As far as I recall, when I ride UA metal, the choice of meal orders in F are fulfilled in status order. Occasionally, I see FA doing it from front to back to save some efforts. However, I heard a different story from a CO operated flight yesterday. I was given the choice of beef and cheese pasta. I chose beef, and was told they only have cheese pasta left. (Then why did you ask me?) I hope it is understandable that Asian don't digest cheese as well as white people do, so I politely asked the FA, whether all the passenger getting beef are 1K and above, and the FA said "we don't do it according to status." Another FA added, "I used to do it by status, but I got a write-up; so now we do it by seat numbers..."

I was wondering if there is any official guideline on this matter. Your input would be appreciated.

UA does it by status / Paid F
CO does it by seating

What the final merged airline will use is unknown.

CO does meal orders from front to back. Status is not taken into account.

CO does it by seats, and I prefer it that way. But if they have to do it by status I wish they wouldn't go to each seat, and then sort it out by status...

I hope they switch to status, but with the new UA's determination to flatten elite levels, I'm sure it will stay the CO way.

UA SOP is to ask for 1st/2nd choice if they think they may run short of certain meals, and then sort in the galley. Not always done properly though.

The FA was correct, CO policy (at least domestically) is front to back regardless of status. I personally prefer this (usually higher status upgrades sooner and can sit closer to the front if meals are important to them).

I think I was on OP's flight. OP seemed to ask discreetly & politely, I also heard the FA's conversation afterwards so I can add a bit.

The FA's seemed aware that it was United policy. They knew they were following CO policy and didn't want to get into trouble for taking away a meal already promised to someone else (based on CO policy). When they later noticed that the bowls for pasta had not been loaded on the flight they were concerned that OP would be more upset (and decided to appologize in advance for the lack of bowls). One mentioned that if he had come early (before orders were taken) and made a request based on dietary restrictions they could have done something.

Overall a minor policy difference but I am sure whichever policy survives there will be countless rants on these boards.

As pretty much everyone else has said, CO goes front to back. However if you have a dietary restriction, mention it to the FA during pre-departure beverages. They tend to be pretty good about honoring special requests on-board.

I've also seen, on a couple occasions, where the person at the back of the cabin can't eat/doesn't want the meal left for them. The FA will go back to someone who seemed indifferent about what the ordered and ask if they mind changing. Generally, there's someone on-board who will accommodate the dietary restrictions of another passenger.

Sounds like a big inconvenience, but it really isn't. I've probably seen it less than a half dozen times on a hundred plus flights and its always worked out.

Other than sheer inertia with the CO style, why? As a business traveler with frequently changing travel schedules, I often end up booking last second tickets. Should the SOP become front to back and consumers respond by picking front seats first, I would be SOL when I book last second flights and have to settle for third choice meals. If the printout for the flight already has the status of customers, why not give some consideration to the loyal/high-revenue customers?

I'd suggest requesting a special meal, but (1) given how the merged UACO seems to be cutting back on accommodating those; and (2) upgrades are often clearing too close to flight to make the request, that's not necessarily going to help.

As to taking meal orders, I personally prefer UA's system, as I don't have to sit at the front of F (particularly on a 752!) just to get a meal choice. As to the order UA takes the meal orders, I don't care whether they hop around the cabin or ask everyone first and sort it out later.

If they did it by paid first upgrade last I wouldn't mind that way as much, but by status it discriminates against people who paid for that one flight. With the front to back way it's at least a pot luck

Thank you for all the replies. To clarify, cheese is not really going to get me killed, so I ended up eating some anyway. Now I understand the rules.

How can I order a "tiny-amount-OK-but-not-100%-cheese" meal? I don't think it is listed as one of the options for requests. Besides, it probably looks stupid to tell FAs on every flight up-front that "hi, I sit in XX, and if one of the meal options is cheese, please make sure that I don't get it."

UA approach is
4 - GS
3 - 1K or Paid F
2 - 1P/*G
1 - 2P/*S
0 - the rest
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...level-1ks.html

Under current system, paid F customers would get priority just below GS (who are generally full-fare customers anyways).

**** (4 stars) GS
*** (3 stars) 1K/Full Fare Customers
** (2 stars) Premier Exec/Star Alliance Gold
* (1 star) Premier/Star Alliance Silver

Again, under the "pot luck" scenario, should consumers respond to incentives* and choose seats towards the front, the 1P/2Ps who are cleared at 48/24 who pick seats in rows 1-4 would get priority over a F-fare GS who hopped on on a last second ticket.

* - granted food choice is a relatively minor part of seat choice process and often times F seats are chosen automatically, but the idea is that some semblance of priority is preferable to random chance.

Again, perhaps just the PMUA in me who is used to the special service that UA shows towards the higher levels of elites and a general aversion to CO's "treat all elites the same" mantra.

I'm a little late to the party but y'all are saying that CO does meal choices by seats front to back with no regard to status????

Imho, that $ucks the proverbial big one

No it may not kill you, but I fear for the person sitting next to you and the ones behind you for the balance of the flight!

I had this same procedure on my UA metal flight yesterday evening, but knew in advance that many UA FAs were now doing it the CO way because they were instructed to last month. Since then, I have always attempted to get a seat in row two, though I seem to always be defaulted on my UDUs to 1B (and I hate bulkhead seats)!

Frankly, I don't like the CO method and far prefer ordering by status though I suppose the problem has arisen with UDU that everybody in F today is either GS or 1K or Plat, so at some point we'll all not get our choice. Those of us in the know will be seated in the first two or three rows to ensure we get our preferred choice.