k2

I've flown a lot of both and the one thing NW clearly did better (we're talking inflight service) was the midflight meal on longhaul TPACs. Everything else I agree, DL is the same or better.

rylan

Had good service/food to NRT recently. Somehow they ran out of the salmon even though I was seated in the middle upstairs... they came to me after finishing taking orders and said they ran out. Salmon Shena? lol

Ended up with the Japanese meal which was very good. I enjoyed the German Riesling as well. Was nice to see something different like that on the list and not just a generic version from Washington. Slept through mid-flight service so can't comment on that part.

AANYC1981

I just did my first BE trip on the refurbed A333. I thought sitting at the front of the BE section would allow me to get served more quickly like on the 767s but the FA's did everything backwards from the rear forward. I get that the main service galley is back there, but is that really the way it's supposed to be? I would have thought to be consistent they would just roll the carts forward and keep front to rear service. It made it rather awkward because for me and the people around me never knew when/what was coming, or if an FA was going to attempt to drop a tray or drink off. Just weird IMO.

Grouchy

On all my BE legs on the A330-300 (3L3) this was always the case. Might be SOP.
And yeah they sneak upon you. Had my in ear phones in and didn't notice them sometimes until it was too late....no bonus points for me from the FA's.

rylan

I had great service on the intra-asia flights out of and back to NRT. In fact one flight the FA went around and took meal orders from status pax first. Apparently I was the only DM on the plane. haha

langbr01

Service direction is typically done based on flight number. FEBO "Front Even, Back Odd". In my experience it's done this way 75% of the time.

MSPeconomist

OT but this is really unfair? Did you ever fly PMNW TPAC with the Japanese hostess greeting and thanking passengers and serving tea and Japanese meals while wearing a kimono?

Plus, PMNW treated elites very well, the FF program was run in an ethical way, and shena on upgrades was very rare. You didn't see employees riding in domestic FC while elites were in the back of the plane.

At the time of the merger, I would take the PMNW A330 WBC seats any day over BE in those horrid old 767s.

k2

In my experience (int'l BE) FEBO is hardly ever applied. I've flown the new 330 config ~8 times this year and every time they start the carts from the back. On all other aircraft they almost always start the carts from the front. Not a big deal really, but they certainly aren't doing FEBO.

When it comes to taking entree orders it's almost always front-to-back, starting on the left side aisle then doing the right side aisle. I've learned you're much more likely to get your selection if you sit towards the front/middle on the left side of the aircraft.

MSPeconomist

IIRC FEBO isn't supposed to apply to international flights. Also IIRC on double aisle aircraft, FEBO curls around the rear of the cabin so that front even flights would start at the front of the left aisle, cross over, and go from the back to the front of the right aisle. Finally, FEBO is about meal order taking, so you sometimes see a FA taking orders from the back on an odd flight but then serving the meals from front to back.

bubbashow

Still on the "horrid old 767s" months after they have disappeared. In 1991, I would take the Concord over the horrid old 767s doing JFK-LON. Times change.

jamesteroh

I always thought on international they took meal orders from the front. I'm in 5j next week from DTW to LHR( Hopefully I still get my selection, I'm a picky eater.

I wish Delta would allow you to preorder your meal online if you are in business class. It would make it a lot easier.

MSPeconomist

I'd also like to be able to preorder meals in BE and also for FC.

However, I suspect that some carriers do this because they otherwise cater extra meals (for example SQ does this and their longstanding Book the Cook might have been the first preorder service offered by a major scheduled carrier) to provide better choices. IIRC DL caters to exactly the number of seats in the cabin (I've been told this by FAs and I've seen some evidence of no extra meals on board, but I nevertheless suspect that longhaul international BE does have a few extra choices) so allowing preorders would increase rather than decrease costs. [I also know from a HND flight that when the cabin is very lightly booked, only a few meals are loaded, sometimes only one of a choice.]

I'd also like to see DL offer a version of being able to have meals when one wants like some of their competitors do.

jamesteroh

I don't understand how it would increase their costs. If they have 40 seats in business and 25 passengers preorder meals, they stock those 25 meal choices reserved for those seats just like a special diet meal. Stock 15 other meals and if those people didn't preorder it's their own fault or if it's a non-rev or opup they have no room to complain about not getting their meal choice.

I'd also love to see it with First class, but I know they have different meals catered on each flight and may not know the meal selections ahead of time. Seeing they have menus printed on international they already know the selection they will have on board.

Seeing how much an airline charges for a business class ticket I don't think it's asking a lot for them to have your meal choice available to preorderl

baccarat_king

I almost always sit in 2J on the A330s; and yes, service is always from the back.

If you are concerned about meal choice; I'd say just make sure you board early (well, not really early, but with BusinessElite boarding).

I've noticed lately, they tend to take meal orders a bit after (or around the same time) pre-departure beverages. If you get on the plane early; I see no issue with mentioning such to the flight attendant and placing your order immediately.

Also, on a eastbound (red-eye) flights; there are often a few people who decline meal-service and just go to sleep; or at least, it always seems that way BOS-AMS.

gooselee

+1 for BE.

For domestic first, not sure it's worth the trouble. As you said, the meals are less predictable, and I imagine there's also quite a bit more last-minute FC bookings and flight changes (even SDCs), such that setting up for preorders on those flights wouldn't produce as much benefit as for BE flights with a more "stable" pax list close-in.