Mike_K

Lately they haven't been so I tend to hoard right after takeoff. If I'm paying for unlimited I want to at least have the option of getting what I want but lately it's been slim pickings half way through the first service.

abpat2203

How soon is considered acceptable/decent when ordering the food in MCS? I can manage if they run out but my wife cannot and I need to make sure she has something to eat.

VXCabinCrew

You can order as soon as you like. Once the plane takes off, the ordering system will open up. I always suggest ordering soon rather than later so that you get your first meal choice. You can order anytime during the flight up until 45 minutes before landing, which is when we disable the ordering system.

Every flight is catered differently as our catering department studies ordering trends for every flight in order to minimize waste. You'd be shocked at how often we are left with fresh food items at the end of a flight that we have to throw away.

abpat2203

Thanks for the tip. I did not want to come across as a hoarder hence the question.

Btw, why throw away the food at the end of the flight? Can't you offer it to the deplaning passengers as a sort of "to-go"?

Mike_K

If it's refrigerated I don't understand why it can't be saved for the next flight. I understand ditching food that's been there for a day but to toss it after every flight seems a bit silly. A sandwich that was fresh at 6:00 am is still fresh at 6:00pm and if they're getting rid of the food first in/ first out then even under the worst situations they shouldn't have a problem with throwing away excess food.

Then again, I'm not in the plane catering business so maybe I'm missing something really obvious here.

TheRoadie

You should be bringing the minimum emergency supply for her then. In case of total catering fail or IROPS you surely don't want it to turn into a medical emergency.

abpat2203

Oh it is not as bad as it sounds. She just turns all cranky and irritable. Definitely no medical emergency, but an emergency all the same, at least for me.

matthewsoft

Why doesn't the crew give stuff away as people leave the plane? Especially if you have to throw it away. Plus, lots of passengers that paid for FC, MCS or MCE that are seated in the front would feel even more rewarded to pick up some free food on the way out.

Also, I understand the way to try to find an upgrade is via the change flight feature. When I log-in to my Elevate account, I see my reservation, but all the options are greyed out except viewing the reservation or changing seat. The web site says: "We’re sorry. Change and cancel are temporarily unavailable on the web. If you have to make a change or cancellation please call 877.FLY.VIRGIN (877.359.8474)." My travel partner's reservation [separate PNR] does the same thing. It's said this consistently since we first booked the flight on 9/9.

Will I be able to check on a first class upgrade 6-hours prior even tho change flight doesn't work?

Thanks for your help!

UpstateDave

Bumping this back to the top... I noticed that the cabin page & fee chart now says that only select food/drink items are complimentary in MCS. What items are and aren't included?

http://www.virginamerica.com/travel/cabins.html
http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/fees

rasheed

Still no changes for MCS today as everything appears to still be free, but maybe they will introduce premium food options that will have a charge.

Frankly, it appears they have raised the price of MCS anyway, so I am not sure what the problem is related except it is a more valuable Elevate status than before.

A MCS to F used to be I think $69 on LAX to ORD and now is $110 as an example.

Rasheed

gooseman13

I believe turkey jerky and the large bottles of wine are no longer free. Also on JFK flights I have heard there is a "premium" meal option that has a cost.

qisu

yeah i can confirm that the turkey jerky is the only option in the snacks/meals category that is not complimentary, it costs $4.xx. sad for me as i love it. this has been the case for a couple of month now.
in the wine section, some are free, some cost $.

SoCalZman

It probably was a favorite of everyone too . I actually saw the same product in the store being sold for 6 dollars so it is a pricey snack. I guess I cannot blame them for charging for it now.

op487062

i never really paid attention to the seating while boarding lax-jfk previously--do the mcs and f sell out usually? If they are available, is it normally the highest fee to upgrade to either?

odom4president

thanks for the headsup