Last edit by: WineCountryUA
As of the last update from an inside source, the meal choice prioritization policy is to prioritize in this order:
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers
4. Nonrevs
This prioritization is done in the galley, after taking orders. If you saw a flight crew take orders front to back, but did not see any GS/1K passengers denied their first choice, you have not witnessed a violation of the policy. Indeed, taking orders front to back is correct under the policy.
Post #30
Hi, UA-NYC,
Yes, your assertion is accurate. Premier 1K will still be prioritized as you stated, but again, this is to be done in the galley.
-UA Insider
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers
4. Nonrevs
This prioritization is done in the galley, after taking orders. If you saw a flight crew take orders front to back, but did not see any GS/1K passengers denied their first choice, you have not witnessed a violation of the policy. Indeed, taking orders front to back is correct under the policy.
Post #30
Hi everyone,
As several of you have mentioned, there has been no procedure change to prioritizing premium cabin meal orders.
As a reminder, our standard procedure is to take meal orders from front to back of the cabin and ask for a second choice in case your first choice is not available. After meal orders are taken, our inflight crew will prioritize meal orders in the galley. This way, we can streamline the order-taking processes while eliminating skipping around the cabin for order-taking.
-UA Insider
As several of you have mentioned, there has been no procedure change to prioritizing premium cabin meal orders.
As a reminder, our standard procedure is to take meal orders from front to back of the cabin and ask for a second choice in case your first choice is not available. After meal orders are taken, our inflight crew will prioritize meal orders in the galley. This way, we can streamline the order-taking processes while eliminating skipping around the cabin for order-taking.
-UA Insider
Yes, your assertion is accurate. Premier 1K will still be prioritized as you stated, but again, this is to be done in the galley.
-UA Insider
Current UA Process for Prioritizing Meal Orders in Premium Cabins [ARCHIVE]
#2341
Now, here's a random thought: Why doesn't UA provide a program on the iPhone to process meal orders? F/A would simply go through the cabin and ask "1st and 2nd choices, please," and go to the galley and press a button and -- voila! -- a list of who won which entree, based on the company's criteria and maybe even more granular, e.g. give a Gold passenger their entree choice over a Silver, etc. With such a program, they could additionally collect real-time data on which entrees are most/least popular. And, even see when a GS or 1K doesn't get their 1st choice and issue an apology e-mail and/or an ETC?
#2342
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
United Express flight for YYC-SFO last week on a E175. No pax boarded during the GS pre-board, and 3 pax boarded during the 1K pre-board including myself. Meal options offered were chicken salad or pasta salad for rows 1-2, but by the time she got to me in 3A, it was only pasta salad being offered for rows 3-4. I'd asked about the chicken salad, and she said said she'd run out.
UA Express carriers seem to be far worse at prioritizing meals, as they seem to just go back to front, and rather than asking for first choice, it seems quite common for the FA's to just allocate the options as they go and by the time they get to row 3-4, there's often only one choice.
UA Express carriers seem to be far worse at prioritizing meals, as they seem to just go back to front, and rather than asking for first choice, it seems quite common for the FA's to just allocate the options as they go and by the time they get to row 3-4, there's often only one choice.
#2343
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,211
United Express flight for YYC-SFO last week on a E175. No pax boarded during the GS pre-board, and 3 pax boarded during the 1K pre-board including myself. Meal options offered were chicken salad or pasta salad for rows 1-2, but by the time she got to me in 3A, it was only pasta salad being offered for rows 3-4. I'd asked about the chicken salad, and she said said she'd run out.
UA Express carriers seem to be far worse at prioritizing meals, as they seem to just go back to front, and rather than asking for first choice, it seems quite common for the FA's to just allocate the options as they go and by the time they get to row 3-4, there's often only one choice.
UA Express carriers seem to be far worse at prioritizing meals, as they seem to just go back to front, and rather than asking for first choice, it seems quite common for the FA's to just allocate the options as they go and by the time they get to row 3-4, there's often only one choice.
