FlyfromDenver

IAH/AMS on Thanksgiving. Unknown man next to me(middle 2 of a 76something). Mr. Denver, what would you like ? Me, nothing said. And FA left. I went to ask why I was skipped and to say he was nothing to me. He didn't correct her and it was the only time I have seen anyone in business with feet in the pod wall. He was very short so maybe instead of raising the footrest, he needed to prove he could reach the wall.

First, she went with the status thing until she realized her mistake. Nice to get an apology but I am very tired of the assumption that any male passenger next to me is either travling with me or the person with the status. Is it still 1960 ?

fezzington

That's my assumption as well, but short of going up to the passengers and asking, I can't think of way to confirm. For full Y, would that factor into a potential battlefield upgrade? If so, that might explain it - we're given the first couple names on the list to "help the GAs" (read: confirm they're following the list) when they need to upgrade someone last minute.

No idea why F is mentioned. There's a ton of stuff on the paper manifests that isn't usually needed anymore (i.e. passenger count tables).

Thanks for the list explanation. When I was on the other side of things, I only ever made MP Silver, so it never really mattered for me.

Sorry... I guess old habits die hard for some -- we're not really supposed to skip around the cabin like that anymore, either. Hopefully you made her realize that she should stop assuming things.

fumje

Agreed, that is annoying. I have noticed more than a few FA’s only reading so far as the row number and then relying on their unconscious biases to sort out which seat occupant they’re supposed to be talking to. Obviously not all, but some.

Interesting, thanks. ^

SS255

The exact same thing happened to me several months back, with the exception of the feet in the pod wall.

FlyfromDenver

Baffled again. I am on UA980 IAD DEN. It's a 787 and I am in row 3. The group 1 boarding line was not all that long. I was told there was only one beef salad left with another women next to me. I said I wanted it. The other woman was offered jambalaya and I was asked if I wanted it as second choise. I said no. The other woman said only if it wasn't too spicy. Lo and behold, we both got the beef salad. I'm 1k. I didn't see any GS load early. I realize DC could be heavy on 1K but again, I have to wonder if the menfolks were more likely to get first choice. This felt like a game.

This whole trip was a mileage run to keep 1K for next year(topping off with DEN AKL on 12/29).

Aussienarelle

Interesting. My flight LAX-LHR in November I was asked my meal choice. #1 was either pork (which I do not eat) or beef (which I prefer not to eat), chicken, fish (but a white fish like Halibut I think and I do not eat that fish but do eat salmon/sardines/mackerel ), pasta (but lasagne which I do not eat but love the mushroom ravioli when it is available ) and a salad which as it was a red eye I did not really want salad and it had shrimp/prawn and I have the worst luck with dodgy shrimps. So I say I would like the chicken and she asks for my second choice and I say I do not really have one. She then tells me she only has a couple of chicken meals available so it is unlikely I will get chicken. (I then quietly say I am a 1K as after reading FT understand this priority system and she said she had a number of GS on the flight who much have boarded late as they did not pre-board). So I select the salad as my second choice.

Suddenly everyone around me is ordering the salad, and the guy next to me orders nothing.

I get my meal selection for the flight but think next time I will just eat in the *G lounge and forgo the meal as I do not catch the plane for the food. On the way back LHR-SFO I did not have the meal as I ate in the United Club before boarding so just had the appatizer salad and the cheese plate. However, I did have the cottage pie as an in flight snack - yes it had beef but it tasted so good, although my body knew about it later (red meat does not really agree with me hence why I rarely eat it but it was tasty!).

So I had just put it down to truly more GS but the quoted comments are concerning.

GoSh4rks

I’ve taken 4 TPACs this year, all 77w and I’ve yet to be asked for a second choice.. a couple times I’ve also heard the FA greet passengers with a “thank you for being Gs/1k/plat/gold/silver” while taking orders. Non-Gs/1k definitely get the 2nd choice question.

John Aldeborgh

Sorry but your logic is flawed. Based on your description DL and AA simply use a different system to decide who gets priority for meals. Status vs. seat order. Which is better, everyone has their own opinion, UA obviously feels status trumps seat order. Price of ticket would be another option but I’m not sure anyone uses that criteria. You are right about the food being institutional at best so it’s not really a big deal, other than the ego thing for some people.

Two Bee

I want a hamburger... no, a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake...

You'll get nothing, and like it! Spaulding.

Hipplewm

I have had my seatmate ask me why I didn't get asked for a 2nd choice before....or if they come around and take all the GS/1K orders, then come back later and ask everyone else for their 1st/2nd Choice

LordHamster

The other day I was on MEL-LAX and there were 16 GS in Polaris. Needless to say, that threw quite the wrench in the food preferences.

onthesam

Had not noticed that until today, AUS-ORD, when that very scenario happened. I was seated in 2F (therefore last to order). Before taking my (1K) order, the FA had already determined that no salads remained and gave me and 2E choice of cheeseburger or nothing . Is this a 5-4-3-1-2 order method employed on certain routes?

Plane-is-home

onthesam

That was my initial reaction and I do indeed have a name but have decided I'm not going to use up my write-in karma on this one. If anything it'll be some praise:

Tonight made me remember, very fondly, being served United kids' meal cheeseburgers, in the foil wrapper, with toy, as a young child. When not listening to Channel 9, we'd set up our own intercom system by linking together several of the hollow air-tube style headsets. Also, my cheeseburger farts have had the old lady in stitches all night tonight (they make a great sound)! hmmm... maybe I'll send that praise over to the voice...

tarheelnj

Doesn't technically apply since I'm referring to an EMB-145 (no FC), but feel it's worth granting an exception this time.

Flew EWR-JAX this past Monday on the 8:50am flight. FA went around the cabin to all the 1K's to take drink orders, served the drinks with a Stroopwaffel, then brought out the cart for the rest of the passengers, offering refills to the 1K's as she went through the cabin. Never experienced that before.