InHouseCounsel

I wrote to 1K Voice last week expressing displeasure with seeing a meal listed as "lunch" but really just getting the aforementioned cheese plate and 2) not being given a choice of the other selection (I was told no choices left, and no policy for 1K's to get first choice). This was for a flight from IAH-LAS. The response I received was:

"I'm sorry to read about your concerns and that you were not advised of the changes made to our meal service. I realize communication is essential and based on your comments; clearly we could have done a better job.
On some routes, there were modification to food offerings based on length-of-flight and time-of-day. Examples include: Hot breakfasts modified to fruit plates, lunch plates modified to sandwich wraps.
I apologize for any convenience the change caused on your recent flights. Your feedback regarding our inflight meal service changes and how they were communicated has been filed. Thank you for the comments. With all of our food and beverage offerings, we will continuously monitor the volume of items in highest demand and adjust accordingly. "
We appreciate your business as a Mileage Plus 1K member and look forward to serving you on board a future United Airlines flight."

Of course, this ignored the issue of no choice, but that was probably my fault for putting two issues in one email. I have had the no choice problem 3 times in the last month. While I get an apology, I never received any sort of compensation, which is fine, but shows how inconsistent they are.

The biggest joke is calling the little mini-wrap a wrap! It does not taste bad, but it seems like less than half a wrap.

dilanesp

Maybe this was the plan.

It is a time honored corporate strategy that if your plan is to make unpopular move A, you make moves A and B and then roll back B due to overwhelming popular demand. Leaving A in place.

Aussienarelle

Write in.

I just had a great snack on Air France for a flight of a little more than an hour. Plated offering of small roll with meat and cheese, carrots, pear fruit cup, hot cheese stick, two mini desserts and a chocolate and a glass of nice red wine. Great variety and 12 of us in the business class cabin on the A320. Providing the information that it can be done.

samjnz

If you want proof it can be done just think to Qantas SYD-MEL flights in business class -- it amazed me how they could serve full meals like that on what is a ~1 hour flight

wxguy

UA used to serve a full, hot dinner on IAD-BOS pm flights in F, on the DC-10. Yep.

porciuscato

Yup. Lufthansa and Swiss are like that too. I'm amazed at the meals they can serve between say Milan and Munich. And of course a 2 hour flight on Singapore gets you a better meal than any p.s. or international flight on United.

CHOPCHOP767

To say that UA could provide a decent meal because other carriers do suggests the Euros could offer a better hard product configuration because UA does. Different markets, different priorities. Given a choice between a UA's 2X2 F cabin configuration and sham Euro business class, i.e. LH, LX, etc., I'd take take UA's configuration and deal with the meal situation as it is. At least UA realized the importance of all aisle access with Polaris; LH certainly missed that memo.

Of course, this is not say excuse UA's misguided catering choices. I too have shifted all spend, where permitted, back to AA until the situation improves.

MatthewLAX

bocastephen

Great news, thank you! But...how far back are they thinking to roll back, since at this point I think most of us have lost count of the number of meal changes/iterations we've had just since January.

physioprof

That was the only choice available to the entire F cabin, or just to you (because the other choice was already "sold out")?

MatthewLAX

Just published my story.

https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....lass-cutbacks/

(DISCLAIMER: link to my blog)

Quote from United--


​​​​​​​Just to pre-May 01 levels.

seat38a

So this means Denver to LAX is still remaining snacked?

findark

I think it will be interesting - the May 1 changes coincided with "upgrading" a lot of the previously Snacked routes (stage lengths like SFO/DEN or SFO/YVR) to Breakfast and Lunch, while simultaneously slashing what that code meant to a slice of cheese. Unclear exactly what "rolling it back" means now.

MatthewLAX

BeanTownBoy

Data point: 17 May UA 1578 IAH to BOS (5:35 pm departure)--good effort in F (Beef Provencale)