No upgrades if you pre-order a special meal?

[Mark in CA]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/business/for-an-upgrade-skip-the-vegetarian-meal.html?ref=business

Just read this piece in today's NY Times, and was a bit surprised by this statement by the author:

On a recent trip to Rome, I was so excited because the gentleman at the check-in counter told me that he could upgrade me to first class.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. But then he noticed I pre-ordered a vegetarian meal. He told me because I had pre-ordered a meal, and it didn’t matter that the meal was vegetarian, I couldn’t be upgraded. I didn’t quite understand why the meal couldn’t just move to the front of the plane along with me, but that wasn’t in the rule book.

Can anyone shed some light on whether this is actually true or not?

[Jarvy]

Not true with BA or Delta as Mrs J has been upgraded on both and always has a pre ordered veggie meal.

[TightSlot]

Stupid. Not True.

[Wannabe Flyer]

By that logic he cannot even change your pre assigned seat!

The only issue I have had on any upgrade is them telling me i will get an economy meal if that is ok as the flight was carrying pre determined meals from origin. Seat width mattered did not care

[ExXB]

I've run into similar situations flying on passes / ID tickets. The airlines in question did not have extra meals in F/C and while there was a seat I couldn't have it because they wouldn't serve a Y meal in F/C. A few times I said, I won't be eating at all, and was accepted. A couple of times I was told, sorry - other nonrevs have said the same, and then demanded to be fed on board.

Sigh, a few jerks ...

The service in F (in particular) is more than dropping a tray in front of you. Other paying passengers do note that you are only getting a Y tray and correctly assume that you have paid diddly-squat for your ticket when they paid mucho dinaros for theirs.

A mark of a quality airline I would say.

[Allan Lupton]

When BA operated a Tristar 500 from Manila to London via Calcutta and I was to fly on it on a Full Price Yeconomy fare, I was upgraded to make room in economy for a bucket shop passenger from a cancelled (KLM I think is was) flight. In due course I was served my economy class VGML with full First Class Honours (glass wineglass, fabric napkin, china plates and metal cutlery) as one would expect in those days (late 1970s I think).
What would stop 'em doing so now?

[Hartington]

I can't help thinking that, everything else being equal, a passenger with no special meal vs a passenger with a special meal request is going to result in the no special meal getting the upgrade. It just makes it easier on board!

[mixture]

Can anyone shed some light on whether this is actually true or not?

Rubbish.

I was SLF on MH recently and had pre-ordered a standard meal via their "chef on call" service, however "chef on call" is still classed as SPML on their systems, the difference between SPML and "chef on call" is only eventually highlighted again on the PAX manifest given to senior crew.

Got an OPUP to F on check-in and the crew simply wondered off to the other galley to find my pre-ordered meal which had been loaded as normal and they served it to me in F.

[cavortingcheetah]

Neither stupid nor rubbish but exactly what the first question was all about at check in @ JNB before being upgraded on a flight north about eighteen months ago.