I flew Dallas – New York JFK on American Airlines this week in coach. I kept checking buy up options to first class for my flight, but wasn’t going to pay over $400 extra for the flight.
In the end, I wound up fourth on the upgrade list despite having more than double-qualified for Executive Platinum some time ago. However I wound up with an exit row aisle and an empty middle seat beside me which is a real score.
In theory, I should receive a free alcoholic beverage and a free snack item as an Executive Platinum AAdvantage member.
However, very few American Airlines flights offer food for sale. That’s ironic, since the first full service airline to move to selling food instead of complimentary meals in coach was America West, and their management took over American. But the cutbacks in the back cabin are legion. They even stopped doing a second drink service on domestic flights over 1,500 miles.
The current guidance is that food for sale is only available on “select flights” that are “over 1,300 miles” and not to expect there to be anything left by the time a flight attendant reaches your aisle because “limited quantities are available.” All they offer is a fruit and cheese plate ($11), roasted almonds ($8) and cool ranch doritos ($5).
Since discounts and free buy on board food is literally a benefit of their credit cards, you’d think these would actually be available. 25% rebates come as a statement credit when paying with eligible cards, and the Barclays Aviator Silver comes with up to $25 back per day for inflight food and beverage. I am never able to use this benefit. It probably would have been a good CFPB complaint under a prior administration.
Prior to the pandemic they actually sold food on 700 mile flights. They even used to have pre-order meal purchases in coach. Delta, United and Alaska offer food for sale on shorter flights than American. Alaska legitimately offers panang curry chicken, Korean barbecue beef, a salad and burger options. United’s buy on board is really robust as well. There’s really no excuse for American’s offerings here.
Back to my Dallas – New York flight. Flight attendants hid the cheese trays, saving them for Executive Platinums in coach so I actually scored one. Devon May would never approve! Some customers in the rows prior to mine might have spent money on the snack, and they wouldn’t have had to give the tray away for free as a loyalty benefit.
The thing that struck me most about the cheese plate – aside from how sad it was – is that is consists of big chunks of cheese, crackers, grapes and a chocolate. But there is no plastic knife to slice the cheese. So you’re stuck taking big bites out of these cheese chunks. It is… awkward.
I suppose it checks a box of ‘having’ buy on board. And since employees got the message, repeated over and over, to ‘never spend a dollar they don’t have to’ the catering team knows better than to spring for a plastic knife.
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