Originally Posted by
Jasper2009
That's a tough one.
If the pax has (fully) reclined their seat, I think it's fair to assume they don't want to be woken up.
If they look like they've just nodded off (with the seat in the uprigth position), I think a nudge and possibly talking at the client is a reasonable effort. To the degree possible, I think it would be nice to keep a cold tray handy for them (not sure whether those are locked away / disposed of after dinner time) in case they do wake up.
It's not uncommon for me to nod off during departure on late evening flights, but I generally "signal" that I want to have dinner by deploying the tray (which most FAs seem to understand).
You've pretty much nailed how I would handle it. Fully reclined (with the duvet over the head) sends a pretty clear message, whereas partially reclined and nodded off, would warrant a light tap & perhaps even leave the appetizer tray there for a reasonable/brief period of time. Cheese, dessert and light snacks are almost always available, and the actual tray w/appetizer will be held until there are signs of life -- more often than not, it is declined.