FEBO vs reserving your entree in advance
 

On an upcoming flight in F next week, I did seat myself for FEBO, but then forgot that I could order my entree in advance. so, does FEBO make a difference any more with the advanced ordering option?

Until they work out the kinks I am still seating myself FEBO. For me the advanced ordering option has not worked too well yet so I sometimes end up having to reorder on the plane.

I prefer FEBO because I may not know what I want. If I pre-order, I'm locked in. If I have a FEBO-friendly seat, I'm pretty much guaranteed to get what I want at that time. I see no advantage to pre-ordering, even if it worked perfectly.

Cheers.

Are you really supposed to be locked in if you preorder? Even when they get it right they give me the option to switch to something else.

Doesn't matter what you do sometimes, on Wednesday the FA on an odd numbered flight decided to take meal orders along with drink orders from the front without first checking what had been pre-ordered.

I was seated as per FEBO at the back and I got lucky as all he had left by the time he got to me was exactly what I'd pre-ordered, but when I mentioned the pre-order he had a look of horror wash over his face as though he had only just remembered that this existed.

The two guys on the other side of the aisle were not so lucky ...

Brp is misguided :)

When pre-orders work it allows one to site toward the front AND get what they want to eat. There have been issues with pre-orders not making to the plane, but more often than not they do so I am now selecting seats without FEBO consideration (where Pre-ordered is offered).

I've preordered a meal, seen something else on the menu and tried to switch, but was not allowed to do so -- FYI for those wondering.

Considering that these are typically 4-6 row planes, I'm already "toward the front" even in the last row. The flexibility of FEBO works better for me. Others may be happy to make a choice days in advance. Whatever works.

Cheers.

I think that is fair, no offense. In those somewhat rare instances when the FA recognizes that I have pre-ordered, often he/she asks if I still want that. Makes me crazy! What the heck is the point of the pre-order???

Was on a flight mid-March that had pre-orders available, and when FA came by to ask what we would like for lunch, we informed her that we had chosen online. She very quickly informed us that she had not yet undergone "training" on that system and didn't have the ipad (or similar?) required for it... so, don't expect that it will be available on your flight... FEBO is still the best plan.

On my recent flights, 1 out of 5 my pre-ordered meal has been acknowledged by the crew and even then I was asked, if I still want to keep what I had ordered or have the other option. On rest of the flights no dice. So to be safe, I still pick my seats according to FEBO.

Sitting based on FEBO always makes sense, as catering issues are always possible. But the meal order system is great when that is not always possible.

For me, with most meals choices, getting my preferred meal is more important than what row I sit in. On a 738, I prefer rows 4 and 6, based on FEBO, with 6 being my favorite. But I would rather be in row 4 on an even numbered flight, just to increase the chance of getting my preferred meal.

I would do FEBO for now
Pre-order has not been recognized on most of my flights......so far.

I'm not sure how giving you more choices, thinking that you could have changed your mind and want something different, while still having your pre-ordered item available should be a cause for craziness.

Seriously, people complain if they don't have an option to change their choice as well as if they're given added options. No wonder the FAs can't win :)

Cheers.

One thing I like about the preorder system is that the online description of the food seems to be more complete and reliable than what the FA usually tells you.

I love most AA FAs. I am actually concerned about fellow travelers. What if I change my mind from say pasta to beef and then there is not enough beef for others that pre-ordered beef just because I had better FEBO seating? I think if one pre-orders, they made their bed and now need to lie in it.

Out of my last 10 or so flights that I have pre-ordered, my flight tonight was the first one that the FA had my pre-order acknowledged. She appeared to have it on a print out on her tray. I will still book FEBO until I see some consistency,

I've preordered 12 times since the program started and each time the flight attendant has acknowledged it. Once it was noted after I told her I had previously reserved my choice; she apologized and said she saw that. If the f/a has the print out with the first class seat diagram that is designed to record drink and meal orders (the one that has boxes for each seat with the pax name at the top of the box), the entree reservation appears at the bottom of each box. I really like the system. As another poster noted, the online descriptions of the choices are much more detailed.

Ah, I see your point. I would think that, if giving you the choice, they would not poach into the other pre-ordered items...just into the non-pre-ordered. Anyone who pre-ordered should have their choice available, even if switches are offered to some.

Cheers.

So it sounds like I should keep my FEBO seating just in case. I'll be interested to see how this works out in the future as more FAs are trained and the Ipads are out system wide.

