American Airlines is introducing special business and first class meals for its 100th anniversary year this year.
I expected that American would be bringing back dishes from throughout its history (i.e. things they’ve served on board in the past). For this announcement it appears they are offering meals “inspired by the flavors and culinary trends of the 1920s” and “by the sophistication of 1920s hotel dining.”
What I love, though, is like their special Dallas – New York offering of Pecan Lodge barbecue, the airline is leaning into limited-time and route-specific meal offerings. That keeps things elevated and interesting. It’s operationally more complex, but as they’re able to deliver it lets them build a more robust culinary program – even after this current anniversary year.
- Domestic first class, April: Waldorf salad, Boursin cream cheese dip (on domestic long-haul), Beef Wellington with roasted vegetables and asparagus with bearnaise sauce, and pecan tart.
- Long haul business and first class, March-April: prawn cocktail and Waldorf salad appetizers, plus caviar served with blinis, deviled egg and creme fraiche (April only). Entrees of Beef Wellington with bearnaise sauce and roasted vegetables and Chicken Florentine roulade served with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce.
Credit: American Airlines
American flags that they’ll have limited-time offerings in domestic First Class, international Business Class and transcontinental Business (and first) class through August.
And note that American Airlines will serve caviar! That’s not unheard of for their history, or for modern business class of course.
- The bulkhead of United’s new Polaris business class on Boeing 787-9s (‘Studio Suites’) will have caviar when it debuts. That’s just a few seats on a few planes.
- Several airlines like Thai Airways and Qatar Airways have it as a regular staple in business. It’s expected that Singapore Airlines, which has long offered it in first class, will add it to business class.
Singapore Airlines First Class Caviar
Etihad Airways First Class Caviar
Nonetheless, this is a wonderful signal that American Airlines has begun to pay attention to the details of its product – something that has been missing for about 13 years.
Let the eat… caviar!
(Seems nice, actually.)
I don’t think I have ever chided a flight based on the meal offered, let alone if caviar is on the menu. Maybe it is important to some but I guess it is a symbolic gesture.
Funny, I’m on a transpacific 787-9p in business class in March and the only dining options shown are the standard fare.
“Walford salad?”
Did they run out of Waldorfs?
@1990 — ‘Caviar, on an airplane? How wonderfully decadent!’
@L3 — Great scene of a great show
I’m surprised you didn’t comment about just how much they buried the lede here, The perfect example about how AA continuously floods their marketing about a premium push. They are serving caviar, something that I think a lot of publications would pick up on and run with, except it’s buried over 250 words into the press release as a one word bullet. How hard would it have been to add ” including caviar and Beef Wellington” to the end of that?
@Gary: Have we confirmed that it is actually caviar? Since AA callas a welcome Prosecco, Champagne, I would not put it past them to substitute cheaper fish roe. Caviar means sturgeon.
@L737 — And, afterwards, the sundae… Jambi, the chocolate icing!
Pre-order starts Feb 9
@Gary – thanks. Glad I didn’t preorder one of the “blah” standard-fare options.
I can’t wait to see how AA screws this up!
I do not think these gimmicks work. Caviar, Celeb Chefs etc etc.
If they were serious, they would hire Do&Co as their caterer AND give them a reasonable budget to work with. I have never seen this strategy fail.
I have no idea of the cost, but if the caviar is costing $5, it would be way better to use that $5 to improve the standard of the other 90% of the menu.
I guess it creates a quick marketing splash but I would much prefer to see a long term sustained improvement.
Wow. Actually have TATL AA business booked for early April. Will report back!
They can skip the caviar and just start having a decent bread selection on all domestic meals.
Years ago AA served decent caviar in first class on all of their transcon flights. My personal favorite was the southern fried chicken platters (just like grandma made) served between Nashville and Cleveland up a down the Ohio valley routes (CVG,DAY, CMH) when immaculately groomed Stewardi served in the cabins. Ah, those were the days!
It won’t matter what they serve. 90% of AA crews have no real service training. Most of them probably have absolutely no idea what caviar even is. Complete waste of money that should be spent cleaning the cabin and fixing broken seats, etc, etc, etc.
Fish eggs… ew gross.
oh so this is not because McDonalds is doing a caviar stunt
“Funny, I’m on a transpacific 787-9p in business class in March and the only dining options shown are the standard fare.” I am too, and in the Studio Seats, but it’s more than 30 days out. So, I’ll wait and see.
I’ll need to find somebody in the cabin who loves caviar, so I can give them mine. Yuch!
“I have no idea of the cost, but if the caviar is costing $5, it would be way better to use that $5 to improve the standard of the other 90% of the menu.” I agree, but the point here is getting the PR. The press will cover this, and Aunt Millie will tell everybody about how she got served caviar.
@Johnmcsmythe: You have never had their caviar with blini served on dismembered seat arm have you?
American served caviar in flagship first on the 777-300ERs over a decade ago
Maybe Isom finally heard the rumblings of discontent and we can look forward to elevated menu, cabin repairs AND meaningful service training? A girl can dream, right?
@Gary – it’s the 10th and no special meals for transpacific business class are available. I guess IsomScrewed by AA again.