I have DTW/LAX two times this month in First with no predeparture beverage. I think I have had 8 first class segments this year and only a preflight service one time. And on that particular flight it was LAS to DTW and when the FA was haning jackets a pax asked for a coke and jack and he said he would do a beverage service as soon as he was finished hanging coats, and who knows if he would have if the PAX wouldn't have asked (this FA was one of the best FA's I ever had on a DL flight and he was continually refilling glasses and checking on passengers so he probably would have).

I think it is a PM NW thing more than PM DL. Before the merge I rarely got a predeparture drink on a NW flight but did on Delta.

On my flight home Saturda night from LAX the flight was oversold and for some reason DL sent me a survey about it. I made sure to put in the comment that no predeparture drink was served and this has been the case on my Delta flights lately even though the FA's were up front talking. THey were late arriving and they were talking to a gate agent saying they left the hotel on time but the shuttle driver was late and they didn't want the late departure bieng blamed on them.