PhilForest, I would not find Rudi's rules
Ridiculous, just like several other flyers
have suggested try to be nice to the airline
exployees and you could get a nice surprise.

Again, I find it silly that a special meal
would cause so many problems. Aren't airlines supposed to make the flying experience as comfortable as possible to their customers?

Rudi, I have an idea... you should put together a little booklet of your rules. I
think there would be a few takes, like me!
CATMAN

In my experience, special meals have never been anything but trouble. While I have never ordered one myself, on almost every flight with a meal, I see the flight attendants struggling to get special meals to folks and there is always one missing or incorrectly ordered/fulfilled. And (WARNING- I am about to make an overbroad statement) the folks who are ordering the special meals are OBNOXIOUS if it is not right. Look, if you're not on an international flight, the longest you will be on an airlpane is about six hours. So unless I am upgraded, I'm not eating the airline food anyway (it has always been amazing to me what people will eat just because its "free"). As for special dietary needs, my father (a diabetic semi-frequent flier) always packs a snack for himself when he flies.

Catman: I wasn't intending to imply that anything Rudi said was ridiculous. A couple of posts ago, you used the word, "ridiculous" in a suggested title. I just thought adding "Rudi" to it might give it credence among the ten or twelve of us who chat here.

philforest: your choice of word was never a problem for me - they flatter. thank you.

Since this thread happened before I ever found web-flyer I didn't read the info, therefore my new post on the subject. I have ordered diabetic meals which really were downright dangerous and obviously prepared by someone who doesn't understand that carbs are dangerous, not fats and even with special meals I have brought food along. This was on AA, international to Europe. I don't know if it is handled any differently anywhere else. Their reasoning again, was that they needed to have enough regular meals to offer coach passengers and it would create a problem offering a first class meal to someone in coach who would be sitting near someone who was getting regular coach fare. Understandable, but annoying.

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DtG

AA's "reason" does not add up: it assumes that they carry no spares and that no-one in coach declines the meal, both unlikely on a flight carrying 200+ passengers.

I've been on several flights where economy was overbooked and I've watched lots of other passengers getting free upgrades. When I spotted people with the same elite status on a lower fare getting upgraded last year, I queried why I never ever got a free upgrade. It was then I was told that my vegetarian meal request was the reason.

If airlines were to discriminate against passengers on the grounds of their race or religion, the PC lobbies would be having a field day with them. I really don't understand why my moral principles (which lie behind my vegetarianism) are legitimate grounds for discrimination. Any logistical problems that arise can be easily solved where there is a will to do so.

Noting that AA transatlantic usually has a very nice veggie choice (like pasta) for all economy passengers, I took a chance and didn't order a special meal on a recent trip. Not only was the flight not full, so no free upgrade, I picked one of the few flights where none of the options is veggie. ****! LOL [In case anyone thinks me guilty of gross obscenity, the system replaced "d a m n" with asterisks. I realise this board could be accessed by youngsters, but someone here is being way too sensitive.]

[This message has been edited by MKB (edited 04-07-2000).]

[This message has been edited by MKB (edited 04-07-2000).]

I often order a special meal if I am certain I have no chance of being bumped up due to an over-booked coach cabin. I understand why airlines don't go to the hassle to upgrade passengers with special meal requests, but it would be nice if they gave us the option to opt-out of our special meal if we are bumped up. However, I do understand that even this would be additional hassle. I guess that now that we know the rules, we can at least decide which is more important...a special meal or chance to be upgraded. I'll take the upgrade lottery!