When ordering, if I'm reasonably indifferent between choices (and I often am, rarely a strong preference, honestly), I'll tell the FA something like "I'll have the beef, but if you're running out, the pasta's fine too." On the karma front, might help out someone else, and on the pure selfishness front, the FA usually appreciates it (although I get my initial preference 90-95% of the time).

Huh? UA FA's are now doing it the CO way?

Have you experienced this? Has this been written about. I haven't seen it and it goes against all the statements in the posts above (The OP wrote that the CO FA had tried to go by status, but was written up.)

Assure me that, at least currently, UA is still going by status. Please.

Why can't we select the meal when we select our seats and at check in time?:)

The airline could offer more choices and make everyone happy.
You could select your first and second preferences.

Obviously if you were battlefield upgraded you would be out of luck.

I hate this GS taking preference over paid F.:mad:

Well, I certainly don't. ^

what is next?
 

How do you folks work out who gets to go to the bathroom first? Is that by status also?

Having been with CO for years, it never occurred to me that meal choices were done by status on other airlines. It seems odd, but I guess it seems odd because I have never thought about it.

To the poster who makes last second flight changes and finds himself/herself SOL because they may have to sit in the back of first class, let me remind you, you are still in first class, you are reclining in a leather seat, and you are still eating while transporting six miles in the air. If that is the worst thing that happens to you during the day, you are living a blessed life.

^
you do realize, by definition, most of the time GS is paid F or Full Y.

They were yesterday when I flew.

The FAs even handled pax volunteering to take their second choice by status--that is, when they ran out and started apologizing, one pax who'd gotten his first choice offered to give it up so the pax sitting in front of him (the second to miss out) could get it, but the FA apologized that it would in fact go to the first person who'd missed out and asked if that was OK.

When UA switched to Paid F/GS and then remaining satus, that made a little bit of sense. I would be fine with paid F and then by seating order. I do believe that paying for the meal ought to get you something.

+1

If you're in BF, you should check out the online menu ahead of time on the CO Web site so you can tell the FA what you want before they hand out the printed menus.

I'm a United flyer, but I prefer the CO way for this. It is simple and straight forward. If a 2P got his/her upgrade to clear and is sitting in the bulk head, good for him/her getting the meal of choice.

I think it's ridiculous that UA has a million rules for their hideous meals.

As an UDU always on UA, never paid, but at least a 1P, I always choose last port side seat so they always get to me last. There are many times I am not offered a choice (and I am not on a heavy status route) so I have always assumed they've given them away by row and its always by row only and not status. I'm not picky so no biggie.

That is a good attitude and something I do if I am not sleeping. If I am awake, I frequently decline the meal. Most of the meals served are meals we would not walk into a restaurant and purchase. I am not blaming the airlines as it seems all the hot meals are pre-cooked and then reheated on the plane. It is difficult to make that taste good.

A lot of these "airline food" threads are blown out of proportion, IMHO.

Nobody needs to know my status. I prefer status invisibility most of the time (although getting on the airplane before overhead space is gone is important to me). Choice of meal - not important to me. If someone has a dietary need, or even a preference, I'll take whatever is left and be perfectly happy. When sitting last row starboard, I've noticed that if there is still a choice at that point, that both passengers try to defer to the other. It would be nice if the FA could somehow be apprised of who shares my don't care attitude to allow them to accommodate those who do care, or must care. e.g. I don't really care but my first choice would be .....

Have you never had the Macadamia nut encrusted chicken on flights to/from Hawaii? It's DELICIOUS !

I think that you should start with first principles - you have to have some method of assigning meal priority. Once you make that conclusion, then you can either pick the "easier" way (COs) or the "fairer" way (UA). I'll go with the fairer way.