# Menus on Planes



## Dakota 400 (Jul 9, 2022)

The occasional discussion of Amtrak menus and the years when different trains had their own menus has been of interest to me. I do recall the times when such regional menus were available and helped to make train travel fun. As a result of my interest, I have been doing some researching on some of the airlines web sites to see if I could find their menus. Sometimes, it's possible; sometimes, it's not. The domestic airlines, if they post anything, post generic menus. I have found one situation that I think is interesting and wonder what the airline's passengers might think.

A Lufthansa flight from Miami to Frankfurt: The First Class menu has 5 selections of appetizers and 5 selections of entrees. The Business Class menu has 3 selections of appetizers and 3 selections of entrees. 3 of the First Class appetizers and entrees are identical to the 3 offered to Business Class passengers. Given the price difference between First and Business Class, I wonder what the First Class passengers would think about that. If they knew. 

The companion flight to this one is the Frankfurt to Miami flight. Both menus are different from each other. 

I can think of a possible reason for this. In Frankfurt, Lufthansa would have their own kitchens. In Miami, they probably wouldn't and have to use the services of another airline or an outside caterer.


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## PVD (Jul 9, 2022)

Not sure if they still own it, since it was considered for sale, but one of the largest airline catering operations LSG Sky Chefs was owned by Lufthansa and has a presence at almost every major airport. Originally founded by AA in 1942 and LSG in 1966 then went fully LSG later.


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## trainman74 (Jul 9, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> A Lufthansa flight from Miami to Frankfurt: The First Class menu has 5 selections of appetizers and 5 selections of entrees. The Business Class menu has 3 selections of appetizers and 3 selections of entrees. 3 of the First Class appetizers and entrees are identical to the 3 offered to Business Class passengers. Given the price difference between First and Business Class, I wonder what the First Class passengers would think about that. If they knew.


From what I've seen (on blogs), First Class will get bigger portions and a better presentation than the Business Class versions (i.e., in First Class they'll individually plate the items, whereas Business Class passengers may just get several items on a tray put down in front of them.


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## MARC Rider (Jul 9, 2022)

The last time I took a flight on Southwest Airlines, they provided your choice of one type of hypoallergenic snack-pack along with the drink service. I'm glad I thought to buy a bag of salmon jerky at the Whole Foods in Berkeley before I went to the airport. And this was for a 6-hour coast-to-coast flight.

As for airlines that pretend to serve actual food, here's what United served on a Washington to Beijing flight:






At least the wine and beer was free on this international flight, even if the wine was pretty low-grade (but drinkable) plonk.

What they served on the return trip from Beijing to Washington was indescribably disgusting, and I didn't even bother to take pictures. I actually couldn't eat the "eggs and sausage" they served for "breakfast" before arrival at 6P local time.


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## Cal (Jul 9, 2022)

Here you go, by Jeb Brooks: Menus - Greener Grass


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 9, 2022)

Cal said:


> Here you go, by Jeb Brooks: Menus - Greener Grass



Thanks. I will investigate that site.



trainman74 said:


> From what I've seen (on blogs), First Class will get bigger portions and a better presentation than the Business Class versions (i.e., in First Class they'll individually plate the items, whereas Business Class passengers may just get several items on a tray put down in front of them.



I have never flown internationally in First Class, but, I have a few Business Class flights under my keel pre-Covid. Service by courses was once the standard for Business Class pre-Covid. flights. Even on my Singapore Airlines flight where there was a First Class section (out of which I was told to "leave" because I wanted to use the rest room which was closer than my Business Class rest room), service by courses was what I experienced. 

The best of the "service by courses" that I experienced was on an Air New Zealand flight from LAX to AKL in Business Class. Dinner and breakfast was both served by courses.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 10, 2022)

Cal said:


> Here you go, by Jeb Brooks: Menus - Greener Grass



Thank you very much for the link. The site provides interesting reading for me!


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## bonzoesc (Jul 10, 2022)

Best I've had was probably Delta from Detroit to Narita in February 2018; the menu named Oishi Japanese Restaurant in Novi, Michigan as the preparer.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 10, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> The domestic airlines, if they post anything, post generic menus. I have found one situation that I think is interesting and wonder what the airline's passengers might think.


