PE - Run out of food choices again !!

Just returned from St Lucia at the weekend in PE and for the second flight running (the first was from MCO) they have run out of the meal that I wanted.

So have to have the other meal that I didn't really want.

Nothing they can do etc etc..

I know it's only a small thing but it really annoys me that I pay SO much more than Economy and yet these basic things happen.

I was going to complain to see if I would be given some free miles, but chose not to in the end in favour of sleep.

Is it worth complaining, even to just make a point as I'm not that bothered about getting anything in return.

Andy

[HighFlyer]

Unfortunately, since the introduction of new PE, the issue of meal choice has reared its ugly head again. I only hope that VS start loading more meals rather than dissapointing passengers.

If this bothered you it is always worth writing to VS and communicating your displeasure to the crew so that they can write it up in their flight report. Not so much for the hope of miles, but to pass on your feedback and hope that the issue is taken notice of.

I've not had my first meal choice in Upper before, and that really does take the biscuit!

Thanks,
Sarah

We complained on board on the qway back from MCO about this. We were offered spare Y meals which by the time they were brought had congealed so I asked to speak to the FSM and make a formal complaint on board. We were then offered spare J meals. We followed the complaint up when we got home but only got a 'sorry we have passed your complaint to the relevant dept' back - no offer of miles

I think it's a lot to do with the menu on the MCO return leg - out of the choice of chicken , shrimp/scallops/rice and veggie ravoli the chicken is way more popular than they load for and runs out way before the back of PE.

I think it's a lot to do with the menu on the MCO return leg - out of the choice of chicken , shrimp/scallops/rice and veggie ravoli the chicken is way more popular than they load for and runs out way before the back of PE.

That's surprising as the chicken looked horrid when Mr L2H had it on our return from LAS on Monday. He only ate a mouthfull. I was very pleased with the ravioli I had though [y].

I am going to write, but only to provide feedback. After all if we all do that, they will hopefully do something about it and we can all help keep VA great.

Andy

[Scrooge]

In the end this is just stupidity on VS's part.

Take enough flight's, don't get the meals you want, if your anything like me you'll end up on another carrier, all for the sake of a dollar..stupid.

[Pete]

I have to agree with Scrooge. Whilst the delicately-balanced averages possibly suggest to management they get it 'close enough'; the passenger(s) who are denied their first choice of meal in a premium cabin will probably not give them a second chance, and they'll lose a lot more money than the cost of loading extra PE meals in the first place.

When the PE meal was the same as the Economy meal, this wasn't an issue, as PE generally got served first. Now PE have a separate meal, they clearly ought to load extras.

And, on the rare occassions you can't have your first choice (and for whatever reason, can't eat anything else on the menu), A J meal should be the first alternative. Hardly acceptable to downgrade your meal to Y when it's the airline that didn't load enough PE meals in the first place.

Originally posted by Andyr357
Just returned from St Lucia at the weekend in PE and for the second flight running (the first was from MCO) they have run out of the meal that I wanted.

So have to have the other meal that I didn't really want.

Nothing they can do etc etc..

I know it's only a small thing but it really annoys me that I pay SO much more than Economy and yet these basic things happen.

I was going to complain to see if I would be given some free miles, but chose not to in the end in favour of sleep.

Is it worth complaining, even to just make a point as I'm not that bothered about getting anything in return.

Andy

Originally posted by lovetoholiday

I think it's a lot to do with the menu on the MCO return leg - out of the choice of chicken , shrimp/scallops/rice and veggie ravoli the chicken is way more popular than they load for and runs out way before the back of PE.

That's surprising as the chicken looked horrid when Mr L2H had it on our return from LAS on Monday. He only ate a mouthfull. I was very pleased with the ravioli I had though [y].

Same thing happened to me on our way back from MCO in PE earlier this month. The chicken looked like cat sick and was promptly whisked away and the vegetable ravioli served instead was wonderful

They do load a lot of extra meals for PE, which are then sent to Y when W is finished which gives all PAX a good chance of getting a choice. Unfortunatly from experence we are always way over catered on one choice... VS are trying to improve it just now we get 20% extra meals on LGW flights and 15% on LHR, hopefully they will get it right soon. Y choices are offered first as sometimes J dont know what meals they have spare because of the freedom menu, and sometimes they are still serving so you would have to wait a while for them to give anything up!

