Air New Zealand Air Points - Out Of 1st Choice Food Options in BP?

Does NZ carry 1 of every main for every passenger for each meal on long haul flights. In other words if lets say you are sitting in the last couple rows of BP is it possible that those people will not get their 1st choice and have to "settle" for a lesser preference? I know Air NZ is one of the top airlines in the world so I would expect they carry enough where each BP guest can have what they want. I have never flown NZ so I can't say. Anyone else encounter this? I know this has happened to me on USA and some European airlines where people get penalized for sitting towards the back.

So if there are 4 choices you expect them to have 4 of each for let's say 30 passengers and just throw away the other 90 meals that people didn't choose ... Really ?

As a former LSG employee, I can tell you excess meals, beverages etc coming off NZ flights is extreme. I often wondered if a meal service had even taken place judging by the full carts coming off the aircraft.

Does NZ carry 1 of every main for every passenger for each meal on long haul flights. In other words if lets say you are sitting in the last couple rows of BP is it possible that those people will not get their 1st choice and have to "settle" for a lesser preference? I know Air NZ is one of the top airlines in the world so I would expect they carry enough where each BP guest can have what they want. I have never flown NZ so I can't say. Anyone else encounter this? I know this has happened to me on USA and some European airlines where people get penalized for sitting towards the back.

of coz there is a possibility that they would run out.... such as life
NZ*E usually (from experience) get to chose first

So if there are 4 choices you expect them to have 4 of each for let's say 30 passengers and just throw away the other 90 meals that people didn't choose ... Really ?

+1


I don't know of any airline that would stock so much extra food. But over time, they get fairly good at predicting how many of each to stock. I flew BA F recently and did not get my first choice (they only stocked one of it, 4 people were in the cabin).

There are lots of different ways for an airline to handle meal selection. Front-to-back is just one way.

+1


I don't know of any airline that would stock so much extra food. But over time, they get fairly good at predicting how many of each to stock. I flew BA F recently and did not get my first choice (they only stocked one of it, 4 people were in the cabin).

There are lots of different ways for an airline to handle meal selection. Front-to-back is just one way.

I can name TWO airlines that stock enough meals for everyone in F And J to get 1st choice. (EK & SQ). It's very easy for them to do this as they dontq need to stock regular menu main courses for anyone with special meal requests (SQ has book the cook / Halal) ans EK has a very lg percentage of people per ordering vegetarian). So, yes, the carry 3-4 main courses for each pax who did not order a special meal. The extras become crew meals and these carriers can do something that would not be allowed in the US, Europe and AUS/NZ; they can give the remaining meals to charities

Does NZ carry 1 of every main for every passenger for each meal on long haul flights. In other words if lets say you are sitting in the last couple rows of BP is it possible that those people will not get their 1st choice and have to "settle" for a lesser preference? I know Air NZ is one of the top airlines in the world so I would expect they carry enough where each BP guest can have what they want. I have never flown NZ so I can't say. Anyone else encounter this? I know this has happened to me on USA and some European airlines where people get penalized for sitting towards the back.

It would be very rare for BP passengers not to get first choice. Remember basically the same menu is catered for Premium economy meaning orders should be taken for BP first.
In 30+ BP segments in the last two years have never missed on my first choice meal.

I did one and no choice at all- NZ said cannot always get first choice in Y, me very peed off as in business D.

I can name TWO airlines that stock enough meals for everyone in F And J to get 1st choice. (EK & SQ). It's very easy for them to do this as they dontq need to stock regular menu main courses for anyone with special meal requests (SQ has book the cook / Halal) ans EK has a very lg percentage of people per ordering vegetarian). So, yes, the carry 3-4 main courses for each pax who did not order a special meal. The extras become crew meals and these carriers can do something that would not be allowed in the US, Europe and AUS/NZ; they can give the remaining meals to charities

That is interesting to learn, I didn't know that.


Taking an EK A380 with 90 F and J seats:

If they stock each option (3, I think) that means 180 extra meals, with 20ish going to the crew. It would seem silly to continually load 90 of an option if on average only a few peeople order it. If starters/desserts/second meals are also loaded fully, that means that EK is not using hundreds of meals after each long-haul flight. It would not be that hard for EK to track meal selection and develop statistical models so that meal 1st choice could be granted a very high percentage while not throwing away (or donating) literally thousands of meals a day (fleet-wide).

I think you'll find that crew on most airlines actually get a specific meal purchased for them, which is more often to a higher standard than a lot of the food in Y

That is interesting to learn, I didn't know that.


