Aussienarelle

I like fast meal service on the red eye: SFO/LAX/IAH/DEN-LHR so I can get in my sleep and generally decline the breakfast before arrival so i can sleep longer and the dining on order at the Arrivals lounge is much tastier. On the return I prefer a slower meal service as it is day time flight, however the return flights are a much harder slog on the FAs as most people stay awake.

StuckinITH

On a flight ORD-MUC last May, the FA told my wife that she should talk less to her neighbor and eat faster. However, my wife did have an excuse for eating in a slow manner: the spicy chicken is not so easy to eat if you don't want all the sauce on the front of your shirt.

I have to add that my wife is European and a meal is something to enjoy.

Collierkr

fumje

That might have been a poor attempt at humour. I once decided I wanted to have a beer and ice cream float before my meal. I received a weird scolding about needing to eat my salad or something before being served. (Sure, it's a strange request, but I don't expect the FA to match my own strangeness.)

Also, too bad the pyjamas aren't loaded on all flights. They are a perfect match for the spicy chicken!

docbert

I've never had any issue getting the meal whenever I've wanted it.

A few days ago flying EDI-EWR I was asleep almost as soon as we were airborne - before they had even bought around the menus and taken orders. About 5 hours into the flight I went up and asked to have breakfast. They said they were about 30 mins off serving the pre-arrival meal, but when I said I'd prefer the breakfast that they served just after take-off they were more than happy to comply!

I'd say close to half my flights I either have the 'fast" option (when they bring everything at once), or have the meal at a later time in the flight. In fact, one of the things I like most about United is that their quick service option includes the main, where on most other airlines I've flown it's everything except the main course.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

I guess your UA 1K-level flying is all domestic if that's what you were expecting. For decades, the meal service has begun fairly soon after take-off.

AndyPatterson

My experience on red-eye UA flights (trans-Atlantic) is that it is much better to eat a not-too-spicy but tasty dinner in the LH lounge beforehand, and then go right to sleep after takeoff, skipping the UA in-flight dinner! LH's lounge offerings are nutritious, tasty, but not too spicy to keep me awake at night (that would be Turkish Airlines), just right for a red-eye.... I do take the in-flight breakfast.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

The Polaris lounges are now (LAX, soon) an option. Eastbound, OP might want a relaxing meal over the Atlantic at 2am, though

Kacee

I believe this was posted in the wrong forum.

Perhaps you meant to post on TK or OS forum?

phkc070408

I get the point of having the meal served right after take-off on Red Eye flights, especially T-Atl where sleeping time is limited.

I do wonder why they serve the meal so soon after takeoff on the longer daylight T-Pac flights. I'm not talking about holding the meal off 4-5 hours, but maybe start 90 minutes into the flight. I wonder this because:

1. All J customers have lounge access and probably filled up there.
2. People get hungrier when they are awake.
3. Food is a great way to breakup a little boredom on a 15 hour flight.

I'm referring to flights such as ex-SYD/MEL, EWR/ORD-PEK/PVG/NRT, etc. These flights all depart before noon when people had a good nights sleep either at a hotel or at home and aren't in a rush to get to sleep.

seat38a

So how long does it take you to eat 1 or 2 pieces of shrimp or salmon for appetizer? Not really sure whats there is to drag out "enjoying." On my flight from LAX-LHR and MXP - EWR, wasn't really impressed with the food nor did the quantity of the food warrant dragging things on.

If you really like drawn out meals, try Swiss. Last year, lunch and dinner service dragged on 3 hours. Should have been a clue to me when it seemed half the BC cabin seemed to have chosen the express meal.

halls120

Same here. Going east, I almost always sleep through breakfast, and prefer meal service ASAP after takeoff.

Richym99

OK seems to be a minor split decision.

Like many others, I will do the "forget the salad, main course ASAP on the red eyes (which are always long haul, never domestic BTW).

It just seemed to me that there is no rhyme or reason for a full dinner service at 11am GMT (5am cen), and a further light meal at 7pm gmt prior to arrival.

Maybe next time, I will ask them for the light meal about two hours after take off and the main meal two hours before landing, and see how that is received.

HoustonConsultant

There are at least a few people who did not have the time or inclination to enjoy a tasty meal in the lounge prior to boarding and at least a few others who happily will have two meals relatively close together.

Knowing you cannot please all the people all of the time, meal service soon after take-off is the easiest way to meet the needs of the largest percentage of people.

Hungry? They are getting your meal out quickly.
Not hungry? Ask them to slow it down.

Delaying my individual meal service is easier than speeding up my individual meal service.