It’s finally happening — after cutting back service at the start of the pandemic, American Airlines will finally be bringing back hot meals in first class on more flights as of next week.
In this post:
American improving meal service starting February 16
American Airlines will significantly be improving service in first class starting next week, including improved meal services, pre-departure drinks, and more.
Here’s what we can expect in terms of the timeline for improved meals being rolled out:
- Starting February 16, 2022, hot meal service returns on flights of 3.5 hours or more, with a choice of a protein or vegetarian entree, paired with an appetizer, salad, and dessert
- Later in February, customers traveling on flights that are 2.5-3.5 hours will be able to select from fresh, lighter meal offerings like smoked salmon, fruit & cheese, and entree salads
- This spring, American will introduce “an even more elevated” meal service for customers traveling on longer domestic flights, though exact details haven’t yet been revealed
There are some other first class service updates beyond that, including about pre-departure drinks, special meals, and the ability to pre-order meals:
- As of February 16, 2022, pre-departure beverages will be returning to first class
- As of April 2022, it’ll once again be possible to pre-order meals in domestic first class
- As of May 2022, it’ll be possible to request special meals, with options including Asian, vegetarian, diabetic, Hindu, Kosher, gluten intolerant, Muslim, and vegan
Here’s how the new dining options are described:
It’s not just about the destination. It’s how you indulge along the way. Starting Feb. 16, relax and unwind with the new American Airlines domestic first class dining menu that will rollout throughout the month. The dining experience will feature classic customer favorites like mixed nuts, charcuterie, and short rib in addition to new healthy food choices like grain bowls, heart-healthy entrée salads. Meals will be served on one tray followed by dessert service.
Below are a few pictures of the hot meals that American will soon be serving on flights of over 3.5 hours.
Meanwhile below are some pictures of the meals we can soon expect on flights of 2.5-3.5 hours.
Bye bye turkey pastrami sandwich?
It’s great that American Airlines will bring back more substantial meals in first class. For the past couple of years, American has only been serving hot meals in first class on transcon flights and longer, so it’s nice to see more substantial meals being introduced on shorter flights.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who is thrilled to see that we’ll get to enjoy something other than the current revolting options, including the “turkey pastrami” sandwich and the “pimento cheese” sandwich.
While this is no doubt an improvement, manage your expectations. The meals are highly unlikely to look anything like they do in the media images. American’s hot meals were only borderline edible pre-pandemic, and I can’t imagine they’ll be much better now either.
Personally I’m more excited about the healthier options, including grain bowls and entree salads.
Bottom line
American Airlines will finally be improving its first class service, as the airline will bring back pre-departure drinks and hot meals on flights of over 3.5 hours as of February 16, 2022. Later in February we can expect improved meals on flights of 2.5-3.5 hours.
I wouldn’t expect a whole lot here, but if this marks the end of the turkey pastrami sandwich, I sure am a happy camper.
To compare American to other airlines, United brought back hot meals in the summer of 2021, and Alaska brought back hot meals shortly thereafter. Delta recently announced it would bring back hot meals on more flights as well, but that’ll only start as of March 1, 2022, so American is beating Delta to the punch.
What do you make of American bringing back hot meals in first class?
Just please don't be serving that horrid brick of mexican food that looked like it was picked out of a garbage can and brought to your seat by a disgruntled flight attendant. AA has gone so far downhill, I hate flying them, but they are the only destination service I can use.
If I could turn the clock back 60-years + I would settle on the early 1960s, when American Airlines offered "21" service in first-class, featuring meals with recipes from Jack and Charlie's famous "21" club in NYC. Such a memorable experience, unlike like what passes for a 'meal' on AA these days.
Only the wealthy in first class get fed a hot meal. Economy people can't even buy a hot meal! I think this is discrimination.
WHY ARE ALL AIRLINES TRYING TO MAKE MEALS SOO FANCY? WHAT HAPPENED TO TO MEAT AND TWO COMMON SIDES, MAYBE A ROLL AND DRINKS? I DO NOT LIKE ALL THE CONCOCTIONS THEY HAVE PRESENTED BY SOME SO CALLED FAMOUS EXPENSIVE COOK ON TV. MAYBE MY LIKES ARE BACK IN COACH CLASS!
I completely agree with you. Good 'ol American comfort food, please. Something that not only tastes great, but is substantial. Forget all this California fru-fru garbage. If I wanted small plates of mowed lawn, I can fill a sandwich-size Ziploc with grass from my own back yard and stuff it in my carry-on.
Bring back the kind of meals that Jet Blue offers in Mint class called "Plane Eats" where they'll serve you a...
I completely agree with you. Good 'ol American comfort food, please. Something that not only tastes great, but is substantial. Forget all this California fru-fru garbage. If I wanted small plates of mowed lawn, I can fill a sandwich-size Ziploc with grass from my own back yard and stuff it in my carry-on.
Bring back the kind of meals that Jet Blue offers in Mint class called "Plane Eats" where they'll serve you a juicy hamburger on a pretzel bun, with all the fixings, plus a salad & chips. Or for breakfast, their "Plane Eats" meal would give you thick brioche french toast with maple syrup and sausage, a fruit plate plus coffee or tea and juice. You have to designate you want Plane Eats at least 24 hrs before you fly, but those meals are so much better than the small plates menu they offer. Even one of the FA's commented on how good the dish looked and said she would order that for herself next time. Apparently, she'd never seen one before as most people don't know to order them.
Now those are good old American comfort food meals that every domestic carrier should serve. Keep the kale.
