Feb 2, 2015, 1:14 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Official UNITED policy for meal preferences is to prioritize in the following order: (as of late 2023)
The proper way is to take orders front-to-back, and apply priority in the galley afterwards. Some FAs may still hop around the cabin seeking GS and 1Ks and take their orders first.
With the sharp increase in passengers pre-ordering meals, front-to-back ordering is now predominant.
Previous thread: Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]
- Pre-orders
- Global Services members
- 1K members
- All other revenue passengers from front to back (no difference between $$$ or mileage or upgraders)
- Non-Revs
The proper way is to take orders front-to-back, and apply priority in the galley afterwards. Some FAs may still hop around the cabin seeking GS and 1Ks and take their orders first.
With the sharp increase in passengers pre-ordering meals, front-to-back ordering is now predominant.
Previous thread: Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]
Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins
Apr 14, 2023, 8:44 am
#151
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Yes it is. They're supposed to go front to back and prioritize in the galley but some prefer to jump around (probably easier for them to prioritize this way). Used to be the CO legacy crews, but now it's just random experience.
Covered at length in this thread: Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins
Covered at length in this thread: Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins
Apr 14, 2023, 8:48 am
#152
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 122
It's a very frequent practice. While SOP is to go front to back, collecting first/second choices and then sorting by status when done, many long-time FAs do the hop-scotch. I encounter it about 50% of the time, especially on long-haul international flights. Usually once I'm comfortably seated in 9A on a 777 or 787, the purser will come over, thank me for being GS, and ask for my order before going to the rest of the cabin.
Apr 14, 2023, 8:58 am
#153
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Not following why codeshare would be related.
It's a legacy practice for FAs with United (Continental). It happens domestically and internationally. You may not always notice, as it's only really obvious when there are several GS/1K scattered through cabin. It's a random experience, as Kacee said above.
It's a legacy practice for FAs with United (Continental). It happens domestically and internationally. You may not always notice, as it's only really obvious when there are several GS/1K scattered through cabin. It's a random experience, as Kacee said above.
Apr 14, 2023, 9:14 am
#155
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 122
Not following why codeshare would be related.
It's a legacy practice for FAs with United (Continental). It happens domestically and internationally. You may not always notice, as it's only really obvious when there are several GS/1K scattered through cabin. It's a random experience, as Kacee said above.
It's a legacy practice for FAs with United (Continental). It happens domestically and internationally. You may not always notice, as it's only really obvious when there are several GS/1K scattered through cabin. It's a random experience, as Kacee said above.
Ok
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 14, 2023 at 2:21 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member
Apr 18, 2023, 10:00 pm
#156
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Orders were done correctly on both LAX-HND and HND-LAX flights even with a very green crew on the outbound. But not so good on Mrs. B's LAX-HND flight where they were basically given one choice. I don't care how many 1Ks you should still take 1st and 2nd choice. Unless of course you are just lazy.
Apr 18, 2023, 10:19 pm
#157
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA GS 2MM
Posts: 947
I dislike being asked for a 2nd choice as a 1K. Fix your catering or get pre-orders actually working. Food is bad enough without “Here, have the leftover thing”.
Last edited by djmp; Apr 18, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Apr 18, 2023, 10:55 pm
#158
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
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Now that is very odd. The most different variable at this point seems to be yourself, as I doubt there are many other 1Ks who have done 50 consecutive flights in F/J without having experienced what you describe. Is there something unique about the routes you fly? Or maybe where you sit (like often in first row(s) such that you might have missed it happening)?
