American Airlines [Domestic First] sucks

[anat0l]

- Meals - again, orders usually taken in status order to some degree, then by row.

The problem in this case was not that the OP didn't get a preference; it appeared he didn't even get a meal at all, and that role had to be filled with whatever stocks were available in Y.

 

[DC3]

... it appeared he didn't even get a meal at all, and that role had to be filled with whatever stocks were available in Y.

A bit unlucky, I'd say. Not the norm.

Catering issues are not confined to AA.

Edit: Maybe the OP will update us if he lodges a complaint with AA

 

[anat0l]

A bit unlucky, I'd say. Not the norm.

Catering issues are not confined to AA.

Edit: Maybe the OP will update us if he lodges a complaint with AA

I agree - if this was the norm at AA, there'd be a big, big problem.

 

[dfcatch]

No - on AA it's "preferences" - either front-to-back or back-to-front.

More recently I've had / seen orders taken 'out-of-order'.

I'm actually not sure whether FEBO is still a thing..?? Weren't they phasing it out?

TBH - I've been asleep on most AA domestic F flights recently. (Or they've been too short to get a meal service).

 

[serfty]

More recently I've had / seen orders taken 'out-of-order'.

I'm actually not sure whether FEBO is still a thing..?? Weren't they phasing it out?

TBH - I've been asleep on most AA domestic F flights recently. (Or they've been too short to get a meal service).

My last experiences were in January - I had pre-ordered each time.

Maybe there are a higher percentage who pre-order these days and FA's were just going to those who their sheet indicated had not.

Certainly, status order is what you generally see on UA - I was treated well as a *G back in my Airpoints days.

However, FEBO for "Preferences" is Dead! Long Live FESBWN!

New meal order system by flight direction & time zone - no FEBO (Sep '14) ...

Well, officially; but some FA's still seem to use it, among other methods. Anecdotes there and elsewhere indicate may FA's find it confusing, either reverting to Even/Odd protocol, tossing a coin or just doing it how they wish.

 

[Princess Fiona]

My last experiences were in January - I had pre-ordered each time.

Maybe there are a higher percentage who pre-order these days and FA's were just going to those who their sheet indicated had not.

Certainly, status order is what you generally see on UA - I was treated well as a *G back in my Airpoints days.

However, FEBO for "Preferences" is Dead! Long Live FESBWN!

New meal order system by flight direction & time zone - no FEBO (Sep '14) ...

Well, officially; but some FA's still seem to use it, among other methods. Anecdotes there and elsewhere indicate may FA's find it confusing, either reverting to Even/Odd protocol, tossing a coin or just doing it how they wish.

Definitely seen FEBO long after Sep 14.
I have quite a few AA flights coming up next month. I'll report back. I have pre-ordered my entree on all of those eligible.

 

[JohnK]

You have to feel sorry for the OP. They paid for First (even if you call it domestic business) and received sub-standard service. How do you run out of meals? Not load enough meals and then handed them out to upgraded elites first? Not good.

And this shouldn't be a case of buyer beware. If they had received what they had paid for in the first instance this wouldn't be an issue.

 

[DC3]

Definitely seen FEBO long after Sep 14.
I have quite a few AA flights coming up next month. I'll report back. I have pre-ordered my entree on all of those eligible.

It's most likely that some of the FAs who were already with AA, pre-merger, still do FEBO. Old habits die hard, yes?

(I've got a few AA flights coming up, but I don't think that I'll be checking whether they were with AA or US Airways, pre-merger.)

 

[kermatu]

Definitely seen FEBO long after Sep 14.
I have quite a few AA flights coming up next month. I'll report back. I have pre-ordered my entree on all of those eligible.

My most recent experiences were Dec 14 and FEBO was definitely in effect. Most of my flights were 2+ hours and I had pre-ordered, so it didn't really matter. Incidentally, I always had my pre-ordered entrée and it was acknowledged as such - even once when I was moved onto a different flight 2 hours later - not that hard to get right, clearly.

Interestingly one 75 minute flight (I think it was Phoenix to Vegas) was a 'snack' flight - the F cabin manager took drink orders before take-off and came around 2 times more for drinks and 3 times with her basket of snacks (sandwiches, fruit, chips/pretzels etc) encouraging the maybe 16 of us in F to take whatever we wanted. I was actually impressed (perhaps a bit surprised given low expectations for a non-meal flight). She took her job seriously and I made a point of getting her details and leaving some feedback.

 

[Mattg]

My experiences with American Airlines have mostly been extremely poor as well.

On two occasions I have felt that I was treatly so badly by AA that compensation was in order. The first time, I received a $150 AA voucher. After the second time, however, I vowed not to fly AA again (for at least a few years, anyway). When I sent feedback, I specifically requested they do not send an AA voucher for this reason. They instead credited my account with about 10,000 AAdvantage miles. I happily used them to fly on Qantas.

 

[TomVexille]

My most recent experiences were Dec 14 and FEBO was definitely in effect. Most of my flights were 2+ hours and I had pre-ordered, so it didn't really matter. Incidentally, I always had my pre-ordered entrée and it was acknowledged as such - even once when I was moved onto a different flight 2 hours later - not that hard to get right, clearly.

Interestingly one 75 minute flight (I think it was Phoenix to Vegas) was a 'snack' flight - the F cabin manager took drink orders before take-off and came around 2 times more for drinks and 3 times with her basket of snacks (sandwiches, fruit, chips/pretzels etc) encouraging the maybe 16 of us in F to take whatever we wanted. I was actually impressed (perhaps a bit surprised given low expectations for a non-meal flight). She took her job seriously and I made a point of getting her details and leaving some feedback.