Before the pandemic we got yogurts & muffins, sometimes other similar meals from Philly to Orlando. (2/2.5 hours)
Now it’s a basket with mediocre snacks, least it was in May 2022 .
It’s really time to get back to what they offered before. Including blankets/pillows .
I've now had several meals on AA first class flights between Philadelphia and Phoenix and back and they are all quite good. I'll have one again Thursday and Sunday. I actually look forward to the flight now. Kills time and allows me to board without getting food in the airport ahead of time. Well done
This article has no truth to it and it should be retracted. First class no longer has pre flight drinks, no longer has silverware, no longer has hot food, no longer has pillows, blankets, you have to ask yourself why first class anymore except for extra room in seat that is actual normal size. Just saying
This is really a downgrade bc it appears hot meals will only be served on flights 3.5 hours or longer and before it was flights 2.5 hours or longer. So now a typical 3 hour flight will be stuck between “lighter” meals options that are usually cold. Per the norm, this is a downgrade masquerading as something great.
You don't even get "lighter meals" on American's 3 hour flight. These days, they're only offering "beverages." To me, that's insulting to their first class passengers.
This is completely false I am sitting on a first class flight from philly to kc and the only thing good is the seat. You get a snack and a drink.
Can the author or someone else please cite the source for this information so that passengers can print it out and hand out copies to the flight attendants who still refuse to provide pre-departure beverages on flights meeting the requirements?
You are right it is inaccurate
100% they are not providing the pre-departure beverage. Just had two international flights with nothing offered prior to departure. They stated they were not able to provide pre-departure beverages.
So now they will heat up the spaghetti O's from the can.....
I am delighted American is offering something decent to it's highest paying customers. We now have something to look forward to going coast to coast.
A welcome development for sure. During the pandemic I've routed well out of the way to fly on AA's Flagship routes for trips to the East Coast, as there's nothing worse than arriving at 11:45 pm hungry.
I must say that the transcon flagship service has been very good lately - glassware and the PDB have been back for awhile, along with genuinely good food and wine choices. Add in the Flagship lounges and FF...
A welcome development for sure. During the pandemic I've routed well out of the way to fly on AA's Flagship routes for trips to the East Coast, as there's nothing worse than arriving at 11:45 pm hungry.
I must say that the transcon flagship service has been very good lately - glassware and the PDB have been back for awhile, along with genuinely good food and wine choices. Add in the Flagship lounges and FF dining, and I've not had any complaints flying F or J on American in quite a long time.
I'm surprised it's cheaper to have a whole subset of meals just for the 2.5h-3.5h category.
But more importantly, it's fucked that special meals aren't avaialble at the same time as normal meals, as someone with a food allergy.
Let's be really honest here -- who is actually eating "short ribs" on American Airlines? Beyond disgusting. Just because it's free doesn't mean you have to scarf it down.
Pre-COVID, I seem to recall it was hot meals on flights longer than 2.5 hours (it was essentially any flight longer than ~800 miles from memory). It covered all of the flights I took ex DFW to Southern California and South Florida.
So by only bringing hot meals back for flights longer than 3.5 hours, it still feels like a downgrade.
Because it is.
What about business class? (DFW to HNL)
I would defy anyone able to show what the “real” meal looks like when plonked down in front of you - and a pre-departure drink in a plastic cup - Definitely NOT first class
Wish they’d bring back hot meals in first from DCA to ORD which I think used to be a special exception for this biz route
Agreed. But right now AA is busy canceling all its flights and fucking over its longtime passengers. They’ll get to that right after their next billion dollar corporate welfare giveaway.
But will you be allowed to eat them without having a flight attendant threatening you with arrest for not putting your mask back on between bites?
Granted it was on SFO - JFK, twice last month I had phenomenal meals in AA business class. As a new AS elite member, I'm still (maybe foolishly) excited about these returning offerings as the upgrades continue to roll in...
Transcon meals have been rather decent the past couple of months. I'm more optimistic about the food improvements than I am about the pre-departure beverage service execution.
The big benefit to LUS flyers after the merger was they got meals on shorter flights as 3.5 was the US Airways minimum for meals. It looks like we're back to that.
Looks like American has finally started to throw in the towel on trying to leverage the pandemic to drastically "change the norm" when the other carriers decided not to play ball. Wish other companies would do the same (looking at you Disney).
Doesn't look to be stopping Disney much as they just reported record breaking earnings lol. Quickly approaching 1 billion lifetime visitors.
Hot food has been back in both international and transcon Flagship First for a while now -- several months.
Better than UA’s offerings, that’s for sure!
Yay! The charcuterie plate is coming back. That’s my favorite AA domestic meal.
Anything that tracks with a return to normalcy, whether in the air or on the ground, should be welcome by all. So many businesses have gotten away with "COVID" as an excuse to reduce service that it's good to see the pendulum swinging in the other direction. Let's hope the flight attendant unions don't throw a fit over this.
Unrelated question.
Coming off DOH-PHL in J, with a first class onward on AA to ATL, do I have lounge access before my flight to ATL?
@ RetiredATLATC -- You sure do!
Thank you @Ben
Lower expectations: good food doesn’t move
Good start now time to reverse the fewer touch points downgrades of Flagship Biz and First. If staffing not health is the issue then staff up.
Nice To see AA trying to improve first class service. The pre flight beverage seems useless to me
It was nice. Last flight from CLT to DFW, FA denied me a 3rd beverage saying new rules only allows two beverages?
Never heard of that “rule.” Your FA made that up. I still haven’t gotten a preflight beverage. However, glasses and real plates and silverware along with meals are back for American flights, but not American Eagle flights.