Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

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

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
Old Jan 1, 2018, 1:30 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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.
Print Wikipost

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

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 21, 2018, 11:49 pm
  #1081  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
Originally Posted by flightrisk
Here's what my steak soup looked look. The soup was definitely weird but at least it meant the steak wasn't dry. Served with the world's saddest "salad" (one piece of Bibb lettuce with radish strips and 3 grapes). Nevertheless, I would order this again, and I never order AA steaks.
Originally Posted by safari ari
AA 473 CLT-DEN
18:20
Grilled Beef Filet Grilled Beef Filet with cauliflower mash, broccolini and guajillo chili butter


Beef was fine, mash was probably the best part of the meal, broccolini was awful and tasted like water, as if it was frozen, heated and then reheated.
flightrisk what route was your Beef Filet served on? Yours looks delicious while safari ari's looks dismal. I was thinking of ordering this on an upcoming CLT flight but having second thoughts.
_kurt is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2018, 8:25 am
  #1082  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Mass
Programs: Independent
Posts: 4,829
The problem with things like fillet is that it has so much less to do with how the catering prepared the food as how it was warmed up on board. and even there it has much to do with how long until the FAs can start working,how long they spend taxiing, etc. That's one reason why I hate the idea that they rush out meals so quickly.
_kurt likes this.
Cloudship is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2018, 10:27 am
  #1083  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: DFW/PHL
Programs: US CP, UA *G; SPG Plat, Hilton Gold; Natl Exec, Hertz PC
Posts: 623
Originally Posted by _kurt
flightrisk what route was your Beef Filet served on? Yours looks delicious while safari ari's looks dismal. I was thinking of ordering this on an upcoming CLT flight but having second thoughts.
It was AA 2539 PIT-DFW on a B738.
_kurt likes this.
flightrisk is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2018, 7:36 pm
  #1084  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
IHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453
Originally Posted by flightrisk
It was AA 2539 PIT-DFW on a B738.
Interesting, SFO777 had flown on the same route in the past and had a wonderful steak, I wonder what is up with that route that gets the steak perfect.
FlightNurse is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 10:33 am
  #1085  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central Mass
Programs: Independent
Posts: 4,829
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Interesting, SFO777 had flown on the same route in the past and had a wonderful steak, I wonder what is up with that route that gets the steak perfect.
Taxi time?Do they start the steaks ion the ovens while they are still on the ground? CLT you are going to be taxiing around a lot, thus the steaks sit int eh over longer. While in PIT you pretty much take right off.
Cloudship is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 10:37 am
  #1086  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,600
Originally Posted by Cloudship
Taxi time?Do they start the steaks ion the ovens while they are still on the ground? CLT you are going to be taxiing around a lot, thus the steaks sit int eh over longer. While in PIT you pretty much take right off.
Pretty sure that PIT is double catered from DFW which makes it even more impressive if they consistently pull it off.
SFO777 is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 10:39 am
  #1087  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
OOps, my question in NEWBIE section should have been posted/asked here.
Blueskyheaven is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 5:32 pm
  #1088  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
Originally Posted by Cloudship
Taxi time?Do they start the steaks ion the ovens while they are still on the ground? CLT you are going to be taxiing around a lot, thus the steaks sit int eh over longer. While in PIT you pretty much take right off.
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
Interesting, SFO777 had flown on the same route in the past and had a wonderful steak, I wonder what is up with that route that gets the steak perfect.
Except our taxi time was one of the quickest I've ever had at CLT, less than 10 minutes, and the meal was heated once airborne.
safari ari is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 7:33 pm
  #1089  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NYC LAX RDU
Programs: US-Plt;Concierge key; American AAirpass; Delta Silver;Starwood - Platinum; Amex Cent
Posts: 710
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
God I hope it's not the same burger, wouldn't the bun be stale by now?
I had the burger MIA-LGA today. Maybe it was the massive hangover, but I thought it was great. The condiments they served with it were excellent.
USFlyerUS and AANYC1981 like this.
morrisunc is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 7:45 pm
  #1090  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 13
OGG > DFW

Was pleasantly surprised with the Korean Beef Entree on this flight.
AA got the beef right, the potatoes weren't rock hard, and the Japanese Shrimp was excellent.
The salad as usual was mediocre
Frequentflight is offline  
Old Dec 24, 2018, 8:30 pm
  #1091  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,379
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?
Tex Mex salad was okay. Chicken tasted smoked although did have grill marks, and rub was very salty. Appetizer was two shrimp with old bay seasoning on a bed of pineapple salsa.
Segments is offline  
Old Dec 25, 2018, 4:39 pm
  #1092  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 462
Coach Meal ? KOA-DFW

I have my family booked to go home on AA KOA-DFW. AA states that this flight provides a coach meal - does anyone know what the offering is? My guess is nothing worth eating so I may have to prepare a meal for the four of them to take on the flight. Flight leaves Kona around dinner hour.
hawaii-bound is offline  
Old Dec 26, 2018, 1:52 pm
  #1093  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL DM, 1MM AA PLT 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and...Smiles Diamante
Posts: 2,783
DFW-SFO - pitiful buy on board


I’m glad that American’s caterer scraped all of the dregs of cheese out of the deli case and carefully placed each shred on my “new and improved” sandwich. Or perhaps that’s a generous assessment of what happened. Anyway, here’s to quality control.


Reality.



Marketing.
snorkmaster is offline  
Old Dec 26, 2018, 2:24 pm
  #1094  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Ex Platinum & 1MM, DL PLT, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,490
Am doing PHX-HNL next week & this was one of the choices-wondered if anyone had seen it yet?

Island Surf and Turf Island Surf and Turf selected for txrus for PHX to HNL
Grilled shrimp and beef filet with truffleyaki sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes
Hippster likes this.

Last edited by txrus; Jan 1, 2019 at 10:37 pm
txrus is offline  
Old Dec 26, 2018, 2:28 pm
  #1095  
Suspended
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
MIA-LGA
73M
Dinner

No PDB at all due to 'late catering'......flight went out over half empty after non-revs were given seats.

Beef filet with cauliflower mash......beef tasted weird but the best part was the mash

AANYC1981 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.