Upper Class food service

This may seem an irrelevent question but...Our only experience in upper class was Manchester to Las Vegas and return last April. Outbound we were in 10A and 11A and the food service started from the front, and although only 14pax in total in the cabin, neither of us could get our first choice of main meal. On the return journey we were both in row 7 and the food service started from the bar end and - you've guessed it- neither of us got our first choice. Now don't get me wrong - we are not fussy eaters - we eat just about everything - but we were disappointed. I'm just wondering if it is just down to the crew where they start. We defintely want to be near the front, if we can, when I try to reserve seats at 90 days (and I know that the refits have not changed any layout in upper class) but I just wondered if anyone knew of the usual order of service in the cabin. Many thanks.

[Neil]

Whenever we have flown UC, the food service has always been front to back and I haven't heard/read that it has changed.

Thanks Neil. I thought that front to back would be the most obvious, so when we were sitting at the front on the return we thought we would have a chance! I'd be interested to know how many meals they have in total for 14 passengers.

This idea might be a bit "out there", but have airlines not considered giving customers the menus for their flights a few days/weeks before they are due to fly and just ask them what they might like to eat? (especially now in the digital age!)

For instance, my upcoming flight, I would love to sit in the Bubble, mainly because it's my 1st time on a 747 and to me it just seems right to experience it just the once maybe oo)
My only worry really is that I'm going to end up with no decent choice of food, or a veggy option, which to me is cetainly food hell n(
If airlines gave people the options and just asked, I'm sure cutomers would be much happier and there would be less wastage also.
Or is that a silly idea ii)

This idea might be a bit "out there", but have airlines not considered giving customers the menus for their flights a few days/weeks before they are due to fly and just ask them what they might like to eat? (especially now in the digital age!)

For instance, my upcoming flight, I would love to sit in the Bubble, mainly because it's my 1st time on a 747 and to me it just seems right to experience it just the once maybe oo)
My only worry really is that I'm going to end up with no decent choice of food, or a veggy option, which to me is cetainly food hell n(
If airlines gave people the options and just asked, I'm sure cutomers would be much happier and there would be less wastage also.
Or is that a silly idea ii)

Lovely idea, but I'm sure crew wouldn't be terribly happy with the idea of 225 special meals, not to mention the customers who forget to order, and the customers who've forgotten what they've ordered in the first place.

This idea might be a bit "out there", but have airlines not considered giving customers the menus for their flights a few days/weeks before they are due to fly and just ask them what they might like to eat?

Would not say this idea is silly but has been tried before on board Singapore Airlines - 'Book the Cook' it is called

Actually it is still around y)

Granted this works for certain types of pax but it would add a bit of an admin burden on the ground and in the air with all those 'special meals' for the crew to sort through.. Ultimately they would still have to carry a menu and people run into the possibility of not getting their first choice xx(

From my UC flights over the past year they have always started at the front... there was a bit of a hoo-ha on a flight I was on a couple of years back, where they could not start at the front due to a pax repacking her bag (clearly looking for something spread all over the aisle) and being in the way.. they started midway down the cabin Queue the dagger looks from the front ii)

I know it's the case if you are an AU card holder than its does not matter where you sit as you get first dibs at the menu selection. See what happens tomorrow evening vs28 MCO to LGW

Usually it's front to back, but on my last outbound flight I think they started at the bar end and worked forward. I'm surprised you had to have a second choice if there were only 14 in the cabin!

I'm surprised you had to have a second choice if there were only 14 in the cabin!

Absolutely my point! Surely they don't have just 5 of each choice. Or do they?

[Neil]

I'm surprised you had to have a second choice if there were only 14 in the cabin!

Absolutely my point! Surely they don't have just 5 of each choice. Or do they?

No, but equally they won't have 14 of each choice.

[Neil]

I know it's the case if you are an AU card holder than its does not matter where you sit as you get first dibs at the menu selection. See what happens tomorrow evening vs28 MCO to LGW

In theory correct, but in reality there have been many reports and personal experiences where that has not been the case.

This idea might be a bit "out there", but have airlines not considered giving customers the menus for their flights a few days/weeks before they are due to fly and just ask them what they might like to eat? (especially now in the digital age!)

Lovely idea, but I'm sure crew wouldn't be terribly happy with the idea of 225 special meals, not to mention the customers who forget to order, and the customers who've forgotten what they've ordered in the first place.

The technology exists as you can order your special requirements. It should certainly be available to UC on the LGW route as I find it unacceptable when paying over £2K for business class, that you can't get your choice of meal, just because of where you are sat. Little things like being able to get a meal that you can eat would be one if the little differentiators that used to set VS apart.

[Neil]

I just can't see how pre-ordering would work in practice. All you would need is a couple of pax to have changed their mind or didn't realise the meal they ordered has mushrooms in it etc etc and it would throw the whole system in to chaos.

I just can't see how pre-ordering would work in practice. All you would need is a couple of pax to have changed their mind or didn't realise the meal they ordered has mushrooms in it etc etc and it would throw the whole system in to chaos.

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flyin ... oklanding/

Or not.... they appear to have found a way :w Would VS be able to manage it though is the question

Eek! This would be like the office Xmas lunch but every day of the year!

