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Home » American Airlines » Nothing Says “Classy” Like Vending Machines In Airline Lounges…
Airport LoungesAmerican Airlines

Nothing Says “Classy” Like Vending Machines In Airline Lounges…

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 19, 2022November 13, 2023 33 Comments

Is it appropriate for an airline to sell food and drinks in vending machines in its airline lounges or is this simply tacky?

Vending Machines In American Airlines’ Lounges

I am now a United Club member and have used the Delta Air Lines SkyClub at LAX several times this year. It is not often that I get to use an American Airlines Admirals Club, though I recently reviewed one in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).

One thing that struck me was that American Airlines was selling packaged food and bottled beverages from a vending machine inside the lounge. My first thought was that of the title…how “classy” (#sarcasm).

But maybe I am not being fair. Both American and Alaska Airlines have sold food in their lounges for years. Both offer a complimentary spread of food and drink choices and frankly the free food in the AA DFW lounge (pork sliders, salad, soup) was not bad at all. But both also augment those complimentary items with a menu of more substantial dishes for purchase. Think omelets or quesadillas or large salads.

Yet there seems to me to be a difference between offering more gourmet items for purchase and offering wraps and sandwiches or bottled soft drinks, which would be free in other airline lounges.

a display case with drinks and beverages

a machine with a screen and a picture of food

For example, United’s new “grab-and-go” lounge in Denver offers a nearly-identical selection of sandwiches, salads, and soft drinks for free. And of course, free is a misnomer because access to the lounge requires membership or status.

United Lounge Denver

Perhaps that is my problem: AA charges to get into the lounge and then charges again for basic items. We’re not talking top-shelf liquor or fancy meals that involve labor to prepare. We are talking about simple packaged food and drink items.

Thus, I find myself conflicted. Is offering this choice better than no choice at all? Or does the very use of vending machines in lounges suggest a level of pettiness that undermines the quality of the brand?

CONCLUSION

American Airlines sells food out of vending machines in its airport lounges. Is this a reasonable extra option for travelers or simply AA being cheap?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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33 Comments

  1. Greg Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 12:53 pm

    Charging, and charging an extortionate price. $9 for a half sandwich?

    They’ll quickly figure out this isn’t a value prop worth the effort

    Also why doesn’t AA have proper buy on board food

  2. Alaquit Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 12:54 pm

    You could order from UberEats for the price of those sandwiches.

  3. Gary Leff Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 1:05 pm

    The food they do have is subpar as well. Derek Kerr is cheAAp.

    At least AA has never objected to my bringing in outside food.

    • JoeMart Reply
      December 19, 2022 at 6:04 pm

      With what chutzpah anyone at AA can forbid outside food especially with the possibility of religious accommodations needed?

  4. Bobby J Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 1:11 pm

    The way things with loyalty are headed, I wouldn’t be surprised if AA and Delta déclare the entirety of their terminals “lounges” while retaining the membership fees. Existing lounges will be retained at existing service levels, but reserved for international first class passengers only.

    I’m only half joking.

  5. Jamieo Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    It’s either a club or a shopping mall. They need to make up their mind.

  6. --- Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 2:09 pm

    I’d argue that the fact that the US carriers charge for anything other than basic alcohol is stingy enough as it is. I recently flew SFO-YYZ-YUL-CMN, and the experience at the UA Club in SFO (where very little was offered, and most drinks were chargeable) was very different even when comparing with Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge in YUL.

    One felt cheap and nickel-and-diming; the other felt like what you’d expect from an airline lounge. (And Air Canada isn’t even a top tier airline!)

  7. Mike Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 2:24 pm

    This is how bankrupt airlines are run.

  8. Arthur Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 2:36 pm

    I haven’t had the paid food in AA in a long time. It was always expensive, not very good and slow. I don’t expect much from AA lounges on the food front unless they have the intermittent guacamole station. But it is an okay place to sit, sip a cheap beer, and get some work done near a charging plug. I used to think it comparable to most UA lounges, but I think the UA lounges have been upping their food a bit (I like the meatballs).

  9. Jerry Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    Those showed up in the height of the Pandemic, and I think the intention was to supplement the limited F&B options available in the terminal. It was neither high quality, nor a good deal, and I’m not sure I’ve actually ever seen anybody use the machines.

    United’s grab-and-go setup looks fantastic, and it’s a shame that AA’s didn’t look more like that, but I think the exercise of asking if something in a US Domestic lounge is “Classy” is a fools errand. Premium pax are in the Flagship lounge, the AC is for domestic road warriors and the 8 authorized users they have on their Citi Executive card. They’re all fine with a vending machine.

  10. CHRIS Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 3:42 pm

    How “premium”. Really though, AA should just merge with Spirit

  11. Aaron Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 4:23 pm

    “Is it appropriate for an airline to sell food and drinks in vending machines in its airline lounges or is this simply tacky?”

    It’s tacky for an airline to sell food and drinks whether from a vending machine or not.

    • Al Reply
      December 19, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      I find buffet style to be the tackiest of them all. They can offer me free filet mignon and lobster and, if they’re serving it buffet style, I’m gonna pass.

