched a chilly movie called Berlin Syndrome
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 5:40 pm
  #1085  
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
ORD-LGA
LAA 738 AVOD

Then choice of fruit and cheese or this (is AA really serving caviar now in domestic FC?):



Not a bad offering for a non-food flight of 1H40Mins.

Very good service and watched a chilly movie called Berlin Syndrome
So what is it? Look like Guac to me
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 5:49 pm
  #1086  
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
So what is it? Look like Guac to me
Edamame mash.....kind of like what is in the AC's for the pita chips.......it was pretty flavorless. That was ginger in the pink.
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 5:50 pm
  #1087  
 
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Has the edamame hummus made it onboard? I love that stuff in the ACs.
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 5:53 pm
  #1088  
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Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767
Has the edamame hummus made it onboard? I love that stuff in the ACs.
Apparently, yes!
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Old Oct 25, 2017, 7:02 pm
  #1089  
 
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
Apparently, yes!
Add a little salt and pepper, it's not that bad
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Old Oct 26, 2017, 7:39 am
  #1090  
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Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767
Add a little salt and pepper, it's not that bad
Or sriracha
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Old Oct 30, 2017, 10:35 am
  #1091  
 
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Any recent experiences of the Lobster Roll in F Transcon? Can't decide between that and Thai Beef Red Curry.
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Old Oct 30, 2017, 10:49 am
  #1092  
 
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(is AA really serving caviar now in domestic FC?): The smoked salmon roll appetizer that we had recently DFW-HNL were each topped with caviar. Tasted good.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 12:02 am
  #1093  
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Originally Posted by ringingup
Any recent experiences of the Lobster Roll in F Transcon? Can't decide between that and Thai Beef Red Curry.
One of the bloggers wrote about the Lobster roll sure didn't look like a Lobster roll.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 12:31 am
  #1094  
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
One of the bloggers wrote about the Lobster roll sure didn't look like a Lobster roll.
That was a miscater of the wrong entree. I think it was actually the lobster grilled cheese or something like that, but it wasn't intended to be the "lobster roll" dish.
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Old Oct 31, 2017, 1:29 am
  #1095  
 
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Originally Posted by chrisny2
That was a miscater of the wrong entree. I think it was actually the lobster grilled cheese or something like that, but it wasn't intended to be the "lobster roll" dish.
Exactly.
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