No meal, no upgrade
Mar 23, 2019, 5:24 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,116
All the reason UA should move to a pre-ordering system like AA and (now) DL does.
UA should also have a chart distributed to FA's, with a list of F passengers who are paid F, CPU'd, and then OP-UP'd at no cost. The FA can then determine how to prioritize meal orders, based on status of payment towards the F cabin and elite status.
IMHO, a fair tiered level would be, for meal priority, from top to bottom:
-Paid F tickets (elites, then non-elites)
-TOD upfares (elites, then non-elites)
-CPU by GS, 1K, other elites
-Non-elite paying passengers who got bumped to F (due to oversales, etc.)
-Employees on free travel
Thoughts? That way, passengers who paid something tangible to get into the F cabin would get prioritized meals, then upgrades/non-elite bumps/employees on free travel gets the remaining choices (or, in this case, nothing). More fair that way, IMHO.
If I'm not mistaken, UA only offers special meals for 2000+ mile flights, so in this case, it wouldn't apply (AUS-EWR is less than 2000 miles).
UA should also have a chart distributed to FA's, with a list of F passengers who are paid F, CPU'd, and then OP-UP'd at no cost. The FA can then determine how to prioritize meal orders, based on status of payment towards the F cabin and elite status.
IMHO, a fair tiered level would be, for meal priority, from top to bottom:
-Paid F tickets (elites, then non-elites)
-TOD upfares (elites, then non-elites)
-CPU by GS, 1K, other elites
-Non-elite paying passengers who got bumped to F (due to oversales, etc.)
-Employees on free travel
Thoughts? That way, passengers who paid something tangible to get into the F cabin would get prioritized meals, then upgrades/non-elite bumps/employees on free travel gets the remaining choices (or, in this case, nothing). More fair that way, IMHO.
If I'm not mistaken, UA only offers special meals for 2000+ mile flights, so in this case, it wouldn't apply (AUS-EWR is less than 2000 miles).
GS should be at top of list no matter what.
GS shouldn’t be asked for a second choice regardless of fate type
Mar 23, 2019, 6:05 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Morris County, NJ
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Avis Pres, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,305
The sense of of self entitlement is amazing ....
Mar 23, 2019, 9:49 am
#33
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 504
agreed, I've had this happen to me and frankly, on a lot of domestic flights with a CPU it is much more about the seat than it is the food, at least for me
Mar 23, 2019, 11:02 am
#34
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 397
I fully agree. I was on a flight a couple years ago (IAD-LAS, I think), where I was 1st on the UG list and F still showed as having a seat open. Went up and asked the GA if they could clear me yet, and she said the seat wasn't actually available and F was full. Fine, no bother. Boarded the plane fairly late in the process, and I could see the seat remained empty. Told the FA at the door in the cabin that I was 1st on the upgrade list and could I have that seat if the passenger didn't actually board. She said that it wasn't taken, but they were going to go empty as they were a meal short. I promised I wouldn't ask for a meal -- just wanted the space. She said she couldn't, so I went and took my seat. A couple minutes later she came back with a new BP and a "just to confirm, you're not going to have a meal up there OK?" I confirmed and happily took my seat. And then wouldn't you know after all was said and done, TWO other passengers passed on the meal, so I had my pick of options.
Mar 23, 2019, 6:21 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Maryland, near DC
Programs: UA 1k MM, AA EXP MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Avis First (oh boy)
Posts: 539
pet peeve #47 of a frequent traveling vegetarian
Typically, the FA will start at the front of the class and walk back, asking pax, in seat order what their meal option is. At some point, they will run out of allocations for the "better" meal choice, which means that passengers asked about a meal later in the process only have the less-desirable choice or nothing.
I won't get into the actual human psychological preference argument with a flight attendant, and that by asking "what would you prefer" to a customer does not give complete information - i.e., if they asked "would you be ok with either meal, as we have a limited # of the vegetarian options?" then they could still work their "process" but not give away a meal to someone who is ambivalent to either meal...
Mar 24, 2019, 12:08 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 38
I have been 1K several years. I travel a lot as a retired person. I had over $30,000 PQD in 2018. That is hard cash out of my pocket and means much more that I exclusively fly United, even when I could get a lower fare with another carrier.
Mar 24, 2019, 4:29 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
I disagree. Most of the GS's aren't paying for their flights. They are on business and their employer pays the bill. Even if it is a private businessman with his own business and it comes out of the passenger's pocket, it is a business expense, and it is under different tax policies and is required for the person to create profit for the business. The airfare in essence comes out of the cost of his services to his customer.
I have been 1K several years. I travel a lot as a retired person. I had over $30,000 PQD in 2018. That is hard cash out of my pocket and means much more that I exclusively fly United, even when I could get a lower fare with another carrier.
I have been 1K several years. I travel a lot as a retired person. I had over $30,000 PQD in 2018. That is hard cash out of my pocket and means much more that I exclusively fly United, even when I could get a lower fare with another carrier.
Mar 24, 2019, 5:09 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: DL, UA
Posts: 60
This was *not* the FA's call to make - and the GA should have told her to buzz off and get out of her business. As noted, the correct approach is to 1. call ops and try to get extra catering if there is time, then 2. visit the upgrades if they have already boarded (or call them up at the gate) and explain the situation and let them choose - if someone declines, offer it to the next person on the list and so on. At the very least they would be offered a snack box or hot item (if over 3hrs) from the back and probably a proactive service voucher.
I hope the OP writes this up with customer service.
I hope the OP writes this up with customer service.
Maybe not the FA’s call to make but they are the ones that will get yelled at and/or have to deal with the ticked off customer at 35,000’. “You mean they knew there was no meal and no one told me?” I get what you’re saying but the FA’s get tired of being the target of ire for poor UA management decisions.
Mar 24, 2019, 6:56 pm
#40
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
Given today's upgrade processes, the presumption for catering should always be the cabin will be fully occupied (while occansionally this does not happen, it is the norm -- domestic and international for UA)..
Mar 24, 2019, 11:59 pm
#41
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 38
When people agree or disagree with UA policy on such matters, it would be very helpful to specify whether their position is based on (1) what would benefit them the most, (2) what they consider "fair" based on some neutral moral principal, or (3) what would benefit UA the most.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 25, 2019 at 12:32 am Reason: Discuss the issues, not the poster(s)
Mar 25, 2019, 8:43 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
This whole discussion gives me some sympathy for the FA and GA who decided to avoid controversy simply by not filling the seats up front. Whatever they do, someone's going to complain. While I would prefer they offer the change with the caveat that J-class food might not be available, I can empathize with the reluctance to put someone up there and fall short on meals in today's environment with social media and people broadcasting their discontent to the entire world.