Jun 29, 2022, 11:33 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
united.com/preordermeals
Generally available on all flights (including widebodies) over 900 miles except Premium Transcon (EWR<>SFO/LAX)
Pre-order has priority on the flight even about GS/1K and while originally pre-order was limited to a portion of each inflight choice, recent reports pre-order can consume the entire flight's allocation of a particular offering.
archive thread: UA preorder premium cabin meal, Y snacks/drinks {Archive}
Generally available on all flights (including widebodies) over 900 miles except Premium Transcon (EWR<>SFO/LAX)
Pre-order has priority on the flight even about GS/1K and while originally pre-order was limited to a portion of each inflight choice, recent reports pre-order can consume the entire flight's allocation of a particular offering.
archive thread: UA preorder premium cabin meal, Y snacks/drinks {Archive}
UA preorder premium cabin meal, Y snacks/drinks - all >800 (900?) mile
Mar 22, 2024, 2:35 pm
#301
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,483
UA can't allow more than certain amt of chicken per flight? Catering ridiculousness
I got this screen on my recent attempt to reserve a meal. Is it me or does this seem ridiculous? Isn't the whole point that they can count up what people want what and cook the amount desired? Or I guess this is just a half-baked first-come first-serve pre-allocation of meals they can't change the number of, for whatever inept reason they've chosen to operate under.
/end rant
/end rant
Mar 22, 2024, 2:48 pm
#303
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,630
Its you 
maybe the station that will be loading your flight is currently out of chicken.
(I would confess, it should not even be pictured as an option).
But I just had similar when I went to get lunch last Friday.... my local McDonald's ran out of fish. They knew they would be out until Mondays delivery..... yet, they still had fish on the marquee.
maybe the station that will be loading your flight is currently out of chicken.
(I would confess, it should not even be pictured as an option).
But I just had similar when I went to get lunch last Friday.... my local McDonald's ran out of fish. They knew they would be out until Mondays delivery..... yet, they still had fish on the marquee.
Mar 28, 2024, 3:55 pm
#305
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,154
I got this screen on my recent attempt to reserve a meal. Is it me or does this seem ridiculous? Isn't the whole point that they can count up what people want what and cook the amount desired? Or I guess this is just a half-baked first-come first-serve pre-allocation of meals they can't change the number of, for whatever inept reason they've chosen to operate under.
/end rant
/end rant
I had always assumed the 24 hour cutoff was because they needed to get the order to the caterers... if the order is pre-set why can't you order up to time of departure?
Last edited by lincolnjkc; Mar 28, 2024 at 4:02 pm
Mar 28, 2024, 9:31 pm
#306
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,451
Recalling my post in the other Eat thread —
— and then noting recent posts in this thread —
— OK, now it's time for a reprise of my rant.
UA is simply being flat out cheap with the pre-order, and in so doing they've also nerfed the GS/1K meal selection benefit (secondary problem). They could adjust the catering, yes, that would technically be easy, but it could cost more money because then they wouldn't be able to slap the last 25% of pax who forgot to or couldn't preorder with the cheapest possible ravioli or pumpkin-seed veggie bowl.
It's now fundamentally a first come first serve option, and they've further been too cheap to hide that at all. Cheap cheap cheap, and then cheap some more.
The economy pre-order is kind of defunct. For example, it presents only a subset of the actual options onboard. The only really fully functioning preorder systems are for F dom / J intl. (I won't go on my usual rant about how those have implemented vis a vis the catering allocations.)
There's a P+ intl thread, by the way.
2024 Let's Eat - United Premium Plus (International)
😉
There's a P+ intl thread, by the way.
2024 Let's Eat - United Premium Plus (International)
😉
I got this screen on my recent attempt to reserve a meal. Is it me or does this seem ridiculous? Isn't the whole point that they can count up what people want what and cook the amount desired? Or I guess this is just a half-baked first-come first-serve pre-allocation of meals they can't change the number of, for whatever inept reason they've chosen to operate under.
/end rant
img
/end rant
img
I just returned to this thread for the same reason -- though on UA6 (NRT-IAH) in a few days its the Beef they're out of. I also thought that they'd use preorders to at least influence if not directly drive the catering order but it seems it is just first-come-first-served of whatever quantity they've gotten a bulk discount on.
I had always assumed the 24 hour cutoff was because they needed to get the order to the caterers... if the order is pre-set why can't you order up to time of departure?
Or "how come there isn't a fourth option" -- given how buggy UA has gotten with hiding things that should be visible, 1/2 the time I'm booking under our United for Business account after I select the outbound segment it will only offer Economy for the return. Seems like an odd way to grow revenue to only let me book 1/2 of the trip in a premium cabin, I'm not sure that I trust them to only hide things that are actually unavailable.
img
I had always assumed the 24 hour cutoff was because they needed to get the order to the caterers... if the order is pre-set why can't you order up to time of departure?
Or "how come there isn't a fourth option" -- given how buggy UA has gotten with hiding things that should be visible, 1/2 the time I'm booking under our United for Business account after I select the outbound segment it will only offer Economy for the return. Seems like an odd way to grow revenue to only let me book 1/2 of the trip in a premium cabin, I'm not sure that I trust them to only hide things that are actually unavailable.
img
UA is simply being flat out cheap with the pre-order, and in so doing they've also nerfed the GS/1K meal selection benefit (secondary problem). They could adjust the catering, yes, that would technically be easy, but it could cost more money because then they wouldn't be able to slap the last 25% of pax who forgot to or couldn't preorder with the cheapest possible ravioli or pumpkin-seed veggie bowl.
It's now fundamentally a first come first serve option, and they've further been too cheap to hide that at all. Cheap cheap cheap, and then cheap some more.
Apr 11, 2024, 9:23 pm
#308
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,451
Apr 12, 2024, 12:25 am
#309
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 687
Apr 15, 2024, 9:13 pm
#310
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: KUSA
Programs: Whatever AMEX Plat comes with... I buy on price.. Spirit Big Front Seat, want First/buy First
Posts: 1,475
I got the preorder email specific to my flight on Friday (as did my companion, who is on a separate PNR) yet we both get “preorder window is closed” since it was sent yesterday. And no option in the app or full website to select meal. Maybe I’m getting my airlines confused…. UA can reservations assist with this? I know Delta they can pick it for you if the app doesn’t work.
Apr 15, 2024, 10:29 pm
#311
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 562
I got the preorder email specific to my flight on Friday (as did my companion, who is on a separate PNR) yet we both get “preorder window is closed” since it was sent yesterday. And no option in the app or full website to select meal. Maybe I’m getting my airlines confused…. UA can reservations assist with this? I know Delta they can pick it for you if the app doesn’t work.