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Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]

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Old Dec 2, 2013, 10:00 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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
Originally Posted by UA Insider
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
Originally Posted by UA Insider
Originally Posted by UA-NYC
Thanks! Is it still GS, then 1K, then everyone else front to back? As in, 1K hasn't been pulled from priority as some FAs have told us?
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
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Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]

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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:17 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by Pat89339
A change I'll like, if true! I can go back to my favorite row on a 757 now.
Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
+1

Looking forward to my favorite seat: 6A
+2

And I can go back to 6 C/D! ^
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:19 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Ari
The star system worked well.

GS ****
1K ***
F/J Ticket (non-upgrades) ***
Premiers **
Others *
Insert the million milers into this list, please!

Thank you.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:20 pm
  #18  
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How much passive-aggression can we expect from "proud CO crews" over this?
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:22 pm
  #19  
 
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The FA on my flight from IAH to DEN did this, about two weeks ago. I was shocked, she came back to 3F or something and took my order first, looked right past the guy sitting next to me in the aisle.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:25 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by exerda
How much passive-aggression can we expect from "proud CO crews" over this?
Once confirmed, write it in if it doesn't happen.

Just like PDBs of your choice and showing the Smisek video, if this is policy, I'm sure the company wants it done, period. The CO side will be expected to conform.

Honestly, I don't think it's too much to ask. Aside from having to unwrap a snack basket and carry it through the F cabin, and no longer having to charge for specialty drinks in First Class, this is one of the few material changes the CO FAs have had to deal with.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:27 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by SF1K
Apparently FAs received an email that starting today 1K meal orders are supposed to be prioritized. Don't have further details. The "CO" FA that was telling another FA wasn't too happy about it.
Aw..... Prioritizing top customers. What a foreign concept to the sCO crew!
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:36 pm
  #22  
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Glad to see this back! Missed meal choice on my recent flights to/from IST because I was on the right side of a widebody. Two meal flights tomorrow on sCO equipment I will definitely inquire if thibgs FO awry.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:40 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by belynch
Rar!
Not that far back!

Originally Posted by channa
Honestly, I don't think it's too much to ask. Aside from having to unwrap a snack basket and carry it through the F cabin, and no longer having to charge for specialty drinks in First Class, this is one of the few material changes the CO FAs have had to deal with.
Don't forget now having to charge F pax for Y BoB food.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:41 pm
  #24  
 
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happened to me last week on SFO-EWR.
FA came over, addressed me by name and asked what I wanted.
The guy next to me thought it was his turn and asked for his ;-) FA did write it down and returned to query the rest of the cabin.
I thought it was an exception.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:46 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by dsauch
happened to me last week on SFO-EWR.
FA came over, addressed me by name and asked what I wanted.
The guy next to me thought it was his turn and asked for his ;-) FA did write it down and returned to query the rest of the cabin.
I thought it was an exception.
I wish they'd just take choices for everyone in the cabin, sort in the galley, and come back and inform any pax who will won't get their first choice. So much easier in terms of avoiding any awkward feelings or meal orders (I don't much care myself, but know a lot of pax seem to).
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:50 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by exerda
I wish they'd just take choices for everyone in the cabin, sort in the galley, and come back and inform any pax who will won't get their first choice. So much easier in terms of avoiding any awkward feelings or meal orders (I don't much care myself, but know a lot of pax seem to).
That's the way the better PMUA crews did it and I preferred that method as well. In any case it's a small but great step forward for 1K flyers.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:56 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by river_rower
The FA on my flight from IAH to DEN did this, about two weeks ago. I was shocked, she came back to 3F or something and took my order first, looked right past the guy sitting next to me in the aisle.
In the last 4 years as a 1K I can't think of a single instance where I've been prioritized my meal choice. Every time the FA has simply gone from front to back, left side to right. In those rare cases that I do see them select specific people I just assume they are GS or paid C because they never ask me.

Granted, I personally don't care that much cause I usually get my preferred choice but it would be nice if they would stick to some kind of consistent policy.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 1:56 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by GoAmtrak
Don't forget now having to charge F pax for Y BoB food.
I don't believe that's a change for CO FA's. It was only the UA FAs who were allowed to comp Y food to F pax if they did not like the meal choices.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 2:11 pm
  #29  
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Originally Posted by UA-NYC
FF=1K in the PMUA days - a fair compromise

Who says that the F cabin is full of those pax these days? I bet there are fewer now due to YBs, TODs, cheap V-ups and the like
There are plenty of flights a day where 20+ of the passengers are 1K/GS/Z+ fare flyers.

Granted there will be a few Plats and lower in F on Y/B fare, but routes like SFO-IAD/EWR, IAH-ANC in the summer, IAH-ORD/DEN/EWR, et cetera do see F without Platinums or lower many times. For instance, on a Saturday SFO-IAD flight I took last August, only one passenger got upgraded.

Maybe one day on the LGA-ORD flight you should try looking at the manifest. I'd bet if it is on a Thursday, most of the time the F cabin on mainline will only see 1Ks and up.

Don't get me wrong, it is a plus for me for selfish reasons, but I have seen some customers act like DYKWIAs when it comes to ordering meal such as refusing to give second choice or fully expecting to get his/her first choice as 1K. If they don't then they get mad and they will not get a skykit like they used to in the past. The FAs should not have to be in that position having to deal with someone with an inflated ego who expects to have what he/she wants only to be upset that other customers are more important.

Best solution, online meal ordering like what AA is slowly rolling out.

Last edited by golfingboy; Nov 30, 2012 at 2:43 pm
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 2:12 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by SF1K
The "CO" FA that was telling another FA wasn't too happy about it.
Poor thing.

“...What I want is those people to either change or leave.” Mr. Smisek in yesterday's NY Times.
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