American Airlines is updating its pre-arrival service in premium cross country flights – with new freshly baked on board cookies – and has two new food for sale items in coach on flights over 1300 miles, as flagged by aviation watchdog JonNYC.
Starting June 1 the new buy on board items are a fruit and cheese tray (9:46 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.) and a breakfast bag with yogurt, granloa and fig bar (5:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.).
AA: meal updates pic.twitter.com/Pe8M9f2eIz
— 🇺🇦 JonNYC 🇺🇦 (@xJonNYC) April 30, 2023
Can’t They Come Up With Better Marketing For Buy On Board?
I don’t even know what to say about American’s claim that their cheese for sale in coach “has been expertly chosen to complement the flavors of the grapes and chocolate, creating a perfectly balanced taste experience.”
And “breakfast bag” just reminds me of Bistro Bags from the early 1990s (‘beastly bags’ which by the way doubled as airsickness bags). American Airlines used to give out food to coach passengers in bags as they boarded the aircraft. It was a little awkward for someone with a rollaboard and a laptop bag or purse, picking up the food and managing to make it to their seat, juggling bags and food as they got settled. The quality of what was in the bag varied over time, in the 90s you might have gotten a chicken sandwich with cheddar, lettuce and tomato along with a bag of chips and a cookie. At one point American Airlines did a deal with America Online to include their startup CDs in the bistro bags. Airline passengers, of course, are a desirable demographic to advertise to.
Bistro bags were initially eliminated from flights under 3 hours, and then free meals in coach on American officially ended February 1, 2005. But there’s nothing premium-sounding about a meal with “bag” in the name.
New Fresh Baked Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies have real symbolic significance at American Airlines. American used to serve the most wonderful baked on board cookies. The whole domestic first class cabin would fill with the smell of fresh baked goodness. Before US Airways management took over the airline it was that smell, even more than the taste, which made the flight feel like home.
After US Airways catering standards were implemented in September 2014, baked on board cookies were eliminated. They explained that since legacy US Airways aircraft had just one oven up front, it was tough for flight attendants to heat both meals and cookies at the same time. There was much discussion of adding ovens to those US Airways planes but that didn’t happen to the Airbus A319s or A320s (the A321s did, but only when they were densified recently).
The airline insisted that its new ‘heat on board’ cookies were more expensive – as pre-baked products naturally are – but they just weren’t very good. The airline quickly replaced its new cookie with another new cookie. I, for one, stopped eating the cookies. And they’re no longer the dessert on domestic day time flights in first class.
Baked on board isn’t returning to domestic first class, even though a single cookie is a super-inexpensive way to provision dessert. But baked on board cookies are a brilliant way to create a feeling of warmth, especially at pre-arrival meal time which usually consists of a comfort food. And it’s inexpensive.
dfw-lax is 1,289
dfw-mia is 1,121
dfw-ord is 802
I have complained so many times to AA that serving only on flights over 1,300 miles is totally useless yet they continue to play these games
Cookies were originally part of USAirways!
As are ice cream sundaes. All went away after merger. I know I cooked them and made the sundaes.
I really don’t care which airline I fly, I NEVER depend on them for feeding me in flight. The offerings, such as they are, are pathetic. I simply purchase what I like ahead of time, either at the airport or even before (like my favorite snax) and bring it all on board with me.
At the time, we thought the bistro bag was a step down from a hot meal. Little did we know those would be replaced with too damn bad fend for yourselves. Yes the quality deteriorated over time the same can be said about First. In any event, I am happy the hot cookie is back.
The breakfast bag is just the (lackluster) coach arrival snack from Europe bound TATL flights. It’s embarrassing to serve when it’s free, I can’t imagine charging for it.
AA going real big here and selling the leftovers. Jodi Spicer and Brady Byrnes needs to get a f***ing grip.
AA’s got this in the bag. Literally.
These are not new items
AAL has had the cheese and fruit w chocolate for decades
And baked on board cookies forever !!!!
