AirAfreak From United States of America, joined Apr 2012, 244 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 months 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2667 times:
I'd like to know how meal selections are planned from the catering department.
For example:
I purchased a roundtrip ticket under 24 hours before departure to fly from LAX-ICN via DTW with DL. Now, I understand there is a disclosure on the menu that clearly reads, "we regret if your choice is unavailable."
Now, I was in the first row of the Businesselite cabin behind the Businesselite cabin located between Door 1 and 2. So, on my flight to ICN from DTW, how is it possible to run out of the Korean Bibimbap Breakfast at row 11?
I am NOTHING WITH DELTA, but I paid for my ticket last minute and I would think paying passengers would have their choice of meal BEFORE complimentary upgrade passengers. I feel I should have a choice before a Diamond Medallion or Platinum Medallion Member when I purchased my ticket less than 24 hrs before departure.
After all, Businesselite/First Class pays for everyone else, right?
tdscanuck From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 12709 posts, RR: 80 Reply 1, posted (11 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 2519 times:
Quoting AirAfreak (Thread starter): I am NOTHING WITH DELTA, but I paid for my ticket last minute and I would think paying passengers would have their choice of meal BEFORE complimentary upgrade passengers
The catering service provider has no idea who's on board, nor do they care, they just provide the number of meals Delta requests, which is based on historical order patterns for that leg. Nor, I believe, do the flight crew make any service distinction between upgraded passengers and full fare passengers. Those upgraded passengers go upgraded because they're regular Delta customers; from Delta's point of view they're a much more valuable property than you are (i.e. far more likely to buy tickets in the future). I strongly suspect the cost/benefit tradeoff to giving you a meal priority (it would require them to service seats in a custom order on each flight or have to go back and retroactively cancel peoples' orders) is in Delta's favour.
EagleBoy From Niue, joined Dec 2009, 1621 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (11 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 2480 times:
And it just happens is the people in front of you ask for your meal choice before the crew get to you. Unfortunate but you seem to have had a lot of Korean Bibimbap Breakfast lovers on the same flight.
I have been in a J class cabin where 14/15 pax asked for the Steak, of which there were 10 loaded, based on historical uptake levels.
longhauler From Canada, joined Mar 2004, 4281 posts, RR: 36 Reply 3, posted (11 months 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 2314 times:
I know that at Air Canada, full revenue J passengers get a choice first, then upgrades in order of their FF level, then non-revs. (Good thing I like fish).
I always assumed this was SOP at most airlines.
Never gonna grow up, never gonna slow down .... Barefoot Blue Jean Night
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3650 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (11 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 2165 times:
I've noticed that some of the more mature FAs will visit passengers in order of stars beside their names on their printouts. Younger FAs don't seem to find that democratic and will go in order front to back. I've been as far forward as row 4 and had the first choice entree run out.
I've also been on flights where catering never got food loaded onto the plane, so I've learned to be flexible with what's available.
SR117 From Mexico, joined Jun 2000, 754 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (11 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 2133 times:
DL does not do complimentary upgrades for medallion members on long haul flights. They probably ran out of Korean meals up in the front cabin where other paying passengers were seated.
It's the same case with Japanese meals on flights to Japan, unless you pre-order them, there's a good chance of them running out.
Don't know if Korean meals can be pre-orded like Japanese ones though.
AA77W From United States of America, joined Jan 2012, 17 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (11 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1871 times:
I was in Biz on an AA transcon flight (JFK-LAX) in December, just a couple of days before Christmas, and the F/A came around to take our lunch order. She asked us if we wanted "A Reuben Sandwich" or "A Cold Salmon Salad". NO ONE on that flight ordered the Salmon Salad and thus they ran out of Reubens by the time they got to the guy behind me (odd # flight, so they started in the back). Long story short, after no one would eat the salmon salad they made the decision to cut the sandwiches in half and everybody in J got the Reuben. The sandwich was so massive that no one knew the difference. After the meal I asked her how she managed to give all 30 pax the Reuben. She smiled and said "You didn't know that you only got half a sandwich, did you?" Brilliant problem solving on their end and everyone was happy.
sq_ek_freak From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2000, 1584 posts, RR: 21 Reply 7, posted (11 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1771 times:
Quoting AA77W (Reply 6): I was in Biz on an AA transcon flight (JFK-LAX) in December, just a couple of days before Christmas, and the F/A came around to take our lunch order. She asked us if we wanted "A Reuben Sandwich" or "A Cold Salmon Salad". NO ONE on that flight ordered the Salmon Salad and thus they ran out of Reubens by the time they got to the guy behind me (odd # flight, so they started in the back). Long story short, after no one would eat the salmon salad they made the decision to cut the sandwiches in half and everybody in J got the Reuben. The sandwich was so massive that no one knew the difference. After the meal I asked her how she managed to give all 30 pax the Reuben. She smiled and said "You didn't know that you only got half a sandwich, did you?" Brilliant problem solving on their end and everyone was happy.
Hmm and what if someone did notice the difference? That'd be a rather embarrassing situation for the cabin crew. Also may I ask why the meal offerings were so meager in Business Class on AA's Flagship service? Was it a post peak hour flight (past their prescribed dinner time?)
Quoting kgaiflyer (Reply 4): I've noticed that some of the more mature FAs will visit passengers in order of stars beside their names on their printouts. Younger FAs don't seem to find that democratic and will go in order front to back. I've been as far forward as row 4 and had the first choice entree run out.
I've noticed this on United too, though lately I see they just go in order and give a little more attention to their "stars" on the manifest, and during taxi I see them working out who should be getting their first choice on the list while buckled in to their jump seat.
