AlphaTango

Mrs AT was on a flight earlier in the week LAS-PHL. This was a one-way award with UA miles. After boarding, the FA announced to the F cabin that there would be no meal because the oven was broken. They served just the salad and dessert - said she arrived PHL hungry (and all the food vendors had already closed by the time she arrived PHL)

Anyone else had a comparable experience? What would you do? Worth writing a note to CS in the hope of getting a few miles? Specifically - which CS? uS or UA? OK, stuff happens, but what I think is a little unfair is that they weren't told about the problem prior to boarding, otherwise she would have got some food in LAS.

Apparently, quite a few people were quite upset, so I'd imagine US CS has already heard about this.

Often1

It was US' oven, so write to US. If you paid with dollars instead of miles, you wouldn't look for something from the Bureau of Engraving.

Send in a webform and US will toss a few miles your wife's way.

Happens from time to time. Last thing any carrier is going to do is delay a flight while people run around the terminal buying last minute food. Chances are, the problem wasn't discovered until after the aircraft pushed anyway.

AlphaTango

It was discovered prior to any pax boarding. They were in the jetway when they were told.
Thx - will craft a note.

ArizonaKudos

Had this happen to me leaving CLT once. They managed to get some cold sandwiches catered just before closing the door. I was going to complain, but ultimately decided the sandwich tasted better than a lot of the hot meals!

scottsam66

Not sure this helps anything.

GNRMatt

I'm surprised they didn't at least offer the F passengers what they were selling in Coach. I'd specifically put that in my letter to US Airways as well as they had the option of giving that to the F passengers for free and the cabin crew apparently didn't do that.

kudzu

Not sure that the FAs have that option. BuyonBoard food is accounted for separately under the US arrangement with a vendor, i.e. the FAs either return the food items at end of flight, or cough up the money for the food they gave away.

scottsam66

A forward thinking manager would view this as a great customer service gesture, and reward the FA that took this initiative. (not sure, this would happen here though).

kudzu

Oh, I agree (thinking of this great customer service thread).

It may also be a question of supply and demand, though - on popular flights, I hear the BuyOnBoard food (the "good stuff" anyway) gets sold out before the trolley reaches the middle of the main cabin ...

aztimm

Even if they didn't offer it for free, I would think they still should have offered it as an option.

Personally, I always travel with snacks. I don't eat most meat, so sometimes I've been on a flight, and the FA tells me that the pasta is all spoken for and all that's left is pork. The way it is cooked together, I usually can't eat anything on that dish.
So then I pull out my trusty snack bag and a protein bar.


That said, as the customer in question (OP's wife?) used UA miles, I'm not sure what US can offer. I'm curious what value they'd place on the F meal, especially considering that they still served the salad and dessert.
Perhaps a voucher toward future travel for $20?

Often1

When US serves one of it's usual ghastly meals, I've given the FA my CC and asked the FA to grab an item from the cart in steerage. Never had them say no.

GaryZ

Hmm...ghastly, you say. Last time I heard that expression it was from an old curmudgeon sitting directly behind me in F.

But, you're right to stay away from the bull steaks, otherwise one could be accused of being full of it!