First World Problems on My American Airlines Los Angeles to Miami Redeye Flight

I just got off a transcontinental flight redeye flight on American Airlines from Los Angeles to Miami. I’m currently writing this from the American Airlines Admirals Club in Miami International Airport. I was quite disgusted when I left the plane. Here’s what happened:

Pre-departure drink – I was one of the last ones to board the plane because I had to take a shuttle bus to a remote gate all the way at Tom Bradley International Terminal. I was the last one to take a seat in the First Class cabin and was not offered a departure beverage even though I saw the open bottle of champagne just sitting in the galley. Everyone around me had a pre-departure beverage in hand. The plane was late to depart as well so there was ample time for the flight attendant to offer me a pre-departure beverage of some sort, but she didn’t say a word.

Feet on the Bulkhead – I don’t get why passengers place their bare feet on the bulkhead. It’s quite disgusting and a major turn off in terms of in-flight ambiance.

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Food – No menus were handed which I thought was odd for a transcon flight, despite remembering there were three choices to choose from the online meal reservation system.

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I had totally forgotten what I had pre-ordered so the flight attendant had to repeat to me what the choices were. I went with the hot item (chicken) and it turned out to look like this:

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I was appalled at what was served which I found out was a Pumpkin Seed Crusted Breast of Chicken with brown butter sauce, served with sugar snap peas and sweet mashed potatoes. The soup was horrendous, the bread was cold, and the chicken had no flavor despite the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was pretty much pure butter which I associate with lobster entrees. The peas and carrots were hard as a rock and were pretty much raw. This was easily the worst entrée I’ve ever had on American Airlines.

Dessert – No made to order ice cream sundae on this red-eye flight which I totally understand. There was only one choice and it was organic three twins sea salted caramel ice cream. Dessert was much better than the entrée.

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Snack – There weren’t any freshly baked on board cookies which are a signature item. The only thing that was offered was a whole fruit basket (not snack basket).

Pre-arrival beverage – There was no signature sparkling water with a citrus fruit garnish as a pre-arrival beverage. Instead, the flight attendant handled out a cold beverage. I thought it was some sort of fruit juice at first but couldn’t make it out in the dark. I was weary on what the mysterious drink was and it turned out to be a fruit and yogurt smoothie. I don’t like yogurt so I almost barfed when I took a small sip.

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The service on board was pretty lackluster as expected on a red-eye (I don’t blame them). This is quite the contrast from a LAX/JFK transcontinental red-eye flight. I really wish American would fly newer planes to Miami. Next time, I wouldn’t count on having a decent meal onboard a Miami bound red-eye flight. Don’t get me wrong, I love flying on American Airlines and their meals are excellent 99% of the time. This particular flight and meal service just rubbed me the wrong way.

Have you ever had an inedible meal on-board American Airlines?

 

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12 Comments on "First World Problems on My American Airlines Los Angeles to Miami Redeye Flight"

  1. Jamison.. The last time I flew that red eye out of LAX, I had no food other than the warm nuts, they always serve at the start.. Excellent service, the FA kept apologizing when I asked, about getting food. Considering what you got, maybe I was lucky!

    • That’s weird! I was on the 8:55pm red-eye and there are much later ones like 10:30pm and 11:40pm which are labelled as snack flights as well (not beverages).

      • Yeah, I thought do also.. My best friend lives in OC, I was taking a side trip to GIG and found it strange also.. I live in DEN.. And I’ve had late night flights out of LAX home that had no meal and it wasn’t a red eye.. I’m curious why it varies?

  2. Some of the flights, usually in the morning, are 777s which are far nicer. The 757 you took (maybe 767?) is ghetto.

    Why would you need to fly out of Bradley instead of T4?

  3. “Have you ever had an inedible meal on-board American Airlines?”

    Yes, typically on the LAX to MIA red-eye flights. I avoid that flight like the plague.

  4. sheldon cooper | June 3, 2014 at 12:15 pm | Reply

    I would rather sit next to the guy with the exposed feet than next to a whiny baby such as yourself.

  5. Proving you don’t always get what you pay for. I would be in favor of airlines adopting a rule about bare feet on the seats, etc. Many people out there are real pigs at times. Yuck! It’s all part of the sloth generations. Take a look at photographs of the Leave it to Beaver June Cleaver type folks flying in first class in the 50s and 60s. By the late 60s things started to go down as the masses emerged from Greyhound ground to Greyhound air and we went from pearl necklaced June Cleaver to punkster Justin Bieber. Who’d you rather sit next to? Money buys a first class ticket but not behavior.

  6. I totally agree with you on the feet thing, it’s nasty. I actually can’t believe people go barefoot on an airplane ever!
    Total first world problems..I think you should make a donation to a food bank because we’re all amazingly lucky to fly first class and to have food to eat!

  7. I guess you’re entitled to complain, you sure act entitled. And, my word, BARE feet. Tsk tsk.

    Maybe it’s because I travel to places where people have bare feet more often, but I’m not offended, and aren’t so easily offended by a coach meal and feet.

    BTW, your latest 2 entries on World Cup tix have several self-referential links, but surprisingly no actual links to FIFA World Cup ticketing info nor login.

    Sloppy and entitled. I’m not impressed.

  8. Amol (@PointsToPointB) | June 4, 2014 at 2:54 pm | Reply

    I don’t think it’s fair to compare a non-LAX/SFO-JFK transcon to that route.

  9. I stumbled across this article when looking to show someone about to land at the TBiT Goat Herder Building what it would be like. Man dude that food looks disgusting. As for the morons saying you are whining – they are why crappy airlines like AA can charge you a crapload of HARD EARNED MONEY and not deliver. We expect a lot because we pay a lot. I quit traveling on AA back in the 90’s – mediocre service and they majorly downgraded their personal after strikes….The people that don’t’ care about feet are the same idiots that wear other peoples shoes and then wander whats causing their toe nails to fall off….Tom Bradley International Terminal is one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever been, the queues look like a refugee camp. I avoid LAX when possible. Wish Air NZ

  10. I stumbled across this article when looking to show someone about to land at the TBiT Goat Herder Building what it would be like. Man dude that food looks disgusting. As for the morons saying you are whining – they are why crappy airlines like AA can charge you a crapload of HARD EARNED MONEY and not deliver. We expect a lot because we pay a lot. I quit traveling on AA back in the 90’s – mediocre service and they majorly downgraded their personal after strikes….The people that don’t’ care about feet are the same idiots that wear other peoples shoes and then wander whats causing their toe nails to fall off….Tom Bradley International Terminal is one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever been, the queues look like a refugee camp. I avoid LAX when possible.

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