weirdlyndon

While it may have been entered in, it remains to be seen if it actually processes and gets loaded on your flight.

flyswim

just made aware of this change this morning as I was trying to request the HNML for tomorrow's flight SFO-IAD. The 1K agent was puzzled why the request was blocked, then found out about the changes and let me know.

Since I just paid for F (A fare), I'm not particularly pleased as I don't always want the same variation of ravioli/lasagna flight after flight (at 170k for the year, all domestic, so its a lot of flights). I used to say E+ and Ch 9 were the things that kept me loyal to United - but sometimes you don't realize until it is taken away how badly you want it.

I emailed 1K Voice today about it, got the canned "peak travel season, we are overwhelmed" (which is a pretty lame canned reply for mid-October). Also asked them why I still haven't received a reply back from my email about that horrific decaf coffee change.

Anyone have any suggestions of who else to email at the company about this?

uastarflyer

If they had restricted it to flights departing from UA int'l gateways that would be one thing, but the new policy just blows.

RealFan

Well as a vegetarian and a current Chicago based AA EXP/CK who also just attained 1K status on UA, this is certainly very disappointing news. I have been struggling with which airline to emphasize in 2012 given AA's poor financial performance. Even though I can't order a special meal on AA, there is always a vegetarian option at dinner (though not for lunch).

This change in policy at United makes my decision much more easy. I am sticking with AA.

newbiztraveler

They can take this harmony and shove it. I never thought UA F would become as bad as US, but here we are. What's next? Solo cups?

SFO 1K

For as long as I can remember, the pasta/lasagna dish at dinner is vegetarian. So not sure how that is any different from AAs offerings?

And FWIW, I think this no-special-meals thing is terrible, but it seems consistent w/the competition, right?

MBS MillionMiler

Not Delta. Special meals available in F on most domestic flights which offer a meal service.

mahasamatman

The option is yours, but I have to think that picking an airline based on its food is like picking a restaurant based on the width of its seats.

cjgibson

Yep, CO's meal offerings in F almost always involve a veg option. Mid-con lunch is usually a salad (with chicken or shrimp, and you can ask for it without the meat) or a meat sandwich (I've been seeing that cheeseburger a lot lately). Mid-con dinner is usually a veg. pasta option (like ricotta-stuffed ravioli) and a meat option. The only time you might run into a problem is a shorter hop (like IAH-PHX) where you only get one option. In these cases, I agree that CO should offer a veg option.

longdrelation

I don't know about that. Some of us who pay for F do so for more than just a seat. If I were upgrading from Y I would not complain, but I actually switched all of my flights to UA largely do to the meals. Okay, so other factors (lounge network, etc) played into the over all decision, but as for onboard amenities in F - UA won with the food.

RealFan

Is this still true? I thought I read that there were no vegetarian options at dinner after 10/1? I would really appreciate if someone who is regularly dining in F would please enlighten me. Thx.

For me, I am in meetings all day and often the meal on the plane is my first opportunity to eat all day. I am choosing AA right now because I am guaranteed a meal if I get upgraded. I would love some recent data on vegetarian meal offerings in F on UA.

mahasamatman

As far as lunch goes, there typically are none in my experience. My wife usually gets the most separable meal and just takes the meat off.

annerj

^ This made me chuckle.

small ring

On flight 901 yesterday and had a new excuse for a previously reserved (and verified as much as you can with the GS desk) Asian Vegetarian meal. The flight attendant explained to me that "Vegetarian meals have been discontinued as a result of the Continental merger" ... seriously, this was the explanation. I did not want to get into a fight by explaining that I had the same meal on flight 900 a few days ago.

Just funny the things FAs try to pass off. I would have far preferred ... it does not seem to have been loaded ... which I have heard many times in the past
-p

exerda

AFAIK, most of the special meals should still be available on international segments, but have been discontinued for domestic ones. Could be the FA was confusing the two and giving that as the reason.

See: Special meals discontinued for domestic flights over in the post-merger UACO forum.