American Air to End Free Meals in Coach

For most American Airlines coach passengers, there will no longer be a free lunch -- or breakfast or dinner.

The nation’s largest air carrier said Friday that it would eliminate complimentary food service for coach customers on domestic flights beginning Feb. 1. The cost-cutting move is expected to save the struggling airline $30 million annually.

The airline, a unit of Dallas-based AMR Corp., will start selling boxed meals and sandwiches -- priced between $3 and $5 -- on domestic flights longer than three hours.

Passengers in first class will continue to receive free meals, but only those on transcontinental flights will be able to place orders for vegetarian or other specially prepared meals.

Free, non-alcoholic beverages will still be served on all domestic flights.

Airline spokesman Tim Wagner said dropping free food for domestic coach passengers was made in light of competitive and financial pressures facing the entire industry.

Several other major carriers have either sharply reduced or dropped complimentary meals on many domestic flights, he said.

American and other so-called legacy airlines have been gradually cutting back on complimentary meal service for several years in the face of growing competition from low-cost rivals, such as Southwest, where free food is limited to peanuts or light snacks. After air traffic thinned dramatically in the wake of 9/11, airlines cut back significantly on free meal service even more.

Already, American Airlines coach passengers on domestic flights shorter than three hours have been served only beverages and a light snack. Those on many longer domestic flights receive a complimentary “Bistro Bag” meal, which is primarily a sandwich and chips, Wagner said.

After Feb. 1, the free Bistro Bag will be gone and coach passengers will have to pay $3 for a snack box, which will contain, among other items, bagel chips and a cream cheese spread on morning flights and salami slices and Oreo cookies on afternoon and early evening trips.

On some longer coast-to-coast flights and those to Hawaii, coach passengers will be able to buy a sandwich or wrap for $5.