Have you ever wondered why we don’t have your preferred choice when it comes to meals on-board ? Have your ever wondered why you’re the one not getting the tasty Chicken Curry while others feast on it ? Have you ever wondered why your Flight Attendant has absolutely nothing to do with the catering, hence has no power over what people get and what they don’t get ?
Yesterday was another meal service. After one year and a half working the carts around the world, serving an extraordinary amount of food to all kinds of people. Yesterday, as with any other day, I had the displeasure of serving another grumpy pax.
WHY ?
Well he didn’t get his preferred choice. We had Lamb, Chicken or Pasta (note that any other airline will most likely have only two choices, in some cases only one) but yet again I had to swallow my pride and take in another slur of nasty words my way because MONSIEUR didn’t get want he wanted. I know you’re paying a fair amount of moneys to get a decent service. I acknowledge that, fully. Also, that you expect to have the luxury of choosing your comfort food. But that really doesn’t mean you need to call me names because I’m only offering Chicken or Pasta. And to be honest they’re two pretty nice dishes if you ask me. The guy didn’t listen to me and made a whole fuss about it. Until I very gently but surely explained the whys and why nots of airline food and meal carts, it took a few minutes but felt the urge to give him some answers. He obviously didn’t any clue, even though he clearly was a frequent flyer :
So I kneeled down to eye-level, used open gestures, was sporting a comforting smile and used Flight Attendant psychology techniques us lot learn on the job and apply rather efficiently.
- “Why is it that I don’t get what I want?”
- Sir, we have carts. Every single cart contains 25 meals (on long haul dinners/lunches/breakfasts) and 25 trays. Each cart has a certain percentage of each different meal depending on popularity of the meals. For example a chicken we will be catered for at 60%, a lamb at 30% and a veggie pasta at 10%. Out of 25 meals per cart, it isn’t a great number as you can figure out the maths I’m sure. So with us starting the service from the top of the cabin, it’s not rocket science that at one point or another, I’m gonna run out of choices, especially if everyone before you asked for a chicken.
- “So, how do I make sure I get what I want ?”
- THREE WAYS : First of all, you must make sure to check-in early. Get yourself seated at the top of the cabin in the first 25 seats. In a 3-4-3 configuration, meaning one aisle serves 5 passengers per row, you need to be seated in the first 3 to 4 rows to be sure you get your preferred meal choice. (See chart to understand how)
In order to get in those seats, you need to check-in early because, here at Emirates, they tend to fill the plane from top of cabin to rear. Forget about the center seat on row 15 and 23 as they are blocked for mothers and families (baby bassinet eligibility). So in short, you need to be seated in seats where the new cart will be starting its dish out.
Secondly, you can enroll with Skywards and state your preferred meal choice (and drink), so there’s no reason for us not to serve what you’ve asked for.
Thirdly, harassing the Flight Attendant will definitely not get your preferred meal choice. Quite the opposite in fact. I suggest asking for any left overs or undesired asian vegetarian meals who a quite tasty.
- “why don’t you carry 3 choices for each passenger? That would solve the problem won’t it !??”
- No sir. We like to make good use of our fuel expenses to keep that ticket price as low as you bought it for. Carry extra weight and meals can be heavy, will only burn more fuel. Secondly, we do not have space to store 900 meals on-board. Unless you’re willing to give up some cargo space or some overhead bins, but by the looks of your personal luggage, it’s definitely not gonna happen. You’ll make a fuss about that too if we dared take some of YOUR space. thirdly, it would simply be a huge waste. We can’t finish the meals by ourselves ! This is why we only have meals for the exact number of passengers on-board. That is also why we tell you that we have to finish the service first before we can check for second servings. Don’t get grumpy at us, we’re just making sure everyone gets served and then we can think about your hungry self.
Lastly, if you’re so keen on getting what you want, I suggest you upgrade to Business Class or even First Class. That’s where people like you wouldn’t have a problem with choosing a meal. Because, in Business and First they have plenty of food to choose from and they seem to never run out of options ! An added extra to BizClass or the heavens of First is the plush seats you get to lounge in. I’m just sayin’!
After that little explanation I really hope you stop giving us a hard time and instead understand how it’s done and why you’re not getting your sweet chicken.
Hope this helped !
LOL! Great post!
they should include this in a leaflet for all Y class pax when they check in! hehehe
I’ve only see this happen on Air New Zealand, where the Captain publicly apologizes for not having your choice of meal, by the time the cart gets to you. (And the announcement is made while the meals are being served). However he assured us with the next meal you definitely would get your choice. Huh, how? It’s simple, the first meal is served from the front to rear, the second meal is served from rear to front. That made sure if you were the last to be served, you would now be the first. Not sure of the short haul flights but on the long haul LAX-SYD-LAX you were definitely guaranteed two meals on those sectors. I’m happy to say I got my choice with the second meal as I was one of the last few rows at the back of the NZ 744. Didn’t get my choice at dinner, but definitely did with breakfast
It’s also done on select flights with EK. Especially the ones with two services.
