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

Old Dec 2, 2013, 10:00 am
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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]

Old Nov 30, 2012, 10:51 pm
  #91  
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Originally Posted by dayone
You're right. FAs zig-zagging through the cabin and then subsequently slaving over a meal matrix in the galley is so much more elegant.
They don't have to zig-zag through the cabin. They simply ask everyone their first choice and second (although there are only 2 on domestic anyway right - except for PS maybe) then it is quite easy to sort out in the galley.

I also understand dietary restrictions, and since there are no special meals left those people need to either a) bring food b) inform the FA kindly when boarding about the restriction to see if anyting can be done (this is what we recently did on AS - where we had purchased F tickets and since we bought them last minute where in the very last row, neither of us eats beef so I just said to the FA if there is anything that can be done great, otherwise we'll figure it out or buy from the back - they accomdated us). I think FA's should have a bit of discretion on that.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 11:17 pm
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by golfingboy
I just hope they will give priority to full fare customers over 1Ks. Even if that results in me not getting my meal choice.
Agreed, they better not be prioritizing status over full fare customers. The old star order was good, with GS > 1K/full fare > etc. I would think a priority list where full fares were up with GS or at least over 1Ks would be fine too.

I don't at all understand how anyone can argue that a row order system is better than a system that prioritizes elite status and full fare customers. I think I can claim lack of bias since I no longer eat the onboard meals, at least on domestic routes.
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 11:19 pm
  #93  
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This is good news. An incremental victory!
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 11:22 pm
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by flyingnosh
Let me get this right. People who pay for economy (and are upgraded) get to choose the meal they want ahead of the people who actually pay for their meal???

Sorry, but that's just about the ultimate over-entitled-elite ego-trip.

Jeff, you have a good thing going, but you're wimping out on me. Catering to people who are not happy with simply a free upgrade from a $300 seat to a $1200 seat is not the way toward a profitable airline.
Originally Posted by gengar
Agreed, they better not be prioritizing status over full fare customers. The old star order was good, with GS > 1K/full fare > etc. I would think a priority list where full fares were up with GS or at least over 1Ks would be fine too.
Disagree. FF's are worth A LOT MORE than a one-off full fare F.

Last edited by TomA; Nov 30, 2012 at 11:29 pm
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Old Nov 30, 2012, 11:52 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by kenn0223

Like others have mentioned the pmCO crews are HORRIABLE at meal priority.
No, they were simply following the policy they were instructed to follow (taking orders front to back). You can agree or disagree with the policy, but you shouldn't expect the customer facing employees to blatantly disregard it.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:01 am
  #96  
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Originally Posted by Air Houston
No, they were simply following the policy they were instructed to follow (taking orders front to back). You can agree or disagree with the policy, but you shouldn't expect the customer facing employees to blatantly disregard it.
Correct. Now let's hope they don't ignore the new policy.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:05 am
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by TomA
Disagree. FF's are worth A LOT MORE than a one-off full fare F.
... but that's not the situation that was presented - not even in the posts you quoted!
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:10 am
  #98  
 
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Originally Posted by gengar
... but that's not the situation that was presented - not even in the posts you quoted!
You know that by FF I meant frequent flyers, right? Because that is exactly the situation that was presented.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:17 am
  #99  
 
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To those who are still in doubt, this is confirmed. The alert email was sent out on Nov 27th to all FAs. The priority is as follow.

1/ Global Services (GS): our invitation-only membership program exclusively for our top members.
2/ Premier 1K customers (1K): 100,000 Premier qualifying miles or 120 Premier qualifying segments.
3/ All other revenue customers
4/ Pass riders

The effective date is Nov 30th. Cheers.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:29 am
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by jetaway96
To those who are still in doubt, this is confirmed. The alert email was sent out on Nov 27th to all FAs. The priority is as follow.

1/ Global Services (GS): our invitation-only membership program exclusively for our top members.
2/ Premier 1K customers (1K): 100,000 Premier qualifying miles or 120 Premier qualifying segments.
3/ All other revenue customers
4/ Pass riders

The effective date is Nov 30th. Cheers.
Awesome!
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:29 am
  #101  
 
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1K Meal orders to be prioritized again

Why do the CO lovers continue to defend CO policies that are clearly worse than pmUA?? I frequently buy full fare F or J within a day or two of the flight and the argument that I have the ability to chose some seat near the front of te cabin (that I don't even like, especially on the 757) is patently wrong. Totally wrong from my experience after this merger. I get stuck with some garbage second choice dregs because te front of the cabin is full.. Sure. Sounds like a great policy to me. The pmUA policy is orders of magnitude better.

I'm glad this is back, but it should have never been taken away to start with. Now if we could just recover some of the other far better policies we might actually be flying a real airline again.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:29 am
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by jetaway96
To those who are still in doubt, this is confirmed. The alert email was sent out on Nov 27th to all FAs. The priority is as follow.

1/ Global Services (GS): our invitation-only membership program exclusively for our top members.
2/ Premier 1K customers (1K): 100,000 Premier qualifying miles or 120 Premier qualifying segments.
3/ All other revenue customers
4/ Pass riders

The effective date is Nov 30th. Cheers.
^ to UA for listening to their customers feedback. Especially on the 757 I like row 6 because I can recline without taking away space from someone trying to use a laptop or eat. Also it is easy on and off when boarding through the 2nd door. Great to know I will now have a better shot at getting my meal preference.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:39 am
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by jhtraveller
.......What's next? Prioritizing the use of the toilet? ..........
Ridiculous jump in logic.


Good move United !
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 12:45 am
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by mogulskiir
^ to UA for listening to their customers feedback. Especially on the 757 I like row 6 because I can recline without taking away space from someone trying to use a laptop or eat. Also it is easy on and off when boarding through the 2nd door. Great to know I will now have a better shot at getting my meal preference.
I just switched my Jan 11 757 flight to 6E.
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Old Dec 1, 2012, 1:45 am
  #105  
 
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This is great news. Hopefully, this means I won't be stuck with the omlette on the way home too.
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