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Pre-ordering Meals on Delta, the Definitive Thread

Old Sep 24, 2019, 9:23 am
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Last edit by: michab
The following website seems to allow you to preview the menu options ahead of time: http://cloud.o.delta.com/fltInfo

The Delta App lets you pre-select meals 7 days prior to departure. You may or may not receive an email around the same time (it's inconsistent whether you even receive an email). On the "MY TRIPS" tab, any eligible trip in the list will have a SELECT YOUR ENTREE button; this also appears if you tap on a trip and are viewing the individual trip details. The app is able to handle selections for multiple passengers traveling on the same record (i.e. you will be able to make selections on behalf of traveling companions)

Sample screenshot:



PRE-COVID: If you don't get the email, or only one of multiple passengers receives the email*, you can ask a phone or Twitter/FB agent for the choices, and they can make your selection up until T-24h (not all agents are sharp about this, so you may need to explain that you want to pre-order a regular meal, *not* one of the special vegetarian/Kosher meals etc. HUCA as needed) Nowadays it is unclear if agents can even still do this (or if just the average phone/chat agent does not know how to do so anymore)

*If this happens, double check that you have an email address (for each passenger) in the reservation. (But this can happen at random anyway even if you do have an email address listed.)

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Pre-ordering Meals on Delta, the Definitive Thread

Old Mar 6, 2019, 10:01 pm
  #916  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Originally Posted by richarddd
Does any airline consistently deliver a lacto-ovo meal rather than a vegan meal?
I only fly DL so I can’t comment. I was flying from a hub and veg lacto/ovo seems a pretty common option.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 6:37 am
  #917  
 
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Originally Posted by curl

I only fly DL so I can’t comment. I was flying from a hub and veg lacto/ovo seems a pretty common option.
Just to be clear, is it a common option or do they commonly deliver a genuine veg lacto/ovo meal, rather than a vegan meal, when you choose that option?
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 7:47 am
  #918  
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Got the pre-order yesterday for a flight tomorrow in D1. Not impressed with the options:

Crab Cake
Braised Short Rib
Stuffed shells (vegetarian option)
Chicken Meatballs

I don't eat meat, but eat fish (no shellfish). In all the flights I've had in J / F over the years (at least 30-40 segments over the pond), there has almost always been at least one fish dish I could choose from. I don't order a special meal because I can always get something from the choices. Not very impressed with the options for this trip. I'd have to say the worst selection I've ever seen in J.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 7:54 am
  #919  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Originally Posted by richarddd
Just to be clear, is it a common option or do they commonly deliver a genuine veg lacto/ovo meal, rather than a vegan meal, when you choose that option?
Offering a non-vegan vegetarian meal that includes dairy and sometimes eggs is commonplace. It meets the dietary needs of many people, not just vegetarians. For example, many people who eat kosher but who are not extremely strict will opt for a vegetarian rather than the kosher meals with all of their sealed containers. People who eat some meats but others, etc.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 8:58 am
  #920  
 
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
Offering a non-vegan vegetarian meal that includes dairy and sometimes eggs is commonplace. It meets the dietary needs of many people, not just vegetarians. For example, many people who eat kosher but who are not extremely strict will opt for a vegetarian rather than the kosher meals with all of their sealed containers. People who eat some meats but others, etc.
Yes. The issue is that, while it's commonplace to offer lacto/ovo veg, it's unusual to actually deliver it. From what I can tell, most airlines deliver a vegan meal even if lacto/ovo is chosen. I was wondering if DL is likely to deliver a non-vegan lacto-ovo vegetarian meal if that's what was ordered.
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Old Mar 8, 2019, 1:48 pm
  #921  
 
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Well, while I did get to pre-order my meal, the FA said there was no record of any pre-orders on the flight. I still got the burger I ordered though — and the other option was the tandoori chicken (though it was a salad, which I don't recall being mentioned in the email).
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Old Mar 8, 2019, 2:13 pm
  #922  
 
