Same here. I like to be comfortable when I fly which usually means shorts & t-shirts.

I never knew what that hole was for before now.

I did get the offer to pre-select a Japanese meal
on ATL-NRT in Delta One on April 29. I did not take them up on the offer, though, and simply selected my preferred meal onboard.

Thr Japanese meal is a special meal and thus has been selectable for years like any other special meal.

I heard that type of announcement on an odd-numbered flight a year or two ago, FWIW.

Do folks who travel in shorts and t-shirt know how to use napkins?

Sorry... just kidding. I was channeling some of the other FT folks who post here complaining about the ambience in FC.:p

FT does not permit commercial offerings, but I could suggest a business opportunity for a t-shirt-to-button-hole conversion kit involving a re-purposed paper clip. :D

Sigh. Do we get to see your toes in flip flops as well?

I am responding a very long time after the fact because while I thought I had not gotten anything it turns out the Pilot was correct when he said they were working on compensation for everyone. I never followed up with Delta because a lot of time had passed. I didn't realize I had been given a $1K credit (which fortunately I just happened to notice on a rare look at the My Delta summary page and noticed it said I had a credit). So all in all Delta did realize it had failed and did follow through for compensation and I have to give them props for that.

So....

Now that this "test" has ended (almost a month by now) has there been any update with rolling out this program? (or is that too much to ask?)

Also, does Delta allow for meals to be selected and taken in the SkyClub ahead of flight? (JFK specifically if that makes a difference).

Only AF at JFK does this. DL improved the food selection at most SkyClubs including JFK, but do not offer a pre-departure dinner service like AA, BA or AF do at their respective lounges.

Last year there was a trial where business-class passengers in ATL and JFK (maybe elsewhere, too) could order off a menu in the Sky Club. It didn't last long. While the menu offerings were different than the buffet the quality and service just wasn't there. This followed the paid menu offerings that JFK's Sky Club had for a year or so.

Personally, when flying business-class to Europe from the East Coast, I'd rather just get a meal voucher for say $70, which should be enough for dinner and two glasses of wine, at any airport restaurant upon check-in. Flights to say Manchester aren't long enough from New York to allow for adequate sleeping and consumption of dinner and breakfast. I flew HNL-SEA the other day. It took an hour for the meal and drinks (an enhanced "snack" of a burger or chicken salad -- the salad was good) to be served. The flight is only 5 hours and change. The lights were turned on and coffee service started 50 minutes out from landing. That left, at most, 3 hours to sleep.

TATL J customers are paying for the seat, not the food. I'm surprised that high dollar customers haven't pushed for a change like this.

For JFK/BOS-EU flights, I'd be Ok with all meals being dine and rest, and only available upon request. Passengers could choose to opt out of their onboard meal in favor of a voucher for use in the airport.

I don't think you would be pleased with the dollar amount you would be offered for a voucher were DL to go that route. US airlines spend very little per passenger on food. Even in Business Class. I suspect the voucher amount would be closer to $20-30 in business (and that is most likely an overly generous 'guess-timate').

I couldn't find the current numbers--but here are the ones from 2014.

I'm perfectly fine using a voucher to order a side salad with balsamic dressing and a grilled chicken breast (from the ala carte menu) at McDonald's, as long as there's enough left in the voucher's value to also buy two or three glasses of wine. The quality of the McDonald's food is probably higher. Delta's caters just plate the food better, at least in the forward-cabin.

My guess is the average business-class passenger has three glasses of wine in-flight. Some obviously drink more, others drink far less or none.

Delta could serve you dinner in a private dinning room for much less than this so this is never going to happen, and I also don't personally think the private dinning pre-order will happen either. DL offers decent food in the Sky Clubs and meals on board, and I would not hold my breath for something better.

You have got to be kidding. I'm not saying DL is amazing, but you are comparing one of the most highly processed food products available to what DL serves on board in their premium cabins. In your salad example McDonalds is (well, have not eaten there in years, so there's my disclaimer) a pile of iceberg lettuce and processed chicken product reshaped into a breast. In D1 Delta serves real pieces of meat with cooked veggies, fresh salads with a variety of lettuces, etc.

FWIW, if flying JFK-LHR on Delta you can use the Virgin Clubhouse which does offer a pre-flight dining service that is arguably better than what BA and AF offer. I wish Delta would find a way to expand this to other D1 passengers, but presumably it costs too much and it would certainly require a much larger Virgin lounge.