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United Cuts Back Special Meal Choices

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Source: Archived Content

Date: Aug 29, 2002

Finally, a small good piece of news to report...

Beginning Sept 1, United is reducing the number of special meal categories from 32 to 14.  They cite cost-cutting measures of course, but whatever the reason, those ridiculous special meals were getting out of hand anyway.

Buh-bye on the list are:  Bland, Gluten-Free, Non-Lactose, Refugee, Seafood, Salad Meal, Chicken, Toddler and Oriental.

In addition, Hindu and Moslem meals have been merged into the Indian Vegetarian category.  Believe me, I'll take that kind of merge over US Airways any day!

I can see providing the occasional special meal for passengers with medical or religious reasons---to a point.  But had become ridiculous with the number of special choices.

However many choices still remain for special meals, the bottom line is this: passengers who request special meals ought to be charged extra---and told there is still no guarantee that their meal will be boarded.  Dealing with a large amount of special meals inconveniences other passengers and reduces the overall efficiency of the meal service---particularly in Economy.

And what's with supervisors so concerned about F/As bringing out those special meals at the start of the service anyway?  Anyone who has ever actually worked flights (uh, recently, not when planes had propellers) knows that because of passengers changing seats, sleeping kids, narrow workspaces, and other factors, delivering the special meals at the beginning of the service is sometimes the most efficient way of handling them---with the least amount of hassle for the 98% who just want receive their normal meal and drink before the Second Coming.

Besides, I've yet to see anyone in the United organization produce a passenger complaint letter stating that someone was upset solely because they received their special meal 5-10 minutes earlier than the little meal carts coming down the aisle.

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