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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PLEASE: DO NOT POST OVERSIZED IMAGES; PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE AND REPEAT IMAGES IN YOUR QUOTED POST.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 2, 2018, 9:49 pm
  #856  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Originally Posted by kar don



curious what were the main entree choices for the flight? Trying to see if there is any rhyme or reason to what special meal gets served...
Don’t recall for certain but believe one day the options were poblano or Niçoise salad. The other was chicken meatballs and I forget.

Suspect someone’s guess of caterer might be a better guess. The one seasoned chicken meal we’ve both posted has come with different sides. Find the white roll the oddest inclusion so I’m not sure what nutritional guidance the catering kitchen is receiving. Also interesting you received a nutrition card ... haven’t seen one yet on my meals.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 12:21 am
  #857  
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Originally Posted by smuDC-10
I’m currently on 2220 from ORD to DFW. I preordered the fruit and cheese plate (I usually preorder the fruit and cheese for about half my flights).

I know the fruit can sometimes be sad looking but today’s was the most inedible meal I’ve ever been given on an airline. I ate a grape and after noticing it tasted funny I inspected the grapes further and noticed that many of them were rotten and rancid. One also had what was either mold or what kind of looked like a spider egg sack on it. These pictures also show the strawberry looking brown and old as well as the lettuce. The rotten juice from the grapes had pooled around all the cheese as well so I only ended up eating the roll. I’m definitely writing to AA and sending them photos of this meal. I by no means expect a gourmet meal when I fly but I at least want one that is edible and safe to eat.

Pretty bad, on a flight between ORD-PHX I had a fly in my salad, I took a photo of it and showed the FA, who was mortified (he was an excellent FA) when I got home I sent a message to AA via the website, and in under 24 hours someone from AA reached out to me, sent the photo, and the same day, AA proactively gave me and hubby 10K miles and $500/each travel vouchers. I thought it was reasonable since I wasn't asking for anything, but to let them know that ORD has quality issues...
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 12:24 am
  #858  
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Originally Posted by kar don
DBML out of ORD

Very interesting meal. Was a ultra dry stringy chicken breast with an orange hue and a grit/creamed corn mixture next to it. Glad I grabbed backup food in the airport...will avoid DBML out of ORD. Guy next to me order a kosher meal which looked good! At least it came with nutrition facts


DBML nutrition facts. Description sounds way better than actual product.
I had the Kosher meal out of ORD to LGA, and I didn't have enough room for the food I got but have to say, the only good was the dessert and main (brisket) everything else was horrible.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 12:40 am
  #859  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
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Originally Posted by Merlinar
AA5 DFW-HNL 11:15am
Lunch
772
PE

Recommendations??

Asian Barbecue Beef Sandwich Wrap
with chips and cookie
or
Asian Curried Chickpea Sandwich Wrap
with chips and cookie
Wow, lunch on an 8 hour flight doesn’t even include a hot option anymore?!

That doesn’t make sense considering lunch flights such as ORD-DFW and DFW-RSW always include at least one hot option. I took this flight two years ago and it included a hot option then. This looks more like a Delta flight to me. lol

Last edited by TheFlyGuy1992; Oct 3, 2018 at 12:59 am
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 4:51 am
  #860  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: USA
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Originally Posted by TheFlyGuy1992


Wow, lunch on an 8 hour flight doesn’t even include a hot option anymore?!

