Reprinted from Dallas Morning News 3/9/04
American to try first-class meals
10:20 PM CST on Monday, March 8, 2004
By ERIC TORBENSON / The Dallas Morning News
American Airlines Inc. will remove food service for coach passengers on some flights from its hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport but will add food service for first-class passengers in an effort to appeal more to its best customers.
The Fort Worth-based carrier will remove "Bistro Bag" service from its flights to California and the Northeast, except flights to New York and Boston.
The changes will take effect April 1.
The Bistro Bags are cold sandwiches and snacks that passengers take on board to eat whenever they want.
Passengers flying from D/FW to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Montreal and Vancouver, Canada, will still get the bags.
American will use the savings to bring back first-class snacks and meals to 189 flights on the American system, a level similar to before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
"We are looking to apply food and beverage dollars to where we have the greatest impact on our customers," September Wade of American said Monday. "Customer satisfaction is very important to us."
According to an internal memo confirmed by American, Continental Airlines Inc. leads the industry by offering food in first class on 72.9 percent of it domestic flights, and American has first-class food on 62.7 percent of its domestic flights.
American hopes the changes will win it more business passengers who pay higher average fares than leisure fliers.
In a recent customer survey of airline food in coach, American finished last among major carriers, according to the memo.
American will be testing "new concepts" for food in coach, which will be announced very soon, according to Lauri Curtis, vice president of flight service, who wrote the memo.