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Special meals discontinued for EWR-LAX/SFO (p.s. Flights Not Impacted)

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Special meals discontinued for EWR-LAX/SFO (p.s. Flights Not Impacted)

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Old Mar 18, 2014, 12:28 am
  #1  
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Special meals discontinued for EWR-LAX/SFO (p.s. Flights Not Impacted)

Not sure if anyone noticed this nugget, but...

*Effective May 1, 2014, we no longer offer special meals on flights between New York/Newark and San Francisco or Los Angeles. Special meal requests will not be accepted after March 13, 2014.
Nice.

Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Mar 18, 2014 at 4:21 am Reason: correcting thread title
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 12:52 am
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Just Newark, not JFK, but still a bad cutback.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 12:54 am
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Eh, I misread that to mean JFK as well, because it said NYC. Thanks for the correction!

Would this also mean the EWR-LAX/SFO transcons will lose the "P.S." service and move to regular transcon service (no appetizers)?

Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
Just Newark, not JFK, but still a bad cutback.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 4:21 am
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I never order special meals, so this doesn't affect me either way.

But I wonder why UA and others don't charge for special meals to either cover their added costs or make them a profit source. Sure, nobody likes paying fees, but at least then people who want and/or need special meals can have them. And if UA has an added expense for the meals, surely it isn't that unreasonable for them to charge for them.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 4:24 am
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Absolutely ridiculous
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 5:44 am
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Well, it wouldn't be a "special" meal if you could always get it!
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 6:11 am
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Since there are plenty of INTL flights out of EWR where they still accept special meal requests, its not like this is going to cut out any major overhead.



Another unfriendly move that will save negligible, if any, money.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 6:38 am
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I was getting worried we might go an entire week without news of another United Airlines cutback.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 6:57 am
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well, this might also imply that EWR-SFO/LAX is going to be downgraded to the 'regular' domestic catering, instead of the PS/int'l...
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 7:27 am
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Originally Posted by entropy
well, this might also imply that EWR-SFO/LAX is going to be downgraded to the 'regular' domestic catering, instead of the PS/int'l...
A very good guess. Cut cut cut!
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 7:52 am
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Originally Posted by joshwex90
Absolutely ridiculous
Seriously if someone needs a Kosher/Gluten Free/Vegan/etc meal UA should offer it. DL offers SPMLs on all domestic flights with meal service, AA does in transcon markets-not just JFK-LAX/SFO but also routes like LAX-BDL/BOS/DCA/EWR/IAD/MIA/PBI/RDU. Of course with the new regime this may all change.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 8:31 am
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Originally Posted by entropy
well, this might also imply that EWR-SFO/LAX is going to be downgraded to the 'regular' domestic catering, instead of the PS/int'l...
I think this is a given.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 8:43 am
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Ah, the last bastion LFML red-eye abuse comes to an end. It's been a long time coming.
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 9:01 am
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Originally Posted by unavaca
Ah, the last bastion LFML red-eye abuse comes to an end. It's been a long time coming.
Just in case anyone finds this post cryptic, I think what unavaca is talking about is something like this:

unavaca is saying that there are people who would buy a plane ticket on a SFO-EWR redeye flight, end up in a cabin where there is a complimentary meal (by purchasing F or by upgrading), and then pre-order a special meal. If I understand correctly, sometimes the special meal would not be catered, and then unavaca is saying that these passengers who did not receive their pre-ordered special meal would ask for compensation (or receive it proactively), resulting in a positive gain of a $100 e-certificate (or whatever). If I understand the implication correctly, this is "abusive" because UA would reliably not cater certain special meals on certain flights which were "supposed" to have them, is that right? I have no firsthand experience.

Is this about right? Were people doing this?
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Old Mar 18, 2014, 9:01 am
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I think this is a given.
Esp. since they've jacked up the number of flights to try and drive VX off...all those extra premium meals are a huge cost center!
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