American Airlines advertises meals as one of the benefits of first class travel. Specifically, “Meal service on flights over 900 miles during meal times.”
They say they are “elevating your dining experience” and that meals in premium cabins “are healthy, delicious” – so it’s not just food, it’s good food that’s good for you, too.
Of course airlines advertise one thing to convince you to buy a ticket, and to spend more. And they deliver something else. One of the most common occurrences is advertising their most comfortable seats to get you to spend more to upgrade from coach to first class, and then delivering something entirely different.
For instance this was a pitch to upgrade to first class on a standard domestic Airbus A321. They show you that you’re getting their lie flat seat that’s only on the Airbus A321T which operates mostly between New York JFK and premium West Coast markets.
Customers spending the extra money based on what American shows them get this instead:
And too often they get this:
So is it any surprise when a passenger complains that American Airlines failed to cater their first class flight, the airline says,
Our ticket price reflects the cost of transportation. Any meals and snacks served on our flights are considered complimentary conveniences.
It’s like the eBay seller that promises something they aren’t allowed to sell, but claims they’re really only selling “a white envelope” and the contents of that envelope are just a free gift.
This was flight AA2676, a 5:22 p.m. departure from Newark to Phoenix, which is a 2,133 miles and at dinner time. The customer did not get what they were entitled to. American Airlines says they did, falling back on ‘we’re just selling transportation and not the things we advertise.’ That is what their contract of carriage says, of course, and under existing precedent you have no recourse other than complaining to the Department of Transportation which is unlikely to be sympathetic because you received… transportation.
This isn’t just an American Airlines problem – it’s the structure of how a single federal agency’s regulation replaces the standard practices that other industries have to follow and how they’re exempt from common law rules and practices.
It’s a dumb reply that you wouldn’t see from DL/UA, but they also got 15K miles for it — that seems fair
So embarrassing, there’s nothing else to say. Just embarrassing 🙁
And if you get food poisoning or moldy food from the flight experience that is not their responsibility too? So lame
Poor American Airlines, how long before everyone realizes they are fast sinking to budget carrier levels of service coupled with employees who are surly and combative?
To be fair, if you read the linked post they did compensate with 15,000 miles. That changes the whole mood of this article. But, I do agree – had they left this line out of their response, it would have seemed more sincere.
@Gary, am I the only person who observes that our major US airlines are in a collective race to the bottom? With DL and AA jostling for first place?
People eat that!? GROSSS!!!
Given all the TSA restrictions and gross airport food prices, a meal in any class on a 2000-mile flight shouldn’t even be an option – it needs to be standard like it used to be.
I never used to travel with food/snacks. Now, with so many delays that keep you at the gate or on the plane for hours, I always have a sandwich, P3 pack, and other stuff in my purse. I had a gastric bypass 2+ years ago, so I don’t do well with sugar and other “only carb” options (like 5 mini bags of pretzels). So at TSA, I claim a few 11oz protein drinks as a medical necessity in my carry-on.
Misleading advertisements aside, I think it’s great AA is being forthright by saying it’s actually only promising you transport and anything else depends on their whims. The question we need to ask is if what AA is actually promising to give us is worth the usual and often hefty premium over Frontier, Spirit, or even Southwest in some sense, whose only promise is to do the same. Honestly, my direct DFW-SFO flight on Frontier earlier this year was no worse than AA, at half the price.
While AA could have been a little more empathetic and reworded their answers, they technically aren’t wrong; read the Condition of Carriage. The short version, you’re paying them to get you from point A to point B.
Anyone who expects a quality meal on a domestic flight is insane; I typically decline the meals and eat before or after arrival (for International Carriers, that’s a different story).
What I don’t get from this guy is his flight had a SD of 5:30 but didn’t leave till 10:43, so he had five (5) hours to get food, and on top of that, he was in the club, which stayed open late due to the delay. Furthermore, he was offered one of those wonderful snack boxes and a snack basket. So it’s not like he was starving for a flight that’s scheduled for 5h25min and often times arrives 45 minutes early.
He should be grateful he got 15k in miles, as I’m sure the agent. who responded was rolling their eyes.
