American has announced a minor but positive change, which passengers on both select domestic and international flights may notice…
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American expands drink service in economy
As of Wednesday, May 14, 2025, American will reinstate a second beverage service on domestic flights of over 1,500 miles. For context, American used to offer a second drink service on these flights, but cut it earlier this year, instead moving the service to being “on request.”
Obviously this was a cost cutting move, hoping people would stay less hydrated, if they weren’t proactively asked if they wanted a drink.
On top of that, the airline will introduce a pre-meal beverage service for select international flights departing before 9:01PM local departure time, rather than just serving beverages directly with the meal.
American states it “remains committed to further enhancing the customer experience throughout the travel journey, and that the changes “incorporate customer feedback and insights, ensuring the airline is adding even more value to the customers’ journey.” The airline also looks “forward to continuing serving customers and providing a premium experience in the skies.”
My goodness, if the airline were any more “premium” and committed to customer service, this would be Delta! 😉
American is slowly righting the ship, sort of
For so long, American basically found every little opportunity that it could to cut costs. It’s kind of like that story about how in the 1980s, American saved $40,000 per year by removing one olive from each salad served onboard. The airline has been doing that, except across the entire airline, but not with labor costs.
Obviously American has now realized that strategy isn’t working, based on the current financial performance. The airline is pivoting to become more premium and customer friendly, but on a budget. So we’re not seeing the airline install seat back TVs on a narrow body flights, but we are seeing the airline reverse a lot of the easy-to-fix mistakes.
We’re also seeing the airline selectively invest in things that will make customers happy, like holding more flights for connecting passengers, when there are no operational impacts.
American is unlikely to get to the level of Delta or United, because that’s just too costly, and I’m not sure it would actually help the carrier’s bottom line. However, I think the single least premium thing about American is the current service culture.
I’ve ranted about my experience at LaGuardia yesterday, and the complete apathy shown by so many American employees, especially when things go wrong. That’s what needs to be fixed more than anything else. Irregular operations happen, but American employees either don’t seem to care, or aren’t empowered to care, and that’s what’s so frustrating.
American has agreed to all kinds of new labor contracts with huge pay raises, and executives talk about how they’re investing in people. But seriously, does the airline have anything to show for that?
I don’t really blame the frontline employees. Instead, management hasn’t given them any sort of a vision for so many years, so of course there’s nothing they can get behind. When management pivots from premium, to not premium, to premium, all while saying “the schedule is the product,” what do you really expect?
Bottom line
American is restoring a second drink service in economy on domestic flights of over 1,500 miles, after cutting it earlier this year. The airline is also bringing back a pre-dinner drink service on long haul flights departing before 9:01PM local time. These are both minor but positive changes, and a step in the right direction.
What do you make of these American economy service changes?
If American cut FA pay next contract... literally by 50% overall... 60%+ at the top end and say 30% at the bottom end, what would happen?
Sure, there would be a massive strike. Maybe the other unions join for a while, but, what if AA holds the line? Seems to me one of two things...
1. The FA union caves or
2. AA does a mass hiring on non-union FAs at an even...
If American cut FA pay next contract... literally by 50% overall... 60%+ at the top end and say 30% at the bottom end, what would happen?
Sure, there would be a massive strike. Maybe the other unions join for a while, but, what if AA holds the line? Seems to me one of two things...
1. The FA union caves or
2. AA does a mass hiring on non-union FAs at an even lower rate than what they offered the union. And of course the new contract pays from the start of boarding. And bonuses for service.
At that point, any negotiations with the union start with carve outs... 'These routes' are for the non-union FAs. Don't like it? Every day you wait, we carve out more routes as we hire. And the contract gets tighter around service. No full PDB? Reduced pay before takeoff. Reviews go below a certain level, no bonus.
Doubt it would happen, but, the reality is FA's are 100% unskilled labor. They can be replaced in a few short months.
Flew Charlotte-Buffalo yesterday and the flight attendants said they were waiting for the all clear to begin drink service. The beginning 30 mins or so were a bit bumpy due to weather in the South (but I’ve seen services done in worse) but after that pretty smooth. No service the entire flight, and they did one pass on trash which was the extent I saw a flight attendant for the rest of the flight. Never...
