seat38a

Using tongs might be a good idea. I've seen my fair share of people rummaging through the basket touching everything before finally picking something. I believe it was on the Delta forum, where someone complained because one of the FA's gave passengers who touched everything in the basket lecture about getting people sick with their dirty hands. I get my news mostly from foreign sources like Euro News, BBC, France 24 and DW, lately there's been a lot of news about handwashing and surveys they've done and it is staggering how many people do not, even after using the bathroom.

That is all fine and dandy, until you've see those people for whatever reason, pick one up look at it, put it back and grab another one. I guess the look and shape of the crossiant in the same basket really matters to some.

YOU tell it to the seniors and people with underlying medical conditions who are dying disproportionately. See what they say if you gave them the choice between plastic which keeps things sealed and tamper free vs them disproportionately dying from the outbreak.

WineCountryUA

This thread is starting to take a non-UA topic related turn, let's not do that. There is a whole forum now for general Coronavirus discussion and other forums for environmental issues. If it is not specific to UA, you may be in the wrong forum.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

cmd320

I’m not sure I really see the big deal. So long as people are not touching and returning pieces of bread to the basket there should really not be any difference between grabbing a roll or having some tongs.

bocastephen

That is disgusting, virus or no virus. I had the staff chase people out of a hotel lounge in Paris last fall because they were re-using dirty plates and taking food with their hands, so I don't think this behavior is acceptable in Europe either - and those signs in the LAX UC are courtesy of yours-truly who was sick and tired of seeing this behavior here in the USA.

I have never seen people taking things with their hands from serving baskets, trays or platters on an airplane during FA meal service - aside from the snack basket where the contents are wrapped.

Hopefully the lasting memory of this virus will be to teach people basic public hygiene skills.

seat38a

Right now, those packaged and sealed cheese plates during the Denver catering fiasco seems like a better option. Even the Kosher meal that comes completely sealed is probably a better bet.

1kBill

I much prefer the UA approach of point, tongs. serve. I know LH and LX have the pax pick the bread offerings directly uut of he basked, and I think SAS does also.

Silver Fox

Probably best to avoid life in general if you are that paranoid about germs.

LondonElite

Just make sure UA has a procedure to keep the tongs sterile.

trust77

Intra European on both Austrian and Lufthansa - many times...

eng3

People grab food in the UC and PL with their bare hands all the time. Mostly stuff like bread, cookies, etc. One time saw someone reach into a jar of nuts or something. Luckily an employee noticed and took the jar away right after.

I do notice that most places outside the US don't have sneeze guards. the food is just totally exposed.

On a plane, I assume the FA at least washes their hands and avoids coughing/sneezing directly on the the food. I see them wearing gloves sometimes. My food probably isnt sterile but it is "safe enough" for my standards. The FA isnt doing open heart surgery. We don't have people flying around with ebola.

DELee

Not recently.

David

seat38a

I sit in 1A or 1B 99% of the time and from the view that I have from my seat, I have not seen anything that jumped out at me as a food handling hazard. Everything already comes sealed from catering and all they do is heat, open and serve. The only thing I do worry a little bit about is how the glasswares are stored but in general the new ones in is loaded upside down and the used ones right side up so chances of selecting the wrong ones is reduced.

WineCountryUA

This thread has been veering off-topic in a number of ways. The topic is UA handling of food / bread in flight.
General environmental issues are not UA specific or related, best discussed elsewhere.
General personal hygiene is likewise. (Note there is some discussion of travel hygiene in the Coronavirus and travel forum).
The UA enforcing the use of tongs or other items to prevent person to person transmission in-flight or lounges is a UA / UA travel-related topic but directing comments at posters who express different opinions is not allowed -- just follow the basic FT rule -- "Discuss the topic, not the poster(s)."

Recent posts that strayed from the topic or rules have been removed.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator