American Airlines announced a one-week test of a new a la carte snack option as part of the airline’s main cabin Food on Board program. Effective immediately, customers on select test flights this week can purchase Klondike Movie Bites(R) ice cream, Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Lay’s Stax(R) Crisps or Twix ‘4 To Go’ candy bars for $3, or Dannon bottled water for $2 each during the week-long trial.

The a la carte test is in addition to the complimentary beverage service, which remains unchanged, and the existing Food on Board fresh service available on American Airlines flights.

American is conducting the a la carte test based on survey results and feedback from customers and employees. For example, a recent survey conducted by American showed 78 percent of respondents said they would be interested in purchasing individual items for sale onboard the aircraft. American selected a range of sweet and salty snack options to better determine customer preferences on offerings considered valuable and convenient.

Based on customer and flight attendant feedback, American is testing the sale of bottled water to determine if passengers appreciate the option of purchasing personal bottles of water in flight in addition to the existing complimentary beverage service. The a la carte test will be available on selected DFW/Los Angeles, DFW/Miami and New York JFK/San Francisco routes between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1.

“American Airlines is engaging our customers through this one-week test to determine if they want a la carte snack items as part of our Food on Board program,” said Tim McMahan, American’s Manager of Menu Planning & Development. “Regularly testing food and beverage options in flight gives us the opportunity to obtain direct customer and flight attendant feedback regarding our Food on Board offerings.”

American launched its Food on Board program on Feb. 1, 2005, with the goal of providing quality food items for purchase in the main cabin. The Food on Board program is available on select flights greater than three hours departing from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. Choices vary based on flight time and destination, but currently include sandwiches, wraps, salads, Otis Spunkmeyer muffins and a snack box.

Earlier this year American Airlines, a founding member of the global oneworld(R) Alliance, introduced a new service to accept credit and debit cards for onboard purchases in addition to cash. Most major credit and debit cards are accepted. Receipts are available upon request.
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