We've had service like that on a LAX-SFO flight. I think we ended up leaving with a few extra bags of snacks and some minis.

 

[dajop]

We've had service like that on a LAX-SFO flight. I think we ended up leaving with a few extra bags of snacks and some minis.

And yet I've also had a 3 hr service from DFW to LAX where the only thing on offer was a single bowl of nuts and a cookie, because it was already 8:30pm. At least things have changed for the better with a range of snacks on offer now it seems.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I hope the QF bashers are reading this. We are so spoilt in Australia.

Hardly. Take a look at intra-Asia business class on JL, NH, SQ, CX, even dare I say it... TG. While Australia is 'ok', I wouldn't say we are getting anything 'amazing'.

QF domestic J is pretty good. Although I was very impressed with VN domestic J recently - pretty much up to par with QF. They even have hot towels! And priority baggage actually works.

Again, compared to intra-Asia there is plenty of room for improvement. Almost $2000 return SYD-MEL and you get a $2 meal and not a single top-shelf liquor. My recent 2-3-2 business class packed in like sardines on a 332 was worse than QFi PE.

You have to feel sorry for the OP. They paid for First (even if you call it domestic business) and received sub-standard service. How do you run out of meals? Not load enough meals and then handed them out to upgraded elites first? Not good.

And this shouldn't be a case of buyer beware. If they had received what they had paid for in the first instance this wouldn't be an issue.

These things happen. CX ran out of 2 of 3 meal choices by the third row exHKG the other day. They brought around economy meals instead for the rest of the cabin (would have been around 24 pax unless they wanted the one business class fish dish available). It wasn't that much of a deal.

overall I really enjoy AA F. Good booze (and plenty of it)... but what really shines 99.9% of the time is the staff. Always been consistently good and interactive. Can't say the say the same for some other carriers.

 

[anat0l]

Hardly. Take a look at intra-Asia business class on JL, NH, SQ, CX, even dare I say it... TG. While Australia is 'ok', I wouldn't say we are getting anything 'amazing'.

The only thing is, how valid is it to make the comparison between Australia domestic versus intra-Asia (international)? Comparing an apple and an orange?

Also, in the guise of the main comparison against USA domestic, we have a pretty good deal in Australia, perhaps prices aside.

These things happen. CX ran out of 2 of 3 meal choices by the third row exHKG the other day. They brought around economy meals instead for the rest of the cabin (would have been around 24 pax unless they wanted the one business class fish dish available). It wasn't that much of a deal.

Except that in this case the affected OP didn't even get a J meal at all. At least those CX pax who were "unlucky" could have taken a J fish dish, although wow what were the chances that the other 2 choices would have run out. The OP in this case had no other choice in J available to them. And I don't know about how CX catering is going, but there certainly is a marked difference between the quality and quantity of food offerings between Y and F on AA.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The only thing is, how valid is it to make the comparison between Australia domestic versus intra-Asia (international)? Comparing an apple and an orange?

I think intra-Asia or domestic Australia is pretty much same same for comparison purposes ... same planes, same(ish) seating. same fares for distance flown (perhaps actually more expensive in Australia?). if you want to compare it exactly apples for apples then we still lose comparing trans-Tasman to infra-Asia.

we may call our front cabin in Australia 'business class' but the fares are more reflective of first class in some cases.

 

[moa999]

I thought FEBO got replaced back in 2014 with some compass direction thing:

When an aircraft flight involves a change of time zones, take meal preferences:

. . . • Eastbound: from forward / front to aft /back
. . . • Westbound: from aft to forward

If the flight does not involve a change of any time zones, take meal preferences:
. . . • Southbound: from forward to aft
. . . • Northbound: from aft to forward



FEBO still sort of works as most Eastbound flights are even, and Westbound odd


The Death of FEBO: American's New Meal Ordering Procedure Starts September 1 - View from the Wing

​

 

[Princess Fiona]

I thought FEBO got replaced back in 2014 with some compass direction thing:

When an aircraft flight involves a change of time zones, take meal preferences:

. . . • Eastbound: from forward / front to aft /back
. . . • Westbound: from aft to forward

If the flight does not involve a change of any time zones, take meal preferences:
. . . • Southbound: from forward to aft
. . . • Northbound: from aft to forward



FEBO still sort of works as most Eastbound flights are even, and Westbound odd


The Death of FEBO: American's New Meal Ordering Procedure Starts September 1 - View from the Wing

​

I think that may be an example of work as imagined against work as performed

 

[JohnK]

These things happen. CX ran out of 2 of 3 meal choices by the third row exHKG the other day. They brought around economy meals instead for the rest of the cabin (would have been around 24 pax unless they wanted the one business class fish dish available). It wasn't that much of a deal.

That's not good and not really good enough but I guess it can happen in full cabin.

A couple of nights ago they were taking meal orders before take off. Not much of a choice but a least there was a choice. Some sort of rice option, some sort of noodles option and sea bass. I don't want to eat Asian meals and the sea bass was awful.

Sometimes I do wonder who dreams up these meals?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That's not good and not really good enough but I guess it can happen in full cabin.

A couple of nights ago they were taking meal orders before take off. Not much of a choice but a least there was a choice. Some sort of rice option, some sort of noodles option and sea bass. I don't want to eat Asian meals and the sea bass was awful.

Sometimes I do wonder who dreams up these meals?

the sea bass seems to have received universal criticism.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sometimes I do wonder who dreams up these meals?

A celebrity chef usually whose business is TV shows mostly reality, book launches and DVds rather than food.

So long as the celebrity in the chef gets enhanced, who gives a rats.... if it tastes good or not?