American’s First Class Meal Order Changing
In another standardization move to integrate process with US Airways, we will see American’s first class meal order changing on September 1.
Long-time flyers have grown used to sayings like “odd kids sit at the back of the bus” or “FEBO” (front even, back odd) to remember the order that meal preferences are taken on flights (which until now has been from front to back on even-numbered flights and back to front on odd-numbered flights.
The new method, beginning on September 1, looks like this:
When an aircraft flight involves a change of time zones, take meal preferences:
. . . Eastbound: from forward / front to aft /back
. . . Westbound: from aft to forward
If the flight does not involve a change of any time zones, take meal preferences:
. . . Southbound: from forward to aft
. . . Northbound: from aft to forward
It will now be necessary to remember new mnemonic devices to keep these straight.
May we suggest:
We Need Beverages (west and north from the back) * HT to my friend Ray Watson for that one
Everyone Served Food (east and south from the front)
(Of course that second one is somewhat funny in light of the new premium meal changes enhancements I announced last month!)
First (and business) class meals can still be preordered as well as early as 30 days in advance of the flight and up to 24 hours prior. That is still the best first class meal order method if you have strong preferences as American does not load enough meals for all passengers to be guaranteed a choice.