Flew Charlotte-Buffalo yesterday and the flight attendants said they were waiting for the all clear to begin drink service. The beginning 30 mins or so were a bit bumpy due to weather in the South (but I’ve seen services done in worse) but after that pretty smooth. No service the entire flight, and they did one pass on trash which was the extent I saw a flight attendant for the rest of the flight. Never seen that before.
Also I grew up in Pensacola, FL and took the 45-minute connection to Atlanta a million times as a kid and always got service (even on the occasional 757 flight) but last few times I’ve taken they always say no time for service even if on a regional jet or 717.
One surprising area where American is actually industry leading is that they relatively recently started offering oatmilk in addition to standard dairy creamer in economy!
They have had that for a while at United
People keep bullying American carriers. But if it was a third world airline being analyzed, people would be far less critical. Simple.
geee..i wonder why. Maybe an airline from a country that purports to be the world's superpower should be held to a higher standard than an airline from a so-called "third" world country.
Ignorant comment. I fly what you would call 'third world' carriers a lot. I can tell you the flights are a lot better! You can fly for $30. If you want to check a bag, you pay $20. Who cares. All in, fly a few hours for $50 or less. With friendly agents and FAs. DEAL!
I've had an impressive run of flights here lately where the FAs actually did their pre-departure drink service. On my last leg they even omitted the long, loud, misleading credit card pitch!
The bar really is on the floor when it comes to AA...
It doesn't take much to improve onboard service. Heck, United introducing cold brew felt like a gamechanger. Meanwhile, AA can't even regularly cater flights with buy-on-board snacks to the level of Ryanair.
6 hours across the nation on a 737 with no screens.
No thanks, American. Life's too short, and thankfully I worked hard enough to afford better transportation.
Look out the window and watch the geography and cloud scape. Our country is beautiful and fascinating.
Lol life's too short so you spend it looking at screens. What a pathetic take. Read a book or look out the window. Maybe take some time to reflect on your life, before you turn into an ipad kid.
"I work hard and am superior and demand royalty" "Im simply too amazing to not have a screen"
There sure are some pompous people on here. Maybe one day, ill no longer be a peasant like the Queen Mary
I had the worst experience in American business last week, on a flight from MAD to ORD. One food service only, and the flight attendants pretty much disappeared the whole flight. Its as if I was only paying for lay flat seat. The he service was terrible honestly. The flight attendants had the worst attitude, and kept talking about their hourly pay.
One food service? Isn't there supposed to be a pre landing meal?
Alan, what was the date of your flight?
You’re absolutely correct, Ben. Discount management with no vision, providing us with nothing to be proud of or look forward to.
AA management reduced the amount of catering provided onboard when they cut the second beverage service. $10 bet they won’t increase provisioning, they’ll just expect us to make it work with what we’ve got.
I feel for you AA FA.
So often, many companies adopt a cut cut cut to profitability, expecting front line staff to work miracles. But without the vision from the top ranks, the company is doomed to eventual destruction. The adage of a fish rotting from the head down still holds true.
Best of luck
Feel for you as well. I flew a 788 ORD-MIA last week and the airport mistakenly placed bedding at all of the seats, thinking the aircraft was heading back to Athens.
The pax were ecstatic and even the FA in my section was visibly excited. Something seemingly so minor but it set such a positive tone for the rest of the flight. We had a rolling delay due to the plane needing to be...
Feel for you as well. I flew a 788 ORD-MIA last week and the airport mistakenly placed bedding at all of the seats, thinking the aircraft was heading back to Athens.
The pax were ecstatic and even the FA in my section was visibly excited. Something seemingly so minor but it set such a positive tone for the rest of the flight. We had a rolling delay due to the plane needing to be towed from T5-T3, but that was totally an afterthought because of the surprise bedding and great crew.
I do. When somebody like that ticketing agent shows such ghastly discourtesy to somebody as incredibly polite as you are, the blame is squarely on that frontline employee, whom as I wrote repeatedly yesterday, deserves to be clocked out cold.