Special meals and upgrades
 

So I have read before that on some airlines (for example BA) you won't be able to upgrade (or get a free upgrade) if you ordered a special meal.

Flying AF PEK-CDG, the flight was overbooked, my +1 (no special meal) was upgraded from Y to Y+ and I (special meal) wasn't, although I have Skyteam Elite Plus status (albeit on AZ) and she has no status (well, Flying Blue Ivory).

I was told that I can upgrade for 169€, and after some discussion I agreed. Then I was told that I can't upgrade because I ordered a special meal. I told them to forget about the special meal, and after quite some discussion I think a supervisor told the check-in agent to give me the paid upgrade (even though it is against regulations).

Now I'm wondering: can the policy that you can't upgrade if you have ordered a special meal be considered discriminatory? Think of religious reasons for a special meal (halal, kosher, hindu vegetarian, ...) or health reasons (diabetic, gluten-free, ...). As for me, I don't have any religious or dietary reasons for ordering a special meal, I simply prefer vegetarian food, especially on flights.

I understand the rationale behind this policy - people get an upgrade but won't get an "upgraded" special meal if it is on short notice. Still, if you have to order a special meal 24 hours in advance, and the upgrade is done more than 24 hours in advance, shouldn't the airline be able to "upgrade" the special meal as well? And even if the upgrade is less than 24 hours in advance (or, as in my case, at check-in), shouldn't you at least be given the choice between the upgrade and the special meal? Lastly, why can't I be served my Y special meal in Y+ if I'm fine with that?

Any more experiences with special meals and upgrades?

As for me, I won't order special meals any more if it means that I won't be able to get any upgrades.

Special meals and upgrades
 

On paid upgrades, it should usually work as long as you agree to not receive a special meal.

On op-ups, which usually happen last Minute, they simply have no time to ask you how you'd feel about it and why you ordered it so for operational reasons, they will ignore anyone with special requests. No discrimination, just efficiency.

Yes, of course it is discriminatory. But not in the PC sense (which I hope is not what you are suggesting). Special meals are pre-ordered and loaded based on specific requests from passengers. Last minute upgrades for operational reasons are fully at the discretion of the airline and no special meal passenger or status card wielding traveller has any more claim to this treatment over any other. I can't think of any airline which promises a certain group of passengers priority treatment in such instances over any other. Airlines will obviously upgrade those whom they can accommodate more easily (solo travellers, no special meals, no special seating requirements, etc). This would apply for upgrades (operational or not) made more than 24 hours in advance as well. It's at the airline's discretion, so why bother with the complicated passengers when you can just select the easier cases. I suppose it's a price you pay!

It's logical, they will upgrade you when overbooked, rules are that each class have is food class too, so they can't give you the Y meal in higher class and from the other side they can't give the other overbooked passenger which replace you in Y your vegetable meal.

If I eupgrade prior to T-18, I can get a SPML. If it's less than T-18, I cannot. If I get an op up last minute, I also cannot.

'Tis life. Why anyone whines about this is beyond me.

Which airline are you referring to?

If it were like that, I would be fine with it - but that does not seem to be the case. If I, for example, look at http://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/common...nformation.htm, I wouldn't even be elegible for a paid upgrade if I order a special meal.

Why can't they serve my Y special meal to me in a higher class of travel? I see no logical reason for that. And I'm pretty sure they will have a regular spare meal for the passenger who will be in my Y seat.

Because airlines don't like to mix meals/drinks between cabins. They can, of course, but they choose not to. It makes it a bit more obvious to all the other passengers that you were an upgrade, which could be viewed as a diminishment of the product.

Air Canada.

I asked JL at the gate last year if they offered paid upgrades; the agent said no, and the main reason was because they would not have been able to get the business class meal in time.

At the same time, I feel that many other airlines already offer "Y meals" in J class...CX and its nasty noodle soup, Chinese airlines and rubbish rice with bok choi and US airlines and burgers, for example.

Yup. Happened to me on a Qatar Airways flight IAD-DOH a few years back.

The travel agent that booked the ticket had me listed for a vegetarian meal (I think they did it by default based on their customer demographics, and I never bothered to change it).

At the gate the agent op-up'd me to Business, and as he was handing me the new BP, he suddenly stopped, pulled it back, and tore it up, saying that because I had a special meal he couldn't upgrade me. No amount of begging, etc. would make him reconsider.

Quite traumatic for me. ;)

i wanted to upgrade(buy) to an empty first class on ANA IAD-TKO. was not available, as first class food was not loaded. offered to eat J food, but no go there either.

Years ago United did try to do this for me-- I got an upgrade after I'd ordered a special meal. I told them I'd rather have the F meal (I just ordered special because they generally were better than the regular Y meals) and they gave me the F meal. I have no idea what would happen today.

I am surprised by the other comments - I have been upgraded (including BA and Air Canada) with a special meal ordered (lacto-ovo vegetarian is my default). Perhaps it is because there is usually a veggie option as part of the main meal service (but might not be a low sodium, or diabetic type meal), but on at least two flights they have brought me my Y meal to the front as well (and on one occasion I ate it, along with the salad course, cheese course and pud that everyone else was having, on the other I declined and asked for the pasta that was veggie instead). Maybe it depends what your special meal is as to whether it affects your chances?

I've also been offered the AC upgrade at check in online options, although it is a long time since I flew Air France, so can't comment on them.

AC does not guarantee you a meal period for LMUs. SPMLs have to be ordered T-18.