tegwj

I flew LAS-DFW-IAD yesterday, on AA675 connecting to AA2351, in F. On both flights the cabin crew took meal orders starting at the front. I was too sleepy to pay much attention on 675 but on 2351 I asked and was told they start at the front on eastbound flights, and at the rear on westbound.

I know there's plenty of discussion on crews not observing FEBO correctly and I wouldn't have posted about it except that two consecutive flights with different crews exhibited the same behaviour. Of course the long shot exists that maybe the rules have changed?

twj

bollar

The rules have not changed, but I saw the same thing DFW-IAD on Monday.

ricktoronto

Was it full? I find on flights that they don't worry a lot on meal selection they might not get overly FEBO-ish as the main concern of the de-FEBO'd pasenger missing a delicious entree is a lot lower.

When you asked the FA why no FEBO what did he or she say about it?

bollar

DFW-IAD is always full.

When I asked, she asked how I knew about FEBO.

Since we're on the subject, DCA-DFW yesterday, the FA did follow FEBO, but apologized to the passengers in rows 5-3 because management requires him to take orders from the back on odd numbered flights.

tegwj

Both cabins on my flights were full. My DFW-IAD FA simply gave the answer I described, no acknowledgment of my remark about FEBO.

twj

aaupgrade

I have a better question: Why is an east bound flight an odd numbered flight?

I defense of the FA, historically odd numbered flights have always been west or south bound flights and even numbered flights have always been east or north bound. Or almost always until this case. I looked at this flight and it did not show up as a continuation flight so I am not sure why it deviates from AA standard numbering methodology. A southbound flight into DFW that then continues to the east to IAD may well have an odd flight number.

Has anyone ever thought that we might be wrong? Maybe the actual rule is west and south bound flights meal orders will be taken starting with the back row. We interpreted that to be FEBO based on odd numbered flights have always been west or south bound. In this case an odd number flight is east bound and the meal orders were taken starting with the front row. Perhaps we should rename FEBO to be FENBWS.

If AA is deviating from its methodology of even numbering east and north bound flights and odd numbering its west and south bound flights, then we may see a lot more threads similar to this one.

nbevan

chsb

All my recent flights FEBO was strictly followed.

eightmillionmiler

It is rare that the FEBO rule isn't followed and the scenario you quoted, where a flight's number and direction are inconsistent is the situation where I have most often seen the FAs take orders in the wrong sequence.

FFs that go out of their way to select a seat based on the FEBO rule do get miffed, particularly if the meal choices disappear by the time they are approach.

In one flight where this happened, the FA did some negotiating and swapped a crew meal to get me the choice I wanted -- nice recovery after I gently inquired about how orders were taken in light of FEBO. In that case, the flight attendant did confuse flight direction with flight numbering.

Fortunately, not a common issue.

sluggoaafa

There is no change to this.

If you witness a FA doing something different, then kindly ask them why they aren't following FEBO (remember, we FAs don't know the term FEBO, this is a FT term, not airline term). Just ask them why they aren't taking preferences per flight number....FWD-AFT/EVEN, AFT-FWD/ODD.

If you witness it on many flights, then remember to send a letter to AA.COM/CustomerRelations to let them know FEBO is not being followed.

FWAAA

Thanks sluggo.

So the official FA acronym sounds like FAEAFO.

ijgordon

Well, I'm on AA 664 LGA-MSY soon. Should be FWD-AFT by flight number, but obviously it's a south-west flight. Assuming I get upgraded, I'll pick my seat according to FEBO and hope for the best! Though is there really that much difference between a turkey wrap and a turkey croissant? (Just no egg salad!!!)

ikwia

Silly question -- why inform non-rev customers, but not rev customers? Or should rev customers be non-discreetly informed?

As an aside, someone mentioned swapping meals with crew -- it seems to me crew should always get last choice so that as many passengers as possible get their first choice. I suspect their contracts dictate otherwise, though.

brp

Don't forget that the flight crew (pilot, copilot) are required to eat different meals..in case something is systemically wrong with one of them. This can limit the options.

Cheers.

nbevan

The way I read it, they accept the non-rev request, but might later reallocate it to a rev customer (though it does not say that explicitly).