Xlr

Discussed a few years ago at: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...ing-out-y.html
I had some comments in there as well.

I flew out of JFK last week on 202. I had specifically ordered the AVML on the website, so obviously I was surprised that they didn't have the food that I ordered.

Having to eat KitKats and bananas (from the snack bars) through an ULH flight is unacceptable. All they could offer me on the tray was the small salad and fruit cups. One of the crew members at the end was nice enough to offer me an extra croissant - best she could do, I guess.


This never happens with any other carrier. How come Emirates still can't get this right?

hi2all

On May 1 they ran out of AVML on EK 226 from SFO to DXB

Same lame excuse... they do not have enough AVML.
They were like, we only have Omlettes or Frittata with ham. Do you want some?

I have been running into this issue every other flight between SFO-DXB since 2010. I fly this route atleast twice a year.
Only 2013 was a good year where I did not run into this issue.

Looks like Emirates is going backwards and they do not listen when folks complain.

They even skipped my 6 year old daughter when giving 'toys' for kids and when we pointed out in a minute, they said sorry we do not have any. They must have given them away on the flight from Dubai to SFO.

Not happy with Emirates at all.

I had requested AVML at the time of booking... almost 4 months in advance!

Ahmed777

What meal is AVML? Just curious. Thanks.

marconess

Asian Vegetarian Meal

Ahmed777

Thanks marconess.

Sam Bee

I'm very confused - as i'm used to EK being a slick, well run machine.

If you pre-order AVML more than 72 hours out - how can they not have enough meals for you? Or are you just waiting for the normal VGML option without pre-ordering - or are you booking really close to departure?

I'm amazed this is an ongoing issue? Never had any issued with my other halfs GFML.

Edit - have just read other thread - and understand - I have no experience of EK to the USA - so this surprised me.

ft101

I'm amazed that folk who know about this still do the same thing and expect a different outcome.

Dubai76

AVML is part of the menu choice on US flights, considering it would take for ever for the crew to distribute the amount of pre ordered AVML during special meals delivery. How ever heard Emirates is trialing delivering those meals and removing it from the menu .

If they do I can see the next complain : waited for ever to get my drink with my Specially requested AVML ?

Wonder what the poster suggests ... Mind I have done a few flights where people have ordered AVML and changed their minds !!! Creating a shortage of regular meals for non special dietary requirements passengers.

Xlr

What do you suggest? Not fly EK?

Xlr

Slippery slope fallacy. The possibility of that happening shouldn't prevent you from addressing the issue. Additionally, that's not a reasonable complaint at all - this one is.

As it stands right now, ordering the AVML on the website clearly has no meaning or significance. So we can't blame them for changing their mind - you presented them the option of vegetarian vs fritters on board in the menu. They then have the prerogative to choose anything they want from the menu, of course. So, people ordering an AVML then asking for something else is a problem that Emirates has created for itself, by offering that choice on board.

What do I suggest? Serve it to those who have ordered it, along with the other meals, but don't make it a menu option. All they need is a list of seats that have ordered an AVML on the cart. It's not that hard.

You seem to think that Special Meal vs Menu Option are the only two ways of serving a meal on a plane.

YuropFlyer

It's a tricky thing indeed that EK is particularly getting hit.

Europeans carriers that connect India to North America do usually have enough Vegetarian choices available for their flights to India (as it has a very high % of Indians/vegetarians on board obviously) and given the % of Indians on the connecting flights to North America is relatively low, manage to have those flights with special meals supplied without totally breaking down the service (most times)

But for EK, it's really a different thing. The routes from North America to Dubai (and vice versa) can have really a huge amount of Indians on board, or they can't.

While a western passenger is still alright (usually) with a choice of vegetarian tasty noodles, most Indian passengers would prefer some kind of Indian food. They can't have 150 special orders on board, that would just totally kill the service. So they choose to have 1/3 of the meals to be AVML. Now the flight has a higher % of Indians on board than usually, the AVML might run out. Or it has a lower % of Indians than usually, then eventually even people who don't like Indian food (maybe connecting from NYC to MEL) will have to get that AVML.

In any case, it will cause trouble. I guess if you've a solution which won't break down the service and keep customer complains down, I'm sure EK will have some interest to listen to it

ft101

They could follow your suggestion on the other thread and order a VJML.

Another poster there suggested the VGML.

Also been suggested, they could sit toward the front of the aircraft or talk to the crew on boarding.

Granted, none of these is ideal but better than "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

Dubai76

You seem to think that 150 out of 396 passengers ,in Y on an A380 , ordering special meals is an easy thing to do ? You think crew have space and time to rearrange their meal carts in order to load specific meal choices for people sitting in specific areas where they will be serving ? Last i check an airplane id not an open space restaurant ... Crew go out of their way to please everyone with what they have to work with ! ... But do submit your bright simple ideas to Emirates.

Xlr

All they need to do is continue the current carts, but not offer the vegetarian option on the menu. Which was exactly what I suggested. I can't think of any downsides to that. Can you?


Sitting in the front is not a solution simply because only a small percentage of seats are in the front? I don't quite understand why you (who are most likely unaffected by this issue) want others to put up with the status quo.

Edit: And if enough people order different types of V*MLs simply to avoid this issue, you have way too many special meals again and you're back at square one.

sadiqhassan

This is a good idea but my guess is that it is harder than it sounds. It seems to me that EK can either order a "set number" of AVMLs and serve them from the carts or order a specific number of AVMLs depending on how many people request them. In this case, the meals would not be loaded in the regular carts which is why special meals are usually handed out before the main meal service.

I'm sure it is possible to keep all the AVMLs on a separate cart and hand them out as you get to the people who have ordered them but this may also be logistically difficult.

Again, this is just a guess.