Most of my US3 flights serve no meals regardless of cabin. It's pantry snacks or nothing. It's been ages since I've had a memorable meal on the US3 but AA had some decent pizzas in the early 00's.



Dakota 400 said:


> A Lufthansa flight from Miami to Frankfurt: The First Class menu has 5 selections of appetizers and 5 selections of entrees. The Business Class menu has 3 selections of appetizers and 3 selections of entrees. 3 of the First Class appetizers and entrees are identical to the 3 offered to Business Class passengers. Given the price difference between First and Business Class, I wonder what the First Class passengers would think about that. If they knew.


I'm guessing it would annoy them once they realize how much Lufthansa service has fallen relative to their high fares. There was always some overlap between First and Business class but this seems rather excessive. I previously considered LH a top-tier European carrier but their post-pandemic cabin service has received some truly atrocious reviews. Reading about one service disaster after another put me off flying them despite wanting a last chance A346 ride.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Jul 14, 2022)

In August I will be flying Delta main cabin BOS - LHR and return DUB - BOS. It will be interesting to see what the meals are like in coach compared to my last TA which was in 2007.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 14, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> In August I will be flying Delta main cabin BOS - LHR and return DUB - BOS. It will be interesting to see what the meals are like in coach compared to my last TA which was in 2007.



Please let us know when you return. I hope you will have good flights with little stress at the airports.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 14, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> Please let us know when you return. I hope you will have good flights with little stress at the airports


In my experience both 2021 & 2022 have been pretty bad compared to the standards of 2019, but long haul flights are still better than Amtrak IMO. The UA Polaris lounge was better than any Amtrak lounge I've ever visited. On the plus side there is nothing that Amtrak could not copy or exceed, both in lounges and on trains. It is my hope that they eventually figure this out and beat the airlines at their own game.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 15, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> The UA Polaris lounge was better than any Amtrak lounge I've ever visited.



I have not flown on UA since they introduced their Polaris Lounge and Service. II did visit their Lounge at Newark and thought it was very satisfactory. Nice selection of food and, of course, an open bar. The nicest airline lounge that I have used is Delta's Sky Club in the International Concourse in ATL. A wide selection of food is available appropriate to the time of day with an attendant keeping his/her eye on the items. Plus, the open bar as well with comfortable seating, good work areas, and nice restrooms.


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## MARC Rider (Jul 15, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> I have not flown on UA since they introduced their Polaris Lounge and Service. II did visit their Lounge at Newark and thought it was very satisfactory. Nice selection of food and, of course, an open bar. The nicest airline lounge that I have used is Delta's Sky Club in the International Concourse in ATL. A wide selection of food is available appropriate to the time of day with an attendant keeping his/her eye on the items. Plus, the open bar as well with comfortable seating, good work areas, and nice restrooms.


We should all realize that AmtrakMaineiac is traveling coach. Obviously, there's going to be no chance to experience the Polaris Lounge and Service in such a case. We'll just have to see how the current offerings in coach compare to what I was served in 2017. (See my post of July 9, above.) I should note that on my 2017 trip to Beijing, I had upgraded to Economy Plus, but that doesn't give you anything more in service, only more legroom.


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## jis (Jul 15, 2022)

I will be traveling Polaris EWR-DEL-ORD in August and will get to spend several hours in the EWR Polaris Lounge. So I guess I will get to report on it after that.


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## jiml (Jul 15, 2022)

UA lounges were always a step ahead of AA (Giordano's pizza and lasagna in Chicago when AA had carrot sticks and dip comes to mind), so I won't be surprised if the Polaris lounge is every bit as good as the online reviews. Look forward to your opinion.


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## BCL (Jul 15, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> Thanks. I will investigate that site.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Flew first class once from Taiwan to San Francisco on a Mandarin Airlines MD-11. It was incredible too since there were only 4 first class passengers and I believe about as many first class flight attendants. The food was still just reheated, although I chose the Chinese food option. However, they had various snacks including Sevruga caviar. Also a choice of alcoholic beverages including vintage Dom Perignon and non-vintage Krug as well as XO Cognac.

I don't remember Air New Zealand being all that special in economy. In fact we were flying standby on someone buddy pass, so it could have gotten interesting if we were denied boarding due to lack of availability. However, I do remember being at Auckland Airport for about a 2 hour transfer connection to Sydney at about 5 AM, and McDonald's was open where we got Egg McMuffin meals.