I've always found it peculiar how seemingly reasonable people get so agitated about meals i.e. not getting their first choice. Given how much these tickets cost, I understand it's irritating, especially for those seated in the premium cabins. But surely there also has to be an understanding that it is not in the airline's interest to "cheat" these passengers out of their preferred meal, and that when we run out of an option its because of higher than anticipated demand. Sometimes there are other reasons too, such as catering mishaps etc (and in these circumstances its reasonable to expect some form of compensation). Most times however, it's simply that we had more passengers that wanted choice A or choices B, C and D. As such, we can't offer it to you and there isn't that much your cabin crew can do, given that you're 35,000 feet in the air.
Apologies for the seeming rant, just got off a flight where a passenger caused a real ruckus over not having his meal option (he got his first choice during the first meal service, but not the second). I would have tried to put something together for him from Business Class, but all these mysterious previously undeclared "allergies" started being communicated to us, so there wasn't much we could do (mind you, some of the things he was "allergic" to were in the first meal he consumed).
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21495 posts, RR: 24 Reply 8, posted (11 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1716 times:
Quoting SR117 (Reply 5): DL does not do complimentary upgrades for medallion members on long haul flights.
In my experience virtually no carriers offer complimentary upgrades to elite level FFP members on lolnghaul international flights (or even on shorthaul flights in Europe). That's almost exclusively a practice applied on domestic/transborder flights in North America.
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6520 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (11 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1660 times:
Quoting SR117 (Reply 5): DL does not do complimentary upgrades for medallion members on long haul flights. They probably ran out of Korean meals up in the front cabin where other paying passengers were seated.
Yes and no. Only way to get an upgrade (sort of) on inter-continental flights on Delta is to burn a system-wide upgrade and even then it's restrictive based on the fare you paid for in Y. System-wide upgrade certificates are only available to Diamond and Platinum Medallions.
Quoting longhauler (Reply 3): I know that at Air Canada, full revenue J passengers get a choice first, then upgrades in order of their FF level, then non-revs. (Good thing I like fish).
I always assumed this was SOP at most airlines.
That would be against Delta policy and most US airlines as far as I know (except for the part about non-revs). Most US airlines (as far as I know) have a service pattern; odd flight numbers back to front; even front to back or whatever the policy states. At Delta it's front to back-even and back to front-odd. However on BE flights (international) it's always front to back.
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15872 posts, RR: 66 Reply 10, posted (11 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1648 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 8): Quoting SR117 (Reply 5):
DL does not do complimentary upgrades for medallion members on long haul flights.
In my experience virtually no carriers offer complimentary upgrades to elite level FFP members on lolnghaul international flights (or even on shorthaul flights in Europe). That's almost exclusively a practice applied on domestic/transborder flights in North America.
Seconded. Outside North America, you get upgraded if your class if full and the next one up is not.
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
JohnClipper From Hong Kong, joined Aug 2005, 773 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (11 months 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1640 times:
My experience on UA intl biz class was they tend to go to full fare pax first, then MP status. Makes for fun times watching them bop around the cabin taking orders.
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15872 posts, RR: 66 Reply 12, posted (11 months 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1638 times:
Quoting JohnClipper (Reply 11): My experience on UA intl biz class was they tend to go to full fare pax first, then MP status. Makes for fun times watching them bop around the cabin taking orders.
On CX high status holders get meals (and cocktails!!!) first. Thankfully, so do their families.
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
jayeshrulz From India, joined Apr 2007, 1000 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (11 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1523 times:
Hello.
The catering has no idea who are the passengers in business class or any if that matters. The airline "orders" the mean through regular emails and phonecalls done, to get the loads update. (Trust me, alot of last minute load increase occur.)
The catering company has a "contract" signed with the airline, for standby meals.
For eg. In Indian airlines, IC , There are J seats ranging 8 in A319 to 12 in A320 and 20 in A321.
there is a contract for 3-5 "standby" meals in contract for J and 9 in Y. (Apart from the orders)
So if order is 3J+100Y, given is 6J +109Y. (But many times, they carry the full load in the trolley and remove the excess apart from the STBY after the final loads have come)
Quoting AirAfreak (Thread starter):
I purchased a roundtrip ticket under 24 hours before departure to fly from LAX-ICN via DTW with DL. Now, I understand there is a disclosure on the menu that clearly reads, "we regret if your choice is unavailable."
The choice of meals is divided into 70% First choice and 30% second choice as universal.(But many airlines can also chose 60-40) This depends on the original of the flight. If the flight starts from USA, the First choice will be more American breakfast, and if the origin is Asia, the second choice shall be Asian. And vice versa for the return sector.
A major German airline, for example has 70%-30% choice percentage. So if there are 40 Business class orders given, 20 shall be VEG, and other shall be 20 NV. And in Veg, 14 Choice A, 6 choice B. The same for NV.
Plus 10 STBY (5 VEG, 5 NV.. (3A 2B V, 3A2B NV).
Hence this could be a reason why you dint get Bibimbap choice for your flight ...
Quoting AA77W (Reply 6): I was in Biz on an AA transcon flight (JFK-LAX) in December, just a couple of days before Christmas, and the F/A came around to take our lunch order. She asked us if we wanted "A Reuben Sandwich" or "A Cold Salmon Salad". NO ONE on that flight ordered the Salmon Salad and thus they ran out of Reubens by the time they got to the guy behind me (odd # flight, so they started in the back). Long story short, after no one would eat the salmon salad they made the decision to cut the sandwiches in half and everybody in J got the Reuben. The sandwich was so massive that no one knew the difference. After the meal I asked her how she managed to give all 30 pax the Reuben. She smiled and said "You didn't know that you only got half a sandwich, did you?" Brilliant problem solving on their end and everyone was happy.
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