Apr 27, 2023, 12:17 pm
#159
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,795
if happened again yesterday for me. Sitting in 4x and I told the FA that I had pre-ordered when they asked me what I wanted. Seemed like things were working as designed but when it was my turn to be served, he told me they were out of my meal choice. I said I had pre-ordered my meal and he said “I understand but we’re out of it”. I did remind him in this instance that I was GS and that I am supposed to get my first choice of a meal and he said again “I understand but we’re out of it”. He asked if I wanted the noodles instead and I declined and ended up not eating on the 4 hour flight. The guy sitting in front of me ordered and received the meal I had pre-ordered and I know he wasn’t a GS. I wrote in again and got the canned reply and 2500 MP miles 
Apr 27, 2023, 2:22 pm
#160
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if happened again yesterday for me. Sitting in 4x and I told the FA that I had pre-ordered when they asked me what I wanted. Seemed like things were working as designed but when it was my turn to be served, he told me they were out of my meal choice. I said I had pre-ordered my meal and he said “I understand but we’re out of it”. I did remind him in this instance that I was GS and that I am supposed to get my first choice of a meal and he said again “I understand but we’re out of it”. He asked if I wanted the noodles instead and I declined and ended up not eating on the 4 hour flight. The guy sitting in front of me ordered and received the meal I had pre-ordered and I know he wasn’t a GS. I wrote in again and got the canned reply and 2500 MP miles
David
Apr 27, 2023, 5:13 pm
#161
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if happened again yesterday for me. Sitting in 4x and I told the FA that I had pre-ordered when they asked me what I wanted. Seemed like things were working as designed but when it was my turn to be served, he told me they were out of my meal choice. I said I had pre-ordered my meal and he said “I understand but we’re out of it”. I did remind him in this instance that I was GS and that I am supposed to get my first choice of a meal and he said again “I understand but we’re out of it”. He asked if I wanted the noodles instead and I declined and ended up not eating on the 4 hour flight. The guy sitting in front of me ordered and received the meal I had pre-ordered and I know he wasn’t a GS. I wrote in again and got the canned reply and 2500 MP miles
We’ve been having issues over the past few months with service problems at Audi and UPS and found that an email directly to the CEO was the best way to unstick the problem and get things done. While emailing Kirby is probably useless since he’ll only be happy that you didn’t eat and that saved him $1.25 on an inflight meal, you could try reaching out to the VP Inflight and VP Product directly to see if that helps.
Apr 27, 2023, 6:32 pm
#162
Join Date: May 2011
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The part of this that really chaps my hide is that many of the others flying in the F cabin have no idea about UA's meal policy so when I start explaining that I am supposed to get my first choice, the looks start coming from the other passengers. The head shakes, eye rolls and general "check out this DYKWIA" looks I received during my polite discussion with the purser made me wish I'd never said anything.
Apr 27, 2023, 10:54 pm
#163
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The part of this that really chaps my hide is that many of the others flying in the F cabin have no idea about UA's meal policy so when I start explaining that I am supposed to get my first choice, the looks start coming from the other passengers. The head shakes, eye rolls and general "check out this DYKWIA" looks I received during my polite discussion with the purser made me wish I'd never said anything.
If GS doesn't mean anything, then all of us are gonna get it too. Sadly.
David
Apr 28, 2023, 6:20 am
#164
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
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if happened again yesterday for me. Sitting in 4x and I told the FA that I had pre-ordered when they asked me what I wanted. Seemed like things were working as designed but when it was my turn to be served, he told me they were out of my meal choice. I said I had pre-ordered my meal and he said “I understand but we’re out of it”. I did remind him in this instance that I was GS and that I am supposed to get my first choice of a meal and he said again “I understand but we’re out of it”. He asked if I wanted the noodles instead and I declined and ended up not eating on the 4 hour flight. The guy sitting in front of me ordered and received the meal I had pre-ordered and I know he wasn’t a GS. I wrote in again and got the canned reply and 2500 MP miles
Apr 28, 2023, 6:44 am
#165
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
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Posts: 6,332
Is there an inherent fault in United's system that somehow makes pre-ordering a meal LESS likely that one actually receives it?
I don't pre-order, but I've yet to NOT receive my first [or only] choice as a 1K for as long as I can remember...10+ years maybe.
....maybe I always order what no one else wants?
