As other airlines begin to gradually reintroduce onboard meal service, American Airlines has taken the opposite approach, cutting first class meals on more flights. Now an American Airlines executive has offered a sinister threat to frequent flyers: those meals may never come back, at least in the form we are used to them.
American Airlines Envisions A “Modern” Approach To Meal Service
View from the Wing notes American Airlines Senior Vice President of Flight Service Jill Surdek addressed the issue to flight attendants during a question and answer session earlier this week. She notes the “old” meal service may never come back and a new “modern” approach is under consideration:
We’re not going to come back with full tray services immediately. There’s going to have to be some interim step. And I really think there’s an opportunity to re-think it. When you think about the footprint we have for meal service and how we served, it’s been very similar over the years. And is there a way to bring back something that still has a premium feel but is different and more modern, and is this an opportunity to reset in a way that we might have made more incremental changes before.
When Surdek mentions she wants to bring something back that still has a “premium feel” the implication is that it just feels premium, but is actually not. American has been serving fruit and cheese plates and will soon add sandwiches to premium cabins similar to what were offered for sale in economy class prior to the pandemic.
Now this model could work. Maybe instead of the cheese-covered entrees routinely featured on American Airlines prior to the pandemic, the airline could diversify its onboard offerings and offer a wider variety of dishes, some of which would feel “modern” simply on the basis of being different. Food looks much better when served on a plate or in bowl versus a plastic bag. But there’s something more going on here.
In other comments Surdek did not dismiss how important onboard service is, yet mentioned that airlines including American Airlines must face a new reality “with less touch points, masks, etc.”
Why This Matters
Why get worked up over something as trivial as meal service? Does it really matter when so much is going on in the world?
My answer is yes, it does. Not so much for the meal itself, but because American Airlines is foreshadowing an era in which in-flight service largely ceases to exist. Flight attendants, masked up, quickly serve drinks and a light meal (if we are lucky) and then disappear. It upends the service model that gets to the heart of why I love flying. Granted, this is one of the ultimate first world problems, but that’s the nature of this travel blog…
I realize that most people are just looking to get from A to B. Fine. You go right ahead and do it. But, at least for me, all the great flights in my life have involved warm and professional service onboard. And so much of that centers around the meal service onboard. Think of it like an activity you love. When you take out an essential element, the activity is fundamentally transformed. It becomes less enjoyable. Less rewarding.
CONCLUSION
There’s fun in seeing the world, but there’s also fun in getting from A to B. American Airlines is envisioning a sterile world in which flights become simply a means to an end, not an end in themselves. For those who love aviation and flying, the news from American Airlines is sinister. The entire flight experience, centralized around the meal table, may never return. That’s quite dismaying indeed.
I just think of how ULCC’s in Asia can give you hot food and a bottle of water -included in the price- on a one hour flight while AA is already foreshadowing how to scam first class passengers on meal service. The juxtaposition makes me shake my head.
Agreed.
I think it is important for the flying public to understand that the original rationale for free food on the plane was to “lure” the masses on board during an era of almost weekly plane crashes. During our long evolution to a point where plane crashes are almost unheard of, the expectation of free food still persists even though you find nothing free on Amtrak, Greyhound, and certainly not on the Interstate system. Lets all get real and appreciate the safe and reasonably comfortable modes of transport we have at our disposal.
I’m old enough that I’d appreciate some data points for your claim of “free food … during … almost weekly plane crashes”. Please provide some supporting info as I find your claim spurious. What time period are you referencing?
On Amtrak, “free” meals are served to sleeping car passengers and those in Acela Express first class. “Free” means the passenger does not pay anything at the time of service, rather, that the cost of the meals is built into the ticket price. Liquor/wine/beer costs extra for sleeping car passengers, but is also included “free” to Acela Express first class passengers. Sleeping car passengers should leave a tip equivalent to what would have been left had they paid for the meal; for Acela Express first class, $5 or $10 handed to the attendant when leaving the car is appreciated.
Skip the chase. Just eliminate all food on all flights. No disappointments that way. You want to eat in-flight? Bring your own.
AA is not in business to make friends
What is sinister about trying to keep germs away from you? Go to a restaurant, or better yet, cook yourself a nice meal at home. Leave the airlines to get you from point A to point B safely!
On my flight they did it in 50 minutes with hot coffee
And how many flights attendants staffed that flight? Accomplishing that kind of service with minimum FAA crew (which is American’s standard narrow body standard) is nearly impossible.
Surely there are ways to deliver premium, prepackaged foods without compromising on quality. Boxed tapas?
Food can taste just fine in a box. But, presentation matters so much, at least IMO.