As a side note, “They show you that you’re getting their lie-flat seat” with their airport upsell. First and most important part, nowhere in the offer does it say it’s a lie-flat seat, and secondly, most that only fly a few times a year would never know the picture used for marketing is a lie-flat only used on the 321T. For those of us who travel and know where on a 321Neo or 37Max, we’re not even paying attention to the photo, and if we did, we already know those aircraft don’t magically have that seat which again, doesn’t say, imply or show that it’s lie-flat.
You need to refund my money, you posed as Netflix it says no money will be charged but that was a lie
I don’t understand people. You should know when you fly a ULCC (basically any US airline), you’re lucky just to get to your destination within 6 hours of what your ticket says.
If “what we sell you is the cost of transportation”, then the pax should go to small claims court and sue for the differential between first class (paid) and basic economy. Every fare class gets the same transportation from point A to point B. The fare differential is merely a complementary payment, no?
It is always amazing that the complimentary meals cannot be catered but the huckstered food for sale is catered. I understand that the meals are perishable. If it a problem with that just load up with nonperishable items to give to those who would have got the perishable meals so they have the best flights possible under difficult circumstances.
American Airlines has reached yet another low Truly they could have had the professionalism to have handled this differently and better. Their response and attitude is pretty deplorable and grossly absent of basic customer service standards. Yes, they are well on their way in the race to the bottom. It is time for them to press the reset button and redefine the customer experience. It is a competitive market and people vote with their wallets.
They should be embarrassed by their reputation.
AA is making themselves look extremely foolish, first class has a premium price tag and should come with a premium all around experience. What’s next? Will they put economy seats in first class saying the other seats were just a bonus? Not worth flying them when they have such an ignorant view of what the premium customer expects.
Our family now systematically seek forein airlines that still offer a semblance of service, or don’t charge a fortune for no service.
@David Reed Get ready for it to get worse. As of 2024 most customer relations will be handled by bot responses and offshore. American Airlines cares about their CEO and investor profits. Everyone else can go pound sand.
@ SMR — I was served the identical meal photographed above last week on ATL-LAX. I ate 10% of it. It was absolutely disgusting. I would have preferred a bag of chips and a cookie. Pathetic. Why do they even bother?
The American Airlines greed has gone too far. No meals in First Class. What next? Charge for first class baggage?
Where in the above advertisement does it say “lie flat seats”? It says “largest most comfortable seat”. In addition, in the photo following where you say you “more often get this” is something that rarely occurs. As always, crack reporting on your part.
@J Last – it is a photo of a seat which lies fully flat with direct aisle access. The aircraft also does not feature the airline’s largest, most comfortable seat. The text doesn’t say “asterisk, largest *that happens to be on the aircraft that flies your route*, does not match photo”
@Gene – I’ve had that identical meal twice now. Maybe I got lucky, but both times, I thought it was actually pretty good.
AA serving food less frequently is first this year. Pathetic
Pete Buttigeig is really a terrible secretary of transportation. I mean it’s one of the only cabinet level positions where you can make an impact on actual plebes day to day lives and yet nothing but ATC delays and unaccountable airlines. Go back to Indiana – now that is a place that is the equivalent to a LUS A320 with a missing seat in J.
@Mikey B – I’ve been served the meal 3 times over the past couple of months, once when I actually selected it versus what amounted to a non-meal option and twice when it was the only thing left (I was upgraded close to departure so could not pre-select). It was genuinely inedible all 3 times, though the crackers are good.
Except for the Americas, I will only fly foreign airlines for any international travel. Mileage points have been devalued and has so many rules that they are useless. I only use cash back cards now.
US airlines are the worst.
It’s an airline, not a restaurant. People and their entitlements.
First class on an American airline is like first class on a Greyhound.
Hmm. I’m always baffled by the complaints of AA. I’ve always had great experiences- both in coach and in first class. During recent trip to Hawaii, they served great food with the exception of one meal that posed as a frittata and tasted horrible but everything else was delicious and the staff was excellent. I’d fly them over Southwest, any day! Nothing wrong with SW…I just like knowing where I’m sitting in advance.
