vaguba

Just stuff your pockets with chicken nuggets and spaghetti before you board the plane. Part of the fun of flying is making your own fun.

HNLbasedFlyer

For OGG, I'm kind of surprised at this advice of go to Costco - L&L - etc off airport.

That seems like such a hassle to leave your hotel early - deal with the masses at Costco - take your food with you - drop off rental car - grab your bags - and food - get checked-in - with your food, etc. That just seems like such a hassle to me.

There are multiple places to grab food at OGG after TSA not far from the UA gates - ranging from California Pizza Kitchen, Sammy's Beach Bar, Burger King, and Old Plantation Store (for grab and go). It just seems less stressful to just grab something at the airport.

ExplorerWannabe

To be honest, it's been decades since I've flown through OGG except as a layover from HNL and even then I was overnighting with family in Honolulu both ways so OGG was no big deal to me. Having said that, I'd rather have L&L than CPK or BK. Different strokes for different folks.

kevflyer

Personally I feel with the amount of salt L&L uses in their food it would make perfect airplane food.

HNLbasedFlyer

Yikes. And I mean that for your health. Between Zippy's (high school cafeteria food) and L&L (mystery meat) - never understood how either stays in business.

Wise-Broccoli8301

Now now, the masses at Costco by OGG compare nothing to the masses at Costco at a random CA Bay Area location on a weekend. The parking lot may feel cramped, but once you get inside it's actually very spacious. The # of near fights/arguments in CA Costco parking lots simply is incomparable.

With that said, yes I agree with you that a separate stop does seem to take a lot of time. That's easily a 30 minute detour where you could be doing other things if this is your vacation that you want to treasure.

buckeyefanflyer

I thought they announced a few years back that free snacks/ food was returning. A 10 hour flight should have it.

kevflyer

Definitely. I've done the 8 hr HNL-GUM with no meals a few times by surviving on 2 stroopwafels. I don't wish that on my worst enemy.

HNLbasedFlyer

Lots of food options at HNL

bubbashow

I think it matters because UA isn't competitive in that respect to AA and DL

HNLbasedFlyer

Of course they are competitive - UA is the dominant carrier to and from Hawaii/Mainland and the planes are full.

In my opinion, United isn't offering food on those long haul flights simply because they feel they don't need to do so. You can't make planes already full - more full.

milepig

Why does it matter to you if UA is it is not competitive? Their planes are full and you have options.

WineCountryUA

Yes but "competitive" is rarely a single factor -- price and schedule matter more to most and then other features such as hold a branded credit card for free bags or a number of other items go into a customer's determination of competitiveness. Few carriers win on every factor and UA has chosen not to compete on this item but on others.

ExplorerWannabe

I've never found L&L to be overly salty and i don't use a lot of salt in my daily cooking. I think it may vary from store to store but definitely varies based on what you order. The kalua pork or teriyaki beef are the most likely culprits for salty taste. I generally get the katsu curry and barbecue chicken.

I never was keen on Zippy's myself but don't know why you say mystery meat for L&L. Their chicken is observably chicken, their beef is observably beef. Is it gourmet? No but neither is BK. BK's claim about char-broiling being superior to the griddle was somewhat true years and years ago but ceased IMO when they started cooking all the burgers in batches that went into steam keepers and then nuked the burgers on assembly. I can't stand what microwaves do to meat and I've seen some workers nuke the whole assembly (including tomato and lettuce).

In any event, we all make choices -- you can make a short side-trip on the way to the airport, spend more money but less time grabbing something AT the airport, or hope to get something halfway tasty or filling on the plane.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Among the legacy airlines to/from Hawaii, DL is a very distant 3rd to UA and AA is not a close 2nd. UA is probably more worried about WN’s expanding entry and effect on airfares than what AA and DL are doing to/from Hawaii. Competing w/ WN does not mean adding free food in coach and higher fares for it.