Narrative:

This was our third leg of a 4 leg 4:33 hour flight 8 hour duty day. Company again was not scheduling meals for us. The captain had refused to leave dfw west/O new meals for us. After argument with agents about them and announcement to passengers about why he was delaying the flight we got our meals and left dfw. We were being vectored to intercept J50 east of act from the north. Thunderstorms were in the area. The F/a came forward just before we were to intercept J50 and told us an angry passenger wanted to talk to the captain about our delay for crew meals. It was during their conversation, which we were both very bothered by, that we flew past J50 by about 10 mi. I feel the primary cause of this was the stress and very unnecessary trouble and fatigue that is repeatedly caused by this carriers need to gyp pilots and F/as out of food. This incident only caused a course deviation, the next could cause an accident. We were preoccupied with trying to get food so that we could safely continue our 8 hour duty day of 4 flts west/O undergoing low blood sugar coupled with all the other problems (impaired judgement, sleepiness) that can be caused by lack of proper nourishment. This carrier repeatedly does this to it's flight crews to save a buck. We have far more important matters and responsibilities to accept than to have to waste valuable energy and divert our attention away from our duties to handle common sense matters such as providing crews adequate meals and time to get them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION. FLT CREW CLAIMS THEY WERE DISTR BY PASSENGERS QUERY ABOUT THE REASON FOR DELAYED DEPARTURE.

Narrative: THIS WAS OUR THIRD LEG OF A 4 LEG 4:33 HR FLT 8 HR DUTY DAY. COMPANY AGAIN WAS NOT SCHEDULING MEALS FOR US. THE CAPT HAD REFUSED TO LEAVE DFW W/O NEW MEALS FOR US. AFTER ARGUMENT WITH AGENTS ABOUT THEM AND ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAXS ABOUT WHY HE WAS DELAYING THE FLT WE GOT OUR MEALS AND LEFT DFW. WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT J50 E OF ACT FROM THE N. TSTMS WERE IN THE AREA. THE F/A CAME FORWARD JUST BEFORE WE WERE TO INTERCEPT J50 AND TOLD US AN ANGRY PAX WANTED TO TALK TO THE CAPT ABOUT OUR DELAY FOR CREW MEALS. IT WAS DURING THEIR CONVERSATION, WHICH WE WERE BOTH VERY BOTHERED BY, THAT WE FLEW PAST J50 BY ABOUT 10 MI. I FEEL THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS WAS THE STRESS AND VERY UNNECESSARY TROUBLE AND FATIGUE THAT IS REPEATEDLY CAUSED BY THIS CARRIERS NEED TO GYP PLTS AND F/AS OUT OF FOOD. THIS INCIDENT ONLY CAUSED A COURSE DEV, THE NEXT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH TRYING TO GET FOOD SO THAT WE COULD SAFELY CONTINUE OUR 8 HR DUTY DAY OF 4 FLTS W/O UNDERGOING LOW BLOOD SUGAR COUPLED WITH ALL THE OTHER PROBS (IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT, SLEEPINESS) THAT CAN BE CAUSED BY LACK OF PROPER NOURISHMENT. THIS CARRIER REPEATEDLY DOES THIS TO IT'S FLT CREWS TO SAVE A BUCK. WE HAVE FAR MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO ACCEPT THAN TO HAVE TO WASTE VALUABLE ENERGY AND DIVERT OUR ATTN AWAY FROM OUR DUTIES TO HANDLE COMMON SENSE MATTERS SUCH AS PROVIDING CREWS ADEQUATE MEALS AND TIME TO GET THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.