Airline news

American Airlines launches new food and first-class amenities for summer

New amenities at American Airlines.

American Airlines

Fort Worth-based American Airlines has launched a new set of premium amenities and revamped menu items ahead of the summer travel season.

The changes come as the result of both customer and staff feedback, according to AA VP Kim Cisek, and are expected to roll out on Memorial Day 2024 weekend.

According to a release, American worked with a mix of boutique and well-known brands to create a program that will evolve throughout the years and feature rotating designs and skincare products in addition to a new "bedding" program.

Amenity kit
Customers flying in premium cabins with American Airlines will receive an amenity kit filled with items such as a toothbrush, dental kit, eye mask, and earplugs, plus a rotating cast of skincare products. The airline has collaborated with beauty retailer Thirteen Lune to offer skincare products from brands like Joanna Vargas and Relevant.

Bedding
In addition to the kits, the airline is launching revamped bedding, pillows, and sleepwear. First-class and business-class passengers will have dual-sided pillows with cool touch fabric on one side and traditional fabric on the other.

First-class international travelers will now get a pair of slippers during their flights, in addition to the pajamas the airline previously provided.

All travelers on the plane, including Premium Economy and Main Cabin, will get new bedding options, including lumbar pillows, throw blankets, premium duvets, and fleece blankets.

American collaborated with the inflight textile company John Horsfall to develop bedding made with recycled materials from their Re-Thread collection.

Nearly all of the pillows, duvets and blankets created for American flights were made with recycled fibers that maintain a premium feel, while filled bedding includes 100 percent recycled fill. To reduce single-use plastic waste, customers traveling in Flagship First, Flagship Business, and Premium Economy will receive their bedding in a reusable zipper product bag, also made with recycled fibers, saving tons of plastic waste a year.

American Airlines food New dishes available on American Airlines flights.AA

Food
Last but not least, the new amenities program includes new menu items inspired by popular international travel destinations.

Flights from the U.S. to international destinations such as Nice, France, Naples, Italy, or Copenhagen, Denmark, will get options such as macadamia-crusted sea bass with citrus cream sauce, quinoa, toasted orzo, and haricots verts.

Business class flights from the U.S. to international destinations will get options such as pan-roasted chicken and tortellini pasta.

Business class flights from Europe will get menu items like chili-marinated chicken with mojo verde sauce, sweet potato mash, roasted corn and mini chili; or gnocchi duet with plain and beet gnocchi, lentil ragout, apple chutney, brown butter, roasted spring onion, and green onion.

Travelers on domestic first class flights can order shawarma chicken, three-cheese sacchetti pasta, chicken enchiladas, or a plant based stuffed red pepper. Customers can also choose from new pre-order options such as short rib mac & cheese.

The new amenities program will be available on more than 300 international and transcontinental flights. The airline also plans to unveil new suite seats with privacy doors later this year.

dallas fort worth travel amenities american airlines

BBQ NEWS

Hard Eight BBQ chain to open first location outside of North Texas

Hard Eight BBQ/ Facebook

Hard Eight BBQ is opening its first San Antonio joint.

Popular chain Hard Eight BBQ is exporting its smoked meats and sandwiches to San Antonio, marking the restaurant's first location outside of North Texas.

Hard Eight BBQ is set to open at The Rim retail development, at 17907 IH-10 W. in San Antonio, later this year.

Hard Eight, H8 for short, is based in Stephenville and has four additional locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth: in Coppell, The Colony, Roanoke, and Burleson. It’s the type of neighborhood restaurant locals take out-of-towners to, with a large cafeteria-style line. It reportedly doesn’t cook everything according to time-honored techniques, but it does give a taste of Texana.

The owners have been teasing the joint in a series of social media videos, but have kept quiet on the timeline. Now, new Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filings say the 17,300-square-foot restaurant aims to finish construction by November.

H8 sells all the Texas barbecue classics including brisket, sausage, and ribs, but the smoked meats menu goes well beyond with shrimp poppers, sirloin, ham, pork chops, and even thick-sliced bologna available by the pound and in sandwiches.

The restaurant brings the same range to the sides. Although smoke shack favorites like macaroni ‘n’ cheese, slaw, potato salad, and pinto beans are on the slate, the barbecue joint also dishes out more newfangled dishes like jalapeño cream corn and sweet potato fries. There’s not much in the way of green vegetables, but diners can order a garden salad if they insist.

Cofounder Chad Decker, with wife Carie and in-laws Vicki and Phillip Nivens, first opened Hard Eight in 2003 in a former Stephenville filling station. His approach to barbecue was formed during his childhood in Llano, he says, where he was exposed to Hill Country methods and traditional German pits.

Although the quartet had zero experience in running restaurants, they slowly built the concept into a mini-empire through trial and error.

So far, H8 hasn’t shared an opening timeline, but its most recent Reel suggests some construction is already taking place. A request for more accurate timeline information was not immediately returned.

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