miniboot

Travelled Seasons from JFK-NRT sitting in 14E, ordered Japanese meal. After taking all orders, the attendant came and told me that they had run out of Japanese meals, and that they could offer me something from the second meal menu, or the Western first meal.

However, it was a bit strange that everyone else in my row (all Japanese) got their first choice of Japanese meal, and I also spotted several bento boxes going to the rows behind me.

Just wondering if anyone knows their policy, as the only way I can explain how I was the one singled out not to receive my first choice after all orders were taken is that 1.) I had been discriminated against for not being Japanese or 2.) They operate some kind of lottery system after taking all orders and I drew the short straw.

JALPak

Sorry to hear that you didn't get your first meal choice but I wasn't surprised since row 14 is the 2nd last row in the business class cabin.

But the left and right cabins were served by two different CAs, passengers sitting behind you could have ordered before you did unless they were the ones served by the same CA. Even if that's the case, it could also be lots of other reasons other than because you are not Japanese. The passengers behind could have higher status than you did or they have specially requested with the CA for Japanese meal before meal service for example. Did you ask why the passengers sitting in row 15 are getting Japanese meals but not you?

miniboot

Very possible, as I never fly JAL. That would explain things in a somewhat satisfactory way, as it's acceptable to me that status could be a consideration and everyone in the cabin is likely to have higher priority with JAL than me. Thanks.

JALPak

As you have oneworld Ruby status with BA, I wouldn't say it's very likely everyone in row 14 and 15 have higher or some kind of JMB status but it is possible.

Personally I would have asked the CA right the way when I saw Japanese meals delivered to passengers behind me. It's easier to find out the reasons that way.

millionmiler

Yes its very possible that the FA was holding the Japanese meals for the Japanese customers. I don't consider this racist though. It was good customer service for them and poor customer service for you.

JALPak

So they are holding western meals for non-Japanese customers so good customer service for them bad for the Japanese? As I pointed out, passengers in row 15 could have ordered before OP. Without knowing what exactly happened, we are all just speculating here. But I have never been treated differently because of my race.

justforfun

That's the definition of racism!

tabeko

As far as i know their policy is NOT to make Japanese passengers upset.
they always think foreign passengers are easier to handle so they took advantage on you.

I flied JAL once from ORD/NRT few years ago. I was seated in the third last row of Y class. I opted for Beef Rice but the Japanese crew who served me said no more. She offered me a Chicken Potatos instead. Later when i looked back. All those Japanese passengers were having Beef Rice!! This is very interesting and obviously She reserved all the Beef to those Japanese passengers.

JAL's service is very good. Unfortunately they only care Japanese passengers. This is the reason why they cant get any Skyxxxx Awards.

JALPak

Welcome to the JAL forum, tabeko! As far as I know, their policy is not to upset any passengers not just the Japanese ones.

There are two CAs on each aisle serving the Y passengers with the cart, one at the front and one at the back of the cart. It is still possible to have passengers behind you ordered the meal before you did, e.g. you were the last one served by the front CA vs the ones who got beef rice were the first who served by the back CA.

Do people really still care about the Skytrax which allegedly ranks the airlines depending on the amount of advertising received

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18929127-post24.html

peloton

This comes up here and at ANA quite a bit....When a similar situation happened on ANA, I called them out on it. I bought my ticket on ANA as a one-way business class ticket through United for almost $3000. They told me they didn't have any Japanese meals left, I said, "is this because I am the United Customer.....". They made a face, came back to me 5 minutes later and apologized, and gave me the Japanese meal...

Simmo

Wow another thread like this. I remember another one in JAL or ANA forum on some long winded post about the same thing. I suspect JAL look after their own elites. Given how easy it is for anyone to achieve JGC i suspect the whole C has some sort of elite status.

grahampros

I don't know why the OP had to go immediately to the "racist" card on this issue. It is likely due to taking care of their own elites first and BA Silver is nothing special. This is nothing unusual of carriers ( alliance or not), favoring their own elites first in meal choice or upgrades.

UA in the US had a long standing policy that it's own Global Services passengers got first choices of all meals. I dont consider that racist, i consider that taking care of the passengers who are really paying your bills.

keisari

It is called Global Service or GS and UA no longer does that = at least not on any consistent basis.
I agree; it is not racist; it is not personal; it is business.

grahampros

Thanks..corrected. Yeah i knew Global Services just a typo and since the merger i've herd you're correct GS is not what it use to be. SHARES just doesn't have the ability built in to identify status the way UA spent years building in Apollo.

SQ Flyer Talker

miniboot, you probably experienced the same thing what I had when I flown in both legs on SFO=>HND & HND=>HKG last month without any J class proper meal to me.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18786757-post8.html

The most interesting part was the feedback from JL was they were saying due to lack of gallery space (I believed due to cost cutting issue), they only uplift in around 70 to 80% of the meal so if 5% of the J class passengers were asleep, still in around 15 to 25% of the J class passengers (mostly non-Japs) will suffer for not eating any main course.

Another round of feedback was they were saying they did offer me the meal choice, but I look like reluctant to take it, I wrote back to them that either if I was having a hearing problem or your cabin crew didn't speak clearly enough that there was a choice.