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ARCHIVE: 2018 AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)

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Old Jan 1, 2018, 1:30 pm
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Last edit by: JDiver
AA/US Domestic Dining (including Canada, Mexico, & the Caribbean)


See here for the 2019 domestic meal thread.


Note: this thread is about meals served on domestic AA flights.

Link to Combined 2018 AA International Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)

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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 2018 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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ARCHIVE: 2018 AA Domestic Meal / Meals - menu / photos / etc. (master thread)

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Old May 20, 2018, 7:08 am
  #406  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by happyvoid
I plan to fly first class from MIA to LAX. For the meals if we are still hungry can we get more than 1
Highly unlikely.
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Old May 20, 2018, 9:16 am
  #407  
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Originally Posted by USFlyerUS
Highly unlikely.
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Old May 20, 2018, 5:32 pm
  #408  
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Originally Posted by happyvoid
I plan to fly first class from MIA to LAX. For the meals if we are still hungry can we get more than 1
If you have the AMEX PLT card use the Centurian lounge in MIA before boarding your flight or purchase food from Y
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Old May 20, 2018, 6:26 pm
  #409  
 
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Ask for a buy on board from Y; that’s what we’ve been doing on UA since 01 May...
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Old May 20, 2018, 7:54 pm
  #410  
 
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Originally Posted by happyvoid
I plan to fly first class from MIA to LAX. For the meals if we are still hungry can we get more than 1
Before going too far with this thought, I suggest immodium.
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Old May 20, 2018, 8:04 pm
  #411  
 
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Originally Posted by happyvoid
I plan to fly first class from MIA to LAX. For the meals if we are still hungry can we get more than 1
It doesn't hurt to ask nicely. This will mainly depend on other pax turning down meal service, but when I've been hungry the handful of times I asked (after everyone in the cabin had a chance to order and eat) nicely the FAs did their best to accommodate - whether it was another F meal or a snack box from the back.
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Old May 21, 2018, 5:52 am
  #412  
 
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I was on the ORD-RDU route a couple weeks ago and had the Hummus and thought the same thing. The one pack of crackers is not nearly enough for the amount of Hummus you get.
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Old May 21, 2018, 8:24 pm
  #413  
 
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ok. Too bad I am flying delta first class a319. I think 777 has better service.
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Old May 22, 2018, 10:19 am
  #414  
 
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Originally Posted by CMK10
AA 1559 RDU-ORD 1447-1610 MD-80

While this route is a carve out for meals, the afternoon flight just gets the snack plate

It was this cream cheese dip or the cheese plate. This was really good though it needs a second pack of crackers.
Still being served with that sad lonely carrot? For the love of god, it's a root vegetable. They can't afford to serve three or four carrots with that scoop of "dip"?
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Old May 22, 2018, 10:20 am
  #415  
 
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Originally Posted by ryan182
Had to laugh seeing that they put the edamame hummus in the wraps too, wonder what sort of volume discount AA is getting on that stuff - I'd hope its a solid one because they have to be the worlds largest buyer at this point.
The Edamame Hummus is the new Quinoa.
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Old May 22, 2018, 10:42 am
  #416  
 
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No dessert offered? Weird! All AA lunch and dinner flights have dessert on offer... cookies for shorter midcons (which BOS-ORD certainly is), cakes/pies/ice cream for longer midcons, and sundaes for all longhaul transcons over 2200 miles.

Miscater?

Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767
Apparently, I should start preselecting the AVML...

AA 1320
BOS->ORD
B738

Service was not great, but certainly not terrible. No PDBs and no warm towel although hot nuts were offered and proactive refills. Meals were delivered via the cart, which is admittedly efficient, but I've not seen this in awhile. Preselected meal choice beef was acknowledged. Apologies in advance, even with the overhead reading light, I could not manage to get a decent shot. Honestly, I would not choose this dish again. The beef was really overcooked and had no taste. On a plus side the salad was crisp. No dessert offered, but did manage to snag a pretzel roll. Outbound service (to ORD) was much better. But, I'll take this over being diverted to DTW any day
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Old May 22, 2018, 10:53 am
  #417  
 
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
No dessert offered? Weird! All AA lunch and dinner flights have dessert on offer... cookies for shorter midcons (which BOS-ORD certainly is), cakes/pies/ice cream for longer midcons, and sundaes for all longhaul transcons over 2200 miles.

Miscater?
I'm on this route all too often and the soft service from the FAs varies tremendously. On the outbound for this trip, the FA hit all of the service elements: PDB, warm towel, nuts (with refills), drink refills, meal preselection acknowledged, dessert served after clearing the trays whereas this crew went through the motions. I knew that would be an issue after there was no PDB and they waited twenty minutes after take off to start service (light chop in the area). I suspect there were cookies in the galley, they just went unserved. The return is a short flight, but not by much.
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Old May 22, 2018, 10:55 am
  #418  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 361
Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
No dessert offered? Weird! All AA lunch and dinner flights have dessert on offer... cookies for shorter midcons (which BOS-ORD certainly is), cakes/pies/ice cream for longer midcons, and sundaes for all longhaul transcons over 2200 miles.

Miscater?
No more cake/pie for lunch.
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Old May 22, 2018, 12:46 pm
  #419  
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
No dessert offered? Weird! All AA lunch and dinner flights have dessert on offer... cookies for shorter midcons (which BOS-ORD certainly is), cakes/pies/ice cream for longer midcons, and sundaes for all longhaul transcons over 2200 miles.

Miscater?
Isn't it suppose to be, lunch Mid-cons get a cookie or cake(ish) item and longer Dinner Mid-cons get Ice Cream?
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Old May 22, 2018, 1:23 pm
  #420  
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I posted a link to a blog a while back that said the plated cake for lunch dessert was being eliminated (for mid cons).....think it was The Forward Cabin blog

Last edited by AANYC1981; May 22, 2018 at 3:55 pm
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