QHatoff

It appears that AA is now allowing us, on certain flights, to reserve a third option that will not be offered to passengers who do not make a selection prior to departure. For example, see below what popped up on my MIA-PTY flight in November. The main options (Ricotta and Salad) are supplemented by a third (Fruit and Cheese Plate). Would love to see this roll out system-wide, especially if the third option is a full entree.

Lunch (MIA to PTY)

Ricotta Rotolo
With spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, basil and marinara sauce
.

Vietnamese Salad
With Asian-inspired shiitake mushroom slaw, cabbage and carrots over rice noodles and a side of teriyaki chicken
.

AVAILABLE BY PRE-ORDER ONLY - Fruit and Cheese Plate
fresh grapes and dried fruit with assorted cheeses

andersonCooper

One small step a day.

Anyway - is it just me who feel the fruit and cheese plate in J pretty much the same with domestic Y available-to-purchase/complimentary-to-EXP box?

ESpen36

I think it's a step forward. After all, the catering order is being sent to the aircraft anyway, so why not allow a little bit of customer fine-tuning? It's not like the caterer has to make a special trip.

The only issue might be if somebody else sees another pax eating the "pre-order only" item and wants one, and the FA has to deal with the fallout.

Or in the event of a same-day equipment swap....the "special" meal items sometimes don't make it over to the new bird.

enviroian

I stated the same a last week. It is --right down to the cracker brand.

Craig6z

Thanks for the posting. Prompted me to go into my RSVP for a South American trip in a few weeks, and pick entrees. The system gave me three options on three of four segments, but every time I save my choices, I get this message:

Our system is having trouble. Please try again or come back later.

Often1

It's a smart move. Any additional choice is always welcome and apparently there is demand or AA would not even bother.

As to pax who didn't pre-order, that's a simple answer and I presume that FA's have a canned reply.

flatlander

This means AA have to be able to arrange precisely correct delivery of catering selections to the aircraft, even more so than for special meals (which often don't vary much and aren't precisely specified, so they can just use rough categories).

So once they have worked the wrinkles out of this, they can provide a wider range of international Business and First meals.

This is the first step to implementing SQ-style "Book the Cook". That is something to welcome!

Eastbay1K

https://blog.alaskaair.com/food-and-...eal-preselect/

Gee, wonder where the F&C plate option idea came from, announced 7 days ago on another airline.

First class guests will be able to choose between two entr�es or Alaska�s Signature Fruit and Cheese platter served on a first class plate.

ijgordon

Surely it's the last step also.

But would love to eat my words, alongside my lobster thermidor.

jcatman

That salad is still around?

coolcoil

Well then you must be pretty impressed that somebody at AA saw what Alaska announced, decided they liked it, and then managed to get the whole program, including the catering system and IT changes implemented in just a week.

Eastbay1K

Very impressed!

observer

Are you critical of the Vietnamese salad? I just selected it, but I can change.

Herb687

Have the lunch options been so pathetic on MIA-PTY for a while now? Catering to Central America used to be better than midcons. Now it looks just as bad.

ESpen36

Glad to see vegetarian options, though. Those Central America flights used to have all meat entree options, for both lunch and dinner flights.