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## BCL (Jul 15, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> The last time I took a flight on Southwest Airlines, they provided your choice of one type of hypoallergenic snack-pack along with the drink service. I'm glad I thought to buy a bag of salmon jerky at the Whole Foods in Berkeley before I went to the airport. And this was for a 6-hour coast-to-coast flight.



The experience I remember was when we went and dropped my in-laws off at OAK, where we stopped by In-N-Out first. My FIL didn't seem to think it was that great and told us to keep it, even though my wife and I already ate two on the way over and had the other two in a bag. So we just offered them to anyone in line at security who wanted it, at which point my FIL (who can be pretty cheap sometimes) couldn't stand to see us give it away and grabbed the bag. But there was a taker before he took it. I think before we got to security someone asked where in the airport they had it, and we said we got it on the drive in by the freeway.

Southwest supposedly had prepared sandwiches at one point on some routes.

Alaska Airlines used to advertise about how great their meal service was, but 



I can't find it, but I do remember one where they showed an airline board room where everyone was eating steak and lobster while they were discussing how to nickel and dime the passengers while serving them micro-meals.


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 15, 2022)

Best Airport Lounge experience I ever had was while I was flying FC on CP Air from San Francisco to Vancouver.

CP had a Deal with Quantas to use their Lounge @ SFO, and the food and drink, as well as the Service,was Outstanding during the 6 hours I was in the Lounge because of a Weather Delay of the CP Flight.

Once we were aboard and heading up the Coast to Vancouver, the Few passengers in FC were served the Best Fresh Salmon I've ever had, along with World Class Wines and Deserts.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 16, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> I have not flown on UA since they introduced their Polaris Lounge and Service. II did visit their Lounge at Newark and thought it was very satisfactory. Nice selection of food and, of course, an open bar. The nicest airline lounge that I have used is Delta's Sky Club in the International Concourse in ATL. A wide selection of food is available appropriate to the time of day with an attendant keeping his/her eye on the items. Plus, the open bar as well with comfortable seating, good work areas, and nice restrooms.


I rarely fly United but I do fly airlines that contract with United lounges. I'm not much of a lounge person (mostly due to the lounge paradox¹) but I've visited a few United Clubs here and there. United has the only lounge at my home airport and does a decent job among the US3. Newer Delta Sky Clubs look interesting but most Delta hubs are out of my way. I put a premium on convenient daytime flights that are as short and direct as possible. The days of predawn crisscrossing are mostly over for me².



MARC Rider said:


> We should all realize that AmtrakMaineiac is traveling coach. Obviously, there's going to be no chance to experience the Polaris Lounge and Service in such a case. We'll just have to see how the current offerings in coach compare to what I was served in 2017. (See my post of July 9, above.) I should note that on my 2017 trip to Beijing, I had upgraded to Economy Plus, but that doesn't give you anything more in service, only more legroom.


United's _Economy Plus_ seems to be stuck in first gear. Delta's _Comfort Plus_ and American's _Main Cabin Extra_ have been objectively better for years now. On most airlines Y+ food upgrades are pretty minimal (a fancier salad, a second dessert, or a third option main) but it helps improve the experience in a subconscious way. Domestically DL/AA include free drinks and a cocktail or two makes the seat _feel_ more spacious and relaxing. Even if I book F/J I need to consider what would happen with a broken connection or equipment swap and E+ needs to catch up.



jiml said:


> UA lounges were always a step ahead of AA (Giordano's pizza and lasagna in Chicago when AA had carrot sticks and dip comes to mind), so I won't be surprised if the Polaris lounge is every bit as good as the online reviews. Look forward to your opinion.


I'm not as familiarized as Jis but I felt the Chicago³ location lived up to the reviews. Entry was quick just scan and go. No gruff attitudes or lounge dragon encounters. The open yet cozy design, the relative abundance of seating, and the welcoming staff were the perfect antidote to the usual ORD scrum. The food was simple but well presented. The experience was not as polished as a Ritz-Carlton or Park Hyatt but it was damn good for a business lounge and the staff made up for any shortfalls. Compared to a typical business lounge Polaris was less crowded, more relaxing, and friendlier. Asian airlines are good at being deferential but that's not the same as being friendly and the Polaris lounge does a good job with staff interaction. It's a bit like a more conservative version of a VS Clubhouse. The big benefit for UA pax is that they can use Polaris lounges for arrivals as well. The following review lays it out pretty well, including pictures and menus, and although dated from April 22 is very similar to my recent visit.









