German flag carrier Lufthansa will soon allow Business Class passengers on long-haul flights departing Germany to pre-order their meal from a wider selection of up to six dishes.
The new passenger-friendly enhancement doubles the number of meal choices that are available onboard. By ordering online ahead of their flight, passengers can also guarantee their preferred meal choice will be available, unlike what can sometimes can happen when you order onboard.
From mid-August, passengers will be able to pre-order their meals up to a month before departure. The window to choose a meal in advance closes within 24 hours of departure, and, for the time being, at least, the expanded pre-order service will only be available on flights from Lufthansa’s hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
Explaining the improvements, a Lufthansa spokesperson said passengers should pre-order their meal for a more “relaxed flight”. The initiative will also allow Lufthansa to optimize food use and reduce onboard waste.
If you’re indecisive and choose not to pre-order, however, then there might be an increased chance of not getting your preferred choice because the ratio of available meals will be reduced.
Earlier this month, a Business Class passenger onboard a United Airlines flight to Amsterdam caused the flight to divert to Chicago O’Hare when they got upset because their preferred meal choice wasn’t available.
While this is an extreme example, passengers can get easily irked when their first choice has already run out.
A number of other airlines are already addressing this very issue with their only pre-order initiatives. Both British Airways and Emirates are launching similar services in the coming months, although BA hasn’t yet officially announced a go-live date for this highly anticipated meal order iniaitive.