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Originally Posted by richarddd
Yes. The issue is that, while it's commonplace to offer lacto/ovo veg, it's unusual to actually deliver it. From what I can tell, most airlines deliver a vegan meal even if lacto/ovo is chosen. I was wondering if DL is likely to deliver a non-vegan lacto-ovo vegetarian meal if that's what was ordered.
It's hard to say. Until recently they always had a real lacto-ovo meal. Usually it was a pasta dish with some type of cheese and veggies, with a salad and fruit on the side. Not the most inventive but it worked. I'll also say that what they are serving for vegan food is just not acceptable. I'd generally be just fine eating vegan when ordering vegetarian, but when they bring stale bread with a few slices of onion, a sad looking slice of green pepper and the like, it just does not work.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 6:15 am
  #923  
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Originally Posted by jrkmsp
Well, while I did get to pre-order my meal, the FA said there was no record of any pre-orders on the flight. I still got the burger I ordered though — and the other option was the tandoori chicken (though it was a salad, which I don't recall being mentioned in the email).
Normally the tray has your name on it. It's done just like a true special meal. The catering crew put a label that says the passengers name on it. More than once it wasn't on the FA meal paperwork but was in fact loaded as a SPML tray in the meal cart.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 9:04 am
  #924  
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If you do a F SDC does the pre-ordered meal follow you?
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 9:06 am
  #925  
 
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Originally Posted by mmgm
If you do a F SDC does the pre-ordered meal follow you?
​​​​​​
No. Needs to be 24 hours in advance, and you can't same day change until 24 hours.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 10:25 am
  #926  
 
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All I know is, every time I pre-order a meal, I always wish I’d ordered the other option.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 1:32 pm
  #927  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Yesterday (Friday afternoon) I text @Delta Twitter asking them to have the preorder email sent after I used a weather waiver for a flight late Sunday. Had to go back and forth with the agent about special meal vs preorder. After we get that straightened out the agent says I took care of it for you. So, I wait and wait for the email. It never arrives. I call the Diamond line this morning. After more back and forth come to find out the reason why. Rather than having the email sent, the Twitter agent just made a selection for me. It was not what I would have ordered (was chicken-which I despise), so I asked the diamond agent to cancel it since she couldn’t figure out how to find what the other offerings for the flight were.

Amazing how difficult it seems to be for Delta to get something right that AA has done for years.

And more proof Delta Twitter has gone waaaaay downhill.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 1:41 pm
  #928  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by BamaGirl
Yesterday (Friday afternoon) I text @Delta Twitter asking them to have the preorder email sent after I used a weather waiver for a flight late Sunday. Had to go back and forth with the agent about special meal vs preorder. After we get that straightened out the agent says I took care of it for you. So, I wait and wait for the email. It never arrives. I call the Diamond line this morning. After more back and forth come to find out the reason why. Rather than having the email sent, the Twitter agent just made a selection for me. It was not what I would have ordered (was chicken-which I despise), so I asked the diamond agent to cancel it since she couldn’t figure out how to find what the other offerings for the flight were.

Amazing how difficult it seems to be for Delta to get something right that AA has done for years.

And more proof Delta Twitter has gone waaaaay downhill.
At least the agents are finally realizing that pre-ordering actually exists in domestic FC vs D1 only. I bet they’ve been getting a lot of complaints within the past week.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 2:54 pm
  #929  
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Originally Posted by BamaGirl
Yesterday (Friday afternoon) I text @Delta Twitter asking them to have the preorder email sent after I used a weather waiver for a flight late Sunday. Had to go back and forth with the agent about special meal vs preorder. After we get that straightened out the agent says I took care of it for you. So, I wait and wait for the email. It never arrives. I call the Diamond line this morning. After more back and forth come to find out the reason why. Rather than having the email sent, the Twitter agent just made a selection for me. It was not what I would have ordered (was chicken-which I despise), so I asked the diamond agent to cancel it since she couldn’t figure out how to find what the other offerings for the flight were.

Amazing how difficult it seems to be for Delta to get something right that AA has done for years.

And more proof Delta Twitter has gone waaaaay downhill.
And now AA offers people 4 options to preorder on regular domestic flights (two traditional options plus a fruit and cheese plate or a new charcuterie plate). The later two still come plated and with a side salad and choice of bread.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 3:37 pm
  #930  
 
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Have a TPA-DTW-PDX itinerary on Tuesday. Just got the e-mail for TPA-DTW but nothing yet for DTW-PDX.I am hoping to do an SDC but made a choice just in case. Choices were:
LEMONGRASS CHICKEN


served over red curry coconut rice
ANTIPASTI PLATE


roast beef, turkey, grilled chicken breast; gruyere, brie and sharp cheddar cheeses; pearl onions and grape tomatoes

Last edited by apodo77; Mar 9, 2019 at 3:52 pm
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