Taking an EK A380 with 90 F and J seats:

If they stock each option (3, I think) that means 180 extra meals, with 20ish going to the crew. It would seem silly to continually load 90 of an option if on average only a few peeople order it. If starters/desserts/second meals are also loaded fully, that means that EK is not using hundreds of meals after each long-haul flight. It would not be that hard for EK to track meal selection and develop statistical models so that meal 1st choice could be granted a very high percentage while not throwing away (or donating) literally thousands of meals a day (fleet-wide).

Not really. EK gets more SPCL meal requests then most other airlines. For every SPCTL meal ordered that a 3 regular main courses that don't need boarding. if 30/90 passengers order a SPCL meal, then they only need to board enough meals for 60, not 90. Agreed, even w crew meals coming out of the excess it seems like a big waste but not if they can (and they do) give the balance to charity , etc (and they get their money's worth in publicity, etc for doing it). As I had mentioned, due to customs laws you can't off load food in most Western Countries and give to charity, etc. but each of those planes end up back in DXB within 3-24 hours and it legal there as well as places like India, Pakistan, all over Africa, etc

No, NZ does not carry one of every main dish for every BP passenger. I don't recall ever not getting my meal choice in BP (although it has happened in PE); but it is possible although likely to be rare. NZ do not do the UA-esque "first and second choice" approach.


Oh: I do remember once, I had a very last minute upgrade clear and they were not sure whether enough Business meals had been boarded for the aircraft and warned me I may not have a choice.

I can name TWO airlines that stock enough meals for everyone in F And J to get 1st choice. (EK & SQ). It's very easy for them to do this as they dontq need to stock regular menu main courses for anyone with special meal requests (SQ has book the cook / Halal) ans EK has a very lg percentage of people per ordering vegetarian). So, yes, the carry 3-4 main courses for each pax who did not order a special meal. The extras become crew meals and these carriers can do something that would not be allowed in the US, Europe and AUS/NZ; they can give the remaining meals to charities

This is incorrect. SQ does not carry all meals for every J pax. I've been out of uk on more than one occasion.

This is incorrect. SQ does not carry all meals for every J pax. I've been out of uk on more than one occasion.

Sorry, your correct. I should have qualified it. It's only on flights Ex/ Singapore of over 6 hours.

I can name TWO airlines that stock enough meals for everyone in F And J to get 1st choice. (EK & SQ). It's very easy for them to do this as they dontq need to stock regular menu main courses for anyone with special meal requests (SQ has book the cook / Halal) ans EK has a very lg percentage of people per ordering vegetarian). So, yes, the carry 3-4 main courses for each pax who did not order a special meal. The extras become crew meals and these carriers can do something that would not be allowed in the US, Europe and AUS/NZ; they can give the remaining meals to charities

Rubbish. SQ do not stock enough meals for everyone to get first choice, well definitely not in business class anyway. I have missed out quite often on first choice and I'm a Solitaire. I missed out last Friday whilst travelling from SIN -> BNE for instance.

Whereas, on AirNZ as a Gold Elite, I always get served first.

GE's *used* to get to make their first choice of meals in BP. Three weeks ago, for the first time ever (in my GE lifetime = 10 years+) I did not get my first meal choice. It was between LHR and HKG. And it was genuinely the only thing I wanted. When I asked what had changed, they said they had reduced the ratio of meals loaded to BP pax and that I wasn't the first to mention it. The attendant serving me said that "someone beat me to the galley".

My polite response was that with the recent decline in the way the airline recognises frequent flyers in the airpoints scheme, that onboard recognition needs to be top-notch to in some way compensate for this, and that this included the continuation of first meal choice for GE's in BP. She responded that they needed to save as much money as possible.

So two issues in my case: the first is that the BP catering ratio has (apparently) reduced; the second, that GE's are not always given first choice, even where it is clear they low on a certain choice. As this was on the 772 it also would have meant that anyone in PE wanting this option would also have been disappointed.

I would hope that as a full paying revenue customer I would get first choice and then upgraded gold elites etc would get to choose after me. Yes, yes, I know the GE's have paid their way on other flights, but first choice should go to the full fare paying customers. My 2 cents.

I would hope that as a full paying revenue customer I would get first choice and then upgraded gold elites etc would get to choose after me. Yes, yes, I know the GE's have paid their way on other flights, but first choice should go to the full fare paying customers. My 2 cents.

that sound right, but pax are not differentiated once they step into the J cabin, apart from their Airpoint Status, booking class is not observed anywhere, if there is a hierarchy, they should serve

C, J, Z, then R

I can see things will be interesting with OneUp.

I would hope that as a full paying revenue customer I would get first choice and then upgraded gold elites etc would get to choose after me. Yes, yes, I know the GE's have paid their way on other flights, but first choice should go to the full fare paying customers. My 2 cents.

