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Delta In-Flight Meal/Food Service: The Definitive Thread — 2021 Edition

Old Jul 8, 2021, 6:40 am
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Last edit by: xliioper
Current 2021 First Class meal service status -- Current FC meal service consists of cold meal boxes with the exception of JFK-SEA and BOS-SEA/SFO FC marketed flights which receive hot meal service. This includes both domestic and international DL FC marketed flights. Otherwise, only D1 marketed flights receive hot meals. All flights over 900 miles which depart before 9PM receive meal service in FC. In addition, flights over 2300 miles will receive meal service in FC for departures after 9PM.

There have been no official announcements from DL concerning when hot meals will return to FC, however, it is rumored it will return Q1 2022.

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Delta In-Flight Meal/Food Service: The Definitive Thread — 2021 Edition

Old Dec 21, 2021, 8:33 am
  #1591  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: STL
Programs: DL - PM
Posts: 226
BOI-ATL yesterday. Lunch choices were a grain bowl, turkey and brie sandwich, or salmon salad. I went with the salmon salad because I remembered the grain bowl being underwhelming and I don't like brie. Big mistake. The portion size was tiny. The salmon itself was pretty good, but the rest of the dish was awful. The greens consisted of a couple of green beans and a few sprouts. The pumpkin swirl bread (I've seen pics in earlier threads), however, was better than it looked.
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Ordhater is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2021, 8:36 am
  #1592  
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: North of DTW
Programs: Delta PM, LATAM Gold, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton, Hertz Gold, Silvercar, Sixt
Posts: 171
FC Food vs Other Considerations

Originally Posted by MarkCron
I agree with your friends ... the meal, even pre-covid, is very low on the list of reasons for me to take FCM offers.
So low I'd say it is not a factor at all
I agree with this sentiment. I've asked on other blogs what the blogger and their readers think food/dining is a reasonable portion of the incremental cost from Main or C+ to the front of the plane. I put it at $20 for a 1500+ mile/non-transcon flight. Nice to have, but SC/Centurion/PP lounge eats will be a better dining proposition, regardless of which domestic airline being flown. I put a greater value on the big seat, earlier boarding (fwiw), bigger IFE screen, the ubiquitous Woodford on ice in a plastic cup, and guaranteed sizable overhead storage.
The sad boxes have not changed much, but during my MR activities a couple weekends back, the lunch sammies were very meaty, and quite filling. Still didn't match the eats in the lounges, but as a capper to what I scarfed down on land, it worked nicely.
Matthew at LALF suggested his valuation on the food component is $40. Fun thought starter, anyways...
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dtwlarry is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2021, 8:54 am
  #1593  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,210
A lot of my trips are entirely short enough segments that the food question is pretty much moot- I only encountered the sad box because a schedule change sent me on a just long enough MSP-ATL leg. The times I buy F, it’s for the bigger seat when it’s not that much more than main cabin at that time.
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 11:01 am
  #1594  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA - Silver, Hertz-5 star
Posts: 217
Just booked MSP-SFO on 01-17, in First listed as a Lunch Flight, any ideas? It does originate from a hub.

Thanks,

Paul
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 11:15 am
  #1595  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: DTW
Programs: DL DM, National EE, Hertz PC, IHG PL, Bonvoy Amb
Posts: 1,334
Originally Posted by Paul510
Just booked MSP-SFO on 01-17, in First listed as a Lunch Flight, any ideas? It does originate from a hub.

Thanks,

Paul
something similar to what Ordhater had 3 posts above yours.
sandwich or salad most likely
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 11:15 am
  #1596  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Premier Gold
Posts: 2,904
Originally Posted by Paul510
Just booked MSP-SFO on 01-17, in First listed as a Lunch Flight, any ideas? It does originate from a hub.

