US Domestic First- No meals <3.5 hours

 
Old Dec 24, 2012, 12:55 am
  #1  
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US Domestic First- No meals <3.5 hours

I think that US has greatly improved the service level of their domestic F product - HOWEVER - the 3.5 hour meal thing is a major problem IMHO and really differentiates the US F product in a negative way.

I think every flight over 1.5 hours should have some type of food service in F for departures between 5am and 10pm. Even if is just a small cheese and cracker and salami snack plate like CO does on 90 minute flights during non meal hours.

Maybe have 3 tiers - snack, light meal, full meal depending on departure times.

I realize that the people sitting in F are mostly free upgrades but these are the most loyal customers or are paying the full F fare.

I think this change would bring US to the same level of F service, if not higher, than the other legacies.

One last issue : PDB - I have almost 90% consistently got a pre-departure cocktail on US. My last 10 flights on AA - 0%
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 3:04 am
  #2  
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Hi,

Agree - US is great with PDB!

Agree - it might be annoying not to get anything substantial to eat on some long flights (like about 3 hours long) on routes US does not have any competition.
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 5:24 am
  #3  
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The rule isn't 3.5 hours:

On flights over 2.5 hours that depart between 5 AM and 7:59 PM (excluding US Airways Express, US Airways Shuttle and transatlantic flights).

By contrast, Delta's rule is distance-based but 900+ mile flights will certainly be well over the OP's target of 1.5 hours.

251-899 Miles (1 to 2 hours)
Choose from a selection of complimentary snacks. Morning flights (departures 05:00-09:45) offer peanuts, pretzels, Biscoff cookies, biscotti, bananas, Otis Spunkmeyer muffins and Quaker Oats chewy granola bars. All other flights offer peanuts, pretzels, apples, Twix, Toblerone, Sun Chips and Walkers shortbread cookies.

900-1,499 Miles (about 2-3.5 hours)
A delicious meal will be served during meal times2, in addition to our snack selection.

More than 1,500 Miles (3.5 hours +)
A delicious meal will be served, in addition to our snack selection. On dinner flights, enjoy entres from chef Michelle Bernstein.
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 6:22 am
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I was just wondering about this, since I have F tickets for the family CLT-CUN departing at 6:10pm but only a 3 hour 6 minute flight. No meal is shown on the schedule - we will only get the snack basket?

This will be challenging as we have a tight connection in CLT making it hard to grab dinner to take on board.
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 6:27 am
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
The rule isn't 3.5 hours:

On flights over 2.5 hours that depart between 5 AM and 7:59 PM (excluding US Airways Express, US Airways Shuttle and transatlantic flights).
The website say over 3.5 hours in more than one place:

Delicious full meals on flights over 3.5 hours between 5 AM and 8 PM

3.5 + hours Taste heartier meals and more vegetarian-friendly dishes.


You may be confusing meals with Cafeplus light meals which are charged for and available on flights over 2.5 hours.

Jim
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 10:05 am
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^ The op has a great idea & imo US should run with it.
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 10:54 am
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Originally Posted by BeantownFlyer
This will be challenging as we have a tight connection in CLT making it hard to grab dinner to take on board.
I always bring a bag of snacks that has protein bars and other non-perishable things.
When I might have a tight connection, I've been known to bring a sandwich, salad, or something similar. They generally keep for a few hours (the bigger problem is keeping from getting squished in a backpack).
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 11:09 am
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Unless things have changed you won't get a meal on this flight. I'd ask the FA to give you first dibs on the "buy on board" if you are hungry although you will probably have to pay.
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 1:50 pm
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Originally Posted by jfinsocal
Unless things have changed you won't get a meal on this flight. I'd ask the FA to give you first dibs on the "buy on board" if you are hungry although you will probably have to pay.
That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the responses, and I agree with the OP - there really should be some light FC meal or snack. Here I am on an international F flight that is 3+ hours long at dinner time, and I get nothing?!
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Old Dec 24, 2012, 9:22 pm
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Originally Posted by BeantownFlyer
That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the responses, and I agree with the OP - there really should be some light FC meal or snack. Here I am on an international F flight that is 3+ hours long at dinner time, and I get nothing?!
US's policy does stink, and I wish they would make the flight time for meals maybe 2.5 hours but I will tell you that I have flown CLT-CUN four times, and each time the flight was never longer than 2.5 hours. The snack basket has some pretty good options that usually keep me full for flights this length.
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Old Dec 25, 2012, 7:16 am
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What about... PHL-AUS?

Has anyone experienced a meal on a PHL-AUS direct flight?

Am booked into F for 12/28's US 1775 (5:50 to 8:51pm - 4h1m) and 1/3's US 1778 (7:45a to 12:05pm - 3h20m).

My calculations would say US 1775 gets a meal (though that isn't shown on the US website) since it is >3.5h and starts well before 8pm. The 1778 is close but not quite 3.5 hours so most definitely stuck with the snack basket.. right?

Mostly confused that 1775 shows no meal but seems to pass the heuristics for meal service.

Thanks in advance.
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Old Dec 25, 2012, 7:52 am
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The flights are on E190s, which I don't believe have ovens, so no hot meals. Not sure if they cater a cold meal, or just do the snack basket.
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Old Dec 25, 2012, 4:13 pm
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Originally Posted by marksskram
Has anyone experienced a meal on a PHL-AUS direct flight?

Am booked into F for 12/28's US 1775 (5:50 to 8:51pm - 4h1m) and 1/3's US 1778 (7:45a to 12:05pm - 3h20m).

My calculations would say US 1775 gets a meal (though that isn't shown on the US website) since it is >3.5h and starts well before 8pm. The 1778 is close but not quite 3.5 hours so most definitely stuck with the snack basket.. right?

Mostly confused that 1775 shows no meal but seems to pass the heuristics for meal service.

Thanks in advance.

PHL-DFW which is routinely blocked at a few minutes under 3.5 hours does in fact get a cold meal service when operated by the E190 (usually some kind of salad or sandwich option with an appetizer/bread and dessert). Logic would imply that if PHL-AUS is blocked at 4 hours, a cold meal would also be served.
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Old Dec 25, 2012, 4:49 pm
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Originally Posted by aztimm
I always bring a bag of snacks that has protein bars and other non-perishable things.
When I might have a tight connection, I've been known to bring a sandwich, salad, or something similar. They generally keep for a few hours (the bigger problem is keeping from getting squished in a backpack).
Ditto. I always have peanut butter crackers and granola bars.

Maybe I am dreaming but didn't the snack basket come, then was taken away and replaced with some kind of chips, and is now back? I haven't flown much in the last year+ and my most recent flight, the ultra short PHL-BWI on an A319, they did pass around a snack basket.
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Old Dec 25, 2012, 5:23 pm
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Thanks for the data point. I hope our logic is correct but will of course be packing snacks just in case.

Mark
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