One solution offered to us in the customer service email was to choose a preselected special meal when we booked - but how do we know what we are likely to be served if we do this ? Has anyone any info on what a the special meals consist of please ?

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by AlecK
One solution offered to us in the customer service email was to choose a preselected special meal when we booked - but how do we know what we are likely to be served if we do this ? Has anyone any info on what a the special meals consist of please ?

What a cop out? Order a SPML to be sure of eating on the aircraft? I've heard it all now ...

Unfortunately, you never really know whats in the SPML until it arrives, and then you are usually stuck with it. SPML's cost the airlines a lot of money so its not as easy to send it back to the galley and choose one of the main meals instead.

Thanks,
Sarah

Would it be so difficult for VS to have on the web site a choose your meals section?
many people use the web site to check in, to do their API, why not choose your meals from a menu?
Possibly start with UC and/or PE and see how it goes.
I know that this would not catch everyone, but it would reduce the amount of no choice meals?
24 hours before could be the cut off to allow ordering of the meals, it would also give VS an idea of what is looking to the customer a good choice and historical information would give them more control over the extra meals.

Originally posted by AlecK
One solution offered to us in the customer service email was to choose a preselected special meal when we booked - but how do we know what we are likely to be served if we do this ? Has anyone any info on what a the special meals consist of please ?

I can tell you from experience that the vegan meals are, without exception, foul - to the point where I take my own food with me.
To be fair, the vegan meals I've had on other carriers are equally disgusting.

Hi Andy
Are you going to do a TR for your St Lucia trip, would be good to know how it went, as i'm off there in January travelling PE
Cheers

The loading of a few extra meals can hardly cost more than customer satisfaction

45.

Why don't VS do a simple online poll to guage customers preference for meals?

Could V-flyer do this?

[mitchja]

Originally posted by VS045
The loading of a few extra meals can hardly cost more than customer satisfaction

45.

I think that's where the problem partly lies as I would think (and certainly hope) that any meal not used once a flight lands has to be disposed of.

There's no way VS (or any airline for that matter) would load 96 meals for just 32 pax (ie 3 guaranteed choices per pax) as at least 2/3 of them would be wasted.

I think it's a fine balancing act working out the number of each meal choices that should be loaded on which flights, something which I think VS have not got quite right yet for PE.

One answer would be to pre-order your meal before you fly, but even then pax are going to change their minds once on board.

Regards

[Nottingham Nick]

I was last to be served in PE on the Chicago flight yesterday, but I still had a full choice.

Nick

Perhaps a selection of pax could be quizzed on their preferences at check-in to predict, to an extent, the popularity of some meals versus others to determine a rough loading ratio. Anyone who has read the Tokyo bitches TR will know what happens when VS gets the ratio of meals wrong;)

45.

Originally posted by VS045
Perhaps a selection of pax could be quizzed on their preferences at check-in to predict, to an extent, the popularity of some meals versus others to determine a rough loading ratio.

For long haul flights catering order for each plane is usually determined the day previously and sent through to the caterer, who will then start thawing out any frozen meals, and preparing fresh items from scratch.

By the time you check-in, the food for the plane is usually already "picked", and all the carts are made up and sent down to the loading berth - to be put on the high-lifter truck - about 4 hours before the flight.

If you look at the sticky tag on a catering container, you'll see that with all the flight details, it will have a "loading dock" time. In the case of the VS19, it's something like 0730 - over 4 hours before departure time!

Last minute catering top-ups do happen, usually in the premium cabins, when more people show up than expected, or there are last minute upgrades, and this is reflected in their higher fares! However, it's probably not practical to do this for every aircraft as standard, as it raises costs.

In Upper, I wonder if an SQ-like "book the cook" would be popular? I guess you would have to know what is on the main menu too.

I think VS should publish menus for all flights, in all cabins, online.

Thanks,
Mike