I completely disagree-the upgrade is to business, not a weakened pseudo-business class where you only get part of the normal service.

that sound right, but pax are not differentiated once they step into the J cabin, apart from their Airpoint Status, booking class is not observed anywhere, if there is a hierarchy, they should serve

C, J, Z, then R

I can see things will be interesting with OneUp.

I don't think much will change with Oneup as business class usually goes out full on long hauls anyway.

that sound right, but pax are not differentiated once they step into the J cabin, apart from their Airpoint Status, booking class is not observed anywhere, if there is a hierarchy, they should serve

C, J, Z, then R

I can see things will be interesting with OneUp.

I can see this getting far too complicated and cause too many arguments, especially if this flows over into the Premium Economy and Economy cabins as it logically should.

There's been a few rare times where I couldn't get the meal I really wanted, so it's a case of sucking it up and eating something else. No big deal.

GE's *used* to get to make their first choice of meals in BP. Three weeks ago, for the first time ever (in my GE lifetime = 10 years+) I did not get my first meal choice. It was between LHR and HKG. And it was genuinely the only thing I wanted. When I asked what had changed, they said they had reduced the ratio of meals loaded to BP pax and that I wasn't the first to mention it. The attendant serving me said that "someone beat me to the galley".

My polite response was that with the recent decline in the way the airline recognises frequent flyers in the airpoints scheme, that onboard recognition needs to be top-notch to in some way compensate for this, and that this included the continuation of first meal choice for GE's in BP. She responded that they needed to save as much money as possible.

So two issues in my case: the first is that the BP catering ratio has (apparently) reduced; the second, that GE's are not always given first choice, even where it is clear they low on a certain choice. As this was on the 772 it also would have meant that anyone in PE wanting this option would also have been disappointed.

Is it possible you were just beaten by other GEs?

C, J, Z, then R
The poor passengers in D or I-class will be going hungry I guess.

Is it possible you were just beaten by other GEs?

Funny you should ask that and I did wonder too, so I also asked. They loaded four of that meal choice for a full C cabin and the flight deck. The pilots also eat from the BP allocation and apparently they get first choice and no longer have to eat different meals to each other either. As pathetic as this sounds, the option was chicken. One pilot chose it, and got it. Three other pax - all non-GEs according to the cabin crew - got in before me. That's not how things used to be. Again a potentially pathetic subject but for me it contributes to the ever-reducing benefits for NZ elites.

I completely disagree-the upgrade is to business, not a weakened pseudo-business class where you only get part of the normal service.

^

I completely disagree-the upgrade is to business, not a weakened pseudo-business class where you only get part of the normal service.

Actually, yes for the most part I agree with you. However, I do think that in business at least, they should be supplying adequate number of meals to ensure that people get their first choice. I mean really, the cost of the meal against the cost of the fare is pretty minimal. I for one, would be totally pissed off if I paid full fare for business and then didnt get the meal I wanted. What if the other choices were something I absolutely hated, do I starve after paying several thousand dollars for the flight.

In the case of upgrades, I recall seeing some sort of waiver that there is no guarantee that that class of meal will be available???? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, the point I am making is that if I paid full fare, these are my expectations. Just to be clear, I'm using confirmed upgrades on my next flight so my expectations may not be AS high :)

There is a large, bolded, line in our inflight manual regarding the service expectations for Business Class.

Note: Ensure that GE customers choose their meal first.

It sounds like this was not adhered to on craver's flight which is a pity.

Just to confirm that we are generally not aware who has upgraded or who is 'full fare' unless they are last minute additions where there may be some sort of comment added by ground staff like 'advised meal availability not confirmed' and would certainly not consider offering two tiers of service depending on who upgraded and who didn't! :o

... and would certainly not consider offering two tiers of service depending on who upgraded and who didn't! :o
^

Just to confirm that we are generally not aware who has upgraded or who is 'full fare' unless they are last minute additions where there may be some sort of comment added by ground staff like 'advised meal availability not confirmed' and would certainly not consider offering two tiers of service depending on who upgraded and who didn't! :oOn the seating chart used for taking meal orders in Business there is a star that is omitted for some passengers. What does this denote if not last minute upgrades?

It is rare to miss out on first meal choice in business on Air NZ.

That said, it does happen sometimes. On my most recent longhaul NZ business flight (back in April) I missed out on first and second choice.

On the seating chart used for taking meal orders in Business there is a star that is omitted for some passengers. What does this denote if not last minute upgrades?

The star simply denotes that the passenger has a number of comments too long to be printed on the seating chart