United Polaris Lounge Review - Chicago O’Hare International Airport [ORD]


The United Polaris lounge at ORD is an excellent option for business class flyers. Top-notch food, drinks, and views make this one of our favorite spots!




upgradedpoints.com





To get this post back on-topic here are some business class menus of recent ANA/NH flights.







1. Airports that are bad enough to make lounges appealing tend to have crap lounges and vice versa.
2. Except when AA busts my connection for the Nth time and I'm stuck with whatever is left.
3. Chicago O'Hare was the original location. The others are found at EWR, IAH, LAX, SFO, & IAD.


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## jiml (Jul 16, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> Best Airport Lounge experience I ever had was while I was flying FC on CP Air from San Francisco to Vancouver.
> 
> CP had a Deal with Quantas to use their Lounge @ SFO, and the food and drink, as well as the Service,was Outstanding during the 6 hours I was in the Lounge because of a Weather Delay of the CP Flight.
> 
> Once we were aboard and heading up the Coast to Vancouver, the Few passengers in FC were served the Best Fresh Salmon I've ever had, along with World Class Wines and Deserts.


CP was a wonderful airline, and responsible for my long history and lifetime status with American Airlines. They were actual partners on many levels beyond codeshares and loyalty programs. It was sad when the Canadian government blocked a closer association between the two and forced a merger into Air Canada. Ironically at the time CP was run by an American and AA by a Canadian.


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## jiml (Jul 16, 2022)

Here is the menu from Air Canada domestic "Signature Service" - one step above normal domestic Business Class, from my recent flight to Calgary:



They didn't have one of the entrees and actually ran out of Business Class meals entirely, with some passengers receiving Premium Economy trays. Also, you got cheese or a brownie - not both.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Jul 16, 2022)

Dakota 400 said:


> Please let us know when you return. I hope you will have good flights with little stress at the airports.


Thanks! I will be doing a trip report especially since I am also doing some train travel in the UK and Ireland.


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## jiml (Jul 16, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Thanks! I will be doing a trip report especially since I am also doing some train travel in the UK and Ireland.


Jealous! This is the trip we had to cancel last year for the obvious reason. Looking forward to your report.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 16, 2022)

jiml said:


> Here is the menu from Air Canada domestic "Signature Service" - one step above normal domestic Business Class, from my recent flight to Calgary:
> View attachment 28867
> 
> 
> They didn't have one of the entrees and actually ran out of Business Class meals entirely, with some passengers receiving Premium Economy trays. Also, you got cheese or a brownie - not both.



That's a very good sounding menu. I have friends who will soon be flying on Finnair Helsinki to New York in Business Class. Their projected menu choices do not sound as appetizing as these do.


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## dlagrua (Jul 16, 2022)

In 2021 we flew to Phoenix in first class on United. While the food was prepared and reheated it was FAR better than the Amtrak Flex meals. IMO, the flex meals could be good using quality food but right now they are terrible. We've had $3 TV dinners that tasted better than that stuff. We just requested a cheeseburger instead and that was far better than the flex stuff. Amtrak Eastern route sleeper passengers pay the highest prices but are served flex meals similar to what is served at the federal prisons.


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 17, 2022)

dlagrua said:


> In 2021 we flew to Phoenix in first class on United. While the food was prepared and reheated it was FAR better than the Amtrak Flex meals. IMO, the flex meals could be good using quality food but right now they are terrible. We've had $3 TV dinners that tasted better than that stuff. We just requested a cheeseburger instead and that was far better than the flex stuff. Amtrak Eastern route sleeper passengers pay the highest prices but are served flex meals similar to what is served at the federal prisons.


When my brother was in Federal Prison( Minimum Security/Long Story) and I visited him, we were allowed to eat Lunch with him ( we paid like $4 for the Meal) and the Food was MUCH Better than any "Fresh and Contemporary" or "Flex Meal" I've had on Amtrak since the Diners started slinging that swill!


