Jakester

On a flight from SFO to ORD this week with all 30 F seats checked in and the flight almost two hours late leaving, how can F run out of food?
With the choice of omelet or corn flakes, by the time the FA's reached row 6, they had a box of corn flakes and a banana left for the 3-4 people who had not been served. (I was towards the front and was not one of them. I talked to one of the passengers later.)

To solve the problem the FA went back to coach to get the food that is sold to the coach passengers. Unfortunately, everything back there was sold except for one ham sandwich. So some people got nothing.

I understand the FEBO rule but you can't always choose your seat. On this flight about 10 upgrades cleared really late. And those seats were scattered in the cabin. Some of the row 6ers weren't 500 mile upgrades.

I realize it is way cheaper to offer corn flakes over an omelet but....

brp

Hard as it may be to believe, some people don't want something as unhealthful as an omelet (I prefer it, but many don't). While the cereal is probably marginally cheaper, there are other reasons. If one doesn't have a FEBO friendly seat (whether it's because you couldn't choose it, or for any other reason), one stands to get what's left. That's a fact of life.

Now, running out of all choices before everyone's been served is unacceptable. The rest of it is perfectly reasonable, even though some may not like it.

Cheers.

sithjedi333

Hey, FAs need to eat too.

KenJohn

Somebody forgot to count the F meals and check against the pax list.

I think AA do not automatically cater for for a full plane load as weight = more fuel. I have seen AA staff running in with food trays and bottles of water just before they closed the plane door when they realised they need more stock (heard the FA say earlier, can you try to get 3 bottles for water; 2 for First and 1 for the back).

sluggoaafa

Ran out of food? Not so. Looks to me that all pax received what was catered for the flight. Generally 21 Omelette's and 10 Cereal, leaving 1 extra omelette for either side...

As Jakester pointed out, all the pax before row 6 wanted the omelette's instead of the cereal, so the last part of FEBO receives the 'leftovers'.

As everyone knows, it happens. That's why FEBO is done the way it is on AA. I know on UA, it is done by status..., think of those Golds who actually had cleared UPG who would never get their choice!

No airline in the US caters all food options 100%, that would just be wasted resources.

Food option ran out, yes it did...running out of food food, no they didn't.

PresRDC

I'm not reading it they you did. It sounds to me like they actually ran out of food, not just one of the choices.

brp

Was it one box of cereal for all 3-4 people, or a box each, and cereal was just not the preferred choice? OP?

Cheers/

vrbaba

You need to re-read the part you quoted in bold.

nrr

while aa uses febo--i think that a pax paying full first class fare should be offered their selection first. [PS: as exp, i would never waste my money on full first class, but gamble for my free upg--so i would never be in that situation.]

Jakester

No, it was one box of flakes and one banana left. They got the sandwich from the back (don't know if they had to take up a collection to pay for it). They only got ONE sandwich because that was all that was left from the back. They did make an announcement at the start of the flight advising coach passengers to order early since they were not carrying much food to sell.

It didn't bother me but on this flight they did not serve the cup of nuts nor the little mint at the end. The hot towels did look a little smaller than usual.

(The last line is a joke.).

As the one poster said, if you paid big bucks and were left without a choice or NOTHING, that's bad biz for AA. (Or you could be paying with miles or earned/purchased upgrades.)

Someone on this board should know catering prices exactly, but cereal and a banana I'm guessing is a lot cheaper than what it took to put the omelet plate together. In addition to the omelet there's the 13 pieces of cut up fruit, warm roll etc.

TrojanHorse

same here, if AA screwed over a paying pax, that would be unacceptable

John Brock

The last four times I have gotten an upgrade it has been given at the gate--always 6B and unchangeable as far as the GA is concerned (AC has not been able to help). 6B is fine on odd flights but on even flights..... Three months ago I usually got the upgrade early enough (12 hrs. or more) to select a seat--no more!!!!

aspex

I have been on this route several times a year for many years. As well as on other F class flights to other destinations at least every other week. Not once has AA ever been short of food. You need to provide date and flight #s to verify your information.

TrojanHorse

I rec'd the battlefield upgrade this past Sunday IAD-LAX and was put in 1E on flight 75. I was all set to eat my tuna sub that I brought on but low and behold, they still had the beef when they came to me and I was the last person asked as well. I couldn't believe it that I even had a choice

sluggoaafa

I read it, and still read it, as they only had the option of cereal only for the last 3-4 people. However, since Jakester talked to one of the pax 'later' guess it was the truth.

now, unless this flight was only catered for an 'x' amount and it was an OS situation, then it is possible that UPGs were given with the option to get on this flight, however they may/may not receive a meal.

I've been on flights were that has been a situation, and have been in both situations where we don't get the extra catering and those who were UPG'd did not receive food, and also on flights where catering did make it and those UPG'd were lucky enough to get food.

we may never know the true answer in this case...especially with the flight being over 2hrs late...why wasn't there enough catering then?