I complained recently about the meal service in First on a DFW-DCA flight. Food was terrible and the service was bad as well. I told customer service convenience store is better. That I can remember fresh baked cookies, fresh made ice cream sundaes, beef short ribs and salmon entrees. Not gourmet but good especially when you run from work to catch a flight with no time to eat prior. Their service and food did not justify what First class tickets cost. I have had several meals lately where there was no warm nuts to start, they handed out bags of mini pretzels instead. What a joke. AA needs to forget their terrible US Airways degradation.
Seriously need to disagree with the folks saying the Usairways service was horrible…actually the very opposite we served the fruit platters, cookies, and hot meals way before the new merged airline did. We actually won awards for our wine service and meal offerings. I know I worked the flights. The food and its offerings have become way below standards since the merger.
I highly recommend everyone write into the VP of Foight Service and VP of catering.
We as flight attendants are not being heard and we are constantly apologizing for the tools we are not given to provide you with exemplary service.
Around 2012-2016 I flew mostly with UA, and I remember some great cookies being served. This line ‘create a feeling of warmth’ brilliantly describes the feeling.
Can’t say for sure if the were freshly baked or just reheated, but the smell (and taste) was great.
Midwest Airlines had the best cookies.. RIP Best Care in the Air
I flew Midwestern Airlines, transiting through, of all places, LaVerne & Shirley’s MKE, solely because of the delicious golden-brown warm chocolate chip cookies served to me in cattle class. The ’90’s were its own sort of Golden Age of Travel. Now, AA comes up with a half-baked version of this, and I have to shell out extra cash for a premium ticket for this? How many more times will AA take a good idea and make it bad?
The next trip I’m planning is definitely over 1300 miles. We will see how the hours work out. I’ve had breakfast on a red eye over night flight before.
@Joseph Depalma – the standard for how long a flight needed to be for a meal was about 50% longer with US Airways than United, and the ‘awards’ the airline won for its wine were questionable at best, the wine program was awful.
Baked On Board would be a great travel blog for a stoner.
Need meals back on what were exception routes pre-pandemic, such as ORD>DFW and ORD>LGA.
If I need food on a US carrier I’ll bring it onboard with me. There’s little other than water that they can give me that I’ll want.
United first class has gone from first to not worth the money.Things that were awesome no longer exist. No hot towel,no welcome drink. No headsets offered ( 4 flights) sub standard food. No warmed cookie. No blanket or pillow. Tell me, Why fly United First?
AA had that famous chef cheeseburger for about one year several years prior to covid. I had it once and was in a state of blissful shock at how good it was compared with everything else I had ever had previously. Came with an ice cream sundae to finish. That was my last better than edible meal on AA.
United First used to be oustanding. Used to be is the key issue here. I was welcomed with a warm towel, a drink, a blaket, pillow,eyeshades a nice meal, a warm cookie. Now They don’t even ask if you want earphones, and you’re lucky if they don’t run out of chicken or pasta, and end up with a cheese plate. The meal that I did get was so overdone, the rolls were like bricks and the meat was Army issued. I did order 2 drinks they had neither. Bailey’s or rum don’t seem to be available, and checking the cart,well, that is imposssible. So it seems. Getting earphones was like asking for a parachute. I got them after 15 minutes. I have to fly United for now, but when I don’t I surely will be looking. Continental where are you when I need you?
What’s the deal with that “JonNYC” displaying the Ukraine flag? Does he have a particular historical understanding that he would like to share with us? Other than just preventing us to fly to or across certain regions for political reasons?
Continental had awesome cookies!
Freshly baked-on-board chocolate chip cookies will help mask the smell of leftover passenger vomit
YAY! Fruit and Cheese; Bagel and Yogurt for breakfast again. So glad to see them back. Often when we are flying ‘steerage” , we get them free being EXPlat. I love them to keep me going verses a real meal. I hope salads and simple sandwiches are next.
Love the cooookiee! Had ice cream on the flight home yesterday but can’t wait for the smell of the cookie in the oven (even if I am flying coach). Small improvement but glad to see them coming.
OH. . first class hot lunch yesterday was fantastic: Grilled chicken with a simple sauce, twice baked potato, fresh (really was) salad and hot rolls. Ice cream was good but. . .can’t wait for the cookie :). Glad to see AA continuing to make domestic flying better.
Ken A LOL you win my internet comment of the day award.