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## toddinde (Jul 17, 2022)

jiml said:


> Here is the menu from Air Canada domestic "Signature Service" - one step above normal domestic Business Class, from my recent flight to Calgary:
> View attachment 28867
> 
> 
> They didn't have one of the entrees and actually ran out of Business Class meals entirely, with some passengers receiving Premium Economy trays. Also, you got cheese or a brownie - not both.


Did first class on VIA from Montreal to Windsor in 2019. The food and service was fabulous.


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## bonzoesc (Jul 24, 2022)

Went on AA's "Flagship First" service from Miami to Los Angeles a couple weeks ago:







Olives, nuts, and sparkling wine: https://i.bf1c.us/R0000146.jpg
Seared tuna and salad: https://i.bf1c.us/R0000151.jpg
Tortilla soup: https://i.bf1c.us/R0000161.jpg
Chicken: https://i.bf1c.us/R0000162.jpg
The sundae: https://i.bf1c.us/R0000167.jpg

Not a fan of the plating on the chicken, everything was pretty good, saved the sundae for the back end of the flight, and you'll be pleased to know that I got my amateur extra license and the presentation went well too.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 24, 2022)

bonzoesc said:


> Not a fan of the plating on the chicken,



That most certainly is not First Class dining plating! A chef in a smart casual restaurant would be embarrassed to have what he/she prepared was plated in such a sloppy manner.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 25, 2022)

From Post #29...



Did they say they were out of your preferred option and cobbled this together as a favor? I'm no expert on plating but this does not look very appetizing as presented.



Dakota 400 said:


> That most certainly is not First Class dining plating! A chef in a smart casual restaurant would be embarrassed to have what he/she prepared was plated in such a sloppy manner.


I think staff who feel embarrassment over poor service are weeded out during probation. My first few flights with American were during the transition to deregulation when service was still fantastic. AA made me feel welcome and appreciated even though I was just some kid in coach. Maybe the reason I'm so disappointed with AA is that I was able to see them at the top of their game. I've technically had worse service from United but because they were never that good to begin with it does not sting as much.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 25, 2022)

Menus were discontinued but here is what I dug up for AA's long haul PE. I could not use everything because few of the people filming recent reviews were able to get the meal in focus. 

February, 2022



April, 2022





April, 2022





Looks like a domestic First meal in a domestic First seat with a pillow, blanket, amenity kit (meh), and seatback AVOD. The main downgrades being plastic cups, Oasis coach lavs, and senior AA staff that expect you to visit the rear bulkhead for any service items. You also have to unwrap your own plates but that's unsurprising. It honestly does not seem that bad if it's a daytime flight.


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## jiml (Jul 25, 2022)

What route are you looking at? I have to say those trays look better than most of their domestic F offerings pre-Covid. I might not be so hasty to dismiss PE for future trips if they've upped their game that much.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 26, 2022)

jiml said:


> What route are you looking at? I have to say those trays look better than most of their domestic F offerings pre-Covid. I might not be so hasty to dismiss PE for future trips if they've upped their game that much.


I was looking for transpacific but mostly found transatlantic instead. A few videos came out recently but most of those were amateurish with blurry visuals and/or focused on the vlogger instead showing the quality of the meal. Maybe the more professional vloggers refuse anything below F/J or they're too embarrassed to post a review of PE. I've honestly had some good experiences in PE and I've had no problem with AA's domestic First so it seems workable for a daytime flight. The review with the best looking photos was not super positive but if you normally fly F/J that would be expected.









Perfectly fine but nothing more: American Airlines premium economy across the Atlantic - The Points Guy


American Airlines premium economy got the job done but was not particularly memorable.




thepointsguy.com





Looks like the heyday of PE was before the pandemic with printed menus, snacks, & preorders.









Worth the Extra Money: American Airlines (777-200) in Premium Economy From London to Miami - The Points Guy


AA was the first US-based airline to offer a true premium economy product. And it's doing it right with a good seat, impressive catering, and nice amenities.




thepointsguy.com


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 26, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Menus were discontinued but here is what I dug up for AA's long haul PE. I could not use everything because few of the people filming recent reviews were able to get the meal in focus.
> 
> February, 2022
> View attachment 28975
> ...