That doesn’t make sense considering lunch flights such as ORD-DFW and DFW-RSW always include at least one hot option. I took this flight two years ago and it included a hot option then. This looks more like a Delta flight to me. lol
PE class on the 772 non stop service DFW to Hawaii gets the same wrap sandwich, chips, cookie choice for lunch that the economy cabin does. FC cabin gets full meal service reviewed here several times.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 9:16 am
  #861  
 
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AA MCO-ORD 5:19pm
Dinner 737

I ordered the asian vegetarian meal and my partner ordered the kosher meal. Mine was pretty tasty and his kosher meal was some Moroccan styled chicken meal which was amazing. I think I am done ordering the regular options and going to continue to special order! Also, full PBD^

Asian Veg


kosher meal:
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 4:38 pm
  #862  
 
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i just selected the hindu meal for my breakfast meal on LAX-YYZ next month. Still waiting to see what options will be available on the dinner flight YYZ-LAX.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 7:19 pm
  #863  
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Originally Posted by enviroian
I pre-ordered the BOB roast beef sandwich for a flight to ewr on Wednesday. Has anyone had it? I've had the chicken wrap before and it's very good but wanted to try something else.
It was great FYI. If anyone wants to know.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 7:49 pm
  #864  
 
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Originally Posted by enviroian
It was great FYI. If anyone wants to know.
Good but not great. Got one free as EXP. Not sure I would pay ~$10 for one. Does not come with chips or anything else.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 8:11 pm
  #865  
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Originally Posted by remedy
Good but not great. Got one free as EXP. Not sure I would pay ~$10 for one. Does not come with chips or anything else.
No I wouldn't pay $10 for it either but was free and I enjoyed it.

I think the chicken wrap is better.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 8:30 pm
  #866  
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Originally Posted by enviroian
No I wouldn't pay $10 for it either but was free and I enjoyed it.
I think the chicken wrap is better.
Dunno. I had the pesto chicken wrap on Sunday's LAX-DFW. Yuck. Slimy and not very good with way too much cheap "mozzarrella". Then again, it was free and in this case, was worth what I paid.



No idea what the Vinaigrette was for.



On the other hand, we even got a Premium Economy international blanket, pillow and amenity kit as our 789 was loaded and fueled for GIG (oops), necessitating a 35 minute delay to offload fuel so we could actually land in DFW.



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Old Oct 3, 2018, 8:59 pm
  #867  
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Pretty sure this is as good as it can get ORD-LGA (in main cabin that is):

MCE
Middle seat empty next to me
seat back AVOD and finished a full movie
drinks, hummus box and pretzels
extremely happy young NYC based crew.....nothing was too big of a deal for them to handle (one of them even proactively had the bins above MCE closed during boarding to make sure they were reserved only for MCE pax and monitored them very well during boarding).
PDBs of choice observed from MCE and I even saw the FC FA go around to ever single FC pax thank them for flying AA today individually.

Only odd thing is that they had zero hummus boxes on the cart but they had the other one.....so my FA asked the guy to go back to the galley and bring a hummus box.....hmmmmm (saving them for themselves?)

More than a DL Diamond would get on a flight of this length in main cabin or C+......and this is the standard for AA MCE for EXP.

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Last edited by AANYC1981; Oct 3, 2018 at 10:34 pm
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 9:32 pm
  #868  
CLT
 
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IMHO, I understand the reasoning by offering cold light meals on JFK-LAX/SFO as the A321s aren't equipped with hot ovens in Y, but seeing as the 787s are more than capable of providing hot meal service, it's an incredibly cheap move to offer the same meal on DFW-Hawaii as on JFK-California. I guess it's better than what UA offers though.
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Old Oct 3, 2018, 9:38 pm
  #869  
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Originally Posted by CLT
IMHO, I understand the reasoning by offering cold light meals on JFK-LAX/SFO as the A321s aren't equipped with hot ovens in Y, but seeing as the 787s are more than capable of providing hot meal service, it's an incredibly cheap move to offer the same meal on DFW-Hawaii as on JFK-California. I guess it's better than what UA offers though.
UA's BOB is much better with hot options, I thought. Most really like them and have been requesting them even in FC.
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Old Oct 4, 2018, 12:24 am
  #870  
CLT
 
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
UA's BOB is much better with hot options, I thought. Most really like them and have been requesting them even in FC.
True, but I'm speaking in terms of a complimentary offering.
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