Sounds like “818 Pilot LAX” is moonlighting as a PR rep for AA! Lol. Bottom line is you pay extra, sometimes a lot more for a FC seat and you have an expectation when you board and during your flight. This is a different expectation than what an economy passenger would expect. It’s like the difference between a 3 star Michelin restaurant and McDonalds!
Not sure I am now looking forward to my upcoming AA flight in F from ANC to JFK via DFW. Those are long flights without food and there is no AA lounge in ANC.
The best way to get back at an airline is complain to the DOT. All airlines hate that more than anything because it counts against their rating stats that get published. Of course, you won’t get anything out of it except the satisfaction that you have really pissed off senior management at their headquarters.
Union scum being Union scum.
AA leafs 5 in the race to the bottom at the expense of the customer loyalty they once could boast of. Since the pandemic they specialize in excuses, cutbacks, reactive snarls and higher prices. I wish I had more choices than AA, or at least more come to Jesus surveys. Low Expectations in Dallas
I’m flying into the US in December and the domestic part of my flight from SF to Charlotte is with AA. After reading comments over recent weeks about AA I’m not looking forward to it. Last time I was in the US i travelled Delta, I thought that was bad enough.
For the final part of this trip from NC to CT I’ll be flying with Canada Air. Does anyone know much about this airline?.
After being disappointed, disrespected, abandoned by AA they are not my first choice anymore. You pay way much and have the grumpiest staff, that behave like they hate the passengers, their lives, their jobs. Serious people, stop using this airline.
Feels like it’s a losing battle expecting any sort of quality service from US based air carriers these days. Even as an Exec Plat with AA this year, I’m consistently flying other airlines whenever I have the chance. Internationally I’ve flown Japan and Ethihad and both were significantly better experiences with food and flight attendants that seemed happy to be there
Domestically I have even started using Southwest again as I never seem to clear upgrades on American.
2024 I’m definitely just going with whichever carrier makes the most sense for the given flight. Loyalty is going out the window.
I’m flying ORD-PHX this month, on a breakfast flight, in First.
My choices are smoked salmon, with eggs and a salad, or a vegetarian frigate.
Really? How about something you might find at IHOP or Waffle House?
Now, American’s meal service has health guru Ellie Krieger creating dishes. Before it was some chef in Dallas with modern twists on Italian dishes, and not what someone’s grandmother from Italy would make.
I understand that inflation is throwing airline kitchens for a loop. But enough with novella cuisine or healthy fare. Get someone like Emeril Lagasse to create dishes.
The appropriate agency to complain to is the FTC for false advertising and the FCC and post office for wire fraud. The best part is the openly admit the FTC case.
“Health Airline food “ is an Oxymoron. It’s Has to be loaded with fats, sugars & salt to stimulate your HALF working taste buds at cruising altitude, thats science. Airlines using marketing to part you and your money, that is not science
Of course it’s fruitless to complain to the DOT when this is clearly an FTC issue as it has to do with advertising not the carriage contract.
Easy, AA should buy the ground beef patties with sauce/gravy, mixed vegetables, and mashed potatoes from the Hungry Man frozen meal company for $10.00 USD, heat those in the microwave oven, and serve those.
I haven’t even taken our flight but I’m never ever going to recommend or use AA ever again. There customer service is the absolute worst, they need to change their name and take AMERICAN off. They should call it PUTIN AIRLINES after RUSSIA. They treat there passengers like they are Communist.
@Chuck agree wholeheartedly. I’m sick and tired of seeing these dishes that are like the airline equivalent of caviar, something that looks rich and people pretend to like, when really a lot of people would be disgusted if it were a common food.
Give us an option for a hearty if more plain meal. Of my friends who can afford caviar, 95% of them would take a good pasta bake instead any day.
This just in. AA sucks.
You better believe that if the pilots or flying waitresses do not receive their union mandatory meal, the flight will be cancelled.
It doesn’t matter if they put it in the contract of carriage or not. Theyre still subject to Sec 5 of the FTC act. You cannot advertise a commercial product of any kind in the US in a false or deceptive manner. Whoever experiences this should file a complaint with the FTC, not DOT.
@ David M Hoffman — That would be outside of their $6 budget.