It’s hard not to be cynical considering what steps American has already taken in the past, whatever steps they take lead to a lower level of service especially for those in economy. I’m in a position to travel up front but spent decades from a babe to my thirties traveling in the economy with the vast majority of those flights being international long distance. When I have found myself walking down the aisles in order to give my legs a stretch it looks like these days American just crams as many people as they can into economy. I can recall airlines like JAL or Qantas where even 12 hour flights in economy was fine, you had room and service was good. Now you almost have to turn sideways to get down aisl and service is non existent. On JAL an attendant usually walks the aisle every half hour checking to see if anyone wants anything. On American even in business you might not see the attendant at all other than just after take-off and right before landing. I arrived in the US in 1987 and was impressed at the level of service everywhere, that is sadly no longer true. Companies cut employee benefits, cut costs, cut services all in a race to maximize profits/stock prices. Employees are unhappy, customers are unhappy……..the only winners appear to be the airline executives and stock holders. I’ll still fly American because being based in Dallas there is the benefit of access other One World airlines like JAL. I am always saddest getting of a JAL flight in Tokyo knowing that I have the next 13 hours to endure on American on my way home lol Ok. Soapbox speech over.
While driving to the store the notion of their upcoming partnership with JetBlue came to mind. Could AA be transiting to an experience more in line with their catering? It would fit that “modern” mentality while still offering a premium product.
Agree, for me the adventure starts with the travel. I pay extra for business or first in order to hopefully enjoy my flying experience.
Fully agree. Instead of flinging a Saran-wrapped sandwich at your premium customers, how about serving them a beautiful Japanese Bento box or an Arabic mezze platter?
Until the masks are gone from the cabin and the airport, the entire discussion on “premium” or the “experience ” is moot. Flying at the moment is a surreal Twilight Zine-like experience. A 6 hr transcin stuck choking thru a mask to placate the fearmongers isn’t worth the trip.
This is another reason to fly on Delta. Service is still paramount even among a pandemic.
I will note that Delta has cut meal service even more then American during the pandemic.
A great idea that I experienced on United a few years ago due to the catering kitchen in Denver being shut down temporarily was that they served the Buy on Board meals with first class plating. I’m sure with a little bit of a packaging redesign you could make it work as a standard going forward, and probably be able to increase the sales price a dollar or two in economy since it is now the First Class meal.
I’ll take the less cynical interpretation. That is that they are looking to incorporate more innovative catering from Do&Co. Less slop with cheese sauce on top and more simple takes of modern innovation done like Austrian or BA.
But who am I kidding.
I’ll have what Stuart’s having.
While driving to the store the notion of their upcoming partnership with JetBlue came to mind. Could AA be transiting to an experience more in line with their catering? It would fit that “modern” mentality while still offering a premium product.
That would be an unexpectedly positive turn.
Bottom line is the FAA mandates that there be 1 FA per 50 ppl for saftey and evacuations. Not meal service baggage service or anything except for safety requirements. These are robust, despite not being able to be seen by the general public. (I can hear the collective eyeroll.)
Each carrier’s extra use of their FAs is strictly for marketing purposes. That’s it. Only marketing. FAs are Not paid while walking through the terminal in unform to answer questions be nice, or helpful– or not, they are not paid during the boarding or deplaining process. They are only paid once the door is shut… so delays are voluntary work too. They are strictly paid for what the FAA mandates: that a commercial passenger carrier must have 1:50 FA/PAX ratio to operate. FAs are a legal necessity of carriers to operate.
Matthew, I do not know why you consistantly choose American to Slam. But if you’ll remember, American went bankrupt and was bought by USAir. They also decided to buy the “American Airline” name. That means there was an integration of USAirs’s aircraft (livery) often with different configuration. Also an integration of staff:ie half of the employees were USAir Employees and the other, American. It has been a long and grueling process trying to integrate two different flying cultures: ways of doing things. But they are working it out.
Do you think you could lighten up on slamming American Airlines a bit?
I know all passengers love to hate on fight attendants. I’m not sure I’ve seen a more hated watched job.
It is a very complicated job unknown to most of the general public. So while you are dissing AA for doing or not doing this that or the other, just remember there is a lot more behind corporate marketing decisions than you might think.
“There’s fun in seeing the world, but there’s also fun in getting from A to B.”
You, Matthew, and many of your readers, are too young to remember the 1950’s and 60’s when magazines across America carried Cunard Steamship Line ads, each offering a tantalizing glimpse of life aboard their fleet of luxury liners. Cunard’s publicity department produced different, eye-catching artwork month after month, but what remained a constant with those ads – over two decades – was the copy, which promised “Getting There is Half the Fun!”
