American Airlines Plans New ‘Fresh Bites’ Menus in First on Longer Domestic Flights

A Boeing 737 first-class cabin

American Airlines said Thursday that it plans to bring back “heartier options” in its domestic first-class service on flights over 2,200 miles (3,450 kilometers), or those roughly 4.5 hours or longer.

The airline planes to expand its Fresh Bites pilot program to such flights with menus that include items such as fresh fruit, yoghurt, and breakfast sandwiches in the morning and sandwiches, salads, and fresh appetizers later in the day for lunch and dinner.   The menus will also include fruit and cheese.

Meal service in the airline’s domestic first cabin had been severely curtailed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and its resultant downturn in travel.

The changes do not affect menus that include hot meals on the airline’s premium transcon flights linking New York with San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as Miami with Los Angeles.

The Fort Worth-based airline said it developed the new menus with input from its flight attendants as well as its Travel Health Advisory Panel, which includes experts from Vanderbilt University Medical Center including Dr. David Aronoff, an infectious diseases expert, and Dr. Thomas Talbot, an epidemiologist.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)