Thanks,

Paul
Sad box.
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DLASflyer is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2021, 12:40 pm
  #1597  
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,324
Originally Posted by Paul510
Just booked MSP-SFO on 01-17, in First listed as a Lunch Flight, any ideas? It does originate from a hub.
Italian Ham Sandwich, Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich, and the Strawberry Chicken Salad (salad), unless the catering standard changes with the new year or some of the random new things show up. Photos of all of them are in the thread.
findark is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2021, 1:16 pm
  #1598  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Bloomfield, MI, USA
Programs: DL Gold
Posts: 694
Originally Posted by dtwlarry
I agree with this sentiment. I've asked on other blogs what the blogger and their readers think food/dining is a reasonable portion of the incremental cost from Main or C+ to the front of the plane. I put it at $20 for a 1500+ mile/non-transcon flight. Nice to have, but SC/Centurion/PP lounge eats will be a better dining proposition, regardless of which domestic airline being flown. I put a greater value on the big seat, earlier boarding (fwiw), bigger IFE screen, the ubiquitous Woodford on ice in a plastic cup, and guaranteed sizable overhead storage.
The sad boxes have not changed much, but during my MR activities a couple weekends back, the lunch sammies were very meaty, and quite filling. Still didn't match the eats in the lounges, but as a capper to what I scarfed down on land, it worked nicely.
Matthew at LALF suggested his valuation on the food component is $40. Fun thought starter, anyways...
I'm old enough to remember when there was a small but hot dinner in First on flights East Coast-Detroit leaving around 1700-1800, but those days are long gone. But yeah, I'm all about the larger seat and the Woodford.
Detroiter is online now  
Old Dec 22, 2021, 6:14 pm
  #1599  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,709
Pretty decent breakfast on JFK-LHR. The croissant was warm 😱

(also, glassware needs to return domestically).


KDCAflyer is offline  
Old Dec 22, 2021, 6:49 pm
  #1600  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,641
LAX-RDU today was the Italian sandwich in a cardboard box, with a bag of chips and a small brownie serving. Last week I flew RDU-SFO on UA at breakfast time, and they served a hot meal with two entree choices, the juice came in a glass, and I had actual silverware. So...
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 6:53 pm
  #1601  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Premier Gold
Posts: 2,904
They’re handing out Ghirardelli peppermint bark chocolates on flights this week in all cabins.
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 7:22 pm
  #1602  
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Virginia USA
Posts: 1,205
Originally Posted by DLASflyer
They’re handing out Ghirardelli peppermint bark chocolates on flights this week in all cabins.
Was not the case on my crj first class flights yesterday.
Also I got this curious reply to an email noting that my upcoming transcon from atl to lax is still just snacks. Not sure if typo or return of meals is coming. Thank you for reaching out to us regarding hot meals on your flight to Los Angeles on Feb 24, 2022. Hot meals have return on specific routes only, you will be served hot meals on your first class trip.
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 7:57 pm
  #1603  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,211
BNA-BOS this morning, the flight information says ‘snack, breakfast, beverage’.

No breakfast.

I’ve had a box lunch and a box dinner on BNA-BOS nonstops, so I know it meets the criteria for distance. I asked the FA if their were breakfast boxes and she said no and shrugged. I have no idea why they would advertise this as a meal flight and then not have it.

Just another one of those inconsistencies, I guess.
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Old Dec 22, 2021, 9:10 pm
  #1604  
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Join Date: Jul 2003
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Originally Posted by bitterproffit
BNA-BOS this morning, the flight information says ‘snack, breakfast, beverage’.

No breakfast.

I’ve had a box lunch and a box dinner on BNA-BOS nonstops, so I know it meets the criteria for distance. I asked the FA if their were breakfast boxes and she said no and shrugged. I have no idea why they would advertise this as a meal flight and then not have it.

Just another one of those inconsistencies, I guess.
Sounds like a catering screw-up. At 942 miles, it meets the 900 mile threshold for service.
xliioper is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2021, 5:36 am
  #1605  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TUS
Programs: DL Gold
Posts: 91
DTW - PHX last night. Boxed choices last night were the Caprese salad sandwich, a Rueben, or a "meat" salad (at least that what's the FA called it). I managed to get the last Caprese (I don't eat meat, it would have been nice to at least order one ahead of time online). I thought it was decent, probably would have been better warm and it came with a mini chocolate chip cookie and a weird chickpea in sour cream side, which I tried a bite of and left.

Service was decent on the flight, although no PDB and the FAs offered cheese crackers or Biscoff once after dinner service.

Also handed peppermint bark chocolates on boarding and more at the seat.

Last edited by Vecturist14; Dec 23, 2021 at 6:24 am
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