LONDON- American Airlines (AA) flight attendants have demanded additional compensation for working flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) after a catering contract suspension created significantly heavier workloads on transatlantic services.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) filed a formal grievance on behalf of crew members, citing unpredictable conditions and no corresponding adjustment to staffing or pay.

American Airlines (AA) suspended its long-standing catering supplier at London Heathrow (LHR) last month, forcing the carrier to adopt double catering on US-bound return flights.

British Airways (BA) stepped in with a partial arrangement through premium caterer Do&Co, but Economy Class and some Premium Economy services remain disrupted as the airline works to secure a permanent replacement, PYOK exclusively reported.

American Airlines Attendants Demand Extra Pay

The catering disruption at London Heathrow (LHR) has fundamentally changed how American Airlines (AA) cabin crew deliver in-flight service on one of the airline’s busiest international routes.

Without a functioning catering partner at LHR, the carrier initially resorted to double catering, a process where flights departing the United States carry food for both the outbound and return journeys.

Double catering is rare on long-haul transatlantic operations. Aircraft galleys have limited storage space, and keeping food fresh across two full flight cycles poses real challenges.

Flight attendants working these routes now manage heavier provisioning loads, modified service sequences, and a level of unpredictability that did not exist under normal operations.

The APFA communicated the severity of the situation to its New York-based members in a memo issued at the end of last week.

The union stated that the added burden from double provisioning and modified service flows has created a significantly increased workload.

It emphasized that flight attendants are performing more work under more difficult conditions without any matching increase in staffing or compensation.

The Catering Contract Breakdown

American Airlines (AA) has not publicly explained why it suspended its catering contract at London Heathrow (LHR). Reports have pointed to serious hygiene concerns at the contractor’s kitchen facilities.

An unverified photograph circulated online appeared to show a dead rodent in a Business Class bread basket on a flight departing LHR.

Following the suspension, British Airways (BA) offered a partial solution by sharing space from its existing contract with Do&Co, a premium airline catering company. This arrangement now covers Business Class meals and the first meal service in Premium Economy on American Airlines flights out of Heathrow.

Economy Class catering and the second Premium Economy meal service remain adjusted while American Airlines (AA) either finalizes a new catering supplier or resolves the issues with its previous contractor.

Scale of American Airlines Operations at Heathrow

American Airlines (AA) runs one of the largest foreign carrier operations at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The airline operates up to 19 daily flights between Heathrow and nine US cities.

It accounts for nearly a quarter of all available seats between LHR and the United States.

In 2024, American Airlines carried an estimated 14.5 million passengers between the US and London.

The sheer volume of these operations means that any disruption to ground services at Heathrow has a wide-reaching impact on crew schedules, service delivery, and passenger experience.

Passenger Response to Do&Co Catering

One positive development from the disruption is the passenger reception of Do&Co’s Business Class catering.

Early feedback suggests that the new meals have been well received by travelers in the premium cabin. Whether American Airlines will convert this temporary arrangement with Do&Co into a permanent contract remains unclear.

The airline continues to work on stabilizing its full catering operation at London Heathrow (LHR), but no timeline has been confirmed for a complete resolution.

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