Catering Not Assured - when is it a problem?

[skyliner]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been doing a lot of PER-SYD runs lately and almost always end up getting an ODPU on the way back, with that ever-friendly "CATERING NOT ASSURED" message on my boarding pass. I'm just wondering whether any AFFers have had any major issues with catering on their J upgrades and if so, what were the circumstances? My PER-SYD or SYD-PER runs are almost always full in J, so I assume that catering has never been a problem because there are enough pax to justify a full catering load in J for the flight. Two of my upgrades were earlier than 3 hours prior to departure, and the helpful QP staff mentioned that catering loads are usually sorted at the T-3 hour mark, so any upgrade earlier than 3 hours prior to departure shouldn't be a problem.

Has anyone got any other info about how catering is done for upgrades? When is "catering not assured" likely to mean "catering not going to happen"?

Cheers

 

[nlagalle]

I've never had a problem with Catering not assured on my BP.

I did have someone in Y sitting next to me once with it and the FA said they'd be back after they went through the cabin first. They did return with a meal.

 

[codash1099]

I've had at least one flight where this came into effect. All I got was dessert. However as I have posted elsewhere. mu last ODU did not have the "Catering not assured" notation. I had hoped that this indicated a policy change, but maybe not.

 

[Solid]

I've done quite a few ODPU transcontinental flights and never had "Catering Not Assured" on my BP. I have however had it on a flight from Sydney to Alice Springs. They did everyone else and then I got what was left over. The lounge angel who did the upgrade said that on that sector they don't usually overload the catering - I am guess they do that for the transcontinental ones as chances are J will be full or close to full.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I've been doing a lot of PER-SYD runs lately and almost always end up getting an ODPU on the way back, with that ever-friendly "CATERING NOT ASSURED" message on my boarding pass. I'm just wondering whether any AFFers have had any major issues with catering on their J upgrades and if so, what were the circumstances?

My PER-SYD or SYD-PER runs are almost always full in J, so I assume that catering has never been a problem because there are enough pax to justify a full catering load in J for the flight. Two of my upgrades were earlier than 3 hours prior to departure, and the helpful QP staff mentioned that catering loads are usually sorted at the T-3 hour mark, so any upgrade earlier than 3 hours prior to departure shouldn't be a problem.

Has anyone got any other info about how catering is done for upgrades? When is "catering not assured" likely to mean "catering not going to happen"?

AFAIK if you use one of the self service kiosks to do the ODU it will automatically put the 'catering not assured' comment on the boarding pass but your flight might actually be catered full so you'll get a meal.

If you do the ODU in the lounge they may check the catering levels in the system for that flight first & if putting you in J meant they exceeded the meals loaded for that flight then manually put the CNA comment on the boarding pass.

I know some CSMs don't like CNA pax as it can be uncomfortable for them not being able to provide the full service which is fair enough. Is has happened that despite pax being told about the possibility of no catering and even with the comment appearing on their boarding pass, that they've got onboard then said to the CSM "I was never told I woundn't get a meal" which isn't very fair to the crew, some of whom have gone without their own meals so the CNS pax hasn't missed outl.

You get a lot of pax moving to earlier flights particularly in the afternoon if their business finishes early so you can have a flight with 40 spare seats 90 minutes prior to departure that goes out full so it would make sense to cater the flight full based on past statistics.

I've never had a problem with Catering not assured on my BP.

I did have someone in Y sitting next to me once with it and the FA said they'd be back after they went through the cabin first. They did return with a meal.

They might have been a CNA pax but could have been a staff traveller also. If short on catering the crew will serve commercial pax first then come back to the staff member.

 

[dajop]

I know some CSMs don't like CNA pax as it can be uncomfortable for them not being able to provide the full service which is fair enough. Is has happened that despite pax being told about the possibility of no catering and even with the comment appearing on their boarding pass, that they've got onboard then said to the CSM "I was never told I woundn't get a meal" which isn't very fair to the crew, some of whom have gone without their own meals so the CNS pax hasn't missed outl.

