autobahnal

I'll be honest that was my initial thought as well when I saw it (especially given NYC Covid numbers right now). In terms of my own behavior, I felt comfortable eating from it given the presence of sneeze guards and also given that the place was empty and staff were very diligently cleaning up and watching the buffet at all times. Plus there is hand sanitizer right next to the buffet. Everyone I saw at the buffet was masked while there. All of that said, I'll admit it gave me pause initially.

DELee

Welcome back to the new old way.

David

bocastephen

The majority of guests are probably practicing good behavior, but it's the outliers who are still using bare hands and re-using dirty dishes that are the problem - and it only takes one person to make countless others sick with norovirus or other maladies. The main issue has always been United prohibiting the contract food staff from stopping bad behavior and referring offenders to the UA staff for removal.

Needless to say, it's certainly too soon to bring back buffets especially with everything going on right now. The optics just look odd.

st530

It’s ironic because before entering the LGA UC and seeing the buffet, I had planned to pose the question of when folks think UA will bring back the buffets. The fact is that with PLs reopening with buffets, there is no longer any Covid-theater reason not to bring them back to the UCs (general issues about the relative sanitariness of buffets aside).
Just landed at IAH and plan to check out the C South lounge and see what’s happening there.

HNLbasedFlyer

UA can't win on the self serve/buffet vs. pre-packaged food. Dozens of complaints regarding all the pre-packaged foods - and now complaints on self-serve/buffet style....

bocastephen

I think most of us were very happy with the pre packaged offerings - which were/are a step-up from what was served on the buffet. I would prefer pre-packaged items as we've experienced over the past few months become the permanent norm at all UCs going forward. There is really nothing at the buffet that can't be packaged for individual consumption including the salads and hot dogs - the only variable was the soup, and as soon as it came back, I saw people reusing dirty bowls.

If the UC can get control over customer hygiene without me needing to send in the health inspectors periodically, then perhaps more options could be considered - but with the Sodexo people under orders not to speak to customers or correct their behavior, the problem will persist. Personally for me, it's not a [Moderator edit] Covid virus issue, but rather a cold, flu, norovirus, giardia and other contamination risk issue.

st530

Everything still packaged at the IAH C South UC.

Kacee

I don't really care whether the food's packaged or not, but I would have liked to see UA keep expenditures up where they were, rather than degrading the food back to where it was pre-pandemic. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I've seen my last few trips through SFO. Clubs are still crowded, and the food options are getting worse. Unfortunately, cost-cutting to the bone seems to have seeped into UA management's DNA, and the passenger experience is a constant regression to a sub-mediocre norm.

bocastephen

What pre-packaged items have disappeared? I recall there should be at least 2 sandwich options (sometimes 3), packaged cheese, packaged desserts, salads, dips, and bagged snacks such as chips, etc

Things have been pretty consistent for a few months.

Kacee

I haven't seen the turkey croissant or the trail mix in months. Those were the two best items on offer IMO. Overall, there's no question they've reduced the choices at SFO.

st530

Along the same lines, items that I did *not* see at the IAH C South club yesterday that I had regularly seen during prior visits in 2021: packaged combo of salami wrap bites, cheese cubes and almonds; packaged spinach wrap with turkey; burritos. What I *did* see was a lot more mini-bags of various chips.

SFO 1K

I think we're beginning to see a case of "use up all supplies" of Sodexo because in Q1 '22 the Clubs will be supported by a new supplier. They are using up all the liquor they have, for example, but in some cases supplies will not be replenished. The SFO Rotunda UC only had the turkey wrap when I was last there and just a spiral pasta salad and a bean salad plus chips. The breadth of selections is certainly waning. We will likely see some changes in the food program once the new supplier FLIK Hospitality | Compass Group comes online.

fumje

AC uses Flik in some places currently, and to me it's decent. I don't doubt UA will find a way to be worse, though.

Kacee

Yeah the overall quality and variety of offerings is driven primary by budget rather than by caterer.

WineCountryUA

This is an archive thread, the active thread isUC amenities - regular & special food / snacks, power, wifi, work areas, ...

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator