American bringing back lounge food service
Plexiglass and reduced touch point features are part of American Airlines safety protocols at Admirals Club lounges
American Airlines is reintroducing complimentary hot food items and signature food-for-sale favorites at select Admirals Club lounges across the country.
The month-long rollout is part of the airline’s phased reopening strategy for Admirals Club lounges and the ongoing response to coronavirus (COVID-19). Complimentary food items will be available starting August 12 while food-for-sale items will be available starting August 19.
Complimentary popular dishes including scrambled eggs or oatmeal will be available in the morning and soup or macaroni and cheese will be served in the afternoon. Timing and menus will vary by location.
Gloved and masked employees will prepare the items behind protective acrylic screens at a safe social distance and serve the hot menu items in disposable containers to reduce touchpoints. Starting August 19, signature food-for-sale menu items will be available all day and accessed using QR codes. Many of the menu items will reflect the region guests are visiting and vary by location. Admirals Club guests can enjoy a slice of deep dish pizza while laying over at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) or a sliced brisket sandwich before catching a fight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). All menus will feature vegetarian and gluten free options.
“When Admirals Club lounges began reopening in June, we made robust enhancements to reinforce the well-being of guests and team members who work in the lounges as part of our multi-tiered Clean Commitment strategy,” said Janelle Anderson, American’s Vice President of Global Marketing & Digital in today’s announcement. “Our guests tell us they’ve been eager for their menu favorites to return, and we are excited to bring those items back, all while following CDC guidelines and maintaining our commitment to providing a safe and clean service with care.”
American is offering the new menu items while strictly following all CDC guidelines and safety protocols. Face coverings are required while guests are in the lounges, but can be removed to eat or drink.
Additional health and well-being improvements that users can expect at the lounges include:
- Plexiglass shields at reception and service desks.
- Foot-operated door openers to enable touchless operation of restroom doors (where feasible).
- Hand sanitizer stations for guests.
- Increased cleaning/disinfecting frequency of tables and chairs.
- Signage and door decals to remind guests to practice social distancing.
- Capacity limited to 50 percent.
The airline has implemented multiple layers of protection, including enhanced cleaning protocols of airports and aircraft and enforcement of its face coverings policy. Only those under the age of two are exempt from wearing a face covering while traveling with American. The airline has expanded the frequency of cleaning in airport areas under its control, including gate areas, ticket counters, passenger service counters, baggage service offices and team member rooms. Passengers on many flights receive sanitizing wipes or gel. American has also limited food and beverage delivery on board aircraft to reduce interactions between flight attendants and passengers.
