Junkhere

Have a Delta domestic first class flight coming up in 6 days. How do I pre order a meal? Just a regular meal from the menu, not a special meal.

I’m not seeing the option to pre order a regular meal in the app.

I did a chat and was told that I should be able to order via the app and they could not figure out why I couldn’t. They advised I call 1-800-221-1212.

I called and the agent said that pre order is only available for Delta One and that pre order is NOT available for any domestic First Class flights. She said this has been the rule since March 2022. I asked her to please check again because I didn’t believe that was correct.

After a long time on hold she came back and said “they just changed” the rule and now domestic first class is able to preorder meals but only 3 days in advance. Since my flight is over 3 days away I can’t confirm if this will work. She assured me I’ll be able to order 3 days out.

My flight is on an A321neo and I’ve read that there have been issues preordering on flights with that aircraft. I brought this up and the agent said she had never heard of that and preorder would have nothing to do with the aircraft model.

Does anyone know what the actual rules are, and if there is any way to preorder a regular meal (not special meal)?

ostatekitty

I’ve never seen an option to pre-order meals in domestic F on DL, but being in a small market I’m usually an an RJ. “Meals” are usually a choice of 3 different cold meal boxes onboard.

Junkhere

Flight is out of LAX to MCO, so they are doing hot meals now as far as I’m aware. No sad boxes (at least I hope not)!

findark

Preorder is not available for flights operated by the 32Q (Airbus 321neo).

ostatekitty

Mine was a dry turkey sandwich without so much as a packet of mustard or mayo…truly sad indeed!

flyerCO

Dp we know why? It's strange.

findark

Lots of reports in the meal thread that it doesn't work, but I have not seen a credible theory why.

I can only imagine that somewhere there is a list of type codes that have meal selection available, and the 32Q didn't get added. It's been an issue ever since the type was introduced.

Junkhere

The weird thing is that I brought this up to both the chat and phone agents and they had never heard of it and said aircraft type would not matter.

But even beyond that, they did not agree on what the rules actually are, so even though I assume that I am stuck not pre-ordering because of the A321neo issue, I’m still not sure what the “rules“ for my flight should be.

mbluecpa

There’s a pre-order thread here that’s slipped off the first few pages (n.b. I searched “order,” “pre-order,” and “preorder,” none of which worked):

Pre-ordering Meals on Delta, the Definitive Thread

I lost count of the number of items of agent mis-information you were given but the Wiki in the linked thread summarizes the rules well. Short version: absent a sad box market, you should be able to pre-select 7 days in advance for domestic F. Your specific aircraft type is, unfortunately, a known glitch and doesn’t allow advance meal selection.

xliioper

The agents are generally useless for these types of questions as their depth of knowledge is actually pretty limited (and very few are likely frequent flyers themselves with firsthand experience). You'll usually find more knowledgeable people on FT who can provide more thoughtful responses.

FLOIR

I have a flight this Wednesday that should have a breakfast (out of ATL, depart 8:55am, almost 2,000 miles, on a 737-900ER, says "breakfast" under Meal Services) that I have not been able to pre order a meal for. I called this afternoon and the agent could not even see that breakfast will be served so obviously she could not put in the order for. So I definitely did not get an email or the option to order in the 72 hour window.

seattleBH

I was on a flight from SAN to ATL last month. Certainly a 321 but I don’t think it was a neo. It was a breakfast flight and for days the app would offer a meal selection but it would be blank. At T-40 or so I managed to order the quiche.

FenwayTim

Its not rules, simply a software or other glitch not allowing those planes to have the pre-order functionality populate... Not sure what time your flight is but you will have 3 choices, 1 might be the spicy burger which is pretty tasty.. You almost surely will have a salad option and probably something with the impossible products.
The pre-order is nice sometimes but for me, I also like being surprised... You will be in good shape and pre-order glitch aside, that's a very good plane.. One of my favorite for domestic first.

xliioper

Looks like DL874 to BOI which is almost certainly a cold meal box station (confirmed with a search for BOI in the 2022 in-flight dining thread). Meal box flights don't get pre-order and you will only get to pick your meal box when the FA takes your order. Another question which would be better asked here than asking agents who are simply not very knowledgeable about these more esoteric types of questions (like meal box vs. hot meal flights).

hhdl

At some level, the code in the preorder system (which likely has a filter based on route and aircraft type to determine whether preorder is possible) is the actual rule.

"The purpose of the system is what it does" (by and large).