AA LAX Catering Issues Late 2017 (Listeria 1 Nov 2017)
Nov 13, 2017, 1:26 pm
#316
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
An embarrassment of epic proportions and helps solidify why I largely now avoid US Airways dba American Airlines.
Cancelled a paid J LAX-JFK-LAX for tomorrow; switching to jetBlue Mint.
Cancelled a paid J LAX-JFK-LAX for tomorrow; switching to jetBlue Mint.
Nov 13, 2017, 1:37 pm
#317
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
The crazy thing is DL just told their FA's that they are making LAX catering adjustments, and has made "alternate catering arrangements" BUT that there is no change to menus or the offering on-board. How can DL pull off an alternative situation yet AA is unable to? It's not like DL only has to worry about a dozen flights per day......they have a significant LAX operation of their own.
Nov 13, 2017, 1:41 pm
#318
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Here's a picture of "dessert" on yesterday's LAX-RDU flight. Reminds me of the cookies my grandmother used to bring me from Key Food
Nov 13, 2017, 1:43 pm
#319
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
The crazy thing is DL just told their FA's that they are making LAX catering adjustments, and has made "alternate catering arrangements" BUT that there is no change to menus or the offering on-board. How can DL pull off an alternative situation yet AA is unable to? It's not like DL only has to worry about a dozen flights per day......they have a significant LAX operation of their own.
Delta sees this as a major problem and takes the steps to rectify it.
AA sees this as a way to save some catering costs for a few weeks.
Nov 13, 2017, 2:13 pm
#320
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: LAX/IAD
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 162
The crazy thing is DL just told their FA's that they are making LAX catering adjustments, and has made "alternate catering arrangements" BUT that there is no change to menus or the offering on-board. How can DL pull off an alternative situation yet AA is unable to? It's not like DL only has to worry about a dozen flights per day......they have a significant LAX operation of their own.
Last edited by Eneka; Nov 13, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Nov 13, 2017, 2:21 pm
#321
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: IL
Programs: AA PLT, HYT PLT
Posts: 211
Sorry for the late update, on board choices were "veggie/cheese lasagna" or "curry shrimp". The lasagna was the same slab of paste I received on my earlier ORD/LAX flight. The only difference was the sides. Unlike the ORD flight I did receive a lime in my G&T. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with choice of strawberry or pineapple. We also received the HI nut mix, served ice cold. No mints, full PDB, major shenanigans over meal choice.
Nov 13, 2017, 2:31 pm
#322
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAX/VNY (Hometown: CAK)
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Regal Diamond
Posts: 743
Updating my previous post, I received a $50 voucher.
Thank you for contacting us about the difficulties that you encountered on your recent trip. We are sorry to hear that we didn't provide more accurate information so as to lessen the inconvenience of the catering issue at the LAX Airport; we should have been more responsive to your needs. We understand how frustrating this was for all of our travelers departing from LAX and I'm sorry you were given conflicting information about the catering on your specific flight.
Nov 13, 2017, 3:22 pm
#323
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Lax-Mia F food catering seemed normal today, except no mixed nuts in ramekins (but I was told they had the packaged nuts.)
Nov 13, 2017, 3:32 pm
#324
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: AA-EXP, Flying Blue-Silver
Posts: 727
To all of those defending AA because it's just impossible to pivot to another catering company in less than several weeks....
“Delta has made alternate catering arrangements so there is no interruption to its on-board food offerings,” it added.
Nov 13, 2017, 3:50 pm
#326
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
All out of nothing about nothing.
As u said it was suppose to be refreshments. U did well.
As u said it was suppose to be refreshments. U did well.
Attachment 43796I flew Friday's AA1379 LAX-BOS (the red-eye), upgraded to F. No e-mail before the flight.
I used T5 Priority Check-in (former Delta One check-in area) and asked the agents there about the catering situation. They looked at me blankly, and I had to mention a few other key phrases ("listeria," "meal service," "snacks") before it clicked as to what I was asking about. They said they had no other information, but recommended that I pick up something in the terminal. I asked if any meal vouchers were being issued for this purpose, was told flat-out no.
