Just starting to see some bumps as a long time US Air frequent flier, but nothing too bad–I know it’s early days.
But I just got an update for a first class flight I booked with miles last year, basically just changing the confirmation # to an AA number. But the reservation detail includes the message next to the first class designation-- “Food Avail. for Purchase.” Not that I’m dying for airline food, but what’s this about. Google showed me nothing
Many US airlines have stopped serving free meals, at least in coach on domestic flights. As on your flight, they will have packaged meals for sale. But I just get a sandwich from the airport, or bring something from home.
First class on AA usually has some sort of food included. What, exactly, depends on the length of the flight. Short ones are just a snack. I’ve seen the “Food Avail. for Purchase” indicated on my coach flights, so I’m not sure what’s up here. I’ve only been upgraded to first class and have never purchased it.
I flew both airlines frequently before the merger, and AA frequently now (although a few flights are still labeled US.) I haven’t really paid attention to prices, although apparently AA now controls a very large percent of fights out of DCA. Service has seemed about the same to me.
The biggest change I think very frequent flyers will see is that AA won’t automatically upgrade you for longer flights unless you have the highest status; you have to use upgrade points that they dole out every 10k miles or so.
Very few airlines offer free food to coach passengers on domestic flights anymore. Most people buy coach flights almost entirely on price, so any extra frills got removed. You still generally get water/juice/soda/tea/coffee and a small bag of nuts or crackers.
I’m generally in favor of this change. Airplane food kind of sucks, and it’s quite expensive in terms of fuel to carry it. Carrying a crappy meal for everyone (that most people don’t really need or want) adds costs that everyone has to pay for through increased prices. Normally, I just bring my own food, or eat at the airport. And if I am so hungry that I need to pay $10 for a crappy sandwich on the plane, I bet I save more than that on the 90% of flights I no longer pay for food on.
First class actually, the person I’m flying cross country with is almost 7’
IME, first class *never *pays for food or drink.
Call AA reservations to ask for sure about your specific flight, ticket, and class of service. Anything else anyone else says (including me) is speculation that may or may not pan out on the day of your flight.