American Announces Changes to In-Flight Dining Options
Beverage service on American from Chicago to N.Y.
American Airlines Group announced multiple changes to meal service in its first-class cabins on domestic American Airlines flights starting September 1. The changes follow those implemented on April 1 on US Airways flights, and are intended to provide a consistent in-flight dining experience on American and US Airways mainline flights within the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
The changes do not impact American’s transcontinental flights including those linking New York with Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, and San Francisco, and Miami with Los Angeles and San Francisco, including American’s A321T transcon service.
On flights with a duration of less than one hour, American will provide a packaged snack to passengers
For flights under two hours, or roughly 699 miles (1,124 kilometers), American will add a variety of sweet and savory snacks instead of simply serving mixed nuts with beverages.
For flights ranging from two hours to two hours 45 minutes, or 700 to 999 miles (1,126 to 1,607 kilometers) which depart between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., many that had a traditional meal service will only offer a Lite Bites basket which will vary by time of day, and could include tea sandwiches and fresh fruit as well as other snacks. Flights that fall into the two hour 45 minute to three hour 30 minute timeframe will have a three-course meal preceded by warm mixed nuts. The meal will include a salad, choice of entrée, bread, and a warm cookie for dessert.
Longer flights will have a meal that starts with drinks and nuts, and continues with an appetizer, salad, choice of entrée, bread, and cake for dessert, and those over four hours and 30 minutes will also offer a choice of ice cream or a fruit-and-cheese platter for dessert, as well as a snack basket prior to arrival.
These changes do not impact multiple flights between 700 to 999 miles (1,126 to 1,607 kilometers) in competitive markets such as flights linking Chicago with Boston, Denver, New York, Raleigh-Durham, and Washington, D.C., Dallas with Chicago, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, and New York with Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa. These flights will continue to offer a three-course meal preceded by drinks accompanied by warm mixed nuts.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