      I will happily pay for food that hasn’t been fingered by someone’s kids (and if you haven’t seen that happen, you haven’t paid attention).

      • Aaron Reply
        December 20, 2022 at 2:24 am

        To each their own then.

  12. Right-This-Way Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 5:15 pm

    As usual, United dumbs everything down to try “please” everyone, yet all they are doing is turning anybody with a brain off. Unfortunately you will always have people, for whom money is no object, that will use this “feature” and still think they are actually getting something great. They pay more for less, wait on long lines to get into overcrowded lounges, pay into things like this, passively go along with it etc. Speaking for myself, I will never buy a club membership; I get to airports early, expect to overspend at vendors in the terminal and try to find a quiet corner to enjoy my “snack” or coffee.
    When I started with United 45 years ago (now retired); I could utterly kick myself for not buying a Lifetime Membership in the (Red Carpet) Club, which at time was about $200.

    • Al Reply
      December 19, 2022 at 5:33 pm

      Agreed. I don’t pay for lounge access, but I tend to fly business a lot, which comes with lounge access and, every time I’m in one, i wonder why on Earth anyone would pay for it.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 19, 2022 at 5:45 pm

      We are talking about American here, not United.

      • Right-This-Way Reply
        December 19, 2022 at 6:46 pm

        Yeah, agree your article is about AA but the new Denver “grab and go” (club?) as well, is also indicative of things to come everywhere/ more airlines, etc.

  13. Al Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    I will pay for any food that hasn’t been touched and breathed on by the entire lounge. I will not touch a single item that is served buffet style, it’s disgusting. I’d rather go buy food at the restaurants in the public terminal than eat that stuff.

    • PolishKnight Reply
      December 20, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      I’m chuckling that you really dislike buffet food. I “get” that sanitary issues can be, er, an issue. But that said, if there’s high traffic then it’s quite safe and efficient: The food is grabbed quickly and trays changed often so not a biggie. But if it just sits… for hours then I agree: yuck!

  14. Andrew Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 5:47 pm

    The vending machine in my workplace has the exact same offerings (down to the packaging) for half the cost.

  15. T- Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 6:00 pm

    AA tries lots of silly things. Things one might say are a no brainer of what not to do, this airline does repeatedly. Unless your in a AA hub city and have no other option, fly with another carrier.

  16. Tony Reply
    December 19, 2022 at 11:45 pm

    You are correct, those should be free. I think its more for convenience than anything. Fliers with a short layover dont have time to wait at the bar for someone to serve them. But again, a free spread similar to what United or the Capital One Lounge does would be a far better option. Alas, maybe one day.

  17. Jeff Reply
    December 20, 2022 at 1:24 am

    Have you seen the vending machines in the American Airline concourses in Chicago advertising diapers on them but also selling snacks in them too?

    • ECH Reply
      December 20, 2022 at 2:35 am

      They’re going for great

  18. Jackie Reply
    December 20, 2022 at 8:18 am

    I think it is a great idea, it will stop the over excessive taking of snacks. Passengers see the word “free or self serve ” and assume that you can use the lounge as a grocery store and fill their bag with everything that is not nailed down or people will fill a personal water bottle with alcohol. When did a lounge become a restaurant for greedy passengers who already can eat ad drink all they want on the plane.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 20, 2022 at 9:49 am

      I sat for a couple hours in UA’s new grab-and-go lounge in DEN last week and quite frankly, people behaved themselves. It is possible, even in the land of the free.

  19. Exit Row Seat Reply
    December 20, 2022 at 11:42 am

    Lounges used to sanctuaries. But things have changed.
    I agree with the grab and go concept…actually, this is better in the long run. It keeps folks moving in and out.
    And most lounges have turned into day care centers or overnight crash pads (Turkish A/L).
    However, vending machines……who’s kidding who??

    When the image or perception of a product or service is tarnished (if in doubt, look at Cadillac or AMEX), it’s hell to climb out of that rabbit hole.
    Too many MBA’s in the C-Suite will kill anything….I’ve seen it happen at my company.

  20. Victor Reply
    December 21, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    American is a marketing firm that flies planes.

  21. DC not in DC Reply
    December 23, 2022 at 8:39 am

    As the prominent tip jar at the guacamole stations in AAdmital’s lounges show, AA upcharges a lot.

    I have lounge membership through the Citi AA credit card and highly value the showers and the self pour sodas.

    Bartenders should be fired and self pour the norm, as it is in most lounges worldwide.

  22. Michael Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 7:57 am

    Tacky. AA is the Frontier of the big three, so this is very on-brand.

  23. Liam Reply
    December 24, 2022 at 3:51 pm

    It’s AA being cheap. End of story.

    Food or beverages for purchase has no place in any sort of premium lounge, unless we’re talking premium spirits and wines.

  24. RO Reply
    December 25, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    AA has not been AA for quite a while since uselessair aka americaworst bought them. As my father once said after an unfortunate experience on the latter, “they have contempt for the flying public”. Well put.

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