DEN first class catering issues
#316
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
As a flight attendant for UA, I just want to clarify... we absolutely hate flying in/out of DEN right now because of this. Trust me when I say that we feel the embarrassment about this, and while it is irritating and inconveniencing... do keep in mind that we're at the bottom of the pyramid and have absolutely no control over this. Every time that i'm in Denver now I have to mentally prepare myself to get yelled at about no lemons/limes and the BoB meals.
Please allow me to apologize on behalf of passengers who unfairly blame the flight attendants for the airline's failings.
#317
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Gold, DL GM, AS; Marriott and SPG Gold, Hyatt
Posts: 51
As a flight attendant for UA, I just want to clarify... we absolutely hate flying in/out of DEN right now because of this. Trust me when I say that we feel the embarrassment about this, and while it is irritating and inconveniencing... do keep in mind that we're at the bottom of the pyramid and have absolutely no control over this. Every time that i'm in Denver now I have to mentally prepare myself to get yelled at about no lemons/limes and the BoB meals.
I still can't fathom why they can't communicate something like "our kitchen facilities are being renovated" or whatever. Couldn't this just be in an "operational update" like they seem to enjoying sending out about the lounges in ORD?
#318
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
As a flight attendant for UA, I just want to clarify... we absolutely hate flying in/out of DEN right now because of this. Trust me when I say that we feel the embarrassment about this, and while it is irritating and inconveniencing... do keep in mind that we're at the bottom of the pyramid and have absolutely no control over this. Every time that i'm in Denver now I have to mentally prepare myself to get yelled at about no lemons/limes and the BoB meals.
Last edited by milepig; Dec 21, 2017 at 5:31 pm
#319
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: WN, AA, UA, DL
Posts: 1,313
What reports? What is United's "minimum" - show me UA's definition of "minimum". In my opinion, "minimum" does not approach what is promised, or suggested.
Here is what UA provides online as representative of their First and Economy offerings respectively. When UA is supplying something that looks like the latter in lieu of the former, they are not giving F passengers what they are being let to believe to expect - a salad, a roll, an entree, etc. Most people who have flown United (and fly UA on non-DEN catered routes), expect a normal F meal. It isn't being delivered.
Here is what UA provides online as representative of their First and Economy offerings respectively. When UA is supplying something that looks like the latter in lieu of the former, they are not giving F passengers what they are being let to believe to expect - a salad, a roll, an entree, etc. Most people who have flown United (and fly UA on non-DEN catered routes), expect a normal F meal. It isn't being delivered.
Holy smokes. *Checks for cheap DEN meal flights*
2 DEN-SFO flights in the last month. Both were traditional lunchtime flights. Both offered hummus and chips for the meal. That is clearly not the standard offering for a flight that I have taken numerous times. United has now coded many of these flights as snack flights but in general this would still be a single tray meal with a salad/sandwich at a minimum and they are not doing that. Basically if your plane is a through flight like ORD-DEN-SFO the ex-DEN will not be catered with the usual food. If it is an out and back route like SFO-DEN-SFO it might be double catered. They are making a calculated decision that saying nothing and compensating a fraction of flyers is cheaper and better for their brand then admitting whatever is going on and the plan to fix it.
This is just a very simple - and very deliberate - customer service fail by UA. First in choosing the lowest possible cost "solution" of "let them eat BoB," then in choosing not to advise pax in advance that the meal service has been curtailed and does not meet published standards.
Again, the only thing UA is guilty of is not widely warning passengers beforehand that the catering on their flight may be affected and giving passengers some remedy instructions if they wish to have a pre-flight solution. If they would do that. there's little else to complain about.
#320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,024
...Again, the only thing UA is guilty of is not widely warning passengers beforehand that the catering on their flight may be affected and giving passengers some remedy instructions if they wish to have a pre-flight solution. If they would do that. there's little else to complain about.
#321
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Mileage Plus Global Services 2MM
Posts: 1,201
As a flight attendant for UA, I just want to clarify... we absolutely hate flying in/out of DEN right now because of this. Trust me when I say that we feel the embarrassment about this, and while it is irritating and inconveniencing... do keep in mind that we're at the bottom of the pyramid and have absolutely no control over this. Every time that i'm in Denver now I have to mentally prepare myself to get yelled at about no lemons/limes and the BoB meals.
#322
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
#325
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,604
Again, the only thing UA is guilty of is not widely warning passengers beforehand that the catering on their flight may be affected and giving passengers some remedy instructions if they wish to have a pre-flight solution. If they would do that. there's little else to complain about.
#326
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DEN/OGG
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 1,482
It’s for sure spreading. My last 6 flights from YYC to DEN (catered in ORD) hat the prepackaged cheese too, flights listed as dinner and blocked at 2:50. No second choice.
#327
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
I think the fear is that if they come clean, they will lose sales. They also have a credibility problem now. If they said "we will have this fixed in a week" would anyone believe them?
#328
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1MM, MP 1K, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 462
My fear now is that United thinks we'll get used to it and they can keep the lowered standards and spread them across the system.
#329
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Texas
Posts: 640
Last week when I flew DAY-DEN-LAX, I skipped the meal on DAY-DEN, thinking that the Denver food situation had finally been fixed. Unfortunately, I was offered the carb fest choices of cheeseburger or pizza on DEN-LAX. If I had known beforehand that things really hadn't changed, then I would have done the chicken + salad greens meal offered on RJ 175 flight from DAY.
It would be nice if United went into a little more detail about this under the Amenities tab for the flight details so that customers could plan accordingly.
It would be nice if United went into a little more detail about this under the Amenities tab for the flight details so that customers could plan accordingly.
#330
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SFO/CDG
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 211
Great, but that is in no way clearly communicated by United. If this is a change to the service on the flight they have not made that clear. So they are either bad a doing so or they are being intentionally confusing. Noon time flights leaving Denver are listed at ~2:50. Here is the text from United's North America premium cabin dining website:
"Snacks are available on breakfast flights under 3 hours; A full meal service with two entree choices is available on breakfast flights 3 hours or longer; A full meal service with one hot and one cold meal option is available on dinner flights"
There isn't even a description of lunch. The definition of snack on United is not clear. For the breakfast flight SFO-DEN a "snack" is still a hot meal so why shouldn't I expect that on the lunch fight?
"Snacks are available on breakfast flights under 3 hours; A full meal service with two entree choices is available on breakfast flights 3 hours or longer; A full meal service with one hot and one cold meal option is available on dinner flights"
There isn't even a description of lunch. The definition of snack on United is not clear. For the breakfast flight SFO-DEN a "snack" is still a hot meal so why shouldn't I expect that on the lunch fight?