Four-letter codes on manifest
 

What is the meaning of the four-letter codes after the passenger name/status/CIV etc on the flight manifest?

I happened to be standing near the manifest today, and I noticed it the for the first time. The format goes something like this, below, where ABCD is the code I'm asking about: SEAT - SURNAME/NAME - *** GOLD CLUB MEMBER *** - [CIV]/ABCD

Is it the meal requested or something related to food?

Thanks!

Well, interestingly, none on that list, which is why I'm curious. I hope there's nothing confidential here (in which case, the Mods can redact this post), but the two I definitely remember were FQML and CQTM.

I was wondering whether it was something related to pre-ordering meals from the main selection, rather than a 'special' meal (this was ex-LHR).

I saw AQML next to my name when the FA was taking the meal order in F. I had pre-selected my meal (Sea Bass) in J and the FA offered to bring it or I could order from the F menu. I have never seen AQML, so no idea what it stood for. I didn't take it so I don't know what was in AQML

Do I remember these correctly? ;)
AQML - Awful Quality Meal
BQML - Bad Quality Meal
CQML - Crappy Quality Meal
DQML - Dubious Quality Meal

AQML = first option on the menu
BQML = second
etc

Used for pre orders

AQML appears when you pre-select your main course ex London. Have also seen this printed on my boarding pass.

Have a look here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...pass-aqml.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...ding-pass.html

OK, the xxML makes sense. What about CQTM?

I'm baffled by these "happened to be standing by..... and noticed" tales.

I travel a lot, I see manifests, I'm not incurious, and I'm not sight-deficient: yet I've never gleaned any information from those documents. I suppose i'm hampered, a little back-footed, in recognising that the list, while not classified, isn't there for my inspection,

So I wondered when these snoops takes place (on boarding, galley visit, lavatory trip, dedicated recce) and how much time "just standing by" the document is needed, and how much attention, scrutiny, is required to come up with the sort of information the OP acquired.

Well I noticed it this time because it was posted pretty publicly. I wouldn't snoop around the galley, but this document was on the bulkhead by the door at eye level, on the opposite side of the aircraft to the toilets at the front of the lower deck of a 747. I was just waiting to use the toilet to get changed before landing. Both toilets were occupied, and the crew were busy near the toilet, so I stood out of the way on the other side of the aircraft.

I would hazard a guess at these are "descriptors" that are applied to various passengers depending on situation. They are used for meals, assistance requests and various other things. They are on the printed manifest and are transmitted downline with everything else.

From what I can remember (its been a while!):

The **ML series are meals
If you use a wheelchair you may be assigned WCHR (ok with stairs), WCHS (need to be lifted on), WCHC (need lifting in to seat)
BLND = Blind
DEAF = Deaf
FQTV = Frequent traveller
UMNR = Unaccompanied minor (remember them?)

There are plenty more but they escape me.