OT, as it is discussing a different airline, but once I was on standby for a SQ flight (SIN-BOM) and before they gave me my boarding pass I had to sign documentation that I agreed to not getting a meal on the flight. It must have been to make sure there wasn't this sort of issue for the cabin crew once on board. ( I was very happy anyway, with an upgrade to J and a 1930 departure instead of 0100). It was also mentioned again after BP scan. Of course as it turned out, not every passenger was eating and there was a meal there for me.

 

[codash1099]

OT, as it is discussing a different airline, but once I was on standby for a SQ flight (SIN-BOM) and before they gave me my boarding pass I had to sign documentation that I agreed to not getting a meal on the flight. It must have been to make sure there wasn't this sort of issue for the cabin crew once on board. ( I was very happy anyway, with an upgrade to J and a 1930 departure instead of 0100). It was also mentioned again after BP scan. Of course as it turned out, not every passenger was eating and there was a meal there for me.

Somewhat differently, as a paying J passenger on a BA TXL-LHR flight, I was told that they had under-catered for the flight and were looking for volunteers to give up their meal in exchange for a 50 euro voucher which could be used at the airport. I took "dined" in the lounge and used the voucher for other goodies.

 

[nlagalle]

.
They might have been a CNA pax but could have been a staff traveller also. If short on catering the crew will serve commercial pax first then come back to the staff member.

Definately a pax as the FA said catering not assured and the girl checked her BP. She looked a bit bewildered! She said after I started eating shed missed lunch. Had I known that I would have given her my dinner and waited for hers!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Somewhat differently, as a paying J passenger on a BA TXL-LHR flight, I was told that they had under-catered for the flight and were looking for volunteers to give up their meal in exchange for a 50 euro voucher which could be used at the airport. I took "dined" in the lounge and used the voucher for other goodies.

I would have done the same for such a short flight. I think the cost of the onboard meal would have been, what, 5-10 Euro max?

Never had 'Catering Not Assured' on my BP when l've done a ODU, but l've only ever done 2, and they were transcon this year.

 

[TheInsider]

Definately a pax as the FA said catering not assured and the girl checked her BP. She looked a bit bewildered! She said after I started eating shed missed lunch. Had I known that I would have given her my dinner and waited for hers!

When passengers change their flight on the kiosks it advises them that catering is not assured, and also prints off on their BP. Seems just like a situation where she didn't read what she was accepting?

 

[nlagalle]

When passengers change their flight on the kiosks it advises them that catering is not assured, and also prints off on their BP. Seems just like a situation where she didn't read what she was accepting?

I don't think she even realised..

 

[JohnK]

I have had 'Catering Not Assured' many times on my boarding pass but from memory it has never been an issue. In economy anyway there are a lot of people who do not have a meal for whatever reason.

 

[Daver6]

Tried the ODPU a couple of years ago from ADL -> PER. Was told by the dragons that I wouldn't get a meal.

Me: I said that's fine, can I still have my Y meal.
Dragon: No.
Me: Why not?
Dragon: It will detract from the business class experience.
Me: But Im more than happy to accept the Y meal. Going hungry would be an even larger detraction.
Dragon wouldn't budge on this.

Stuck it out in Y as it was over meal time and I had planned on eating onboard.

Go figure that one?!?

 

[markis10]

Tried the ODPU a couple of years ago from ADL -> PER. Was told by the dragons that I wouldn't get a meal.

Me: I said that's fine, can I still have my Y meal.
Dragon: No.
Me: Why not?
Dragon: It will detract from the business class experience.
Me: But Im more than happy to accept the Y meal. Going hungry would be an even larger detraction.
Dragon wouldn't budge on this.

Stuck it out in Y as it was over meal time and I had planned on eating onboard.

Go figure that one?!?

You should have given J a go, given they have two meal choices, you would have got something!