Not to get too detailed, but I am curious:

1. Was the cockroach still alive
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, was it running around within the food trays?
3. If it was dead, was it just lying around somewhere random, or
4. Was it under the foil, in a dish, which would suggest intention/prank of some sort!

Flight status is showing arrival at ORD 44 minutes late. This will surely lead to a number of mis-connects, delays, etc. down the road. I would love to see an analysis of how much $$$ this cockroach is going to cost UA.

This is not as unusual as one would think. Usually, though, the crew would state it "as some sort of catering error". There is no need to alarm the passengers. I'm very surprised that the pilot would make remarks "that he thought he would never have to make this sort of announcements". I'm sure that the FA's have seen insects/pests around the food before and I'm sure that they had the flight re-catered.

As often as not, the FAs get on the flight a few minutes before the passengers do. If either the plane or the FAs are on a quick turn, they have no choice. Also, the catering is often boarded after boarding is started.

I've seen my share of "walkin' protein" on my crew meals, probably more than passengers. And we have the cost of many them deducted from our pay checks!

FAB

Pick out the cockroach and throw it in the toilet. Depart on time.

Alternatively, chop it up and serve it as a salad garnish to Mr. DYKWIA.

+1 :-:

But there are those who would insist on nothing less than evacuating and fumigating the "infected" aircraft.

I'm not so sure that some Far East airline might not actually cook that for you and charge a tidy sum for the their efforts. Menu please!

Who gets first crack at the cockroach, GS, paid FC, upgraded with instrument, or CPU?

I always got my cockroach on p-CO.....d*** that Smisek....

Guess you don't fly much or pretty much just a one-sided person. :rolleyes:

How many domestic flights you have seen the plane actually parked at the gate an hour or more before departure these days ? It often has tight turnaround times. Every FA have tons have things to do before departure, not to mention FA's main job is for safety for the pax, it is not like when they board the plane early, they would just stand there to chit chat the entire time before the pax board the plane.

And when it is a tight turnaround time, the catering would be stocking up the same time when the pax are boarding, you often see door 1R is open for that reason.

Did not TSA have some sort of "freeze" call where everybody was supposed to stop moving? They can always try yelling that at the food before checking for cockroaches. :D

If only they could remove gate lice so tidily...

Ther'es never ONE cockroach. Actually about 15 for every one you see....

Why would one assume they performed these duties and *only* shirked the others? Seems unlikely.

Right now cockroaches are free, in the future UA would charge $8 per piece (sold as buy-on-board item)!

:p:D;)

It sounds like a new movie title, "Cockroaches on a Plane", the sequel to "Snakes on a Plane".