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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 Oct 9, 2017, 12:21 pm
  #1021  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
Hope not! DL/UA led with cuts recently, on both DL and UA, but particularly UA. I seriously hope AA isn't following by cutting their services, because right now, they're the best in the air.
DL is trash.
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 12:41 pm
  #1022  
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
I seriously hope AA isn't following by cutting their services, because right now, they're the best in the air.
Best what in the air? Certainly not domestic catering. I'll give them best narrow body front cabin legroom and pitch, but I'm sure there's a plan to reduce that.
Sadly, the US3 are all crap, just varying degrees of crap.
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 1:13 pm
  #1023  
 
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Originally Posted by brewdog11
DL is trash.
I'm not sure about domestic but international Y DL blows us out of the water. Had to fly CLT-ALT-LHR and I was really impressed by Delta's service. Sleep kits, hot 'towels', 3 menu options with better food; only thing I didn't like was that DL doesn't give the can.

A lot of us know that our "food" is not good. And like many FAs I know, I try to make up for it with good service. IMO LUS domestic food was better than what we serve now.
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 3:01 pm
  #1024  
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
...because right now, they're the best in the air.
Definitely can't agree with that for domestic F. In fact I would rank UA's catering to currently be the best on average with DL falling somewhere in the middle and AA at the bottom.
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 3:09 pm
  #1025  
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Originally Posted by cmd320
Definitely can't agree with that for domestic F. In fact I would rank UA's catering to currently be the best on average with DL falling somewhere in the middle and AA at the bottom.
Is that since the beginning of the month catering cuts at UA?
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Old Oct 9, 2017, 8:31 pm
  #1026  
 
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My personal opinion is that you're better off grabbing something in the terminal than betting on AA domestic food (perhaps with the exception of premium transcon) to satisfy your hunger. My advice: grab something you like in the terminal and use F for the drinks, nut mix and dessert. I just got off a bunch of F flights and regret not heeding this advice.
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 7:38 am
  #1027  
 
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Originally Posted by cmd320
Definitely can't agree with that for domestic F. In fact I would rank UA's catering to currently be the best on average with DL falling somewhere in the middle and AA at the bottom.
Not necessarily. Here's why:

  • AA serves a nice snack on shorthauls - hummus dip/fruit and cheese
  • AA serves warm nuts on all routes
  • AA midcons get ice cream; all transcons get made to order sundaes
  • AA's the only one to offer preordering
  • AA offers true breakfasts

vs. UA/DL... UA does serve warm nuts on most routes, but cut back on ice cream for midcons and serves weird breakfasts (see an ORD-SAN post in the UA Let's Eat! thread), and the September cutbacks were especially obnoxious. As for DL... no ice cream on ALL flights except for premium transcons (and even then, not true sundaes but rather gelato or sorbets), no warm nuts, and small entries (see a few recent JFK-XXX reports on the DL thread).

Of course, everyone's standards and expectations are different, but that's how I quantify meal service on the three carriers, and based on this, AA is still the best. Ironic as they were the worst, literally, back in September 2014, but they've came a long way since then.
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 8:49 am
  #1028  
 
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Originally Posted by Piedmont767
I'm not sure about domestic but international Y DL blows us out of the water. Had to fly CLT-ALT-LHR and I was really impressed by Delta's service. Sleep kits, hot 'towels', 3 menu options with better food; only thing I didn't like was that DL doesn't give the can.

A lot of us know that our "food" is not good. And like many FAs I know, I try to make up for it with good service. IMO LUS domestic food was better than what we serve now.
Would you mind sharing this service philosophy with your colleagues at PHL, ORD, and DFW? And perhaps a few at JFK and MIA? The former seem content not to deliver good food or good service and the latter are really hit or miss. OTH, CLT-based service has generally been fantastic. Thank you for your positive attitude ^
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 12:55 pm
  #1029  
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Does anyone know what 2 options they might serve on a CR9 DFW-BIS tomorrow? I've never had a meal service on a CRJ before--I know they must be cold since there are no ovens correct?

Thanks
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:31 pm
  #1030  
 
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Originally Posted by enviroian
Does anyone know what 2 options they might serve on a CR9 DFW-BIS tomorrow? I've never had a meal service on a CRJ before--I know they must be cold since there are no ovens correct?

Thanks
Pics of two recent AA regional meals -- my STL-DFW-IAH itinerary, which would have had no meals, morphed into STL-MIA-IAH due to IRROPS. Both were E175 flights, rather than CR9s, but you'll probably get something similar.

Generally, there are still two choices like a mainline flight, but you're correct that there are no ovens, so there won't be a warm option. There's also no preordering, so you're out of luck if you're at the wrong end of the cabin (or if you're at the right end and the Republic FA doesn't know the policy).

STL-MIA "Lunch"


MIA-IAH "Dinner"
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:42 pm
  #1031  
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Originally Posted by metallo
Pics of two recent AA regional meals -- my STL-DFW-IAH itinerary, which would have had no meals, morphed into STL-MIA-IAH due to IRROPS. Both were E175 flights, rather than CR9s, but you'll probably get something similar
thanks--good info.

Well I'm in 1F on 5815 so I'm hoping they have no idea what FEBO is lol
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:44 pm
  #1032  
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Originally Posted by enviroian
thanks--good info.

Well I'm in 1F on 5815 so I'm hoping they have no idea what FEBO is lol
FEBO is how they used to take meal orders (from the Front on Even # flights, from the Back on Odd # flights), but FEBO is no longer used. They still switch up but I think it's based on direction of flight now.
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:45 pm
  #1033  
 
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Originally Posted by enviroian
thanks--good info.

Well I'm in 1F on 5815 so I'm hoping they have no idea what FEBO is lol
FEBO doesn't apply anymore, but there is still a policy. Per the most recent one posted here, they're supposed to go forward to aft on eastbound flights that cross a time zone or southbound flights that don't and aft to forward on northbound/westbound flights.
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:47 pm
  #1034  
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Originally Posted by metallo
FEBO doesn't apply anymore, but there is still a policy. Per the most recent one posted here, they're supposed to go forward to aft on eastbound flights that cross a time zone or southbound flights that don't and aft to forward on northbound/westbound flights.
well dfw-bis must be an unique outlier as it's one of the few flights that almost literally goes due north within the CST zone.
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Old Oct 10, 2017, 1:52 pm
  #1035  
 
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Originally Posted by enviroian
well dfw-bis must be an unique outlier as it's one of the few flights that almost literally goes due north within the CST zone.
Row 1 should actually be served last on that route, but you may benefit from an uninformed FA.
metallo is offline  


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