American Airlines keeps raising prices, devaluing miles and providing horrible service. Consumers keep supporting them. If you want a change, boycott American, file complaints with regulators and take them to court.
The traveling public will figure it out and use other brands.
I wish airlines would end drinks and snacks on flights 90 mins or less. BYOWater and snacks. Fight crews should concentrate on more important things, and including hospitality.
DOT holds jurisdiction over airline marketing…
America West being America West again.
AA is dead, y’all. It was buried many years ago.
Isom and his 40mthieves stole AA’s clothes before they buried it in a ditch and are now masquerading as AA.
Why would anyone chose to fly anywhere on American Airlines?
I don’t understand all the complaining. These are perfectly competitive markets and you have viable choices. As Philadelphia is my hub…AA dominantes here . I had the meal above Tuesday coming from MIA and it was good, glass of red wine w dinner and coffee w the dessert. You can pre-order your means and they offer a decent selection in addition to beef, chicken or the Harvest Bowl. With a business/first class ticket you have access to the Admirals Lounge so there’s no excuse to be hungry or thirsty.
Airlines are, in fact, selling ‘carriage’ from Point A to Point B. Meals and beverages are, in fact, amenities. Always have been, always will be. i think there are a couple issues at at play. First issue is the belief that meals are included in the price of their ticket. Ultimately, they are but its a miniscule amount…more of a small rebate of the fare paid… and it’s a variable amount as fares are entirely demand-based. There may be instances where a meal is not provided but the fare is actually higher based on demand for a specific flight in a market where meals are offered at traditional.mealtimes. The other issue appears to be the tendency to compare airline meals to restaurant meals and correspondingly to assign a dollar value to the meal provided..
Flying in the US is generally a totally substandard experience full stop. The 17 boarding categories, the excessive hand luggage every passenger takes, the fact fares don’t include checked luggage except for First Class, no meals in First Class (now I know there’s a distance threshold). Flying in other parts of the world is a much more enjoyable experience.
People shouldn’t get access to airline lounges because of credit cards nor should luggage be predicated on credit cards either. Elsewhere in the world you earn Airpoints and get status which earns you lounge access. That way every man and his dog isn’t allowed in. Here it isn’t special because everyone has a credit card that gets them in!
Also First Class in the US is not the equivalent of First Class in the rest of the western world. Total sham.
> Our ticket price reflects the cost of transportation. Any meals and snacks served on our flights are considered complimentary conveniences.
So shouldn’t all tickets be the same price?
Scary and a bit of a miscalculation … when u consider so many Delta flyers are looking for alternatives. What are they think?
Does the DOT hold jurisdiction? It sounds like the FTC to me: unfair and deceptive trade practices, in the form of not delivering what is advertised. AA really shouldn’t be able to point to the Contract of Carriage for an out.
AA is dead and the new AA is fricken terrible is America west shit sucks how they stayed in business is beyond my comprehension why anyone would fly on these guys is the biggest wonder of the world I guess make tickets cheap anyone would fly them… not me!! Never friend took them the other day from Denver to kax tinyvass plane he’s 6’2 and sat in coach he couldn’t even fit directly behind the seat in front of him he had to sit sideways entire flight and forget about putting try table down not enough room to do that or put your bag under the seat seats too close together now!! So fricken ridiculous! Seriously businesses have fire codes on how many people can be in an establishment why not airplanes? With seats this close together no way you could evacuate that plane fast and safely!! Someone said too there’s seats now covering half the exit row on some planes so to exit in an evacuation you’d have to turn sideways then turn straight at door before you could jump onto slide!!! Really America west, I mean AA, how many seats do you need inguess your job now make everyone the most uncomfortable as possible
The Travel Insider could elevate itself by actually reporting on both sides of air travel – airline AND recalcitrant customers. Far too many people think they are boarding a cruise ship vs basic transportation. If contributors think the majors are bad, try a discount airline. Like herding cattle.
Is the AA flight from fort worth to Paris catered or do you bring your own peanuts etc?
This scotches my travel.plans… we were going to fly first class from coast to coast but with the lies Delta tells, and now the lies AA is telling I’m seriously considering the train. We have the time as we’re retired, and I don’t want a crowded cruise ship because we both just got over Covid. Even flying was iffy. Now it’s definitely out.
