Asking for a sandwich in lieu of a hot meal
 

We'll be flying first class on AA next month, thanks to miles, and have the option to order meals in advance. However, both the selections sound like nothing we'd want to eat. Does anyone know whether it's possible to ask for a sandwich instead? Or should we just bring our own and eat what we can from the tray?

It's not a restaurant. :) They have no way to make food to order. Bring your own food if the offerings don't sound appealing.

>>Does anyone know whether it's possible to ask for a sandwich instead?<<

And they would make a sandwich from what??

Most airlines let you pre-order a special meal (vegan, kosher, whatever) so that would be a way to get something different than the two menu options.


Or -- even if the main course isn't something you like -- the other courses would be pretty much a meal (salad, side dishes, breads, desserts)


If not, buy something in the terminal to bring aboard.

You stuff a sandwich in a fish ?

Lieu = fish.
In lieu = wrongly borrowed from french, when we would say 'à la place'.

Voilà, I had nothing better to say, so I gave you a grammar lesson in french. N'oubliez pas le guide, merci.

And since I'm writing to say nothing, here a recipe for 'un Lieu noir'... Bon ap'

http://www.ptitchef.com/recettes/recettes-de-lieu-noir

Is this a domestic or international flight? If domestic they <i>might</i> agree to give you a sandwich if there are sandwich buy-on-board options for purchased meals in economy, but they usually sell out those meals and will tell you they'll give you something from the BOB menu only if there's something left over.

If it's a longhaul/transoceanic flight they may have some snack sandwiches for the "snackbar" set up in the galley for overnight noshing, otherwise more than once I've made a sandwich out of a bun and an appetizer or entree using what they offer. Buying food to take into business/first class seems a waste to me but YMMV.

>>Buying food to take into business/first class seems a waste to me but YMMV.<<

ditto that

>>more than once I've made a sandwich out of a bun and an appetizer or entree using what they offer.<<

Seems reasonable. But since the OP doesn't like the menu offerings they'd just be making sandwiches they don't like >)

I agree... Where would they get a sandwich to serve you?

You should buy one for yourself in the airport before boarding, if that's what you want.

We have found those American order ahead Business Class meals to be better than their descriptions, even on Domestic flights.

Good to know. I think we'll just buy sandwiches at the airport.

"In lieu of" is a common, and proper, English phrase meaning 'instead of' or 'in place of.' It's from the French 'lieu' which means place (and, incidentally, fish but that's not how it's used here).

You can google it.

Why don't you just call American Airlines and ask them?

NoFly
I am frenchspeaking.

I don't think she gets it. Oh well back to the point.

I hope the OP can ignore her and not become dissuaded to participate.

Just curious but what is the flight? I would think 1st class would have some good choices unless it's a domestic short haul hop. The times we've flown biz which has been log haul to Asia the food was great. We did once have a short hop biz from ORD to Toronto to connect to Tokyo and the food was fair but this was less than 3 hrs.

Cheers, Larry. :).

<<NoFly
I am frenchspeaking.>>

And the site is English-speaking, therefore why are you popping in about French-language issues?

To the OP: depending upon where you'll be departing, your options may be far better than sandwiches.

Although you may get a couple of funny looks. Bringing sandwiches into first class seems a bit like putting a bumper sticker on a Porsche.

I know the options: barbecued chicken or something lentils. Not my idea of lunch. We're flying from Sacramento to Phoenix, but the meal is on the Phoenix/DCA route. Unfortunately we get only lunch but arrive close to 8 p.m. and will then have to hunt up a light dinner.

Wrong: on the PHX/DCA flight we will get lunch and dinner.

Why would the airline choose to serve beans during a flight???

Because it's a nutritious vegetarian option.

<i>Wrong: on the PHX/DCA flight we will get lunch and dinner.</i>

I would double-check this. AA only provides one hot meal on segments as short as PHX-DCA. (You'll get a cookie before landing.)

You'll likely be on a former US Airways Airbus (A320 or A321) on this route, with no in-seat entertainment and not a lot of first class amenities. But it's only four hours so you'll survive.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...er-thread.html

The options don't appear to be available for domestic flights, after the cutbacks in meal service.

On the return flights, the options are much better: teriyaki chicken salad for lunch, chicken breast with herbes de Provence for dinner.

Jubilada, I was thinking of the effect of beans on the digestive system in close quarters.

Yep Underhill. I knew you meant that. :S-.