Smart cookie. Makes sense. =P
Really good! lol
- silly question,
- full and intelligent response.
- silly question,
- full and intelligent response,
- etc.
Perfect. That always work.
Usually on Malaysia Airlines, whenever a passenger starting to complain he/she is not getting his/her choice of meal, the poor flight attendant will either check with their colleagues if their carts have any … let say beef left. If they do not have any then they will go to the galley to see if there is any beef there. This is what always happen on MAS.
1. Sorry sir/miss/mem, we only have chicken left.
2. WHAT ? No no. I want beef.
3. Very sorry sir/miss/mem, the chicken is nice too.
4. While the passenger may not be saying anything further at this point nor did he/she accepts the chicken, the flight attendant will know that he/she is upset. Some will even refuse a meal.
5. The FA will tell him/her : “okay, i’ll see if there is any left in the galley and i’ll come back to you shortly”.
6. Then the FA will either go to the galley himself/herself or check with other meal carts if there is still any beef left.
7. (scenario 1)
Most of the time they will come back to you with a BEEF. Yeah, no kidding ! Sometimes they get it from the other meal carts, sometimes they still have some unheated ones inside the galley. There are also times that they actually give you the crew meal, and they will take the chicken instead.
7. (scenario 2)
They come back and tell you they couldn’t find any. So the passenger has no choice but to accept the chicken offered earlier.
7. (scenario 3)
They come back. Tell you there is no more beef left. The passenger doesn’t look happy and even refuse a meal. The FA will apologize over and over again. Very soon the inflight supervisor will turn up, ask you what is the problem. The next thing you will notice is that the inflight supervisor is bringing you some foods from the Business/First Class. This trick works all the time for “THESE PASSENGERS” flying MAS.
pretty sure you are malaysian… malaysian always think that malaysian airline is the best.
Airboy, strange you mentioned it happens on EK flights, because frankly I’ve never seen it happen on any long haul. Carts always begin from the front to back for both meal services. I’d really like to know which select flights you are referring to. I’ll keep an eye out for this next month on the JFK-DXB-JFK sector.
I, you reminded me of an incident on MAS. I had ordered a special meal but when it came to me I had one look at it and decided I did not want to eat it. I asked the Malaysian FA (which are the world’s best, , sorry Ben but they are, you guys can learn a few things from them!!) and she immediately replaced my meal with one of the regular two choices on board. (It was a fully loaded 744, so she could have asked me to wait). I was really amazed, and then later she even came by and asked if I enjoyed my meal. Now that is service!!
poor airboy…
but what about telling him:
“MONSIEUR, I’m sure your wife, at home, gives you every evening the choice between three menues, but we’re not at home here”
I hate this kind of persons/clients/passengers, specially in a world where millions of people are starving and have no idea of what “a choice” is.
I already wrote a post about meals too. It’s really annoying when a customer DEMANDS to have a certain meal choice, like if he/she was in a restaurant ordering a meal. Other day out of BKK a customer called me just before we go in the cabin with the carts and said she didn’t like lamb and fish (the only 2 options on the menu)…
Well, let’s not get the poor and hungry of the world involved here. Airlines charge an arm and a leg for fares, and if they don’t have your choice at least what you are left with should be edible. One is not travelling on some “charity” flight that you have to put up with a charity meal, in other words eat it or starve.
Regarding the Lamb and Fish, I think those are the two extreme ends of a menu option. There should always be a chicken option. I don’t blame the woman for complaining, those weren’t very wise choices.
Awesome post – loved the diagrahm – had one curious question – can you alternate the meal service handouts depending on what flight? For example – on odd numbered flights, could you serve from back to front and on even serve from front to back? Is there a logistics reason why food is always served from front to back?
I think unfortunately i have to take the side of the grumpy pax in question… i mean Customer!
i do blame our airline who created this feature of having 3 choices on the menu where in fact apparently we don’t have enough of even one…
It’s not a strong point to point at the fact that we offer 3 choices compared to other airlines…and if our airline are doing it by percentage, obviously they have the demographics wrong and who can predict on a flight what demographics can be!
In Business and in First we have the same issue…even if he flies in premium he doesn’t get his choice often…just have a look at our menus it says we are sorry if you don’t always get your choice.
What about being smart and following your seating chart? mmm does it always happen like this?
maybe he gets the 1st seat in the that area but he might be moved by the crew to accommodate a family or if he sits in the front what about the customer who sits in the back maybe he wanted chix=chicken 2 so you end up with the same shi…problem!
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