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Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins

Old Feb 2, 2015, 1:14 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Official UNITED policy for meal preferences is to prioritize in the following order: (as of late 2023)
  1. Pre-orders
  2. Global Services members
  3. 1K members
  4. All other revenue passengers from front to back (no difference between $$$ or mileage or upgraders)
  5. Non-Revs

The proper way is to take orders front-to-back, and apply priority in the galley afterwards. Some FAs may still hop around the cabin seeking GS and 1Ks and take their orders first.
With the sharp increase in passengers pre-ordering meals, front-to-back ordering is now predominant.



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Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins

Old Jun 8, 2015, 10:07 pm
  #16  
 
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Flt 6202 YYC-DEN, on a RJ700. I was the only 1K in First and got the last meal on the plane. The FA was about 65 and could care less about anything. I asked about what were the options for meals and she said only a sandwich. I said thanks for the help with the non rev passengers sitting behind me and was told to be flexible.
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Old Jun 8, 2015, 11:12 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by USHPNWDLUA
If I get upgraded at T-120, I show on the upgrade list. So how do you know the upgrades aren't GS? And I assume you read the wiki, so is this just a venting of anger for not getting your choice?
Do they prioritize 1K and GS separately now? I didn't think so, but maybe I'm wrong.

Anyway, seems like they would have had more than 5 salads unless that flight had only 12 F seats.
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Old Jun 8, 2015, 11:18 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by TomA
Anyway, seems like they would have had more than 5 salads unless that flight had only 12 F seats.
I think one of the problems is they always seem to load a too-small number of the more appealing choice. I've been told on ps before that they only loaded two pastas.
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Old Jun 8, 2015, 11:35 pm
  #19  
 
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The last 3 flights i've taken in domestic mainline first, they have been going front to back without any regard for anyones' status which is a little disappointing as a 1K who paid for first vs a nonrev or silver on a cpu. Either go by status or front to back, just be consistent about it, its frustrating.
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 1:04 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I think one of the problems is they always seem to load a too-small number of the more appealing choice. I've been told on ps before that they only loaded two pastas.
This seems to be common on TPAC flights with the Asian "breakfasts" (which I always choose).

First of all, I've never seen them fail to prioritize the first meal, but it seems like they do not prioritize anything after that. I don't know what the guidelines on this are, or even if there are any.

Second it seems like they load 2-3 Asian second meals on any given flight (for what? 50 seats?). The only--and I do mean only--time I ever get one is when I remember to ask the FA during the first meal orders if they will hold one for me (and so far, I've been successful with that).
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 6:07 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by USHPNWDLUA
If I get upgraded at T-120, I show on the upgrade list. So how do you know the upgrades aren't GS? And I assume you read the wiki, so is this just a venting of anger for not getting your choice?
Uhm, yes.

Originally Posted by JVPhoto
And what if someone paid full fare Y and were upgraded which probably cost more than your F fare?
I don't care? I bought an F seat, I should get my choice of F'ing meal. I'm totally comfortable with that in the reverse situation.

See how that works?

The FA was not following the wiki. No way, no how. Everyone after row 3 got a sandwich or nothing. Unless everyone in front of me was GS- and frankly, like I said, I don't care about a GS on an upgrade over an F fare.

It's not like they couldn't collect the data and load based meals based on historical data. Or like someone said, pre-order the meal. It's like we are back in the 1950s and their are propellers on the engines.
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 7:44 am
  #22  
 
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On SEA-IAD, lunch on A320. I'm a 1K seated in 3B. FA was fantastic, she took 1st and 2nd choices from rows 1 and 2 but just asked me and 3A what we would like for lunch ^
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 8:06 am
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
Uhm, yes.



I don't care? I bought an F seat, I should get my choice of F'ing meal. I'm totally comfortable with that in the reverse situation.

See how that works?

The FA was not following the wiki. No way, no how. Everyone after row 3 got a sandwich or nothing. Unless everyone in front of me was GS- and frankly, like I said, I don't care about a GS on an upgrade over an F fare.

It's not like they couldn't collect the data and load based meals based on historical data. Or like someone said, pre-order the meal. It's like we are back in the 1950s and their are propellers on the engines.
But United does. Their airline, their rules. I agree with you but not so much that I'll choose another airline over it. My other primary airline--Air Canada--does the same thing. High status upgrade trumps no status paid premium.
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 8:36 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
Uhm, yes.



