American Airlines is challenging Delta by bringing back free meals (AA)

pulse

March 15, 2017 2:46 PM

The airline will be offering free meals to main cabin passengers on cross-country flights between San Francisco and New York and Los Angeles and New York.

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American Airlines announced Wednesday that it will be bringing back free meals on select flights.

The Dallas-based airline will be offering the meals to main cabin passengers on cross-country flights between San Francisco and New York and between Los Angeles and New York beginning May 1. Meals will vary based on the time of day, and a vegetarian option will also be available.

American's move to bring back free meals comes just a few weeks after Delta announced it was reinstating complimentary meals on its transcontinental flights. And until now, the Atlanta-based airline was the only carrier offering the perk.

However, Delta still has somewhat of an edge on American because it is offering meals on more routes — 12 to be exact — beginning April 24. These routes include the same ones American is offering, as well as flights between Boston and LA, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Free meals were once a common perk available on most major US airlines. However, carriers were forced to pull back on spending to cut costs during the recession.

Now, United is the only major US-based carrier not offering complimentary meals on transcontinental flights.

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