People forgetting what they ordered or changing their mind etc etc


Nightmare!

I've even known 1st class passengers not get their first choice .

Airlines have a hard enough job working out the numbers of meals already let alone factoring in ore-booked meals.

[honey lamb]

I Booked the Cook when I flew to Singapore last year and was later sorry I did as I would rather have had what was on the in-flight menu than the Book the Cook one. It seemed like a good idea at the time......

[Neil]

I just can't see how pre-ordering would work in practice. All you would need is a couple of pax to have changed their mind or didn't realise the meal they ordered has mushrooms in it etc etc and it would throw the whole system in to chaos.

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flyin ... oklanding/

Or not.... they appear to have found a way :w Would VS be able to manage it though is the question

Slightly different to pre-ordering, and it is limited to the number who can book it.

Eek! This would be like the office Xmas lunch but every day of the year!

People forgetting what they ordered or changing their mind etc etc


Nightmare!

I've even known 1st class passengers not get their first choice .

Airlines have a hard enough job working out the numbers of meals already let alone factoring in ore-booked meals.

Never thought my post would create such strong feelings

Maybe I'm not very well informed, but I really don't see how this pre-ordering would be such a problem.
If passengers change their mind....tough luck imo
I've read posts here where people have witnessed others really throwing their toys out of the pram just because the full english breakfast had run out in PE and other such stories, so I don't see how pre-ordering meals could be any worse than it is now.

How can it be even remotely fair that just because you choose (or are put by the airline) towards the rear of a plane (having paid exactly the same fare) and almost every time get a crap choice of meal (or no choice) or even worse told you have to eat tofu :$

[Neil]

I guess it depends on how many times this happens, and how many people think it is such a major problem.

In UC/Y I have never not had my choice of meal, and the couple of times it has happened in PE, I have chosen another option without issue and actually really enjoyed it. As a purely leisure flyer I quite enjoy not knowing what food I am going to be eating until I get on board.

Also, it would have to be an all or nothing way of doing, as if only a small % of pax are pre-choosing it still means that some pax might not get their first choice, so not solving the issue and I can't honestly see a way of making every pax choosing.

was just a thought |:)

Unless it's the veggy option, something like parsnip surprise followed by sprouts, I'll pretty much eat anything and fully expect to put on a stone in weight over 2 weeks, hell I've been dieting for the last 6 months so I can get away with putting on a little weight )
I even love the dreaded M word ):

I just can't see how pre-ordering would work in practice. All you would need is a couple of pax to have changed their mind or didn't realise the meal they ordered has mushrooms in it etc etc and it would throw the whole system in to chaos.

You can choose your seat, so you should be able to select your meal and if you change your mind tough luck. If the menus choices are fully described on the website at the time of selection no problems. This should be available for all UC passengers. It's unacceptable to have to go on a long haul business class flight without getting their choice of meal and if VS wanted to put an extra £15 on my ticket and load 28 meals on the LGW routes so they could guarantee the choice ( if they didn't wish to alle pre-orders ) that would be fine too.

[Neil]

You can choose your seat, so you should be able to select your meal and if you change your mind tough luck. If the menus choices are fully described on the website at the time of selection no problems. This should be available for all UC passengers. It's unacceptable to have to go on a long haul business class flight without getting their choice of meal and if VS wanted to put an extra £15 on my ticket and load 28 meals on the LGW routes so they could guarantee the choice ( if they didn't wish to alle pre-orders ) that would be fine too.

It's great if everyone can pre-choose their meals but that just wouldn't be practical, and without everyone doing it then there is no point as they still have to load so many meals for the other pax and someone might end up not getting their first choice.

Why isn't it practical, what about the J fare pax who changes their flight at the last minute, so what do they do with that meal?. What about the pax who upgrades at check in, impossible to get their pre ordered meal sorted.

You might be happy to pay more, but many other who might not even eat on board having eaten already in the CH will not, and let's not even get started on what a waste of food that would be with a load of meals not being used/wasted.

As I said, in principle a good idea, and workable for a small number of pax, in practice for the whole cabin, just too many obstacles.

Neil is correct of course, too many variables for it to be practical in wide spread implementation. |:)

SQ limit the damage and psychological torment, no doubt inflicted upon those in the premium cabins who don't get their choice of meal, by allowing some the opportunity to choose ahead of time, you will of course be stuck with your choice... the grass always looks greener and all that.

VS could do something similiar for UC and PE pax, still loading the meals in the ratio they were before.. some will be chuffed, others will not. End of the day will not let it spoil the experience for me. ii)

Have not flown SQ in a while come to think of it.. has their LHR lounge improved? Last time I was there they did not even have ice, let alone a bottle of whiskey n( n(

loading up in the CH is the obvious solution, i can happily graze through several options there given enough time

We all appear to be ignoring the big stonking elephant in the cabin !

This is VS we are talking about and their IT systems that would need to handle all of these requests and submit them to the caterers on time let alone manage the process within 'manage my bookings' without screwing it all up.

Yes other airlines can deal with this but VS isn't like other airlines !