Generally, I don’t mind flying American Eagle, which is American’s regional subsidiary. Actually, there’s a lot to like about the experience, especially when flying the Embraer E170/175. I love the ratio of first class seats to economy seats (which makes upgrades easier), and I like the 1-2 layout in first class and the 2-2 layout in economy. However, can we take a second to talk about the food?
In this post:
American Eagle’s first class catering is kind of terrible
American generally serves meals in first class on flights of over 900 miles, assuming you’re flying during meal times. This applies regardless of whether you’re traveling on a mainline aircraft, or on a regional jet. However, American’s catering on regional jets is very different than on mainline.
American loves to highlight its catering collaborations, and I’m pretty sure American Eagle’s catering collaboration is with the same people who brought us Fyre Festival. So, what exactly can you expect?
If you’re flying American Eagle during meal times, the airline serves room temperature meals in disposable boxes. There’s an “AM” (breakfast) and “PM” (lunch/dinner) collection, and you have the choice of either a protein box or a vegetarian box.
For example, let me share what I was served on my morning flight from Chicago to Billings yesterday. I chose the vegetarian breakfast box, which contained fig and brie cheese slider sandwiches, “yogurt muesli” (which I’m pretty sure was sweet rice with cinnamon), and mixed fruit.
Meals are wrapped in a bunch of packaging, and come with the flimsiest disposable forks and knives imaginable.
I love how the main part of the meal is always packaged with a sticker that reads “bite into delight.” That’s not exactly how I’d usually describe this food, but okay…
Below is what the meal box looked like once I removed all the packaging.
I’ve gotta say, the brie cheese and fig sliders were probably one of the more edible meals I’ve had on American Eagle in recent times, and that’s simply because it was sweet-tasting bread. I mean, let’s not talk about the nutrition, though…
It was certainly better than the “roast beef” sandwich I had on a flight a couple of months back.
If you’re flying American Eagle and expect that you’ll be hungry, personally I’d highly recommend bringing your own food. It’s sad, because it didn’t used to be this way. Back before the pandemic, American Eagle had relatively decent meals that were at least properly plated.
Cold airplane meals don’t have to be terrible
It’s important to acknowledge that regional jets typically don’t have ovens, so it’s not really possible to serve hot meals on these flights. That’s totally fair. However, just because a meal isn’t hot, doesn’t mean it can’t be decent quality.
For example, Delta’s regional subsidiary, Delta Connection, seems to serve some really great cold dishes that are properly plated, and which make the most of the situation. Just take a look at the below video from a Delta Connection flight attendant (and this flight attendant is such a good vibe, and I love the effort put into service… how refreshing to see).
While Delta Connection has better catering than American Eagle, that’s not consistently the case on mainline flights. For example, on some flights from hubs, Delta serves disposable boxes that feel anything but premium, for reasons I can’t quite figure out.
Bottom line
American Eagle’s first class dining leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re on a flight of over 900 miles during a meal window, expect that you’ll receive a packaged box. There’s an AM and PM selection, and then during each meal window there’s a protein or vegetarian option. Personally I think this catering falls into the “why bother” category, and I typically try to bring my own food if I think I’ll want something to eat on these flights.
If you’ve flown American Eagle first class, what was your experience with the catering?
The option of bringing your own food seems quite logical.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Presented well but did not look like anything special.
Come on ! It's all preserves, don't get it why people complain about airplane food it's all preserves.
Lufthansa and SWISS also have tasty cold meals on their flights too. Again US first-class can’t come close to comparing to European airlines. They obviously believe they don’t have to.
That was rice pudding, not muesli. We are moving toward BYOF. And is it my screen, because the roast beef looks to be green.
What takes Ben to Billings? Some bougie lodge? A MAGA rally?
I guess TDS is strong with you...sad..
People complain no matter what they are served. It just becomes low level noise. It gets old the complaining and stupid requests for the same low grade food you buy in the terminal.
What is the main purpose of an airline? Is it to get you from one place to another? Or...is it a restaurant?
Yes, but if you are going to offer food for sale it is a restaurant and it might as well be delicious food since people have to pay for it. Would you be happy to pay for a roast beef sandwich and get what Ben’s picture showed? Even if it is complimentary for first class it is still a shame because you paid a lot whether in cash or miles and you get something that is inedible and indescribable.
I’ll keep that in mind the next time I fly my restaurant to Montana.
@Jaymes Yes, you should if you can afford it. And you are twisting my comment that was not even directed at you. @Desert Ghost mentioned about ‘ What is the main purpose of an airline? Is it to get you from one place to another? Or...is it a restaurant?’
In a way, it is like a restaurant if you are flying international long haul in business or first class. The way that some airlines now...
@Jaymes Yes, you should if you can afford it. And you are twisting my comment that was not even directed at you. @Desert Ghost mentioned about ‘ What is the main purpose of an airline? Is it to get you from one place to another? Or...is it a restaurant?’
In a way, it is like a restaurant if you are flying international long haul in business or first class. The way that some airlines now offer on demand dining with table cloth and proper utensils, it is like a flying restaurant during the meal times. You assumed yourself by adding ‘Montana’ to the comment.
