UA78 NRT-EWR (16 April 2019) -- Skipped 2nd Meal Service due to turbulence
#91
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
I'm probably in the minority but I actually enjoy the pre-arrival "breakfast" served at 2 or 3pm, especially if it's catered ex-USA and of the tasty Southwest variety.
It offers plenty variety with the egg, potatoes, etc. and is light enough with the additional fruit and Yoghurt. Oftentimes it is also the last meal of the day for me.
It offers plenty variety with the egg, potatoes, etc. and is light enough with the additional fruit and Yoghurt. Oftentimes it is also the last meal of the day for me.
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
Yeah, wish that UA would serve a lunch snack instead of breakfast. Same on the flights arriving into Asia in the late afternoon / evening: it makes little sense to have breakfast at what will be 4pm local time, even if a lot of the plane napped prior to that meal. Reminds me of the (meager) snack they used to serve on NRT-BKK prior to arrival: it was a pathetic meal, but at least it wasn't breakfast for an 11pm arrival!
#93
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: BOS/SIN
Programs: DL PM, OZ Diamond Plus, BA Silver
Posts: 1,803
Ah but SQ12 departs NRT 7pm and arrives LAX 1pm so you'd get the prearrival meal around 11am and breakfast is at least somewhat justifiable there.
But when we're talking TYO-East Coast flights landing ~4-5pm it makes less sense — and for example NH serves breakfast as the pre-arrival meal for their HND-JFK/ORD and NRT-IAD/IAH morning departures (arriving ~10am) but lunch on the afternoon NRT-JFK/ORD flights which land ~4pm:
But when we're talking TYO-East Coast flights landing ~4-5pm it makes less sense — and for example NH serves breakfast as the pre-arrival meal for their HND-JFK/ORD and NRT-IAD/IAH morning departures (arriving ~10am) but lunch on the afternoon NRT-JFK/ORD flights which land ~4pm:
#95
I find it hard to believe a senior captain and senior purser would cancel service without a good reason to do so. This thread alone probably got both of them called in for a meeting. I won't wade any further into the particulars of this situation, but I'll say this:
On a widebody aircraft, it takes at least 3-5 minutes to get out of the aisle, properly stow the carts & materials, and take a JS in Y. J depends on where you are with the service, but for pre-arrival, I'd wager about 5 minutes as well. This does not include any time to pick things up from passengers. Anything less than that, you're either not putting things away properly in the galley (risking flying objects and upturned carts) or in a worst case scenario, FAs are stuck in the aisle with moderate turbulence and breakfast carts.
Also, there are currently no plans for any "work actions" by UAL FAs.
On a widebody aircraft, it takes at least 3-5 minutes to get out of the aisle, properly stow the carts & materials, and take a JS in Y. J depends on where you are with the service, but for pre-arrival, I'd wager about 5 minutes as well. This does not include any time to pick things up from passengers. Anything less than that, you're either not putting things away properly in the galley (risking flying objects and upturned carts) or in a worst case scenario, FAs are stuck in the aisle with moderate turbulence and breakfast carts.
Also, there are currently no plans for any "work actions" by UAL FAs.
#96
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
Any update OP and others on the flight whether UA gave you the compensation you're entitled to? Having been on UA TPACs before I've seen two meal services advertised. What transpired on this flight then is a service failure. In particular with 2 and a half hours prior to wheels down you're telling me they couldn't find 30 mins to provide meal service? I've been on hour long regional flights that could eek out a decent meal.
-James
-James
#97
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,205
They probably are monitoring the forum looking for customers to single out for audits and other actions to terminate MP accounts or customer relationships - but doing anything to help improve service delivery or product? I can only picture Kirby coming here for a self-congratulatory laugh, but that's it.
#98
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
Any update OP and others on the flight whether UA gave you the compensation you're entitled to? Having been on UA TPACs before I've seen two meal services advertised. What transpired on this flight then is a service failure. In particular with 2 and a half hours prior to wheels down you're telling me they couldn't find 30 mins to provide meal service? I've been on hour long regional flights that could eek out a decent meal.
-James
-James
You know what would be a service failure? For a FA to make an incautious decision to serve food despite turbulence and get someone hurt.
P.S.: I do agree they should have apologized when the turbulence didn't materialize.
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
#100
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: 1MM, UA 1k
Posts: 529
#101
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NYC, LON
Programs: *
Posts: 2,771
I would not say at all that the prearrival meal is not relevant and can imagine how bad it would be, especially for kids and elderly, if on landing the last meal they had was 8 to10 hours earlier. It may be irrelevant to some, but there are those who value the prearrival snack and some who actually need it. Of course the next message will be that the Traveller should always be prepared and have his own food and drink to last a whole day or whatever but many people are not that organized or capable.
#102
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,911
It had been argued when GUM-HNL turned into BOB. If food were to run out before the last row, and the passenger had to catch a 70-min connection through US customs to IAH, and BOB runs out again, what is someone to do for a total of let's say 16 hours? FYI, declaring food may add minutes to customs and risks your near MCT connection.
#103
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,731
#105
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,988
Any update OP and others on the flight whether UA gave you the compensation you're entitled to? Having been on UA TPACs before I've seen two meal services advertised. What transpired on this flight then is a service failure. In particular with 2 and a half hours prior to wheels down you're telling me they couldn't find 30 mins to provide meal service? I've been on hour long regional flights that could eek out a decent meal.
-James
-James
OP Here -- I did not seek out additional compensation. I ate in the Polaris club in EWR and made a note to book future travel on DL/KE for this route. Given the length of the flight I was pretty hungry by the time I got to the Polaris Lounge and would have planned differently (e.g. ate more of the first meal and/or more snacks) if I had known in advance they were going to cancel the meal service. I assume there were at least some folks in economy to whom an extra $20 spent on a meal at the airport wasn't insignificant (based on my own personal travel experience when I was younger and without an expense account). To me, it sure felt as if more could have been done to attempt to serve a meal given the remaining flight time and the lack of actual turbulence. This was really driven home by the fact the seatbelt sign was off for the last 90 minutes or so before we started decent.
Last edited by kenn0223; Apr 22, 2019 at 3:59 pm