American Airlines restores first class light bites on shorter flights

American Airlines is bringing back fresh "light bites" in first class on domestic flights of 700 to 899 miles, starting this month between Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and New York's JFK and LaGuardia (LGA), according to Simple Flying and One Mile at a Time. The change replaces packaged snacks on those routes.

What is changing

One Mile at a Time reports that American currently serves meals in first class on flights of at least 900 miles during meal times, with only drinks and a snack basket on shorter sectors. The new service sits between the two. Simple Flying says passengers will choose between two fresh options, with selections rotating through the year. Unlike standard first class meals, the dishes cannot be preordered and are available only onboard.

The announced menu has six breakfast and eight lunch or dinner dishes, though only two will be offered on any flight. Breakfast choices include smoked salmon, tropical chia overnight oats, prosciutto and melon, and apple cinnamon chia pudding. Lunch and dinner options include curry chicken salad, whipped burrata, poached shrimp with noodle salad, blackened chicken and a grilled vegetable wrap.

A return, not a first

Simple Flying notes that American introduced plated snacks on 700-899 mile flights in April 2015, and says they largely disappeared during the pandemic. One Mile at a Time describes the move as a resumption of a concept the airline offered about a decade ago. The news was first flagged by the poster JonNYC on social media before American confirmed it.

Simple Flying quotes Raphael Girardoni, American's Vice President of Culinary Strategy and Operations, saying the airline wants to "exceed the expectations of even our most discerning customers."

How it compares with rivals

According to One Mile at a Time, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines use the same 900-mile cut-off for meals, which would make American the only one of the three big US carriers serving fresh food below that distance. The site adds that Alaska Airlines is the only other US carrier it knows of serving some fresh food on flights under 900 miles. Readers can see wider comparisons on our American Airlines vs Delta Air Lines and American Airlines vs United Airlines pages.

Live and Let's Fly, which reported the plan earlier and without confirmation, noted that American's published dining page still listed a snack basket on flights of 500-899 miles at meal times. Its writer also said the airline has cut most of its former "exception markets" for meals, apart from Chicago-Denver.

What this means for travellers

• First class passengers flying between Chicago and New York (JFK or LaGuardia) should see a fresh dish this month instead of a snack basket.
• The food cannot be reserved in advance, so choice is limited to the two dishes loaded for that flight.
• The 700-899 mile band is the target, but the sources say only Chicago-New York is confirmed. One Mile at a Time says it remains to be seen when other routes follow.
• Flights of 900 miles or more should keep full meals, and shorter flights outside the scheme should keep snacks.

American has not yet said, according to the sources, which other routes will be added or when.

Sources: Simple Flying, One Mile at a Time, Live and Let's Fly.