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UA78 NRT-EWR (16 April 2019) -- Skipped 2nd Meal Service due to turbulence

UA78 NRT-EWR (16 April 2019) -- Skipped 2nd Meal Service due to turbulence

Old Apr 16, 2019, 5:29 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
To me this seems to be a (weather) event not under UA’s control, and thus I would not expect or request compensation.
We have no idea what type of event it was, if any at all. I'm all for safety and always have my seat belt fastened when I am in my seat. But I've been on enough flights to know that the US3 are the first to turn on the seat belt sign and keep it on and the last to turn it off.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 6:42 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by adambrau
My goodness the second meal service is so awful anyway I rarely select it - crew safety is paramount. I would be more upset about beverage service being skipped. But it's safety first folks - that's what we have voted for. Society is so whiny these days - no sympathy from me.
Finally someone states the obvious: The 2nd meal is nothing special and is rather light even in business. There was a meal served, called the first meal, so pax did not go without anything for 12 hours. A few hours without something to eat, is hardly a crisis and no one really suffered because of it. These are people who sat there doing nothing for the flight with a minimal expenditure of calorie. As for the food vouchers, do people really need a voucher that doesn't buy very much? If someone is that hungry, he/she can go purchase a meal at a restaurant. Hardly a priority for most people.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 6:44 pm
  #33  
 
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Lol the second meal sucks anyway. The food in the Polaris Lounge is far better and it sounds like you had time to visit?
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 7:01 pm
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
My experience of UA vs European airlines is that UA is obsessed with the seat belt sign. They turn it off much later - usually at cruising altitude, they keep on turning it on throughout a flight, often forgetting to turn it off again and they turn it on usually at the top of the descent. The European airlines I fly all turn it off at about 10,000 feet, turn it on again around that level and rarely turn it on midflight, unless there really is turbulence.

The consequence of that is that on UA people mostly ignore the sign, whereas in Europe, if it's on, people obey it.
I'll go further -- it's not just Europe, it's pretty much every non US airline that I've flown on, which spans pretty much the world apart from South America. You're spot on about the consequence -- we're in boy who cried wolf territory.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 7:16 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
I had a similar experience NRT-SFO two weeks ago, though they did eventually resume the meal service. The turbulence never got worse than a mild chop.

My observation is that compared to OAL I've flown recently, UA crews are very quick to halt the service, and very slow to start it back up. And I really doubt that carriers such as NH, CX, or SQ are any less concerned about safety.
I agree. You have summarized the issue. There just does not seem to be a focus on customer service at UA.

Of course I am amused by the comment that the OP should have chosen NH or JL, instead of UA.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 7:18 pm
  #36  
 
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I flew JL the 16th from NRT-JFK: some light chop and bumpy at times but meals were served and there was even an extra drink service in PE! They made an annct that there had been reports of it, but in talking with other JL flights, none had experienced it.......UA may be sneaking a fast one!
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 8:08 pm
  #37  
 
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Isn't the real issue not that the food was or wasn't served but that the "excuse" of turbulence turned out to be such a lie that the seatbelt sign was turned off 10 mins later and remained off until landing? If it's safe enough to be up and about, it's safe enough to serve the food, especially in J.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 8:13 pm
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Out of curiosity what would happen if one of the passengers was a diabetic on the airplane. Do you think they would deny them a meal or drink due to turbulence?

-James
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 8:14 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by SFO777
We have no idea what type of event it was, if any at all. I'm all for safety and always have my seat belt fastened when I am in my seat. But I've been on enough flights to know that the US3 are the first to turn on the seat belt sign and keep it on and the last to turn it off.
what else would cause turbulence?

or are you accusing the pilots of lying, that there was no expectation of turbulence and that there were other reasons for not serving food? The OP said:

Originally Posted by kenn0223
Announcements from both flight deck and cabin crew that basically said there is turbulence and we're not doing meal service.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 8:53 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Would not the turbulence forecast for middle Canada near USA border and the Great Lakes be more relevant -- went the meal was planned to be served and not arrival turbulence went everything would have been stowed.
Probably, I was addressing the guy who suggest PIREPs in the EWR area about turbulence might be the rationale.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 9:10 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by cricketer
I'll go further -- it's not just Europe, it's pretty much every non US airline that I've flown on, which spans pretty much the world apart from South America. You're spot on about the consequence -- we're in boy who cried wolf territory.
Not to disparage anyone, but the U.S. is the most litigious society in the world, imho. When in doubt, we look to sue/ want recompense. With that backdrop, the US 3 likely default to CYA mode pretty quickly. That translates to the seat belt sign being on a lot.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 9:29 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by strife
I'd be really disappointed and annoyed about this. If they are going to cancel the second meal service, they really should be more proactive about food vouchers or compensation. It's not even about principle - just a simple matter of taking care of the customer at that point.
Well SOP in airlines is you never get compensation for the weather.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 9:32 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
My experience of UA vs European airlines is that UA is obsessed with the seat belt sign. They turn it off much later - usually at cruising altitude, they keep on turning it on throughout a flight, often forgetting to turn it off again and they turn it on usually at the top of the descent. The European airlines I fly all turn it off at about 10,000 feet, turn it on again around that level and rarely turn it on midflight, unless there really is turbulence.

The consequence of that is that on UA people mostly ignore the sign, whereas in Europe, if it's on, people obey it.
I LIKE this. This is for my own protection.

Years ago a UA plane dropped 1000 feet suddenly and unbuckled passengers were hurt.

Meal service is IRRELEVANT compared to passenger safety.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 9:33 pm
  #44  
 
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Given the recent news about people being injured because of turbulence the Delta / Compass flight 5763 where a drink cart was involved and the Turkish Flight to JFK where a flight attendant broke their leg it is not surprising that the pilots may be overly cautious.
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Old Apr 16, 2019, 9:34 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by restlessinRNO
I agree. You have summarized the issue. There just does not seem to be a focus on customer service at UA.

Of course I am amused by the comment that the OP should have chosen NH or JL, instead of UA.
I would say protecting passenger safety is a key part of customer service.
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