Dear American Airlines,

I realize that you’re based in Dallas, and top management moved there from Tempe, Arizona. So it’s understandable that you might be confused. So I wanted to share with you in unequivocal terms: this is not what a bagel is.

American Airlines, Austin – Charlotte, October 2021

For the more philosophically-inclined at the company, this does not participate in the form of bagel.

American Airlines, Austin – Charlotte, October 2021

A bagel is dense bread in the shape of a ring that has been boiled and then baked. They’re associated historically with Eastern European Jewish tradition, and whether or not it’s actually the water the best bagels are unquestionably from New York.

I know that there used to be people in your organization that knew this, because prepandemic I was served bagels several times in the morning on regional jets, though sometimes the accompanying smoked ‘lox’ turned out to be pieces of shredded salmon from a lunch salad:

American Eagle Breakfast, 2018

Perhaps it’s the knowledge lost from a 30% cut in management staff, so I’ll help out here. Taking your shrink-wrapped turkey sandwich on a roll and printing on a label that it a ‘bagel’ does not suddenly make it breakfast.

American Airlines, Austin – Charlotte, October 2021

You have a hub in Los Angeles, and another one in Philadelphia. Granted, neither of those is New York. But New York JFK retains hub status, even if it’s been neglected for several years. You’re building up a “Northeast Alliance” with JetBlue (JetBlue is even a bit nervous about their reputation as a result of things like tis).

Having grown up as a New York Jew, of Eastern European descent, I believe it is important that you do better.

Yours fondly,
Gary