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Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins

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Old Feb 2, 2015, 1:14 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Official UNITED policy for meal preferences is to prioritize in the following order: (as of late 2023)
  1. Pre-orders
  2. Global Services members
  3. 1K members
  4. All other revenue passengers from front to back (no difference between $$$ or mileage or upgraders)
  5. 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.



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Old Jul 24, 2021, 10:58 am
  #46  
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
Flew with the family this week and we had all four seat in row 4 (back row). FA takes A side 1-3, then goes back to the front and takes D side 1-3, then back to my wife and I in 4A&B, then my kids in 4D&E(?). My wife was a little miffed, We got out choices because a few people didn’t have anything. Just a Plat now, but a full F fare, no upgrades or points.

Service was pretty weak the entire flight. No pre-boarding drink. They disappeared after the meal.
1K/GS meal priority still seems to work. Both TATL flights recently I was only asked what I wanted. Others around me were asked for 1st and 2nd choice.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 11:12 am
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by cfischer
1K/GS meal priority still seems to work. Both TATL flights recently I was only asked what I wanted. Others around me were asked for 1st and 2nd choice.
Have noticed the same on domestic flights also. Some FAs still go around the cabin to take 1K/GS meal orders first.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 12:03 pm
  #48  
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Originally Posted by econ
Have noticed the same on domestic flights also. Some FAs still go around the cabin to take 1K/GS meal orders first.
Hasn't that been the case for years prior to Covid? I would call it restoration of pre-Covid process: GS->1K->other premum cabin pax.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 12:18 pm
  #49  
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
Hasn't that been the case for years prior to Covid? I would call it restoration of pre-Covid process: GS->1K->other premum cabin pax.
To me it seems to be getting more common now, although as already noted it's not the prescribed method. Before covid I didn't find it was very often that the FA would bounce around for orders, and seemingly instead they'd go by the procedure Whyme described above.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 12:22 pm
  #50  
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Originally Posted by fumje
Before covid I didn't find it was very often that the FA would bounce around for orders, and seemingly instead they'd go by the procedure Whyme described above.
It was not uncommon. You were more likely to see a pmCO crew bounce around the cabin.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 12:24 pm
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
Hasn't that been the case for years prior to Covid? I would call it restoration of pre-Covid process: GS->1K->other premum cabin pax.
Yep, although I never really noticed any difference in how they did meal prioritization throughout. (the "meals" themselves, on the other hand...)

Some FAs take meal orders front to back and prioritize in the galley (and/or not bother to ask what my 2nd choice is), or they go around the cabin to 1K/GS first.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 5:59 pm
  #52  
 
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Originally Posted by PTahCha
Why was she miffed? By being in row 4, the group would've been last for meal ordering regardless. And she gotten her first choice.

PMUA had priority for paid F, but that's no longer the case. Also, pre-departure beverage is not back yet officially.
But the FA took orders from the port side rows 1 to 3, and then starboard side 1 to 3, and then our row. Why didn’t she just take all the port side rows one through four. Or all of row one, all of row two, and so on.

Originally Posted by Kacee
I assume you mean pre-departure beverage? AFAIK, no US carrier is offering PDB.

QR is the only carrier I've flown during the pandemic that served PDB.
Dont get me started about the lack of the clubs being open.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 7:11 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
It was not uncommon. You were more likely to see a pmCO crew bounce around the cabin.
Yeah, it did happen, but at least to me it feels more common now. As always, YMMV, of course.
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Old Jul 24, 2021, 8:28 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
But the FA took orders from the port side rows 1 to 3, and then starboard side 1 to 3, and then our row. Why didn’t she just take all the port side rows one through four. Or all of row one, all of row two, and so on.
Perhaps that's how she rolls. Another reason why, if I can pick my seat and I want my pick of meal, I pick in the first two rows just in case.

David
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Old Jul 25, 2021, 7:46 am
  #55  
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Originally Posted by DELee
Perhaps that's how she rolls. Another reason why, if I can pick my seat and I want my pick of meal, I pick in the first two rows just in case.
And eat before flying. Because odds are the food won't be very good at all, regardless of choice.
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Old Jul 25, 2021, 8:36 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
And eat before flying. Because odds are the food won't be very good at all, regardless of choice.
Perhaps. I'll take IAD as an example. What places are open right now are limited and mobbed and some close much earlier than pre-CV19 times. With the amount of time required to drop off a rental car after fueling, getting to the terminal, getting through security, either taking the train to a non-existent concourse and walking a mile backward and another half mile to the end of C or taking the moon buggy to D and walking to the end of D where there are no food options either - and no UCs, you plan to eat on-board.

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Old Jul 25, 2021, 8:40 am
  #57  
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Originally Posted by DELee
Perhaps. I'll take IAD as an example. What places are open right now are limited and mobbed and some close much earlier than pre-CV19 times.
Agreed that airports are often not much better. I meant before going to the airport.

If possible, it's best not to rely on the airline to feed you these days. Been served absolute garbage in F on quite a few 5+ hour flights, across all three legacies.
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Old Jul 25, 2021, 8:48 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Agreed that airports are often not much better. I meant before going to the airport.

If possible, it's best not to rely on the airline to feed you these days. Been served absolute garbage in F on quite a few 5+ hour flights, across all three legacies.
Having done that (getting food outside the airport) prior to arrival for travel at IAD, I ended up having to purchase said food at lunch and lugged it around my meetings the rest of the day to a) avoid leaving it in a 100+ degree rental car so that b) it was still viable some hours into the flight.

Business travel is not leisure - one's flexibility is limited, especially with the reduction of flights and other services - whether on-board, in the airport or even away from the airports themselves.

David
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Old Jul 25, 2021, 8:51 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by DELee
Business travel is not leisure - one's flexibility is limited, especially with the reduction of flights and other services - whether on-board, in the airport or even away from the airports themselves.
That's all fine, but the post that sparked this discussion ("flew with the family this week") was clearly leisure travel.
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Old Jul 25, 2021, 8:53 am
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
That's all fine, but the post that sparked this discussion ("flew with the family this week") was clearly leisure travel.
Which, in this case, was more stressful than business travel.

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