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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 Oct 24, 2018, 4:03 pm
  #916  
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Originally Posted by Greenie0402
I mostly lurk here just to see what options might be. Wouldn't you know I would get 2 choices I haven't seen talked about much.

11/23/18
DFW-MCO
Lunch

Choices are

Tex Mex Salad -
romaine, roasted corn, black beans, tomato and cotija cheese with a side of grilled Adobo chicken

or

Chow Mein Noodle Bowl
with stir fried vegetables and miso glaze

Of course there is also the cheese plate and various special meals.

Any recommendations?
Finally some new rotations! These are new indeed.
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 4:25 pm
  #917  
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Just had the stuffed peppers. They were delicious
Spanish likes this.
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 5:51 pm
  #918  
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ORD-LGA
LAA 738
Full PDB

Non-meal flight so plated snack of deli plate or cheese plate....seems like the deli plate could have had more meat on it or cheese instead of grapes and apples but I guess it's better than you'd get on Delta for a non-meal time flight:

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Old Oct 24, 2018, 7:07 pm
  #919  
 
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981


Finally some new rotations! These are new indeed.
And still probably served with that damn olive oil and vinegar dressing! LOL
UAPremierGuy and AANYC1981 like this.
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 8:01 pm
  #920  
 
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PHL-DFW
LUS A321
Snack


PDB of choice!

After take-off, drink of choice and cold mixed nuts. My drink was served as a double and re-filled/freshened throughout the flight from the attentive flight attendant. ^

Expecting another post 8PM cookies and nuts flight, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a choice of the snack trays. My choices were the same as AANYC1981's above, and, having likewise chose the deli plate, I agree with his assessment. The apples were...pretty brown so they remained untouched. The one meat in there appeared to be an Oscar Meyer's turkey. Also, not sure what I was supposed to do with the flatbread as there was no hummus to garnish it with. I thought that every AA dish came with hummus and olive oil and vinegar dressing? The chocolate was good.

Overall, beggars can't be choosers, and I appreciate the effort of the snack tray on this flight. Even with no power or IFE, the good service from the flight attendant made this a pleasant flight.
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 9:23 pm
  #921  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Originally Posted by Youngtraveldude
Flying LAX-LIH on Thursday and got these choices (with an unexpected upgrade ). Found the options in various threads but no opinions....anyone have an opinion on these two?
  • Grilled Pork Chop Grilled Pork Chop
    With mushroom medley, shiitake bread pudding and haricots verts
  • Braised Curry Chickpeas Braised Curry Chickpeas
    cilantro rice, sautéed red bell pepper
Pork Chop
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 11:26 pm
  #922  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 758
Flying F PHL-LAX on 11/4 on the A330. Pre-order options are the Chicken Meatballs, Poblano Peppers or Cheese Plate. Thinking meatballs or Kosher. Anyone had the kosher dinner ex-PHL lately?
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Old Oct 24, 2018, 11:30 pm
  #923  
 
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The meatballs are solid, IMHO and one of AA's better domestic non-transcon dishes.
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Old Oct 25, 2018, 8:42 pm
  #924  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Has AA upgraded some of the post-8PM offerings in J and F on the flagship transcons? Even a couple months ago, when I flew F LAX-JFK at 8:30PM, there was a one-tray meal with the smaller rectangular main dish, and a pre-packaged ice cream.

Yesterday, on the 9:30PM JFK-LAX in J, they had the larger main dishes, and a choice of caramel cone ice cream in the glass, a key lime tart, or a cheese plate.
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Old Oct 26, 2018, 1:20 am
  #925  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: DEN
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Posts: 395
Originally Posted by jcatman
Pork Chop
The pork chop itself was pretty good actually. The rest I’m unsure of. My wife had the braised chick peas and that had some good flavor as well.
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Old Oct 26, 2018, 10:37 am
  #926  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
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Posts: 94
So DFW-ORD gets a proper meal but the return from ORD-DFW does not? ...?
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Old Oct 26, 2018, 11:11 am
  #927  
 
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Originally Posted by RichardNixon
So DFW-ORD gets a proper meal but the return from ORD-DFW does not? ...?
both segments get proper meals provided they're within the meal windows - ie a flight departing after 8pm will get the Lite Bites snack
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Old Oct 26, 2018, 1:30 pm
  #928  
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Originally Posted by UAPremierGuy
PHL-DFW
LUS A321
Snack


PDB of choice!

After take-off, drink of choice and cold mixed nuts. My drink was served as a double and re-filled/freshened throughout the flight from the attentive flight attendant. ^

Expecting another post 8PM cookies and nuts flight, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a choice of the snack trays. My choices were the same as AANYC1981's above, and, having likewise chose the deli plate, I agree with his assessment. The apples were...pretty brown so they remained untouched. The one meat in there appeared to be an Oscar Meyer's turkey. Also, not sure what I was supposed to do with the flatbread as there was no hummus to garnish it with. I thought that every AA dish came with hummus and olive oil and vinegar dressing? The chocolate was good.

Overall, beggars can't be choosers, and I appreciate the effort of the snack tray on this flight. Even with no power or IFE, the good service from the flight attendant made this a pleasant flight.
I sliced up the turkey/egg and put it on the crackers as a mini hors d'oeuvres......it actually tasted pretty good. salty, but good.
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Old Oct 26, 2018, 5:25 pm
  #929  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: UA 1K
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Quick 300 mile hop on a AA regional today. PDB offered and excellent service all around. Not sure why everyone is complaining about AA lately. They’ve been good to me.
iadisgreat likes this.
slappychasez is offline  
Old Oct 26, 2018, 5:53 pm
  #930  
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Originally Posted by slappychasez
Quick 300 mile hop on a AA regional today. PDB offered and excellent service all around. Not sure why everyone is complaining about AA lately. They’ve been good to me.
Because you don’t have to deal with mainline LAA FAs....you’re on regional which has much better service along with mainline LUS FAs.
jcatman likes this.
AANYC1981 is offline  


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