I don't care? I bought an F seat, I should get my choice of F'ing meal. I'm totally comfortable with that in the reverse situation.

See how that works?

The FA was not following the wiki. No way, no how. Everyone after row 3 got a sandwich or nothing. Unless everyone in front of me was GS- and frankly, like I said, I don't care about a GS on an upgrade over an F fare.

It's not like they couldn't collect the data and load based meals based on historical data. Or like someone said, pre-order the meal. It's like we are back in the 1950s and their are propellers on the engines.
I sympathize with your point. As a less frequent flyer but in paid F its annoying to not get your choice but I know the rules when I purchase the ticket. The consistent observation across the food and beverage program is that the airline does not care about customer satisfaction. The recent improvement in meals aside the QA/QC efforts for catering are abysmal.
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Old Jun 9, 2015, 10:20 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by mistaks
Flt 6202 YYC-DEN, on a RJ700. I was the only 1K in First and got the last meal on the plane. The FA was about 65 and could care less about anything. I asked about what were the options for meals and she said only a sandwich. I said thanks for the help with the non rev passengers sitting behind me and was told to be flexible.
Unacceptable! Did you write her up with 1K Voice? I would have made a bigger stink on board if the other passengers were non-revs and asked them directly to give up their meal choice, but this FA needs some policy re-training and it won't happen unless you bring it to UA's attention.
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 9:10 am
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Unacceptable! Did you write her up with 1K Voice? I would have made a bigger stink on board if the other passengers were non-revs and asked them directly to give up their meal choice, but this FA needs some policy re-training and it won't happen unless you bring it to UA's attention.
I wrote a long letter to the 1K Voice and they said they were sorry to hear that this happened. They were so sorry they gave me 5K of points as compensation. It's a joke really to United as it seems they could care less. And I know that the Skywest FA hate the idea of serving a meal vs a 6 month old snack box.
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 10:41 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by mistaks
I wrote a long letter to the 1K Voice and they said they were sorry to hear that this happened. They were so sorry they gave me 5K of points as compensation. It's a joke really to United as it seems they could care less. And I know that the Skywest FA hate the idea of serving a meal vs a 6 month old snack box.
5k points is not bad for a meal mishap like this - and being Express, the FA will probably never hear anything about it. It's always best to deal with these issues onboard unless you're the non-confrontational type - the non-revs should never have accepted a meal preference while you were inconvenienced, it's clearly spelled out in their non-rev instructions and you shouldn't feel ashamed speaking up about it onboard.
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 10:50 am
  #28  
 
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YVR-IAH morning flight couple weeks ago, I was in 3rd or 4th row. I paid attention as FA announced 3 choices ahead of me, but was down to only 2 by the time she got to me. I enquired as to being asked first since on GS on flight. She said they go front to back, "I can show you the operations manual if you want". Wow. Apparently the printer at YVR cuts off a character for the manifest, so they couldn't tell I was GS. Nice words? No. Snark--> after exiting the lav the FA shoved the ops manual in my face with the pertinent line highlighted. I was pleased to fill out my survey after that flight, but of course got no feedback. Inconsistent behaviour across the system, plus doesn't help if FA gives a bunch of attitude.
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 10:54 am
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
5k points is not bad for a meal mishap like this - and being Express, the FA will probably never hear anything about it. It's always best to deal with these issues onboard unless you're the non-confrontational type - the non-revs should never have accepted a meal preference while you were inconvenienced, it's clearly spelled out in their non-rev instructions and you shouldn't feel ashamed speaking up about it onboard.
50 bucks to not eat a J meal? Im going to complain more!!
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 7:10 pm
  #30  
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Originally Posted by kirkwoodj
YVR-IAH morning flight couple weeks ago, I was in 3rd or 4th row. I paid attention as FA announced 3 choices ahead of me, but was down to only 2 by the time she got to me. I enquired as to being asked first since on GS on flight. She said they go front to back, "I can show you the operations manual if you want". Wow. Apparently the printer at YVR cuts off a character for the manifest, so they couldn't tell I was GS. Nice words? No. Snark--> after exiting the lav the FA shoved the ops manual in my face with the pertinent line highlighted. I was pleased to fill out my survey after that flight, but of course got no feedback. Inconsistent behaviour across the system, plus doesn't help if FA gives a bunch of attitude.
Call GS CS. They will take care of the situation. They always have when this has happened to me.
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