In the 1960’s American Airlines began calling their fleet of Boeing 707’s LuxuryLiners, which was a stretch, to say the least. But it was a savvy marketing decision to borrow from Cunard’s long-standing notion that “Getting There is Half the Fun”.
Sadly, at this point in time, getting there ISN’T half the Fun. Getting there isn’t any fun at all. Let’s hope in 2021 travel – and life in general – will see a huge upgrade!
I always appreciate your look back on a previous golden age Kenneth. Hopefully there will be a new golden age of travel in our lifetimes.
Wish it were so. The cruise blogs I frequent, including me, are definitely going through Kübler-Ross experiences.
American in particular finds itself the odd man out on customer service. Long the airline with the worst labor relations I’ve run out of fingers and toes counting the numerous smirks and eyerolls of American employees. Add to that a penny pinching and out of touch executive suite and it’s easy to see that American will come out of this as a carrier to be avoided. Their future is not bright. Hell they make most of their money selling credit card points.
AA has become pathetic. Every excuse is COVID-19. In first class FA do not even go by the aisles if you don’t call n definitely won’t go back until you call them again. It’s just making FA do what they prefer the most. Be unfriendly and do nothing but be on their cell phones the whole flight and eat the food provided for them.
Economy could get water if they ring for the FA and are lucky they pay attention to you. Very few FA are nice. They don’t even greet people while boarding. Passengers board with a smile saying hi but FA keep carrying on with their own conversation.
First class tickets are not cheap to just sit there. AA is the worst and even with this pandemic I already qualified for Executive Platinum. Loyalty to no service and nasty employees.
“Modern” usually just implies stingy serving sizes are coming. Another olive removed from the salad, perhaps? 😉
Sinister? About airplane food? Really? Sinister?
Poor thing. Try Net Jets next time.
Let me guess Matthew: if the meal service helps make a memorable flight, I bet you also look at the equipment as part of booking travel? You’re right, the experience is a big part of what I pay for and meal service is a big part of it. I know this is a first world problem, especially given the pandemic and the huge challenges so many are dealing with including loss of life. Someday this virus will have a vaccine, and that’s the context here – imagining life post Covid-19. Sadly I suspect we should get used to the new “premium concepts”. Amtrak likes to talk about how awesome their Flex Dining on single night long distance trains, but you can’t replace a steak and conversation with fellow travelers with plastic ware and microwave meals.
You might appreciate this since presentation does matter. I was on a United E175 from PHL to ORD right before Thanksgiving 2013, and the flight attendant for first class was herself first class. This was when they did the special snack box for front of cabin. Expecting a box, I was surprised to find the FA laid out the contents of the box, some on the tray and the rest in the box with the lid bent backwards and under the box. Same chow, but clearly one minute and some dedication paid off enough that you get this anecdote almost 7 years later.
Thanks for your comment Andrew! I agree, a small extra touch goes a long way.
I tried to leave a reply and it said duplicate comment. Don’t know how. Never commented before.
Hi Julia, I think it had to do with your earlier comment in this post.
And how many flights attendants staffed that flight? Accomplishing that kind of service with minimum FAA crew (which is American’s s
narrow body standard) is nearly impossible.
For 150,000 roundtrip to Asia I better get two darn good meals .
True, but unless the entire industry is on board–no pun intended; and I don’t think all, or even most airlines are taking this approach–competition and market forces will sooner or later correct “over”-mediocre offerings, I think.
Almost 15 years ago I was upgraded from a paid business class ticket to first class on an international AA flight. It was a 777 with real first class. When the meal came it was nothing to brag about. Mediocre at best. The wine list had absolutely nothing that a $20 bill couldn’t buy at any neighborhood liquor store. And to close the mediocrity dinner they passed chocolates. It was Ferrero Rocher hazelnut (which I love BTW). The problem with the chocolate is that you can buy a box of 48 for $15. My point here is just one: people who paid to experience first class didn’t pay less than $10k so one would expect something a bit more in line with that price tag.
With all due respect Peter, you are complicit in the U.S. airlines’ race to to the bottom. At the end of the day, you, like most other mileage warriors, are willing to settle for sub-mediocrity in the name of mileage points. Complaining about poor airline service is just hollow words: One has to be the demonstration for real change by voting with one’s wallet. That’s how it works. FWIW, in terms of US carriers, I think the Jet Blue’s, Hawaiian’s, and Delta’s of the world are still more focused on customer satisfaction & therefore best in value.
It’s called change. And it’s not a change precipitated by American, but a sea change brought on beyond American’s or any other airline’s control. You’ll survive, and if you don’t your problems are far greater than what American does or does not serve on their flights.
