Once in a while the first class meal options are simply not appealing. That leaves you with three choices: eat it anyway, skip meal service altogether, or request something from coach. Requesting meal service from economy class is the subject of this week’s Meal of the Week.
American, Delta, and United will generally (though not always) offer a meal or snack from the back of the plane if you don’t like the choices up front. Sometimes this will be offered proactively, sometimes you have to ask for it. Sometimes, FAs ask you to pay for it, though that rarely occurs.
How your meal arrives varies by FA. Sometimes a snackbox is simply plopped down on your tray. Sometimes they will take time to arrange it and make it look nice, like a first class meal.
Once I was sitting next to a guy who did not like either choice in first class. He passed on the meal. I asked him why he didn’t at least get a snackbox from economy class. He seemed shocked, like he just had an epiphany. A few moments later he asked a FA and she happily brought him a snack box. I could not believe how pleased he was…he thanked me several times during the flight.
A few years ago I was on United flight from San Juan (SJU) to Washington (IAD) and the choices for lunch were an Asian noodle salad or roast beef sandwich. I was seated in the last row and though I had 1K status, only the salad was left when I arrived.
Noodle salads have never been my cup of tea, so I asked if I could have have a ham sandwich from the economy buy-on-board menu. The FA agreed and asked me if I wanted it heated. I was surprised (and pleased) by the warming offer.
The sandwich arrived nicely heated (this was before the days that United served warm BOB food in economy). She also included a bowl of soup (minestrone) with the meal and a bag of chips.
CONCLUSION
My point is simple: if you don’t like the food in first class, check the economy class menu. If you see something you like, ask for it. Chances are you will be obliged. And as economy class food has become healthier and tastier, sometimes an economy class meal actually constitutes an “upgrade”.
Have you had luck requesting food from economy class when seated in first class?
This happened to me once, though I didn’t have to ask. Flying home in VX F, only one of the lunch options was available for some reason. The FA apologized from the get-go and proactively asked if I’d like anything from the coach menu instead. I asked for a protein plate – but she went the extra mile and also brought me a cheese and fruit plate without asking because “I thought you might like something extra with that”. Great service, and the combo did hit the spot.
I love about Virgin America is that you can get both! First Class food + Coach food. You’ve given me an idea for next week’s post!
I do this every time I fly Alaska. I really like their economy cheese burger, and although AS Gold, I always have to pay for it (I use my AXP with Alaska designated for credit). If the coach meal is better, that should be a sign. Alaska F catering continues to disappoint .
Alaska charges you when you refuse the meal in first class?
Yeah AS charges when you ask for the coach food. I’ve gotten the fruit and cheese tray for my wife when she didn’t like the FC options and was charged
yup. got upgraded to first last week and it was a really late and short flight so they just served cookies. I asked for the snack box but was told I’d have to pay for it.
I rarely ever eat the food on United flights because I find it awful in First Class. I always order a burger from the back on the flights where they are catered and I never have an issue.
The UA BOB breakfast bundle is as good as the F breakfast. Egg scramble, Greek yogurt and fruit.
Agree that it is often better than F choices.
Remember when United had soup with most meal offerings? The good ole days.
Indeed…
I can second the comment about food on Alaska. I have MVP 75k status and they told me on my last Hnl to san flight I’d have to pay for the y food. I should have paid, instead I ate the free first class food, and wished I hadn’t.
I had this happen on a United flight once with my now wife. We were seated in Row 5 on a flight from Newark to Seattle and by the time they got to our row, the only option left was a vegetable pasta and nothing else. I had asked for a chicken dish from the economy class instead. The flight attendant in first class insisted that I would have to pay for it. I asked for the purser to be brought over to discuss as I was not going to pay for something when I didn’t like the remaining choice. I explained the situation to the purser and she agreed that I shouldn’t have to pay for it. She would only serve it to me though if there were any remaining after they had been through the economy cabin. Luckily, there was one remaining although when they served it to me, they barely had warmed it up and just plopped it down on my tray with not much of a care. Better than eating a vegetarian option, although I had to fight for it.
Don’t think the FA on your flight did the order taking correctly, unless it was all GS/1Ks in F too. Per UA order taking policy…GS/1Ks get meal priority, then front to back. Correct if I’m wrong please. For me as a 1k in F, UA has never ran out of my first option ever…
I have had similar experiences with asking for the coach meal on several flights with UA and being told I’d have to wait until the coach service was over to see what was left and that I’d have to pay. And FAs were not the most diplomatic about it on most occasions. I don’t think this is the magic top the article suggests (unless there has been a policy change recently)–particularly if one has less than elite status.
Isn’t it that the airlines only cater a limited amount of meals for Economy which usually sell out? So you’d be taking a meal from another passenger who wouldn’t be offered your rejected F meal in exchange. Seems a little unfair, though probably I’m being too British about it!