Thanks for your post and the pictures. The meals certainly look appetizing and the plating of the food is well done. Even the fruit dish looked very attractive.


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## Dakota 400 (Jul 26, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> I was looking for transpacific but mostly found transatlantic instead. A few videos came out recently but most of those were amateurish with blurry visuals and/or focused on the vlogger instead showing the quality of the meal. Maybe the more professional vloggers refuse anything below F/J or they're too embarrassed to post a review of PE. I've honestly had some good experiences in PE and I've had no problem with AA's domestic First so it seems workable for a daytime flight. The review with the best looking photos was not super positive but if you normally fly F/J that would be expected.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The two reports make for interesting reading. I am impressed given the recent reports about AA. Do not care for the 2-4-2 seating, but, I realize that is what one is going to find in this Class of service.


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## jiml (Aug 15, 2022)

We're fortunate (or in these times of airline turmoil I should probably say optimistic) to be flying home with AA on a temporary domestic route next month. One thing AA does well is letting you know the menu a month out so you can select and avoid them being out of your choice. I wish our "local" airline could figure this out. 

There's a decent selection on offer this time:

Gorgonzola-Crusted Beef Filet 
balsamic demi-glace, potato gratin, asparagus, blistered tomatoes
Grain and greens bowl 
red quinoa, red lentils, pearl barley, basmati rice, edamame, sautéed shiitake mushroom, broccoli, red cabbage, roasted corn, pickled onion, hot smoked salmon on the side
Porcini Truffle Tortelloni 
with Tuscan cream sauce and marinara
Created and inspired by our partnership with the James Beard Foundation and Chef Sarah Grueneberg 
Braised Chicken Cacciatore, porcini mushrooms, zucchini, squash, creamy polenta
I'm looking forward to this flight, however getting to its origin point with another airline is looking a little shaky. Not unlike the current Amtrak troubles, this trip was booked many months ago for a special occasion and both airlines have had their recent share of well-publicized problems.


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## Dakota 400 (Aug 15, 2022)

jiml said:


> There's a decent selection on offer this time:



Those are very good sounding items. And, creative offerings as well. Thanks for posting this,


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## TheCrescent (Aug 31, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> Look, the "$500 ticket" is mostly for having a private room and a lie-flat bed with sheets, blankets and a pillow. As for the value of the "$5 enchiladas," the true cost of putting them before you on your plate is more than that. Even when you make them at home, there's the mileage cost of driving to and from the store to buy them in the first place, the cost of the electricity needed to microwave it, and the labor cost of your time driving to the store and buying the product and then heating them up in the microwave and placing on the table. All of these costs need to be loaded with your personal overhead costs, which everyone has, even if they don't realize it. So, too, in the dining car. You're paying for someone to bring edible food to you, which is always going to be a lot more than the price of an equivalent item in a supermarket case.


The $500 can just as easily be spent for a first-class seat on Delta, which can get me door-to-door in 3 1/2 hours (instead of 16 hours on Amtrak), with unlimited cocktails, wine, beer and snacks. And a comfortable seat that doesn’t have duct tape patching it up (unlike my recent Amtrak seat in a Viewliner I).

Would Amtrak prefer that? If not, it needs to do a better job of justifying the expense.


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## Sauve850 (Aug 31, 2022)

lordsigma said:


> Not everyone who would take first class on an airline would even want to spend overnight on a train regardless of the food or whatever - no matter what. And first class on airlines varies in quality.
> 
> I thought the subject here was food not every single issue going on with Amtrak. By the way in case you haven't paid attention to the news airlines have had cancellations as well.


I guess I'm an exception. I fly first class always. In summer I travel from south Florida for my summer trip to Wyoming landing in Salt Lake City. With due respect to TheCresent Delta fares are no where near $500. Try $850-$2000. One way. The food if you get anything besides snacks is ok and the beer has been just below room temperature for the last three years so I send back to get it iced for a bit. Service is decent. But I get there in 3-4 hrs which is my only goal and then drive to my ultimate destination. Coming back home to Florida I prefer the slow overnight train trips in a sleeper bedroom or a Viewliner roomette is fine for the down home east coast leg and dont care that much about the food on any train. Over the last 30 years for me the best food has been fresh cooked breakfast and dinner desserts. The rest of the food has been ok at best. I like the general dining experience and meeting others but dining is not my primary reason for train travel. The overall train experience has significant room for improvement for sure.