I didn't have Admirals Club access for this flight, but decided to check with them in case they had better information. There the AC agent said that all catering issues had been resolved and that I had nothing to worry about.
Seeing the disparity of the two opinions, I talked to the gate agent. The GA working the flight didn't know, deferred to the senior GA, who walked down to the plane and said "yes, it's been double catered, there's food."
On boarding, passing by the folding tables stationed in the jet bridge stocked with beverages and other items covered by tablecloths, I boarded and asked the FA what the catering situation was. She said she had sandwiches and some snacks from the previous flight.
PDB was water or OJ. Then upon a departure delay waiting for maintenance to inspect a missing lifejacket compartment cover, I was able to ask for other drinks.
After takeoff, the snack basket was a picked-over collection of pretzels, mixed nuts, and cookie thins. To the side of the snack basket were plastic-wrapped turkey, lettuce, and cheese sandwiches (TLCs?) on wheat, with a laserjet address label slapped on the back identifying them. This flight is normally "refreshments," so I guess I should take it as a win. But then I tasted the sandwich -- the bread was hard and borderline-stale. I would have rather had a full snack basket instead of the sandwich.
(I checked after landing, and this plane originated in HNL)
I used T5 Priority Check-in (former Delta One check-in area) and asked the agents there about the catering situation. They looked at me blankly, and I had to mention a few other key phrases ("listeria," "meal service," "snacks") before it clicked as to what I was asking about. They said they had no other information, but recommended that I pick up something in the terminal. I asked if any meal vouchers were being issued for this purpose, was told flat-out no.
I didn't have Admirals Club access for this flight, but decided to check with them in case they had better information. There the AC agent said that all catering issues had been resolved and that I had nothing to worry about.
Seeing the disparity of the two opinions, I talked to the gate agent. The GA working the flight didn't know, deferred to the senior GA, who walked down to the plane and said "yes, it's been double catered, there's food."
On boarding, passing by the folding tables stationed in the jet bridge stocked with beverages and other items covered by tablecloths, I boarded and asked the FA what the catering situation was. She said she had sandwiches and some snacks from the previous flight.
PDB was water or OJ. Then upon a departure delay waiting for maintenance to inspect a missing lifejacket compartment cover, I was able to ask for other drinks.
After takeoff, the snack basket was a picked-over collection of pretzels, mixed nuts, and cookie thins. To the side of the snack basket were plastic-wrapped turkey, lettuce, and cheese sandwiches (TLCs?) on wheat, with a laserjet address label slapped on the back identifying them. This flight is normally "refreshments," so I guess I should take it as a win. But then I tasted the sandwich -- the bread was hard and borderline-stale. I would have rather had a full snack basket instead of the sandwich.
(I checked after landing, and this plane originated in HNL)
Nov 13, 2017, 4:04 pm
#327
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Francisco area
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott T
Posts: 455
Good for you, ultimately in America that is the only way companies respond when they see impact in top and bottom line. Airline business is very heavily dependent on top fliers, AA seems going out of its way to screw with them. Being a SF based flyer, I have toyed with going 100% with DL but have not pulled the plug, next year might be it. This year I flew DL several times to and from ANC and say the day/night difference in their over all service vs both AA and AS. Currently on AA 192 back, you can't help but notice the bad service, I avoided the crappy food by having a dinner at CX F lounge (which even after cost cutting is still better than any AA food), but the cabin is a mess, only snacks in the so called bar were left over desserts which looked gross and some stuff that came straight from a vending machine, but hey it was sitting on clean table cloth, washroom amenities were missing or empty, garbage bags sitting open in galley, sinks in C/F washrooms absolutely gross! When you combine a very good hard product with very bad soft product, you get bad overall product.
Nov 13, 2017, 4:26 pm
#328
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
That's the way I see it. And one of those carriers thought that it was OK to serve its passengers food possibly contaminated with lysteria during that interim period.
Nov 13, 2017, 5:44 pm
#330
Suspended
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Location: NYC
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