If you think AAthinks about you as a person / or valued passanger.Sorry,you where born about 25yrs to late…Just ask them if you can ever get an agent on the phone in this country who really cares….Bon Apitite….
Another reason I don’t fly American… And never will.
So Delta got NWA and ruined a good operation in typical Delta fashion.
American got the progeney of the inbreeding of America Worst and U Still Alleghney In Reality, so what did you expect…
United / Continental merger was the most competitive – even though both airlines boards screwed the rank and file but got golden patachutes all around.
So glad we built the Interstate system 75 yrs ago, I have time and even with $4.00/gal gas my wife and I can drive FL to North Dakota without going thru ATL, IAD, DEN, ERW, JFK, IAH …..
Airline deregulation and the end of the CAAB was the beginning of the end for US airlines. Some industries just beg to be regulated by the government. Airlines are one of them.
We live in a very entitled society which encourages bad behavior and treatment of others. Calculate your miles for your trip, how much you pay for your ticket and tell me if the airline owes you anything but transport. And we are not even talking about the convince of the time frame you are getting there vs days or years it would take you otherwise. This is no different from passengers on international flight thinking they are entitled to a pen to fill out there immigration form. When does it stop with our behavior!? If you are sitting in first class you are giving the illusion you have class and money. Complaining about food should be the last thing you do. The airports have endless restaurants. If anyone if offended by American Airlines statements, I understand! Because the truth hurts and it’s often hard to look in the mirror. Who do you blame when you encounter traffic on the highway? but workers of the airline constantly get blame for delays etc. when we want too much and live we entitlement and forget gratitude. We become the problem and not any organization! Change your attitude and behavior and the world will follow. I back American Airlines statement 100%. I don’t take for granted the air that I breathe or think I am entitled to it, which is why I give thanks every morning.
@William Alford – the federal government stopped regulating schedules and price, most other regulation remains in place – it’s just captured by the airlines.
What a stupid article. Didn’t AA just build a state of art catering facility in DFW? Would AA leave a passenger without food on a long flight? Probably not. This complaint was from a short haul, entitled POS. Get a life and bring a cliff bar when you travel. We have bigger problems in our country focus on that.
Paying 10 times extra for some lousy food is certainly not worth the airfare. They can keep their fast food, bad food I’ll go to a restaurant or home when I land. Thank you.
A special call-out to all those business and first class flyers telling the rest of us to stop whining. You are the epitome of entitled clueless Marie Antoinette type. “What are you in steerage complaining about? I have my glass of wine and exclusive lounge so the system works – for me!!”
“It’s not that they don’t keep their word, they just haven’t. “
Air travel in the US is pretty pathetic these days. Highly overpriced for minimally basic to poor service. I believe its due to the poor training as well as the entitled attitudes of the employees. They want to use they’re positions to exert authority over you when there not even old enough to take care of themselves. Flight attendants today create about 90% of the confrontations that occur on flights today. The way I have been spoken to by flight attendants before would get them punched in the face if I wasn’t on the plane where they have a ridiculous amount of misplaced authority. I am a upper class executive platinum flyer that flys a minimum of 3 times a month and I am only seeing the quality of service and attitudes of the employees decline.
Trransactions between airlines and passengers are one-sided. AA is the worst. A ticket is nothing more than an empty promise to take you somewhere some day. All risk is borne by passengers. Massive regulation is needed. Too bad politicians don’t care.
And it’s all controlled by Biden’s boy buttigieg! It’s a failure in all sense of the word. They are in your life at all turns to destroy it! What till they put in the law they are pushing to do away with ALL TRAVEL PERKS LOYALTY PROGRAMS!
Wake Up!
ANOTHER REASON WHY, I will always take a Foreign Airline over United or AA. IF I have a Choice . Took a First Class flight from Hawaii to Vegas in June on HAWAIIAN AIRLINES, the Food was a definite WTF is this S – – t Moment ! Totally LOUSY !
Between my wife and I, we have flown on 7 trips in 2023. 6 of them were domestic and on AA, 1 of them was an international flight to Belize on Alaska Airlines. All but one leg of those trips was in Business/First Class.
