American Airlines has announced full beverage service will be restored to first class next month and later to economy class. Buy-onboard snacks and meals will also return this summer. It’s a small step, but a step in the right direction.
American Airlines Will Restore Beverage + Snack Service
We now know that the risk of COVID-19 surface spread is very low. That means all the soft product cutbacks like eliminating beverage service and meals that airlines eagerly embarked upon when the pandemic began over a year ago were simply cost-cutting measures disguised as safety measures. We call that “hygiene theatre” on Live and Let’s Fly.
The “better safe than sorry” approach has been throughly debunked, so now airlines are gingerly bringing back onboard service. Delta will resume limited service this month and Americans Airlines will on more flights starting next month.
So what is changing at American Airlines?
- Beginning May 1st, full complimentary beverage service, including alcohol, canned drinks, juice and water, will return to domestic premium cabins
- American Airlines already offers full beverage service in premium cabins on flights over 2,200 miles.
- Beginning June 1st, complimentary beverage service, including canned drinks, juice and water will return to domestic economy cabins.
- American Airlines already offers this on flights over 2,200 miles.
- Later this summer (date unspecified), full main cabin beverage service, including alcoholic beverage options, will return.
- AA’s buy-on-board food program will also return later this summer.
Good news. All good news.
And while “better late than never” sounds so trite, let us indeed commend American Airlines for finally realizing that full flights and surging domestic demand should be recognized by restoring much of the service cut due to purported safety concerns.
CONCLUSION
As One Mile At A Time properly noted, did you notice what was missing in the announcement? First class meals. For now it will still be sandwiches and cookies…things may be back to normal, fares may be up, but apparently it is still too dangerous to serve meals, even if they are in disposable containers.
Putting lipstick on a pig. No more, no less!!
Except the Union and every FA possible on social media is fighting going back to any service at all. Julie Hedrick released a letter to the APFA membership on April 19, 2021 saying that FAs will demand as few customer touch points as possible. AA FAs are completely bashing customers who opt for beverage on demand and the Union is attacking AA for trying to keep up with competition.