Ken you raise some valid points
however imagine for a second you are a see in crew at Kinloss and it's your job too see in a Rod at 1145, by the time the crew are ten mins late after a few rollers and a long taxi, followed by servicing, refuelling and finally paperwork and tools check the mess has long shut for lunch! try inputting that on a JPA claim!
Much like mess bills are added to by taking causal meals in the mess rations could be added to Aircrews monthly mess bills, everytime they fly the auth sheets are passed to the respective mess bills clerk, hey presto rations payed for easy peasy.
Winco seems to think I am somehow bitter that groundcrew and others have lost their duty meals entitlement (we all have) but really I couldn't give a toss and am not pushing for Aircrew to loose their entitlement to free rations, but the thread originated by saying that their is a chance the bean counters are trying to get rid of them, I am playing devils advocate by asking people to justify their freeness and nobody thus far actually can!