We have been satisfied overall with the service that AA has to offer. Some of the AA flights had meal service, others did not. I learned to look carefully at the flight information before booking to determine if meal service would be provided on the flight. That way there were no surprises or disappointments as it related to meals. Even on the flights were no meals were provided, beverage and snack service was provided that included multiple opportunities for beverages including alcohol.
I cannot speak to AA’s advertising practices because I don’t look at or choose flights based upon advertising. My wife and I choose flights based upon where and when we want to travel, the convenience of getting to/from the departure and arrival airports, and of course the cost of airfare and transportation to/from the airport. I think using this criteria for selecting a flight as opposed to paying attention to advertising reduces the frequency of being disappointed.
If AA is falsely advertising that definitely should be stopped! My unsolicited advice to other consumers like myself is to educate yourself about the things I’ve mentioned because it may be a very long time before any meaningful action is taken to stop any [alleged] false advertising, if ever.
Lastly, having a credit card that provides free access to lounges (like our Capital One Venture X card) and strategically booking layovers in those airports takes away much of the inconvenience of traveling, and makes us feel like we are beginning our vacation experience as soon as we Board due to the pampering that is sure to follow (at the very least in the lounges and on the flight the meals become a bonus to us).
As a captive market victim in CLT I can say from experience. Business (there is no 1st) doesn’t get meals on even long haul domestic. I routinely fly CLT to SEA, PDX, LAX, SFO on AA. Have never been served a meal,up front, even on these trans-con routes.
Sitting in first class and I tried to purchase a snack pack from economy because I didn’t like the snacks in first. I was not allowed, even I was going to pay for it. I almost gave my credit card to a random person in economy. I’ve learned my lesson, bring my own snacks.
The demise of PANAM was the end of comfortable flying. All American carriers are substandard and cannot compare to especially, Asian airlines, in comfort service and graciousness.
IMHO, the whittling away of airline amenities is a product of high demand for air travel. If they’re filling the seats, it doesn’t matter if you like your flight, are comfortable or hungry–they’ve done their job simply by getting you to your destination. If they could stand 200 people hanging from straphangers they would. This situation will only get better if the economy changes and the airlines stop filling the seats. They will then be forced to compete for your business.
Airlines should be sued for false advertising and deceptive advertising. It should not be legal to advertise with the intent to decieve
I (a Delta fortress hub hostage) was saying this the other day.
Delta sucks. Where are we going to go? UA? AA? Really
Alaska and JetBlue only work for some markets.
Thus I went free agent some time ago and just choose whichever carrier has the best First class ticket price, schedule and nonstop options.
Tend to fly DL 80% of the time.
I still they’re better than AA or UA, but not leaps and bounds.
I would fly others more but irregular operations means I strongly lean towards whichever airline is hubbed at my origin or has many directs per day.
The nerve of these commenters bootlicking on AA’s behalf is so unbelievable, I’d be shocked to find they aren’t staffers or lifelong AA loyalists too blinded by their pompousness to notice the rug has been pulled over their eyes.
I fly primarily to/within APAC, but I also fly transcontinental/bicoastal consistently and the fact that AA has lulled some of you into Stockholm Syndrome doesn’t make it any less reasonable to assume you’ll get some level of sustenance brought to your pointy-end seat on a “full-service” carrier on a flight long enough to serve it. I implore you to get over yourselves, as not every premium cabin passenger has time to pop into a restaurant or lounge prior to every flight (assuming you qualify for lounge access).
I used to be an executive platinum on American, but their service has gone down so much I Fly Delta exclusively now
I normally fly Asiana Airlines when traveling to/from the U.S. The food and service is very good (even in economy).
So, you can keep your U.S airlines which suck.
Well considering people are not happy with delta atm and people are telling those passengers to fly with someone else. That’s why AA can flip their finger at you. And while AA critics are saying go fly with someone else, we’ll we’re running out of someone else. Airlines know this.
Regarding a complaint on an advertised item ot delivered., in this case meal service. File a complaint with the Commerce Dept, not DOT. You’ll have more luck because that is the type of complaints they work with daily.