@Jaymes According to Merriam Webster’s definition of a restaurant—‘a business establishment where meals or refreshments may be purchased’ This makes me think about the buy on board meals, snacks and drinks.
If I book this aircraft (often between GDL-PHX) I book it using minimal points in coach. If the upgrade clears, of course I enjoy sitting up front, but pass on the disgusting meal they offer.
Fig is a fruit. Like, a thing you can hold
What they gave you was fig jam.
Sad.
I want to know your experience on Delta Connection and United Express with meals in first class!
@ericsondavidson is not a great representative sample of Delta Connection attendants - they have a pretty big following and put way, way more effort into presentation than most of them do, haha.
"You won't be making that much anymore, once they find out you missed the comma."
Air France and KLM serves excellent cold boxed meals on their short flights.
Careful. Maybe decent by North American standards. KLMs infamous “Wanders Boxes“ are under heavy attack amongst frequent flyers over here.
In my opinion, anything which is placed in front of you in a cardboard box, packaged in plastic and with disposable cutlery is unworthy of a “premium cabin” experience.
Not a Lufthansa fan at all, but their flights to and from BSL operated by CityLine must be amongst their shortest flights they have...
Careful. Maybe decent by North American standards. KLMs infamous “Wanders Boxes“ are under heavy attack amongst frequent flyers over here.
In my opinion, anything which is placed in front of you in a cardboard box, packaged in plastic and with disposable cutlery is unworthy of a “premium cabin” experience.
Not a Lufthansa fan at all, but their flights to and from BSL operated by CityLine must be amongst their shortest flights they have (typically in the air less than 30 mins on either route MUC or FRA) and they still manage to serve a small open sandwich on a real plate with real cutlery.
Pointless for such a short flight? Well, maybe. But if you offer Business/First Class on a certain flight, you should deliver.
Back in the old days (before 2000) LH was able to serve a hot meal on FRA-LNZ, which is about 50 minutes. Then the hot meal turned into a cold sandwich and then a cookie.
Ben is really slamming AA a lot in these past few articles. This would never have happened if he flew Delta!
Yeah right. I fly Delta weekly....their food isn't great. ATL-GEG is the sad boxed meal. Out of a hub, 4+ hours, needs to be a properly plated meal. Nope, sad box garbage
Check out Porter's meals: https://www.flyporter.com/en-ca/travel-information/inflight/food-and-drinks
They're smart and made the best out of a cold meal.
I have been upgraded to first class three times in the past couple of months, and all three times, I have said no to the dinners or lunches they serve on AA. They look absolutely pathetic! I would instead come home and have a freshly cooked simple meal for dinner. Even the Samyang Buldak Korean noodles are far more delicious, palatable, and hardly take 15 minutes to make.
My biggest mistake was putting all...
I have been upgraded to first class three times in the past couple of months, and all three times, I have said no to the dinners or lunches they serve on AA. They look absolutely pathetic! I would instead come home and have a freshly cooked simple meal for dinner. Even the Samyang Buldak Korean noodles are far more delicious, palatable, and hardly take 15 minutes to make.
My biggest mistake was putting all my miles in AA from my 14 trips to Asia and Europe this year. I should have added those to my BA account. Lesson learned!
American Eagle's catering is brought to us by Ja Rule? Hot damn!
The yogurt and the moose lee breakfast item actually sounds good.
We want avacodo toast - repeat after me - we want avacado toast!!!
If not that, then an egg white omelette, please.
Just dire. I'd rather they just made me pay a supplement and served decent food. It's meant to be first class. What is going on?!
Not sure about AA but many European airlines allow business class passengers to grab a few items from the buy on board menu for free (though it’s rarely advertised). While far from fine dining, you can at least have some snacks
whoa not sure why not but I didn't expect Lucky to fly to Billings
Well I know what my food choices will be Saturday morning flying from FAR to DFW. I might want to also bring on board a bagel or fruit cup.
This food looks fine to me and I make $9M a year.
@ Paul Weiss -- Cool story...
I agree @Ben. That is all it is—-just a story and not even cool at all. Apparently, Paul must be talking about the roast beef sandwich. No one will believe that someone who ‘makes that much in a year’ will think the food is ‘fine’. We know he is just being silly about it.
Well played Ben. People who make $9M don't announce it on blogs.
that's unfortunate, folks at better firms are making $10M
@digital-nomad In another article, IIRC he said he is probably a billionaire. Geez, how he must have fallen on hard times.
So true
I only work at a shitty firm and make $11m!
Sure. And AA is Lucky's favorite airline in the whole world too.
You won't be making that much anymore once they find out you missed the comma.
Even a semicolon or a hyphen break there would have sufficed.
What does your income have to do with anything? Maybe you just have very poor taste and will eat anything that’s tossed your way.
I don’t make $9 Mn a year. However, that food likes bread with dermatitis.
Even folks living in famine-stuck regions such as the Sudan will look at that slop and choose to die of hunger.