Should be within 7 days. You don't need the email - it should show up in the app at the 7 day mark. (not sure if it is 7 days or exactly 168 hours before flight)

Rumor is that DL will be switching to smaller dishware for entrees some time in 2024, which will allow for 20 to fit in the A321neo oven. Hopefully that will resolve the issue with the inability to pre-order on the neo.

I have to assume this has been discussed somewhere, but this isn't really a reason to not have pre-ordering. They can just limit selections on that flight to a max of 16 of the hot meal choices. If those have been ordered, then anyone else will see a message that only a cold meal will be available. They should have more than one cold choice for these cases but I get that might not work in the broader supply chain. They could also limit pre-order to, say 8 or 10 hot meals so they have a few more options on board so the last-minute Diamond upgrade doesn't get totally shafted. UA "sells out" of certain options for preorders, although it's not entirely clear how their algorithm works. And certainly not to say that DL should learn anything regarding meal service from UA. :D

Nearly all of the F menus that have been posted in the time since the neo joined the fleet have had 1 of the three options be cold and it's pretty often that the cold option looks to be the tastiest (e.g. the current shrimp and potato salad). I suspect that DL is averse to declaring an option to be sold out or turning off preorder when an item sells out (unlike UA where the preorder doesn't seem to affect what UA orders from catering) and would rather have it be possible, if preorder is available, for the whole cabin to order the same thing.

two trays per slot
 

On my 321 NEO flt this week, the FA said she always puts two trays in four of the slots, to deal with the issue. My meal came out hot and timely.

Traveling ATL-SCL A350 and EZE-ATL 767-400 in Comfort Plus and wondering if there is any way to know what meals might be served? Strictly for variety I am debating ordering a low fat/cholesterol meal. Or is that the worst option? Travel is in 2 weeks.

Nice to hear that with smaller dishware there might finally be a solution on the horizon that will allow the A321neo to enable pre-ordering. I know several have suggested that DL should just limit the number of hot selections that can be pre-selected, but that brings up the question: Are any of the dishes quantity limited via preorder? For example, if F has 20 seats and all are sold prior to departure, if all 20 passengers hypothetically selected the short rib, would catering then provide 20 shortribs? I know some have reported UA does indeed "sell out" of options, but I've never encountered this with DL's preselect. Even when booking or being upgraded just before the T-24 cutoff I've never once not been able to select my desired entree on a flight where pre-select was available.

I believe UA is the only one that does pre-orders that way, whereas AA and DL will let people select whatever they want. The latter of course ends up providing a much better customer experience (provided pre-ordering is actually available).

Reports are trickling in of pre-orders being available on A321neo routes. Supposedly this is now doable due to smaller ceramic dishware that will allow 20 entrees to fit into the oven.

I’m curious if this new dishware will be used systemwide or if it’s just going to be for the neos.

Excellent news!

I'm on a 321neo this Sunday and have the option to pre-order. But when I try, the app can't do it; I repeatedly get the message "unable to save meal selection." Has anyone else had this problem? It seems odd to offer pre-order for an airplane with pre-order issues! But I'd very much like the meatballs and polenta, which can only be pre-ordered....

Yes, lots of similar reports online this week with the neos. Calling in has apparently had mixed results (sometimes the order will stick, sometimes it won’t). Hopefully they can get the bugs worked out soon.

I keep getting this on my ICN-ATL flight in five days. Will it correct itself in a few days or should I call the Diamond line to request it?

Had a flight for later today on an A220-300 for which I preselected. Woke up this morning and noticed the aircraft had changed to an A321neo (no notification from DL, just simply noticed my seat had changed on the app). Curious if the pre-orders transfer over since the ability to preorder on the neos is still hit or miss. PNR.sh looks like the meal SSR is still attached, so fingers crossed. Regardless, the system had placed me in row 5 on an even FEBO, but I was able to move up to row 2 should the order not carry over. (The original inbound looks like it would’ve been delayed so understand the rationale for the swap).

Any advice for pre-selecting on a KE operated / DL marketed segment?
 

Title says it all. I have a few upcoming KE operated segments in February and haven't been able to figure out if pre-selecting will be an option or not. I have pulled up the reservation on the KE website using the KE PNR, but it simply directs me to contact DL for meal requests since it's a codeshare segment. I asked in the KE forum and looks like others have too with no datapoints, so just figured I'd ask here if anyone has had any success.