Really AA treat customers bad, i had an experience on flight aa1022, on October 1st, it was an airbus a320 with almost 22 years in service, seats were uncomfortable, aircraft looked a reserve, really never flew in one aircraft in so bad shape. I bought a seat and had to fight to have a compensation due my seat, i paid and it was really uncomfortable.
I’ve flow two round trip flights on American in the last two months…a total of four legs. The seats were filthy and the meals were nothing to write home about. Alaska has a better first class product. I’ll go back to flying with them.
TLDR:
Flying commercial sucks. Some suck less, but it still sucks.
@R Flynn Meals are only offered during certain time windows. You have to be flying red-eyes or other flights outside t¹he rather broad meal times.
Alaska is the best, but if not West-coast based or travel mostly West coast, it is not convenient.
As Gary points out, it’s all down to a mismatch between expectations and realities. I am rarely disappointed by travel on a US airline. I expect food, if provided, will be barely fit for human consumption. I expect the seats will be dirty and bring a <1oz pack of travel wipes for this purpose. If I have no choice but a connecting itinerary, I expect I will misconnect, and make sure that I have nothing important planned right after my scheduled arrival time. I usually pay more for bigger seats, expecting I will get… a bigger seat, and nothing else. I had a recent DL flight that arrive two hours late (thunderstorms in ATL), but the food was actually delicious, service was excellent, and the seat was clean, so I was happy: the airline exceeded my expectations.
Sensationalism and negative journalism seems to attract attention and get the internet hits. Good job Gary. You had to dig deep to find that picture of a seatless first class. It’s absurd that this is being implied as the norm. It would be refreshing to see a more balanced conversation coming from one of the foremost experts in the field.
Does this same flight offer meal service most of the time? Some of the time? Does the “flight experience” section of AA website state Meal service is offered?
If so, AA needs to understand that they have set the expectation of a meal. If a client is a diabetic, has hypoglycemia, or is traveling with children, this expectation can impact the customers decisions made by the customer when planning travel. If this is an expectation that cannot be met, they should take pride in themselves and their work and be honest with their customers.
And whomever was talking about unruly passengers….
Please spare us. I have been treated poorly by numerous rude and lazy airline attendants who sport terrible attitudes bc they know they can have you thrown off a plane just because they want to. Whomever mentioned trains as option… I’m with you!
The many problems with American flagged carriers would all be quickly fixed if the US government (owned and operated by corporate America) would sign the open skies treaty which allows foreign flagged carriers to fly people within the US. This would put an end to the collusion between the US carriers which leaves people with no real choice. The foreign carriers treat people the way we used to be.
Don’t get me wrong.. Advertising something, buying it, and receiving something else is, in my opinion, false advertising and a dirty business practice. But to hear so many people complain about their travel experience just reinforces how soft we’ve become. I can afford a first class seat.. But I’m not gonna spend double the fare just to be slightly more comfortable on a 4-6 hour flight! You know how long it took your great great grandparents to get ANYWHERE…. On a freaking buggy!?!? And here you are.. On your iPhone, crying about how someone didn’t feed you or that the seat was uncomfortable. Wamba. Your vacation starts when you land and ends when you go back to the airport to go home. We’re just lucky enough to live in a time where we can be in a metal tube flying at 600mph at 35k feet and get us home safely in hours as opposed to days or months. #quitb_tchin
So I’ve seen this same issue, from the opposite perspective.
I was the Captain on a flight that was supposed to be catered meals in First Class. Catering didn’t make the flight, departure time arrived…what to do?
Many passengers (both main cabin and F/C) are making connections and will miss them if I delay the flight for catering. On the other hand, we sold the seats with meal service, and they expect (rightly so) their meals.
I had the local station manager issue meal vouchers to the F/C passengers, which took a 5-minute delay from departure time. I arrived at destination on time, passengers were able to make connections, and the F/C passengers were able to have a meal, albeit delayed (I can’t comment on meal option availability in ORD).
The problem was solved, though some passengers may have been hungry for two hours (I was hungry too…catering didn’t board pilot meals, either).
I am not special, but flight crews aren’t told they’re empowered to make this kind of “non-operational” decision. I took it upon myself…after berating the local station manager…to accept any consequences from the company. There weren’t any.