I'd be careful with doing that just yet. I have yet to have the pre-order meal service "work".

She was misinformed. No special training or device is necessary to implement the new program. The Pre-ordered entrees are listed on the printed passenger manifest that the FAs have been receiving from the GAs since the beginning of time. All the FAs have to do is look at the correct section of the manifest for the entree selections. I have seen these manifests many times and they are easy to read and understand.

Does AA really change the mix of entrées by flight based on pre-orders? Would certainly be impressive logistics if they did.
Or does AA simply load the same mix of say 8 pastas and 8 chickens, and the pre-orders just reduce the available count for the non-pre-order pax? So theoretically if 8 pax pre-ordered chicken, the non-pre-order pax would have a choice of pasta or nothing?

As others have, until there is more consistency in the service, I still select seats for FEBO as well as pre-order.

That is a great question. I think that is why they cut off the Pre-ordering at T-24 hours... so that the catering contractors have time to adjust the loads for each flight.

I'm assuming that if 10 pax pre-order the chicken by 24 hours in advance, then they will have to load more chicken entrees in order to accommodate these pax and also provide a mixture for the rest of the pax.

Preorder a Huge Bonus For Folks With Food Allergies
 

I am "six for six" in receiving my pre-ordered meal.

FEBO is only effective when the seats you need for FEBO priority are available, but pre-ordering lets me avoid entrees my cheese allergy won't let me eat even when I am the last one served. Until pre-order became available, my only option when the only entree left had cheese was to ask if one of the "for sale" sandwiches from coach was available that I could peel the cheese off.

I am hoping that the next step will be better descriptions, as my last flight MCO-ORD the entree simply described as "chicken" had been bombed with feta cheese that had disintegrated into tough-to-work-around granules throughout.

I hope you are right but am not convinced it works that way. I'll continue to stick with my pre-order in defense of others!!:p

haven't had a single issue with pre-ordering so far, I use it often and it's always worked out perfectly, most times with the FA acknowledging the pre-order. I think it's a great system.

I'm 0 for 3 in FA's being aware that I pre-ordered my meal online.

If meal choice matters, I'd stick with FEBO for a while.

OT: How does US do meal choices-- front to back? Status? FEBO?

Meals? What meals?

I'm 0 for 6 on my preorders. When I mentioned it to the FAs I generally got a vacant look and sometimes an "umm... we didn't get that list this time." Maybe it works on some routes better than others. All my flights were between NYC and MIA or FLL.

Well considering I've actually never flown US, is their snack basket the only option on all domestic flights with F, including flights 3.5 hours+ ?

If it's the case where US doesn't serve meals for it's US flights [mildly ironic?] doesn't US serve meals in Envoy/J/F on flights to Europe/Brazil?

Surely they have some order to how those meals are served, hence my original question(s) about US prioritizes/orders meal service.

There is no FA training for the pre-order. As DCAStudent suggests, it's printed on the pax list when the FA comes through the cabin. No tablet is needed.

I was working a flight last week and had several pax who did the Pre-order. When I got to the last row, I acknowledged that I had their orders, but they wanted to change their option and have the other choice. Unfortunately, once you do your pre-order, that is what is catered (most of the time) and you have to take it. Luckily, they understood and were happy with their entree.

Not all routes and/or stations have the pre-order setup...but I thought I saw somewhere that NYC-MIA was one. Be sure to write to AA.COM and let them know you aren't receiving your pre-order food!

Reserve your entree before you fly

I've had it on 2 flights since it's come out, and it's been wonderful to say the least!!!

US certainly does serve meals on some flights. The rule for domestic F is that they serve meals on flights over 3.5 hrs (some exceptions exist). They also, of course, serve meals on Envoy/J flights (FT pedants might chime in with the rare exception). SFO777 was just making a joke, because US has the most restrictive meal rules among US-based carriers.

+1
Indeed, I was making a joke, although no meal on a 6pm MSP-PHX US flight was not a joke. Here's hoping that the US meal standards die with the merger.

I wasn't sure if SFO777 was making a joke or being serious. Thanks for clarifying. :)

I know US is pretty darned restrictive in terms of food, I was wondering about US's meal order in case AA adopts AA's meal order. It appears from what I understand that AA will keep AA's more generous meal policies over US's.

^



I think (based on a few US F flights) meal choices on US are taken by front-to-back.