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

Old Jan 1, 2018, 1:30 pm
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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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)

Old Oct 10, 2018, 11:41 pm
  #886  
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Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767
+1

I ordered the kosher meal for breakfast tomorrow because AA's breakfast offerings are generally atrocious...
I wasn't impressed with my Kosher Meal, the Diabetic meals are looking good
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Old Oct 11, 2018, 9:59 pm
  #887  
 
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
I wasn't impressed with my Kosher Meal, the Diabetic meals are looking good


In the quest to find a decent breakfast on AA, alas the Kosher option brought me no closer to something even remotely satisfying... This was the meal, as presented, onboard my 07:00 from ORD to BOS. On the plus side: the A321. On the more negative side, the crew mailed this one in, I tried eating the bagel that wasn't even warmed - had two bites and tossed it, and the seat didn't recline... Sadly, par for the course with AA these days...
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 12:19 am
  #888  
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Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767

In the quest to find a decent breakfast on AA, alas the Kosher option brought me no closer to something even remotely satisfying... This was the meal, as presented, onboard my 07:00 from ORD to BOS. On the plus side: the A321. On the more negative side, the crew mailed this one in, I tried eating the bagel that wasn't even warmed - had two bites and tossed it, and the seat didn't recline... Sadly, par for the course with AA these days...
I'll stick with the Muslim or Asian meals from now on.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 6:30 am
  #889  
 
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#2489 - MCO-DFW - A321 (2 years old with winglets and AVOD)
PDB - Anything you wanted
Greeted by name and pre-order acknowledged
Hot Towel
Bloody Mary and warm nuts
Orzo pasta salad with haricot vert, baby summer squash and shrimp. Small portion, but very tasty.
Bread basket
Warm Snickerdoodle or Chocolate Chip cookie
Mints offered prior to landing

Very senior crew working FC. Excellent and attentive. Constant checks through out the flight for beverage, etc.

Side note: Medal of Honor Recipient, Melvin Morris and his wife were on flight in FC. Gate agents greeted them and pre-boarded. Acknowledged by Captain prior to take off. Applause. First Officer announced again at landing and requested that we remain seated and let them depart first. Applause. She left the cockpit and personally greeted them as they left. Very nice.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 11:54 am
  #890  
 
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I am flying sfo to jfk redeye in business class. Does the online meal reservation work or should I call to confirm? I know for United it doesn't and you have to call to confirm. Hoping to order AVML. Also, if my flight departs at 10 p.m., is it a dinner service or a breakfast?
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 12:05 pm
  #891  
 
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Originally Posted by CHOPCHOP767

In the quest to find a decent breakfast on AA, alas the Kosher option brought me no closer to something even remotely satisfying... This was the meal, as presented, onboard my 07:00 from ORD to BOS. On the plus side: the A321. On the more negative side, the crew mailed this one in, I tried eating the bagel that wasn't even warmed - had two bites and tossed it, and the seat didn't recline... Sadly, par for the course with AA these days...
My understanding is the kosher meals are to be served still packaged. I seem to recall reading this somewhere in this thread at one point.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 2:28 pm
  #892  
 
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Originally Posted by USFlyerUS
My understanding is the kosher meals are to be served still packaged. I seem to recall reading this somewhere in this thread at one point.
I was just about to say the same thing. Not that it excuses the service on that flight, but in the case of that particular bagel, it's not supposed to be warmed. That's not a service failure by the FA.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 4:21 pm
  #893  
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Originally Posted by goatee87
I am flying sfo to jfk redeye in business class. Does the online meal reservation work or should I call to confirm? I know for United it doesn't and you have to call to confirm. Hoping to order AVML. Also, if my flight departs at 10 p.m., is it a dinner service or a breakfast?
Have you looked at your reservation on line? You will get a snack on a 10PM departure going east.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 4:25 pm
  #894  
 
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Originally Posted by chrisny2
That looks terrible!
Disagree
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 4:26 pm
  #895  
 
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Originally Posted by BWISkyGuy
I was just about to say the same thing. Not that it excuses the service on that flight, but in the case of that particular bagel, it's not supposed to be warmed. That's not a service failure by the FA.
I enjoy shellfish too much to be properly kosher, but now that yous mention it: I do recall the food preparation requirements. I've never been able to abide by all of the rules; so kudos to AA for doing so. Hopefully the post was helpful to others in avoiding standard AA breakfasts and the Kosher option, unless of course one does follow the kosher rules, or just doesn't care about a decent breakfast.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 7:02 pm
  #896  
 
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Have you looked at your reservation on line? You will get a snack on a 10PM departure going east.
Flagship gets a full meal
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 7:22 pm
  #897  
 
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Originally Posted by platbrownguy
Flagship gets a full meal
not exactly, F on that route gets a reduced menu on late night flights, its more substantial than non-TC F late night flights for sure but it is a reduced meal service from what is offered in F before the cutoff. OMAT posted the new refreshed menus not long ago for these routes: https://onemileatatime.com/american-airlines-new-menus/
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 7:28 pm
  #898  
 
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I will confess to ambiguity -- I took the 11:45 PM LAX-JFK in F a couple days ago and had what I think anyone would consider a "full meal" (my only point was that it's a meal not a snack, as FlightNurse said). But I have no reason to doubt that I got, perhaps, an abbreviated meal.
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Old Oct 12, 2018, 7:51 pm
  #899  
 
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Originally Posted by platbrownguy
I will confess to ambiguity -- I took the 11:45 PM LAX-JFK in F a couple days ago and had what I think anyone would consider a "full meal" (my only point was that it's a meal not a snack, as FlightNurse said). But I have no reason to doubt that I got, perhaps, an abbreviated meal.
I'd agree that most would look at that menu and consider it a "full meal" and its considerably more substantial than what other routes would receive at that hour. The difference is no small plate choice, soup or salad courses but there are still main course options (2 of the 4 are also on the dinner menu) and desert so far more food than normal snack routes for sure.
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Old Oct 13, 2018, 7:27 am
  #900  
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Really lousy AA flight this morning:

LGA-ORD (NYC based crew)
738 (classic)
Breakfast

PDB of water/OJ only from the FC FA who strolled up to the gate just before boarding time.

Pre-order barely acknowledged: cheese omelette or oatmeal. Drink orders taken on the ground and I requested a bloody mary.

FC FA delivers everyone's first drink in-flight on the meal tray. Mine comes with no drink and FC FA says they didn't stock any mixers so he'll have to go back to coach to get it.......he never does. So I stop him and say I'll just have a screwdriver instead (since I saw people having OJ). He then comes back to me and says they didn't stock any liquor in the FC cart.....WTH?

Eventually one of the coach FA's did bring up some minis and I had the screwdriver, but man AA is sinking to new lows.

Now at ORD and it's so depressing to see the deicing trucks working on planes this early in the year :/

Last edited by AANYC1981; Oct 13, 2018 at 7:32 am
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