PDXPremier

That steak with potatoes and asparagus looks like one of the best meals I've seen on AS in the past few years....good job on that one AS

pcoll

just got done checking AS site for changes and updates . As we are flying F next week, checked First Food and Beverage page. Noticed small changes, ie: wines now featured on flights.
One change I noticed was sentence, "First Class guests can now choose between 2 main dishes or have a Fruit and Cheese platter , served on a plate".
Does this now mark a change in policy? Are we now able to request this for our meal and not be asked to pay for this choice? (there is no modifier attached that requires this only for pre-orders)
Hope this is the case. AS Flyer , can you help with an answer??
(You all know how I feel about my F & C!!)

Akck

DaWhirledTraveller

I would agree with Akck here, the text is in the section titled in bold larger print "Choose your meal before your flight."

I don't have any flights in F coming up in the next 2 weeks to be able to see what shows up in the app. Also, I didn't want to make a booking, then cancel within 24 hours to test the meal ordering.

VegasGambler

I generally preorder the cheese plate, since I don't really like most of the dinner options. This is not new -- I believe it's been an option since they introduced pre-ordering. There is no charge.

However, I believe that there is a charge if you don't pre-order it (which is ridiculous, but, whatever). It also means that you can't get it (for free) if you were upgraded close to takeoff time.

ffman999

I had this meal on EWR-SEA this week and it was quite good. The steak was a bit fatty, but overall a good meal.

PDXPremier

I actually recognized all three items as being something I would eat at a restaurant on the ground

pcoll

I believe everyone who responded are correct. only available for pre orders.
Those who are upgraded before take off and have preordered the fruit and cheese for Y, receive same in F. ( I believe at no charge)
. We fly SEA/LAX quite a bit and are not able to pre order our F meal. They still do not offer pre-orders for flights under 3.5 hours in F. Y are able to pre-order.
And, I agree, paying for Fruit and Cheese just because we are not able to pre order is ridiculous.

pcoll

Pre order for meals in F still not available for flights under 3.5 hours. Perhaps, next year, some time.
and yes....
had FA from F, toss a Fruit and Cheese platter on my lap as they continued forward. Would have appreciated a plate. Not exactly first class service.

safari ari

With a side of SQ redemptions!

AS Flyer

It looks like others answered but the official answer is that it has to be pre-ordered. It's not an option once you're onboard unless you want to buy one. Hope that helps. If you pre-ordered from Y and then were upgraded you can purchase the cheese and fruit platter you intended on purchasing when in Y or have your choice of whatever is offered in F. The F&C isn't gratis in this case.

AS Flyer

here's the deal - I know that it seems ridiculous on the face of it but offering whatever First Class wants from the main cabin for free is not sustainable without heavy cost increases. We all know how popular the F&C is, and if offered from the main cabin to F passengers at no charge it would mean having to board X number of F&C to accommodate for that and to be sure you still have enough for the Y passengers who were told they would have it as an option. In my experience also, people will often take things they wouldn't normally, just because they can. So you've got a bunch of F&C now being catered as essentially a second meal in F - which, when you multiply the number of flights by the number of extra food you have to cater, the costs are extremely high. Food on an airplane isn't cheap for the passenger because it's not cheap for the airline to have it catered. Also, where do you draw the line? You can have F&C, but can you have popcorn or potato chips or jerky, and then where do you store all this stuff? There's a finite amount of space on the planes to store supplies - and it's already bursting at the seams. Airlines run on fairly slim profit margins when compared to most other industries and adding expenses like these generally mean you have to cut somewhere else. Wall Street is all about the $$$ and airlines have to please their investors or they won't have any. That's a really long answer to why, at least IMO, being able to have whatever you want in First Class is probably not a sustainable business model for airlines that are charging sub $300 fares for coast to coast flights. Yes, some people pay for First Class - and still, given the extra real estate and the amenities, it's not substantially more.

pcoll

jrl767

VegasGambler

It's sustainable for every other airline.