I have two train trips back to Florida starting on Sept 10 so I'll see how it goes this year. Ill try some new things in the cafe and have some flex food and do a brief report after I'm home.


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## crescent-zephyr (Aug 31, 2022)

Sauve850 said:


> I guess I'm an exception. I fly first class always. In summer I travel from south Florida for my summer trip to Wyoming landing in Salt Lake City. With due respect to TheCresent Delta fares are no where near $500. Try $850-$2000. One way.


Same. I always fly first class. And I almost always get a sleeper even for a day trip. 

I’ve flown Delta first class for as little as $340 I think but that was a red-eye that nobody would want. Haha. But deals are out there.


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## crescent-zephyr (Sep 2, 2022)

Hey… since my post was moved to this thread I might as well post photos of recent first class airline meals for comparison.


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## cassie225 (Sep 3, 2022)

Is that first class, because my daughter had a first class on United from Newark to NO during end of pandemic and she got snacks, but she said coffee was good and she just wanted to be separated from other folks with a little more space. So that was important for her and she ate when she arrived in NO


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## TheCrescent (Sep 3, 2022)

Sauve850 said:


> With due respect to TheCresent Delta fares are no where near $500. Try $850-$2000. One way.


Delta first-class fares can be far below $500. My quote for fares was between two cities that are served by the Crescent.

On September 30, first-class fares are:

Atlanta-LGA/NYP: as low as $529 on Delta, $485 on Amtrak

Greenville, SC-LGA/NYP: $279 on Delta, $543 on Amtrak

So first class on a plane can be significantly cheaper than on Amtrak.

Odd that Amtrak has a higher fare for a shorter trip on the same train on the same day.


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## jis (Sep 3, 2022)

Just for the kicks, this was the menu in Business Class on a two hour domestic dinner flight from Kolkata to Delhi on Vistara (Tata and Singapore Airlines collaboration) in India that I was on, a couple of days back... It was served in three rounds on a place setting on a table cloth - first the soup and salad, next the main course and last the dessert, all within a total flying time of around one hour and 45 mins! Aircraft was A320neo 2x2 seating. The Business Class section was two rows.

Notice that there is no alcoholic beverage on domestic flights. The food was excellent.


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## Trollopian (Sep 3, 2022)

Two of the four entrees are vegetarian, the other two (including the hilariously transplanted "Cajun chicken") eschew beef and pork in keeping with India's major religions, this looks delicious. And table cloths! Really, if an airline can pull this off, why not Amtrak?


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## Dakota 400 (Sep 3, 2022)

Trollopian said:


> Two of the four entrees are vegetarian, the other two (including the hilariously transplanted "Cajun chicken") eschew beef and pork in keeping with India's major religions, this looks delicious. And table cloths! Really, if an airline can pull this off, why not Amtrak?



Such a menu makes domestic First Class look even more disappointing.


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## crescent-zephyr (Sep 3, 2022)

cassie225 said:


> Is that first class, because my daughter had a first class on United from Newark to NO during end of pandemic and she got snacks, but she said coffee was good and she just wanted to be separated from other folks with a little more space. So that was important for her and she ate when she arrived in NO


Yes - that’s from 2 different Delta First class flights this month. 

I was also served a good meal on a recent American flight. Plus American has Baileys!


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## Sauve850 (Sep 3, 2022)

TheCrescent said:


> Delta first-class fares can be far below $500. My quote for fares was between two cities that are served by the Crescent.
> 
> On September 30, first-class fares are:
> 
> ...


Good prices for short flights you are right on those types. Believe you said $500 for 3 1/2 hr flights which is what I have to take. Those are considerably more expensive for 2023 anyway. No matter as Amtrak doesnt have first class.


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## TheCrescent (Sep 4, 2022)

Sauve850 said:


> Good prices for short flights you are right on those types. Believe you said $500 for 3 1/2 hr flights which is what I have to take. Those are considerably more expensive for 2023 anyway. No matter as Amtrak doesnt have first class.


The $500 that I quoted was for 3 1/2 hours door to door. The total flight is 2 hours (from departure to arrival; about 650 miles). But the first-class price is as low as $279, above.


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