Where are you getting this information from. The first sentence of this article is completely wrong. You clearly need better sources.
The food that is served in most flights is so bad and unhealthy that eliminating it is good for everyone. I much rather have a cold sandwich, a cheese platter or something that is fresh to what is offered today at a “hot meal”.
As a flight attendant I don’t know why this matters so much seeing as frequent flyers always complaint that
1. The menu doesn’t change
2. They don’t get the choice they wanted
AA now has a pre-order system and while I cannot speak for others, I always enjoyed the cheesy meals onboard.
I fully and totally share your views in the article. I totally enjoy flying. And this does not mean for me staring at any movie I could watch in Netflix at home. It is the flying experience..being pampered by a warm and friendly FA, enjoying a high class meal in style, accompanied by a 2006 Bordeaux and looking down on the snow covered mountains of foreign countries. Many comments here seem to reflect the usually poor experience of fellow flyers in the US. My experience in the last years was mainly on QR and EK, and service including meals was always a major part of my travel enjoyment..sometimes I enjoyed the trip more than the places I had to go to. If American wants to go this way..well..who needs them anyway? Luckily not European travellers:)
Covid 19 or not, if I fly Premium, I am expecting the service to go with it. As an example in Europe, Lufthansa is one of the few still keeping a business class service while flying business class and this is the way it should. In the opposite TAP Air Portugal as an awful catering service in business class these days and this is nothing to do with C19, but purely on cost! I am from the old school ? Yes I am, but I only live once and want to enjoy my travel, not a clinical experience !
So let me get this right… We are in the middle of a pandemic, we are trying to limit the amount of exposure between Flight Attendants and passengers, American plans to furlough ~25,000 employees, yet by golly all heck breaks loose when the meal service changes and you only get a pre-packaged meal? That is more sterile? That requires less exposure? Just clarifying!
As you stated, the service is why you love flying, and *most* Flight Attendants love providing a great service. Maybe instead of writing these pointless articles about something that COULD be changing, maybe spend more time advocating for those employees who just want to keep their jobs!
Happy flying (:
Hi Kody, you must be new here. If you look in the top right corner of the website you will see a search bar. If you type in that bar “Flight Attendant” you will see that not only do writers of this site cover American Airlines flight attendant labor issues, but also pilots, mechanics and not only at American but at all airlines. There are more than a dozen labor-related articles for just American Airlines in the last year alone.
Sinister??? Pack the extravagant lunch if your dreams…and drive!
Meals probably will not change much on INTL (when that comes back) but I’m sure domestic will see some changes onboard! IMO AA has one of the better presentations of food onboard. Even Delta has a lunch tray style set up on TRANSCONS with a napkin holder built in which is trashy, while AA sets your table for you with white linens and little touches that make a difference! People often don’t give AA credit but they have a much better product/presentation than most especially on international and transcons.
The same people that complain about the food service are now whining about the lack of service. It’s an airline. Not a bar. Not a restaurant. Bring a sandwich. Such a trivial thing to whine about
It’s amazing how ALL flight attendants “disappear”! How does *anyone* “disappear” on an airborne aircraft?
I’ve been accused, while in the middle of working a dinner service in First Class, of “disappearing” for 1 1/2 hours! In front of 14 other First Class passengers, one of whom gave me a compliment note, knowing this man was a fool looking for trouble. When Mr. K’s complaint letter made it A.A.’s Customer Service Department, and then to my supervisor, (who called me on my day off to discuss this), my “disappearing act” was metered to **2** hours!!!
I am here for you. I do not “disappear”. I do answer passenger call chimes. IMMEDIATELY. ALWAYS.
Please do not create a problem where there is no problem to get a “Poor Baby” Letter and a few miles for your fraudulent inconvenience. You will be found out. And I will continue to give everyone the best service, every flight, every day.
sin·is·ter
/ˈsinistər/
adjective
1.
giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.
The hyperbolic language is unnecessary. Their International service still has tray service, I think this was referring to the domestic side. As an aviation enthusiast I think changes in service are necessary. Same reason hotel chains are giving pre-packaged breakfast items instead of a breakfast buffet. The hospitality and transportation industry won’t be the same for a while, it’s unsafe to provide a pre-covid service type right now. AA is doing the right thing.
With respect, I would call this harmful.
I personally wish we went back to the 60’s- 80’s. Then the bickering sbout onboard service would stop. Tickets cost nothing today in comparison to then, and what flying actually cost. First and formost, what’s more important? Airplane food or getting to your destination safely? And, that in a fully reclinable seat in first- or business class.
Personally, I’d be happy with water, and a safe journey, where I can comfortably rest. That too at a much cheaper price than in the 60’s-80’s.