Dec 2, 2013, 10:00 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
As of the last update from an inside source, the meal choice prioritization policy is to prioritize in this order:
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers
4. Nonrevs
This prioritization is done in the galley, after taking orders. If you saw a flight crew take orders front to back, but did not see any GS/1K passengers denied their first choice, you have not witnessed a violation of the policy. Indeed, taking orders front to back is correct under the policy.
Post #30
Hi, UA-NYC,
Yes, your assertion is accurate. Premier 1K will still be prioritized as you stated, but again, this is to be done in the galley.
-UA Insider
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers
4. Nonrevs
This prioritization is done in the galley, after taking orders. If you saw a flight crew take orders front to back, but did not see any GS/1K passengers denied their first choice, you have not witnessed a violation of the policy. Indeed, taking orders front to back is correct under the policy.
Post #30
Hi everyone,
As several of you have mentioned, there has been no procedure change to prioritizing premium cabin meal orders.
As a reminder, our standard procedure is to take meal orders from front to back of the cabin and ask for a second choice in case your first choice is not available. After meal orders are taken, our inflight crew will prioritize meal orders in the galley. This way, we can streamline the order-taking processes while eliminating skipping around the cabin for order-taking.
-UA Insider
As several of you have mentioned, there has been no procedure change to prioritizing premium cabin meal orders.
As a reminder, our standard procedure is to take meal orders from front to back of the cabin and ask for a second choice in case your first choice is not available. After meal orders are taken, our inflight crew will prioritize meal orders in the galley. This way, we can streamline the order-taking processes while eliminating skipping around the cabin for order-taking.
-UA Insider
Yes, your assertion is accurate. Premier 1K will still be prioritized as you stated, but again, this is to be done in the galley.
-UA Insider
Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]
Sep 20, 2015, 5:01 pm
#1936
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,134
Weird idiosyncrasy of mine. I like having a wall behind me vs. someone else looking over my shoulder. I like being able to see the whole cabin during the flight & if anyone is up getting ready to use the bathroom before I get up. Etc. etc. blah blah weird stuff of my own. But it does leave me in a position where I have extensive experience and a great perspective on how the meal prioritization system plays out in the cabin before it gets to me.
Sep 21, 2015, 11:35 am
#1937
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,134
On UA1555 right now, FA did GS and 1K back to front, and then the rest of us front to back.
Sep 21, 2015, 11:48 am
#1938
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
In recent CTU-SFO flight, purser asked us for meal selection (not the usual first and second meal choices; not the usual front to rear order taking). He also said he wanted to make sure that we 1K members get our meal selection.
Sep 30, 2015, 9:19 pm
#1939
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IMO every airline should offer pre-ordering. No more of this ridiculous elite status determining meal choice. Paid F should take priority over elite status on upgrades in every scenario.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 1, 2015 at 11:25 am Reason: Move to move appropriate thread
Sep 30, 2015, 9:59 pm
#1940
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
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Oct 1, 2015, 8:58 am
#1941
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On most domestic routes, UA will sell a "paid F" fare for about the equivalent of a Q fare, and as little as half of what an M fare costs.
Oct 1, 2015, 9:59 am
#1942
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Shouldn't matter. Those who paid to receive the F product should have first access to the services the F product offers. Those who chose to purchase economy and upgrade should be next in line. Price for ticket should be irrelevant.
Oct 1, 2015, 11:50 am
#1943
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Oct 1, 2015, 11:59 am
#1944
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,992
Oct 1, 2015, 12:01 pm
#1945
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
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Those who are purchasing a F ticket ARE getting a F meal. UA does not promise F-paying passengers a guaranteed choice of meal. Actually, it doesn't promise anyone a guaranteed choice. United's current catering scheme is designed to make sure that its perceived most valuable customers (GS and 1Ks) do have a chance at a meal choice. A lot of the time, that F-paying passenger is a 1K or GS, so there is no problem. Once someone is seated in a F cabin, they are a F passenger. The next step is to decide who among the F passengers is more valuable/dedicated. Looking at a F manifest, the best guess (in general) are the names with GS or 1K next to it.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Oct 1, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Oct 1, 2015, 12:31 pm
#1946
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Oct 1, 2015, 12:44 pm
#1947
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Your original post had the solution - pre-ordering. Until then, prioritization for more valuable cutomers of the only-one-meal-for-every-seat catering scheme makes sense.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Oct 1, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Oct 1, 2015, 12:48 pm
#1948
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Because of the way UA currently caters the galley, it's hardly ridiculous to prioritize (generally) the most valuable customers. Your annoyance about prioritization really should be directed at the catering. As long as UA caters as it currently does, prioritization is not "ridiculous", unless you're not one of UA's perceived more valuable customers.
Oct 1, 2015, 12:53 pm
#1949
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You don't get "better service" on an upgrade unless you have 1K or GS status - and it only extends as far as meal selection. Every F passenger is still getting a F meal. Someone paying F is not being deprived of an un-promised meal choice. You can also go down the rabbit hole about arguing who is more valuable - the easiest way is to look at status, especially 1K and GS. It's not going to be right all the time, but it is going to be right most of the time.
Oct 1, 2015, 12:58 pm
#1950
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco
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Posts: 3,297
I agree with you. If you pay for F, you should be prioritized higher than an upgrader, no matter who the upgrader is. By the rationale of others saying the opposite, then the upgrader should get the F seat over the person paying for F, too, since the upgrader is "more valuable."