#2344
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Works every time and with an apology as well.
#2345
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
She didn't make any effort to offer PDB's either despite having plenty of time to stand around the galley, so she didn't seem to care too much.
#2346
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,024
Gee, one would hope she would learn from the situation she put herself in. If she had correctly asked for 1st choice and also asked if 2nd option would do if 1st choice wasn’t available, she’d have been in a less uncomfortable position. As she did it, she (probably) had to go back to another customer and say “You can’t have the choice you thought you had coming”.
#2347
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
Gee, one would hope she would learn from the situation she put herself in. If she had correctly asked for 1st choice and also asked if 2nd option would do if 1st choice wasn’t available, she’d have been in a less uncomfortable position. As she did it, she (probably) had to go back to another customer and say “You can’t have the choice you thought you had coming”.
(Actually, this happened to me once. I overheard the FA and while it was not those exact words, it was close.)
#2348
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,055
I did and after some grumbling, and glares, I was able to get a salad with chicken. First she said "there's a lot of 1K's on board", and I noted that only 3 of us boarded with the 1K pre-board call and asked if she could check. Eventually she gave me the chicken salad, but she was clearly annoyed that I'd questioned the front-to-back meal prioritization, and had got herself into an awkward situation by committing the meals without checking status.
She didn't make any effort to offer PDB's either despite having plenty of time to stand around the galley, so she didn't seem to care too much.
She didn't make any effort to offer PDB's either despite having plenty of time to stand around the galley, so she didn't seem to care too much.
#2349
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Mileage Plus Global Services 2MM
Posts: 1,201
I'm not saying this was the case, but not every 1K pre-boards (prefer to wait until later), or perhaps lined up in BG1 not realizing they could pre-board (lots of people not on FT really don't know all rules). That said, I really like the "oh, do you no longer give preference to GS and 1K status?"
#2350
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
Actually, she probably said: "You can't have your choice because this prima donna 1K DYKWIA in 3A wanted the chicken and forced me to give it to him. He wouldn't stop complaining so I had to do it. Blame him."
(Actually, this happened to me once. I overheard the FA and while it was not those exact words, it was close.)
(Actually, this happened to me once. I overheard the FA and while it was not those exact words, it was close.)
I generally don't write in about small stuff, and I did get my meal choice, but I may consider writing in, as it was a bit annoying/awkward. I did get a post-flight survey and noted it there, although I'm sure those comments get aggregated at a pretty general level. She also didn't offer PDB's, so not a huge deal either, but it wasn't great service.
I'm not saying this was the case, but not every 1K pre-boards (prefer to wait until later), or perhaps lined up in BG1 not realizing they could pre-board (lots of people not on FT really don't know all rules). That said, I really like the "oh, do you no longer give preference to GS and 1K status?"
#2351
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,043
It's been my recent experience that FAs already know my status when taking my meal order or during drink service on single cabin UX flights.
#2352
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,236
I find it very difficult when an FA says they only have one option to ask the above question or some variation of it - and not sound like a DYKWIA, particularly if her response is that there are a large, but unspecified, number of GS/1K's sitting ahead of me.
I'm on a flight tomorrow, where I'm in the last row/right side in FC (which are the last two seats they get to when taking meal orders). Do you think I'd have any luck if I went up to the GA before boarding, mentioned that I'm a 1K in the back of FC, and ask how many GS/1K flyers are in FC? (Assuming FC checked in full.) If it's a low number, I'd be more likely to push back. If it's 3/4 of the seats, then better to hedge my bets and buy something in the terminal.
I'm on a flight tomorrow, where I'm in the last row/right side in FC (which are the last two seats they get to when taking meal orders). Do you think I'd have any luck if I went up to the GA before boarding, mentioned that I'm a 1K in the back of FC, and ask how many GS/1K flyers are in FC? (Assuming FC checked in full.) If it's a low number, I'd be more likely to push back. If it's 3/4 of the seats, then better to hedge my bets and buy something in the terminal.
