American Airlines has updated its domestic service standards, and aviation watchdog JonNYC was first to flag a significant change and cause me to dig in further.
On domestic flights over 1,500 miles, the airline whose mission is not spending a dollar more than they have to will no longer have flight attendants perform a second pass through the aisle with drink service later in the flight – second drinks are on request only.
Flights under 250 miles don’t receive a pass through the cabin with drinks.
On most flights flight attendants may not even honor requests, though they are supposed to make drinks available on request. Flights 250 to 1,500 miles get a snack, like pretzels or cookies, known as Beverage Accompaniment Service.
Flights departing from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. that are 1,300 miles or more are supposed to offer buy on board items in main cabin, which is a more limited service than competitors (in terms of both availability and what’s offered, for instance American doesn’t do hot items for sale only packaged ones).
First class receives a change, too. On the Airbus A321, flight attendants are permitted to deliver meals from a cart. And the order in which meal requests are supposed to be taken has been standardized at front to back on every flight.
Meal preferences should always be taken from forward to aft, regardless of the time zone or flight direction.
Frequent flyers who are booked in first class more than 24 hours prior to flight often pre-order their meal choice, to ensure they get what they want.
However, booking or changing flights at the last minute or getting an upgrade close to departure doesn’t make that an option – so folks will often choose their seat based on when they’ll be asked their meal choice, so that they aren’t stuck with whatever is left when their order is taken – so it’s worth knowing that American will always do this front to back.
The biggest change though is service flow no longer including a second pass through the cabin in back on long domestic flights.
Drinks are still supposed to be available, but you’ll have to ask – either going to the galley or pushing your flight attendant call button, both of which may get mixed reactions from crew.
I might have expected flight attendants to like this change, since it means less work, but the reactions I’m seeing in cabin crew social media are largely disappointment.
They want a service they can be proud of, and think it reflects poorly on the quality of the airline.
