What is Delta's current policy for taking meal orders in domestic First and Business and in BusinessElite? I've seen a couple of FA's start at the back on odd-numbered flights, and I've heard a few explain that the policy is to start in the back of the premium cabin on odd-numbered flights, and start in the front on even-numbered flights.

Because some of Delta's domestic meal offerings are now good enough to eat ^, I have started choosing my seats accordingly. But I've seen the policy, if it is one, followed haphazardly. Once when told that there was only one meal option left, I asked the FA the flight number, because I thought it was odd and he should have started at the back. He'd started at the front of a 757, and I in row 6 had no choice but the sloppy cold turkey sandwich I didn't want. He said it was 2410, and he knew what I was getting at. Later, he came back and apologized, saying it was 2401, he had the numbers transposed, and he should have started at the back.

When I was younger, I flew AA a lot. It was well known then that AA FA's took orders from the back on odd-numbered flights, and from the front on even numbered flights. For as long as I've flown Delta, until very recently, I had never seen or heard of such a policy being followed. Perhaps this is a legacy NW policy that's carrying over. It's a policy I'd be fine with, as long as it's followed more often than it's broken.

As for BE, DL's zone assignments for FA's complicate this. If DL has a policy for BE, what is it? (UA has or had a very elaborate one for prioritizing meal choices based on fare paid, FF status, award tix, etc.) On my recent DL 281 ATL-NRT-SIN, it seemed like orders were taken from the front and from the back, perhaps depending on the FA assigned. The guy across from me didn't get his pick. If that were me, especially if I'd picked a seat in the last row on an odd-numbered flight, I'd be pretty irritated.

Anyone have any insights?