Originally Posted by KNRG

Since when is business about catering to every inane expectation of a customer?

Continental advertises "meals at mealtimes." Not "or later when you're less sleepy." How much more clear can they be?

We don't even know if a FA ate the meal - we just know it wasn't served. I'm fine with them having it still packed and ready and not serving it because it was well beyond mealtime and they have moved on to other duties. In fact, i'm ok with them not serving it because it's their designated mid-flight coffee break.

If I had to cater to every whim of every person in my immediate vicinity for the duration of my shift I'd be a very unpleasant person to deal with. That's asking for a slave, not a job. The vast majority of service jobs on the ground have real breaks and rules flat out against offering service during break periods - paid or otherwise. Folks in the air don't get real breaks in a lounge with vending machines and a TV and a toaster. So if it's past food time then it's past food time, they are not required to go back seven steps in their process to accommodate someone.

If they choose to go above and beyond then yay for them, they did their good deed for the day - but as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished, and in this case it's the blatant expectation that the above and beyond must always be given. It can't, nor does it need to be. Deal.

Stores don't open at 11pm because I just woke up from a late nap. Dunkin Donuts is not building shops in SoCal because I want them here. Continental is not flying first class only planes SNA-TPA for $15 roundtrip to suit me.

No company is built on the idea of catering to every crazy whim or expectation the public has on them. I see meals at mealtime and "snooze you lose" as a perfect place to draw the line.