bob_the_d

i dunno. maybe you were on a plane that got it early somehow, not sure. but the announcement said that it's starting on march 1st, so who knows.

gcashin

AC's E175's have ovens and serve hot meals consistent with mainline standards but the AC CR7 aircraft don't have ovens, and serve cold meals in J.

PushingTin

For the meal, of course- at least that is what UA is hoping.

Kind of like the the weight room being a 'benefit' when you are in prison.

RobOnLI

Thanks for the update and definitely an improvement. Just a pity that the breakfast options are all lactose full --- yogurt & milk for the cereal. So a lactose intolerant person will only be able to eat the fruit and maybe the biscuit. Definitely better than nothing but an option like oatmeal with hot water would be nice.

Thanks,
RM

username

A few weeks ago I had an disagreement with an FA on a UAX flight. She insisted that my flight was not on her list of getting a snackbox. I had been on the same flight multiple times and had gotten the box.

She even showed me the list and my flight, even though it was over the distance, was not on the list! With this change, I hope UA/UAX has a better way of letting the FAs know what to serve.

dorisrpas

Was it the same UAX carrier? I fly DSM-ORD and back all the time, every day of the week, all times of day. It is about 50 min wheels up to wheels down. All the UAX carriers serve full beverage service in coach ... except one, Trans States or something. FA told me was FAA regulation preventing them from serving beverages on the flight.

Maybe like that ExpressJet "FAA rule" of no roller bags in the cabin, even though the other UAX carriers enforce no such rule.

Even tho they all say UAX, I wonder if they each have their rules they follow, so no consistency across the UAX product for the passenger.

username

I don't think it was since I made a mental note that they must have taken over that route from another UAX carrier for it to be not on the list of snack-box eligible routes. This assumes different UAX carriers use different catering services out of ORD. That can't be, can it?

dorisrpas

That is what I was wondering, since as I understand it, as soon as you step on the RJ you are dealing with the regional carrier DBA as UAX.

The first time it happened to me on the Trans States (or whoever it was), I dismissed it as uninformed FA. The second time, when I pressed the FA attendant explaining I take this flight all the time and there is always full beverage service, is when she came back with the not allowed because of FAA.

I've definitely learned to have zero expectations on UAX flights other than getting from point A to point B since there seem to be at least subtle differences between them.

goodeats21

We will find out soon enough. Mine was a tiny light-blue bag. It was from "summer harvest" or something like that.
Felt more like an after-nap snack for a nursery school then a service in a First Class airplane cabin.

COSPILOT

I had the same snack yesterday on a ERJ-170. I thought it was too small and horrible. What I did like was being offered two different red wines, I don't think I've seen that in a while.

pacman3

Can someone explain to me what a "full beverage service" is? Do you mean a full range of beverages, from liquors and wine to beer and soft drinks/juices? Or is it meant to mean plastic cups of crabapple juice, Sierra Mist (?!), and water?

The "full beverage service" on my recent CRJ 700 coffin-flight from Cincinnati to Denver was certainly the latter, not the former. Heck, even on Horizon Airlines Q400s, beer and local PNW wines are served (at no cost, I might add).

I have to say, again, that a flight scheduled for 3 hours 20 minutes on a CRJ700 (70 passengers - 1 toilet!) is simply unacceptable for a carrier that advertises itself as "its time to fly the friendly skies". It is a mere shell of its former self and it should frankly be ashamed to be touting a "BBQ chicken stuffed bagel" (phew!) as an improvement to its first class 'meals' on regional jets.

If readers get the sense that I was unhappy with the experience two days ago, I without question was shocked and disappointed! Truly pathetic...

Wayside

Back in the Northwest days, Compass and Mesaba had ovens on their E175 and CRJ-900 aircraft respectively and I definitely recall being served hot meals on them. Post merger Delta cut hot meals on flights under 1500 miles and the last few times I've flown on the same aircraft the ovens have still been installed but there's a collar over the pulled circuit breaker in the forward galley implying that the oven has been deactivated.

goodeats21

Yes, the CRJ700 on a 3 hour flight is bad. They run the same aircraft DAY->DEN, which I don't ever book. Sometimes the EMB145 even shows up on that route. Crazy.

Back on topic, yes, a full beverage service means choice of anything on board. On United Express, it will always be served in a plastic cup. They choose to not use any real glassware. Just like every United flight, in economy class you will be charged for any alcohol drinks.

There is a pretty big difference between all the different airlines operating under the UAX name. I have recently taken a couple of SkyWest operated flights and noticed they did not serve economy drinks from the cart, but just walked up the aisle with tray of pre-poured drinks. They also didn't serve PDB in First Class, despite AMPLE time. (delay due to baggage issue)

I had been mostly on GoJet operated flights, and they were much better. Always PDB regardless of timing and full beverage service in economy, even on 45 minute flights.

United's oversight of their UAX operation is pathetic. There is no consistency and the patients are running the asylum.

LASUA1K

A 50 minute wheels up ORD-DSM should get a beverage. That should be a mainline flight but it's one of many ORD flights that have gone Express. I flew that route weekly on mainline and always had a beverage service. Not just water and juice.

Oh well, at least ORD-MSN gets mainline.

BostonPlanesAndTrains

I'm flying from BOS-ORD on a CR7 and was wondering in UA does the same thing. Like a gate to gate delivery system, I am connecting on to ANC and want to have my roller with me in ORD ( Where I am for 4 hrs)