I think it falls under leadership…the difference between a pilot and The Captain.
I hope these issues get straightened out…and I do think they are the exception, not the rule. The crew actually does feel a certain responsibility towards the passengers and their on-board experience. AA doesn’t try to anger the people who pay the bills…but unfortunately, there isn’t a procedure for every single variance that can occur operationally. That’s where experience comes in (and common sense). Sometimes common sense costs $$$…so there is that issue too, from the corporate side.
Airline food is just gross, especially Virgin Air. Horrible. Discount ticket instead of serving food, IMO.
American Airlines are a bunch of highway robbers. We recently had a company vacation trip. We were booked in FC. Received some nuts and cookies. Their admiral club refused to honor our paid for passes and refused to allow to transfer to others who used AA.( I have not fliwn with them for 10 years andcthiscremibds me why) I am surprised they are still on business
Let me describe a different experience. We booked a flight with TUI and paid extra for the comfy seats – wider and more legroom. On departure day a different aircraft was used for the flight than originally planned, and this aircraft did not have any comfy seats! The very same day we received a refund of the extra seat costs from TUI. Obviously, we would have preferred to get what we paid for, but when this is not possible a speedy refund without the customer having to complain is the least that a commercial company can do.
would it be possible to dispute the charge as “services not provided?”. On your confirmation it states amenities — any lawyers?
Hey, on those older US Air A321s you don’t even get electricity!
Technically airlines are transportation, not food service. Obese Americans can actually go several hours without the need for low quality food. As long as there is a safe take off and landing, you got what you paid for.
following that logic they’re not responsible when they lose your suitcase either are they? what about the toilet? bot necessary being a pepsi bottle .
This just goes to show there has been too much consolidation in the airline industry. The Justice department needs to challenge any future merger unless there is a financially distressed party (as in it is either merge/be bought or go out of business). At the same time, airports need to go away from longer term leases and more to a hourly rental rate for gates, then assign gates according to a priority system. That way airlines can’t keep other airlines out as Southwest does at Love field in Dallas. And flight slots are not “owned” by any airline, but rather are auctioned off monthly or quarterly to the highest bidders at slot-controlled airports, and failure to actually use those slots a minimum percentage will disqualify an airline from bidding in the next round or restrict the number of slots they can win.
At the same time, we need a separate regulatory agency for the airline industry. Keep the FAA as a safety focused department, but have a consumer based regulatory agency that focuses on consumer complaints, passenger rights, and the overall best interests of the passengers as well as arbitrator of passenger/Carrier disputes.
But then the airline lobby won’t allow any of that to happen because what is best for the consumer cuts into their profits. Competition isn’t good for them.
Just went through this last week. AA denied any compensation. I escalated and the person at Customer Relations re-iterated the same thing that it’s “complimentary” and not in the conditions. The computer system will only spit back 1,500 miles. The rep claimed he was empowered to offer more (I explicitly asked) and said he award an additional 1,000 miles and that was all the “system” would allow him to offer.
AA is truly going downhill. On UA, when they cut their meal service (after selling flights over 800 miles with meal service listed), they allowed the FAs to compensate with $100 vouchers. AA refusing any compensation is ridiculous, and the “system” 1,500 miles is a slap in the face.
I’ll try to escalate higher, but it seems AA doesn’t care and will stick to their guns. I guess that would explain though why the AA flights are half the points required for DL/UA. I have no idea whom to write to, but hopefully I can figure that out.
I don’t believe that is correct. Meals are included in the price of the ticket and so if there are no meals than it’s a case of “services not provided.” When I worked for UAL we failed to cater a meal flight and so we offered a $25 discount coupon (we called them “creature snacks”) or a voucher for a meal when the aeroplane landed. I flew FC last week on AAL LAX PHL MIA BOG and had three satisfactory meals.
Captain David Manning did the right thing… albeit while patting himself on the back and shamelessly self promoting. What transpired should be standard procedure at American. When a flight isn’t catered, agents should automatically issue meal vouchers. No one should have to suggest this to them or “berate” them to do so. However I still would have appreciated what he did.