Skip to content

American Airlines will soon let you pre-order meals on regional flights

Feb. 19, 2020
•
2 min read
American E175
American Airlines will soon let you pre-order meals on regional flights
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

American Airlines' premium-cabin passengers will be able to pre-order their meals on more flights starting next month.

Beginning March 11, American will expand its pre-order option to include American Eagle flights that have a first-class cabin and fly on routes of 900 miles or more.

American said the move will make it the first airline to allow passengers to pre-order meals on both regional and mainline routes.

Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news.

"Ordering meals in advance is important to our customers, and we're excited to bring this option to more flights," Raphael Girardoni, American's managing director of food and beverage services, said in a statement. "The culinary experience is an important part of travel that we will continue to invest in."

The addition of applicable American Eagle flights mean there will be almost 1,900 daily departures in American's network that allow for pre-ordering meals.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

According to the airline, pre-order options on American Eagle flights will include a charcuterie plate, a Tex-Mex salad with adobo chicken, a Mediterranean turkey club sandwich, hot smoked salmon with everything-bagel seasoned potato salad and curried chicken salad on a croissant.

Yum!: Frequent flyers dish on ordering special meals on flights

For longer-haul flights, American will also update the Flagship First and Business food offerings on March 11. Departures from the U.S. to South American and Europe will include a chicken cobb salad on the pre-order menu, and the return flights will offer a charcuterie plate.

American's expansion of the pre-order meal program come as rivals Delta and United have also recently tweaked their programs. In November, Delta extended the ordering window — allowing passengers to select their meals 21 days in advance, up from just a few days before departure. And late last year, United began allowing its premium passengers to pre-order meals on select flights.

More: The 10 longest (and 10 shortest) American Airlines flights

Featured image by ROBERT ALEXANDER/GETTY IMAGES

TPG featured card

Rewards rate
5X milesEarn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2X milesEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
Enjoy a $250 travel credit & earn 75K bonus miles
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
670-850Excellent, Good

Pros

  • Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
  • You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
  • Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners

Cons

  • Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheckĀ®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Top rated mobile app