That's a new one for me. It seems that in general UA is trying to cut costs everywhere. There is a Byzantine schedule for food; there are about 8 or 9 buckets stratified by miles flown and time of day, further subdivided by route, that dictate what type of food F/C pax can expect, and each extra 50 miles or so you are doled out an extra bag of pop chips or get to have a hot meal instead of cold pasta salad. There is another thread in which a passenger was told that a UX flight had "no alcohol due to the merger" (perhaps the previous day's passengers on the inbound flight had consumed it all to drown their sorrows). They have done away with special meals except for intnl flights AND to add insult to injury, if you're vegetarian/Kosher/Muslim/Hindu or just a garden variety WASP or atheist who is sick and tired of the dried out chicken and green beans, they won't even get you a snack box from Y. Well, they will, you just have to pay $9 for it now, as if you're in Y anyway.

When I was a student, I was poor and i was used to stuffing my backpack full of food so I wouldn't pass out from low blood sugar and bringing my drink of choice. Now I have a nice job that allows me to fly paid or unpaid in F cabin and... it's the same thing. I have to stuff my designer tote bag instead of a beat-up backpack with food and extra water.