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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 Feb 7, 2018, 8:20 pm
  #106  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
Originally Posted by lavag
LAX-JFK
  • Wagyu Meatloaf Wagyu Meatloaf selected for X for LAX to JFK
    With roasted garlic mashed potatoes and candied onions
  • Grilled Cauliflower Steak Grilled Cauliflower Steak selected for X for LAX to JFK
    portobello farro risotto, sautéed kale, baby sunburst squash
  • Grilled Lobster and Cheese Sandwich Grilled Lobster and Cheese Sandwich selected forX for LAX to JFK
    tomato basil soup, green salad
Anyone tried the lobster sandwich? Seems too good to be true...

And for another date, leaning crab cakes...
  • Pan Seared Crab Cakes Pan Seared Crab Cakes selected for X for LAX to JFK
    With jícama slaw and tomatillo poblano cream sauce
  • Vegetarian Cremini Bolognese Vegetarian Cremini Bolognese selected for X for LAX to JFK
    spaghetti squash, basil oil, shaved Parmesan
  • Thai Beef Salad Thai Beef Salad selected for X for LAX to JFK
    coconut-marinated rice noodles, cucumber salad
I've had the meat loaf three times.....and, I'd get it again.

Crab cakes are all bread, little crab. Thai Beef sounds good.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 6:03 am
  #107  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 50
LAX - DEN

What meal does American serve on the LAX - DEN route?

the times I am currently considering are LAX - DEN 15.50 and DEN - LAX 6.45
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 7:12 am
  #108  
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Originally Posted by muishkin
AA 1056 JFK-SFO in F.
Is the service standards on the premium transcons in F to serve it on a tray now? I've not got much experience of these flights but in F the cloth was laid on the table directly.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 8:38 am
  #109  
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Originally Posted by MAH4546
I got a more filling meal on Alaska Airlines JNU-ANC this weekend, and the plane is barely in the air for 70 minutes.

That would have been inexcusable on PMAA as a meal, at least the way it is served.
If you go back and look at the data points for that flight, no meal is served, I can't wait to hear what the regulars who fly AS will have to say.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 8:41 am
  #110  
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Originally Posted by Fraser
Is the service standards on the premium transcons in F to serve it on a tray now? I've not got much experience of these flights but in F the cloth was laid on the table directly.
My thoughts exactly.....WTH? Was that a redeye?
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 9:21 am
  #111  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Originally Posted by Fraser
Is the service standards on the premium transcons in F to serve it on a tray now? I've not got much experience of these flights but in F the cloth was laid on the table directly.
On my flight earlier this week for lunch it was full table service
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 10:59 am
  #112  
 
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
My thoughts exactly.....WTH? Was that a redeye?
Yeah, and if you look closely, it's not even a linen... it's a white paper placemat.

Probably a catering error or glitch of some kind.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 12:12 pm
  #113  
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
If you go back and look at the data points for that flight, no meal is served, I can't wait to hear what the regulars who fly AS will have to say.
What regular data points for what flights?

DFW-ATL used to get a hot breakfast, I took the morning flight often connecting from the DFW redeye, and was served a real breakfast.

AS serves meal on JNU-ANC. I just got one over the weekend. AS has generally had the most generous meal windows of U.S. carriers.

Last edited by MAH4546; Feb 8, 2018 at 12:40 pm
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 1:44 pm
  #114  
 
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Originally Posted by MrAndy1369
Yeah, and if you look closely, it's not even a linen... it's a white paper placemat.

Probably a catering error or glitch of some kind.
Either that or the FA was getting revenge on me for demanding dinner service when the plane has crossed over to Colorado.

I think they just ran out of clean linen because I started eating dinner so late into the flight.
@AANYC1981, no this was JFK to SFO so a redeye is not possible.
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Old Feb 8, 2018, 1:53 pm
  #115  
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Thumbs up

ORD-LGA
LAA 738 w/ seat back AVOD
PDB of choice

Choice of cheese enchiladas or the saffron orzo salad with shrimp on the side. Enchiladas were really good and the service on this flight was amazing. Sent in a tweet to AA.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:36 am
  #116  
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Originally Posted by MAH4546
What regular data points for what flights?

DFW-ATL used to get a hot breakfast, I took the morning flight often connecting from the DFW redeye, and was served a real breakfast.

AS serves meal on JNU-ANC. I just got one over the weekend. AS has generally had the most generous meal windows of U.S. carriers.
Meals on AS has been going downhill for years, go back and look at the horrible meals they served, even the loyalist flyers were complaining your fly from JUN-ANC was not the typical meal on that route.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 9:37 am
  #117  
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
ORD-LGA
LAA 738 w/ seat back AVOD
PDB of choice

Choice of cheese enchiladas or the saffron orzo salad with shrimp on the side. Enchiladas were really good and the service on this flight was amazing. Sent in a tweet to AA.
I've never had much issue with flights on this route, it's a short flight with a meal, the service is usually robotic but the FA's have always been pleasant.
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Old Feb 9, 2018, 12:50 pm
  #118  
 
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Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Meals on AS has been going downhill for years, go back and look at the horrible meals they served, even the loyalist flyers were complaining your fly from JUN-ANC was not the typical meal on that route.
Not sure why you want to argue this - Alaska serves meals on Anchorage-Juneau and other short stage length flights (e.g. Seattle-San Francisco). That's reality. There is nothing to argue. Even more impressive, my JNU-ANC flight wasn't during a "meal window," since AS serves outside of arbitrarily defined "meal windows."

As to quality, it's leagues above the garbage AA serves today.
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Old Feb 14, 2018, 11:06 am
  #119  
 
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Thumbs up

PHL-LAS
First Class
Dinner
A-321
February 2018


PBD of choice offered.

After take-off, hot towels were distributed and collected.Beverage of choice offered with warm mixed nuts.Pre-order acknowledged. Choice was cheese lasagna or beef filet.I went with the cheese lasagna and, per usual, it was a reliably tasty and ample offering.The entrée came out on a linen lined tray with a small side salad and an appetizer of two nice-sized shrimp in some sort of an orange sauce/marinade that was pre-applied (the shrimp were also very tasty).After the entrée trays were presented, a selection of warm breads (including pretzel rolls) were offered from a passed basket.After dinner, ice cream was on offer - it was a caramel chocolate chunk ice cream, also very good.The F/A was friendly, efficient, and was frequently sweeping through the cabin refreshing beverages and seeing if anyone needed anything.A good domestic F showing by AA.
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Old Feb 15, 2018, 1:07 am
  #120  
nrr
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I have an up coming LAS-JFK NS lunch flight, besides the 4 "regular" lunch main courses (one of which is a pre-order ONLY cheese and fruit plate) there are 13 "special meal choices": kosher, Moslem, bland, baby, etc.
I've never seen so many choices in the past.

Last edited by nrr; Feb 15, 2018 at 1:12 am
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