Special meal requests on United
 

We haven't flown on United in roughly 25 years. We are next week and my husband is a vegetarian. We joined their frequent flyer program and noted vegetarian in his profile.

I've been trying to find out if that is all we have to do for him to get a vegetarian meal on our transatlantic flight and can't find a definitive answer on their website.

Anybody know if this is all that we need to do?

Is alcohol free over the atlantic? Their website says it is over the pacific but is silent on USA-Europe.

If you pull up your reservation online, does it show a special request area or show the meal request in any fashion on that page? If not, I'd suggest calling to confirm since it would suck to not get a meal if you're expecting one and haven't packed enough snacks in your carryon.

They do need 24 hours notice so don't wait too long just in case it didn't get added automatically!

The info you want is at https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...l/default.aspx

I would NOT rely on the entry in the FF profile to assure this happens. Suggest you call in 2-3 days before the flight and then again 24 hours before the flight to confirm the special meal request is on the record.

If it is in the profile it will automatically be requested in your booking. To check, look at your email confirmation and/or pull up your reservation online. If it is in one of those places, you do not need to call UA, and there is no reason to call an airline about a special meal 2-3 days before the flight and again 24hrs later. If it is in the record, it is in the record, it doesn't vanish.

Odin,

Thanks for your response. It is in his profile but it doesnt show up on the trip itinerary.

Also, he flew to ABQ and back last week and it doesn't show up on his record of miles flown. Things like this are some of the reasons we haven't used United for 25 year.

Guess I will have to call them.

<<<it doesnt show up on the trip itinerary.>>>

Definitely call.


Just a thought, but did you fill out the profile online before or after you made the flight reservations? If you did it before then it should have been put onto his reservation automatically but I don't know if it's retroactive for reservations that have already been made.

Odin - yes, that is how it is <b><i>supposed</b></i> to happen, but UA agents and FA's have told me to reconfirm by phone 24 before flight anyway. The one time I did not the meal was not loaded.

sal - if you were not signed into the account when making the booking it would not appear on the reservation. As for mileage credit, it has been pretty quick of late but can sometimes take a week to show up. If it does not, there is a missing mileage request on the UA site http://www.united.com/web/en-US/Cont...ageCredit.aspx

Thanks, Seamus, we'll wait a few more days for the credit to show up. We joined mileageplus after making the reservation so that may be a large part of the problem. Will call in any event. Airplane food in steerage is rarely good but better than nothing on a long flight.

Sal, if you were not a member when the reservation was made you would need to add the member account number to the record later in order to get credit for the flight. If the number did not appear on the reservation you will need to go the request missing mileage route, should do so asap.

No free alcohol over the Atlantic with United.

Thanks, Wally, I knew you would know.

Seamus,

Thanks, we asked United for Jack's miles on the ABQ trip and got them immediately.

I called United to confirm his vegetarian meal and they said it was already done. I guess that they actually look at what's in a person's profile. Will advise back after Friday if he gets meat or fish.

<<<Will advise back after Friday if he gets meat or fish.>>>

He probably won't get fish if he asked for vegetarian.

http://www.united.com/web/en-us/cont...l/default.aspx

A beer is now $6.99 and wine and mixed drinks are $7.99. Just saw it today in their in-flight magazine.

<<He probably won't get fish if he asked for vegetarian.>>

FYI - He would if he flew Alitalia.
On the way to and back from Italy, my special meal request was not granted. I requested a vegan meal, they gave us fish. Wish I'd double-checked with them before leaving O'Hare, I would've bought food there for the trip.
Not only did they not give us our meal, the flight attendants swore they didn't offer vegetarian or vegan meals. Then - why did they ask me when I bought the ticket?! It was also printed on my itinerary.

In short - don't fly Alitalia if you're a vegetarian. Unless you get a good deal and you know to to take food with you on the flight.
I try to fly Delta now, twice in a row they honored my request. I still always call before, and double-check at the gate.. but it's never been an issue.
Not familiar with flying United overseas.. But it sounds like it will be alright.

Entering the request on your Mileage Plus profile is all that you need to get the meal. It worked great. Unforetunately, the food was not very good. Surprise.

Generic wine is 7.99 for a 187 ml bottle. "Select" wine is 15.99 for a 375 ml bottle. Heinekeen was 7.99.

Economy plus is definitely worth the money if you have long legs.