You want them to deviate from service standard and complained when they declined to do so?

YMMV. I've been receiving a PDB consistently on all my UA flights recently.

I had an odd PDB experience, I guess I should be happy they are doing anything at all, but it was just odd.

The FA walked up to a set of seats, asked if they would like a beverage, only after the passenger would give their order, she would say we only have Sparkling wine or water.

She repeated this at each set of seats, if you are only going to offer sparkling wine or water, don't ask, provide the time for the passenger to make a request and then inform them that the only two choices are the sparkling wine or water.

It was just odd.

The FA’s were in the back galley chatting during 30 + minute deicing process. Plenty of time to complete the PDB.

Any PDB, or just Full PDB? I'm trending higher around 75%+ for flights where I'm not the last person in (and even then, most of the time I can tell that PDBs have been distributed prior to my boarding).

Wow. That is awesome. I've been able to order whatever I wanted exactly once (in Polaris), and even then I had to ask for it. (Which I generally don't do because I don't want to piss off the FAs before we even take off.)

Water/Sparkling or Full PDB?

Standard water/OJ and water/sparkling. Full PDB is not SOP.

Did they not do the first round of water/sparkling?

the FA’s did ZIP!!!!!!

Today’s PDB from ORD-BOS was three choices instead of the usual two:

• water
• prosecco
• cranberry prosecco (with one floating cranberry)

Apparently it’s the “holiday drink,” but was a nice touch.

This is still so inconsistent borh domestically and in Polaris. I am probably 50/50 for PDB or no PDB. In Polaris I just drink the botlled water and then receive a heavy sigh as they pick up the empty water bottle as they check the green check before take-off.

I have not written in about the issue as much better hills to die on. Interesting to read it is supposed to be SOP - perhaps it needs to become a standard post flight survey question if UA was really concerned about PDBs for passangers

So I’ll eat my words - was just on a flight out of SFO and the FA did a full bar PDB. I asked for water and got a bottle which was nice. She was great and I gave her a “Going the Extra Mile” GS card.

And the surprise bonus: the captain announced he had requested a Bay Tour departure and we got it, such a treat. Skywest E175.

Doesn’t PDB offered depend on the state liquor tax on the ground where the airport sits? I think if they unseal the cart on the ground they have to pay state tax, but don’t have to if plane is in the air? If I am right, then it makes sense (to me at least) to only open and offer one alcoholic beverage on the ground in states where that is so.

I agree it’s still very inconsistent.

Dec 6 - SFO - AUS - no pdb
Dec 12 - FLL - IAH - water only, other requests denied
Dec 12 - IAH - SFO - no pdb

12/12 - zippo PHX-IAH, with plenty of time to do so.
12/12 - water/bubbly IAH-SAT plus an in-air drink service on the 42 min flight.

Following up on my post above......I have flown AA three times in the last month between ORD and RSW. Full PDB on every flight. Process was as I described. One FA went down the aisle during boarding taking orders from two rows at a time then went back to the galley to give the orders to a second FA who started preparing the drinks while the first FA went back out to get orders from the last two rows. By the time he/she got back to the galley, the first round of drinks were ready to go and were served. No one wasting their time holding a platter of wipes. And very cheerful to boot - chatting you up like a local neighborhood pub bartender. So it can be done. But I will say that when I stopped flying AA years ago, PDBs became non existent during the merger turmoil when AA FAs were not happy at all. That may be the problem with UA now. Protest over stalled contract talks to the detriment of FC pax. As an added benefit, AA uses real stemless wine glasses and not the glorified shot glasses that UA uses (so you do not have to constantly ask for refills) and serves a large ramekin of warm nuts with zero pretzel fillers.

Couple data points:

100% on PDBs in Polaris to/from ORD this year (6 total legs)

Had my first domestic F PDB yesterday in forever on LAS-ORD. FA offered OJ or water, including refills. I marveled at her ability to work the cabin during boarding lulls.

The whole crew was just awesome….my coffee never hit empty during the flight (necessary since I woke at 4AM).

Cherry on top — 321neo!

Didn’t even get the water/prosecco ask on my last flight FRA - IAD. At that point i was too shy to ask for GT, but did get a glass of cheap bubbly. Additionally, my FA skipped me numerous times, as if my 9L seat didn’t exist in his airplane map. He also frankly smelled like he vaped, a sense that was amplified by him missing orders and coming back to have them repeated several times…