Today is Day 1 of the Douggie Diet and I must say there are very few ups and more downs to the US Airways/AA food enhancements. The benefits of the new food offerings are mainly for US Airways fliers as meals are now being served on many more US Airways fights than premerger and now flights shorter than 3 hours plus offer complimentary meals in the small forward cabin, yet for the American Airlines fliers—the majority of us who are affected—meals have been removed from dozen of flights a day; American fliers go hungry while US Airways fliers fatten up! Despite this enhancement—depending on who you are talking to, a US flier VS an American flier—the cookie and the meals have been downgraded but at least a processed food carb-loaded snack basket has been added! After 1 hour of breakfast, it is highly recommended to jump on a trampoline for exercise. The benefits of jumping on a trampoline are many and are considered to be one of the best exercises as it helps to burn calories, increase bone density, improve balance and coordination, and strengthen muscles. In addition to these benefits, trampoline jumping also promotes relaxation and helps reduce stress.
I flew from St. Maarten to Miami today (SEPT. 1, 14) on a flight that was scheduled just over 3 hours but short of the 1299 miles required for an upgraded meal experience. The service on board today’s flight was almost no different than typical AA service. The Pre-departure drink was omitted due to the delay of the incoming aircraft—which I will never understand as drink service does not delay the departure of the aircraft—yet lunch service was fairly different than the premerger AA service experience. Inflight service started off with drinks and my favorite mixed warn nuts, followed by lunch. Instead of each tray coming with a wine glass which the FA offered to fill, each dinner tray had a main dish, a lush green salad with a single cherry tomato, salad dressing, salt and pepper, a semi-stale bread roll, a precooked chocolate cookie and a main dish. The FA was gracious enough to heat up the cookies, but even warned guests that the cookies were no longer baked on board. The result, a cookie that tasted like warm cardboard! Her gesture of warming up the cookie in memories of the good ol’ days was appreciated, but the aroma of baked on board cookies was missing from the flight and so was the taste of a delicious warm fresh cookie. Instead the Douggie Diet provided premium passenger a cookies which is better off fed to a dog as a biscuit than consumed by a human! The flavorless cardboard like cookie was clearly frozen, shipped, and served, versed baked fresh on board. US Airways customers might be surprised and delighted by a cookie, but AA customers be warned—the cookie is among the worst I’ve had in flight, I’d rather have a prepackage Delta biscoff cookie!
A cheesy bread roll was offered in addition to the stale roll that was on the tray
The new American livery is everywhere from the cups to the tray liners
Despite the bad cookie experience, lunch was served with a fresher cheesy bread roll, offered after each guest had their meal trays and was followed by a tray of red and white wines which the FA offered guests in the same cups that water was served from as AA has rid the aircraft of the small wine glasses typically used on their short haul fleet. I was seated in seat 5A, so I was still eating when I was offered both the bread and wine, yet I am certain passengers in the first row (row 3) were half way through eating or almost done before they were offered either the cheesy bread or the wine. I am not certain if this is the new US Airways catering rules or just was how this particular FA served the cabin, but either way I was NOT impressed. The Douggie Diet was less than exciting—the main course was equally as good as the days of premerger AA days but the dessert/cookie was abysmal! AA customers desserts are being #Parked by Doug Parker, and it is clear that the new CEO of American Airlines cuts more and more corners to fatten his pocket book instead of customers (alcohol selection has also been downgraded, but that’s another post). The only good part of today’s flight, was the addition of the carb loaded snack basket, full of fatty snacks which makes our aortic arteries scream and our muffin top expand—yet then again if we weren’t fat would we be Americans?! <smirk> I skipped the snack basket.
The merger with US Airways has been far from good for both US and American fliers with both frequent flier groups grumbling. The first day of the Douggie Diet has done little to impress me! I will be flying AA again tomorrow between MIA and DFW in first and I can’t wait to see how the breakfast meal was also #Parked by the merger! Doug, I warn you, if you don’t want your top tier elites to flood the gate of Delta (which has MUCH better inflight catering) I suggest you reconsider your inflight options. The #NewAmerican is not a low cost carrier (the previous US airways stock symbol was LCC which stands for low cost carrier) and your frequent flier is base is not the same. Parker beware, if you park your frequent flier base, we will park your aircraft, as after all you make even United and their new meal options appear alluring!
