Jan. 5, 2007 — If you're flying coach on American Airlines from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the airline's two nonstop locations, New York's JFK International Airport or Miami International Airport, you'll now have to bring your own meal or buy it on board.
American spokesman Minette Velez said Friday from Puerto Rico that on Jan. 1 the airline stopped providing complimentary meals in the "main cabin," which is the airline euphemism for coach.
The airline has no first class to or from the Virgin Islands, instead offering business class. Velez said complimentary meals are still served to passengers sitting in business class.
If you haven't come prepared with something from home, for $5 you can buy something light to eat. According to an American press release, the choices vary by destination but include a breakfast bagel sandwich, club croissant sandwich, Italian wrap, a turkey-and-swiss ciabatta, or an Asian chicken salad.
She said American tested the meal-for-sale program in other markets and found it successful.
American has also revamped its snack boxes. Instead of getting four or five items grouped together in a $4 box, passengers will pay $3 for a box of graham cereal with dried cranberries, yogurt-covered raisins, cinnamon almonds, and banana chips. Bags of snickerdoodle cookies, potato chips and M&M's also run $3 each.
According to the American press release, the potato chips were the best-selling items in a test held on 250 domestic flights.
These items will be available on 1,400 of the airline's flights lasting two hours or more.
You can now also buy bottled water onboard American Airlines flights, spokesman Many Sanderson said Friday from her corporate communications office in Fort Worth, Texas. Each bottle costs $2.
"People want their own personal bottle of water," she said.
The airline will still hand out complimentary glasses of water as part of its beverage service that also includes soda and juice.
Velez said passengers can pay for the meals, snacks and bottled water with cash or credit/debit cards. She said that previously, passengers could pay with cash only. Receipts are available on request.
St. John resident Caroline Rogers said the elimination of meal service means she'll no longer have to choose between chicken or beef.
Instead, she said she stops by the stand at Miami International that sells "those really yummy Cuban sandwiches," adding that they're not the healthiest of choices.
"People line up forever for those wonderful sandwiches," she said.
Rogers said that things like the elimination of meal service add to the difficulties of traveling.
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