Came across an interesting twist recently. We have meal preferences on both DW and DD profiles. I usually just check the reservation and everything is OK. Flight with DD end of Jan auto-populated her preference which she was given, but then a return with DD and DW failed to do so. Not unheard of and my fault for not checking, but when I looked, the lists of available SPML and the preferences list under the AE profile are not the same. When I called to try and get their meals T-22hrs, I asked the agent if they were aware of the discrepancy. The answer was, "No, you should always just call in anyway". I have no recent complaints getting through rather quickly on the phone, but would hate to be non or lower status and wait on hold for 2 hours for that one EVERY flight!!
My only guess is that maybe some other *A carriers offer those meals that are in the profiles or is it just that left and right hands are blind to each other?