#2353
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,165
I find it very difficult when an FA says they only have one option to ask the above question or some variation of it - and not sound like a DYKWIA, particularly if her response is that there are a large, but unspecified, number of GS/1K's sitting ahead of me.
I'm on a flight tomorrow, where I'm in the last row/right side in FC (which are the last two seats they get to when taking meal orders). Do you think I'd have any luck if I went up to the GA before boarding, mentioned that I'm a 1K in the back of FC, and ask how many GS/1K flyers are in FC? (Assuming FC checked in full.) If it's a low number, I'd be more likely to push back. If it's 3/4 of the seats, then better to hedge my bets and buy something in the terminal.
I'm on a flight tomorrow, where I'm in the last row/right side in FC (which are the last two seats they get to when taking meal orders). Do you think I'd have any luck if I went up to the GA before boarding, mentioned that I'm a 1K in the back of FC, and ask how many GS/1K flyers are in FC? (Assuming FC checked in full.) If it's a low number, I'd be more likely to push back. If it's 3/4 of the seats, then better to hedge my bets and buy something in the terminal.
#2354
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: IAD, DCA
Programs: UA-Plat, Marriott-Plat, AAI, AAII
Posts: 3,758
Questions about paid domestic F, particularly row 5
I fly IAD or DCA-DEN multiple times/year (family issues). I generally buy F if it's less than 2x E (which it is at most of my chosen times).
I also prefer the last row (5 on a 737) because I simply cannot bring myself to recline into someone else's space (my problem, not the subject of this post).
My questions regard meal selection and service. On EVERY flight this year I have been told "all we have left is...". Didn't meal selection used to be offered to paid pax before upgraders? Didn't UA occasionally start at the back of F even when they did not go by paid vs. upgrade? Does status even matter any more?
Regarding service, sitting in the back I see that those in the front are continually waited upon. FAs seem to ignore the back rows upon even the most trivial requests from rows further forward. Example, someone in row 2 asks for another drink, then someone else in row 2 asks for another drink, etc., and I have to push the call button (which I really don't like to do) just to get a little attention. I generally just walk up to the galley with my empty glass (but then I have to climb over my seat opponent because I prefer a window).
Comments? Solutions?
I also prefer the last row (5 on a 737) because I simply cannot bring myself to recline into someone else's space (my problem, not the subject of this post).
My questions regard meal selection and service. On EVERY flight this year I have been told "all we have left is...". Didn't meal selection used to be offered to paid pax before upgraders? Didn't UA occasionally start at the back of F even when they did not go by paid vs. upgrade? Does status even matter any more?
Regarding service, sitting in the back I see that those in the front are continually waited upon. FAs seem to ignore the back rows upon even the most trivial requests from rows further forward. Example, someone in row 2 asks for another drink, then someone else in row 2 asks for another drink, etc., and I have to push the call button (which I really don't like to do) just to get a little attention. I generally just walk up to the galley with my empty glass (but then I have to climb over my seat opponent because I prefer a window).
Comments? Solutions?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 21, 2019 at 5:08 pm Reason: Moved to consodidated thread
#2355
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Chicago IL US
Programs: UA 1K; National Executive Elite; Hertz PC & Hotels Galore
Posts: 946
It's supposed to be determined based on status as follows (without regard to fare class):
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers (no difference between $$$ or mileage or upgraders)
4. Nonrevs
Orders to be taken front to back with prioritization in the galley.
On service, OP do you usually sit aisle or window?
1. Global Services
2. Premier 1K
3. All other revenue passengers (no difference between $$$ or mileage or upgraders)
4. Nonrevs
Orders to be taken front to back with prioritization in the galley.
On service, OP do you usually sit aisle or window?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 21, 2019 at 5:07 pm Reason: cleanup after move; thanks or the link