BWISkyGuy

TOTALLY! I didn't mean that there weren't airports that didn't have any catering (I was actually agreeing with that part), I was just trying to explain why AA can't just use whichever restaurant or caterer serves private flights out of whatever airport doesn't fit in a major airline's catering plan. Most airports do have companies that will cater private flights, but most can't/won't cater to the specs needed by a major airline.

CLT

Yet another flight today (AA620 CLT-DCA) where booze wasn't available in MCE/Y. As with my flight on Saturday, FAs told me that this flight did not meet the mileage requirement to have liquor service, despite AA.com saying that booze would be available on flights greater than 250 miles. Very confused about AA's policy at this point.

FAs were an incredibly efficient, old-school LUS crew, and the F FA took beverage orders in MCE after the safety demo, which is something I have never seen before (and probably technically not allowed as we were on an active taxiway). The F FA seemed to serve MCE and F concurrently with the same cart, and surprisingly offered refills in MCE (at least for water). I recognize that foreign airlines do a lot on short hops in Y, but it's always nice to see the teamwork AA crews do to perform service on these short flights; I don't think DL/UA/AS do a full service in Y on flights of this length.

I noticed the FAs had their card readers on the beverage cart. Given how friendly this crew was, I highly doubt they were flat out refusing to serve booze they had available, so is AA just not stocking shorter flights with a liquor cart in Y?

Herb687

I didn't mean for my post to be taken to such a literal extreme or quite so seriously but the point was that catering can be procured anywhere. That airlines decide to cater for the round trip does not mean that catering isn't available at that airport. It simply means that an airline doesn't want to spend the money required to board fresh catering at the airport in question.

This is AA we are talking about. This is an airline that, in the past, double catered flights to store stuff overnight on the airplane and serve shelf-stable crap on 3 hour morning originators out of comparatively huge airports like SMF.

Right. Anyone who really wants to get catering in the US48 can do it if they're willing to write an appropriate check.

If memory serves there was a time when AA served thin watery soup in F on departures out of LIH. UA, on the other hand, contracted with a local restaurant to provide its catering out of LIH.

Regardless of what local restaurants want in on the action, I'm sure Rudy's or Air Culinaire would be thrilled to get a call from AA asking if they can do 150 meals a day at some remote location. And I'm sure AA won't like the quote that comes back!

There are aviation businesses whose sole business is getting fresh food to aircraft anywhere, anytime.

Sorry but you're flat out wrong. Given a sufficient budget, I could procure catering at any airport in the lower 48.

AAway

CO right?

fly747first

AA has never treated MIA SEA as a premium route. However, you should get warm nuts, choice of two hot entrees, warm breads, and choice of ice cream or fruit & cheese plate for dessert.

Only MIA LAX gets the enhanced catering.

arablife77

maybe it’s just me but I was excited to see the short rib option for my PHL-LAX flight this weekend. Do we know for sure that it’s not a tasty meal?

happiest_at_40000

You should edit that to say "supposed to get".

My last MIA-LAX- No sundaes catered (we ran out on the way in I was told).......6 cheese plates for 50+ ppl......... No sticky toffee cake that was listed on the menu.. Didnt have the fish dish at all that was listed.

MIA catering blows.

KDCAflyer

PBI-PHL.

This is not an acceptable first class meal. Delta is light years ahead.

I feel like this is what AA used to serve on those 600-899 mile snack flights.

(I'm laughing at the random butter they catered).

HiAperture

I guess that depends how you define premium and if you are talking about since covid or before. It certainly hasn't been premium in any way the last couple of years. Prior to covid the flight was provisioned with the real long haul casper bedding and what used to pass as their better domestic meal service (additional appetizer plus the salad and I think it used to get sundaes?). Now of course it has never been a real flagship route like MIA-LAX or JFK-LAX but it was given a bump in service beyond the typical domestic F experience (or lake thereof). I suppose you are right though that it was only two options even back then.

enviroian

Agreed it's pretty weak but for the butter...didn't they offer a muffin, roll or croissant out of the basket?

355F1

OGG-PHX options:

enviroian

oh my god the fiesta bowl is back. I can't believe this plate of dog food is still in rotation. AA should be embarrassed beyond belief.

KDCAflyer

Nope. No bread was catered.

fly747first

Inconsistency is AA's middle name. MIA-LAX is always a complete surprise.

Sometimes:
F and J get long-haul Premium Economy blankets instead of the proper Casper duvets
F gets Premium Economy blankets and J gets nothing
Both F and J get the same amenity kits (i.e., the J ones)
Only F gets amenity kits because the J ones were not loaded
Both F and J get the same menus
F gets menus, but not J
Neither F nor J get menus
Both F and J get menus but they don't actually match the entrees available onboard

And the list goes on based on my experience on this route during the past two years.
One can easily picture AA as a child promising itself: when I grow up, I will never be ashamed of my extremely bAAd performance!

Well, dreAAms can really come true!

happiest_at_40000

Well said, and i have experienced nearly all of those. And you didnt really get on the lack of sundaes 2 x now on this route or No soup course in F. Not to mention multiple times of not catering enough of certain items. Its always out of Miami though tbb as far as the food issues at least. So the catering is more a MIA issue than "the route" ? I dunno but it is frustrating. And with no LAX FFD and MIA not open when the red eye 77W arrives it makes it even more frustrating.