Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

2019 Let's Eat - United First, United Business, & Premium Transcon Service

Old Jan 21, 2019, 2:27 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Print Wikipost

2019 Let's Eat - United First, United Business, & Premium Transcon Service

Old Jan 14, 2019, 8:57 am
  #16  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT/NY
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 5,981
Originally Posted by anc-ord772
No!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although I usually ask for the bigger better quality Haribo buy on board from the back after raiding the small bags in the snack basket.They've been happy to oblige.
Based on my last count, they usually board 24 bags of the little ones. I know, because on one flight no one touched the snack basket, and the FA gave me all of the gummies, including ones in the replenishment bag.
cricketer likes this.
PTahCha is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2019, 9:55 am
  #17  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,324
UA 2046: SFO to DCA
January 13, 2019
Boeing 737-800, Lunch


A new year, a new catering budget, or something like that?

Service on this flight was outstanding, and the meal service was also helped by the presence of lobster mac. The other choice was the "lentil chili" - another pretty standard mealset option.



The broccolini was actually delicious - none of the semi-soft rubber that seems to show up all too often. The rest of the meal service was pretty disappointing though. United seems to have abandoned variety as a cost-cutting measure, and now all domestic salad dressings are balsamic and all frozen desserts are chocolate chip ice cream that even our outstanding FSM couldn't help but identify as "vanilla bean" (new ice cream vendor though). The salad was about as disgusting as it looks - there is no cheese or fruit or anything else better hiding under the cucumber slices.

This was my third DCA flight in a row with no cookies or arrival service. I asked the FA, and she said that United is not catering them on DCA, despite doing so for IAD. It was claimed it's because it was "catered as a midcon" but that doesn't really ring true because it's always been two hot entrees since the cuts. So I'm not sure what is going on with the catering, but it seems like missing cookies on SFO-DCA is policy and not a one-off (sample size n=3). Maybe time to start a cookie-spotting thread?
findark is online now  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 5:44 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ*G, VA Plat, NZ*G (Elite), QF Gold and PC+, Hyatt Explorist, HH Gold, Bonvoyed ("Gold")
Posts: 5,342
Is the catering on the IAH-LatAm shorthaul routes any different to domestic? Specifically IAH-MEX (classed as 'dinner' according to GDS) and CUN-IAH ('lunch')? I waded through the whole 2018 Let's eat thread and couldn't really find any Mexico examples.

I'm already in F for CUN-IAH and pondering whether to upgrade on IAH-MEX for what is likely to be a net cost of approx $73... but given I have UC and Centurion lounge access in IAH, decent E+ seats currently, and the delights of Mexico City awaiting on arrival (we land at 5.45pm local time) I'm thinking probably not. What would you do?
mad_atta is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 9:56 am
  #19  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,324
Originally Posted by mad_atta
Is the catering on the IAH-LatAm shorthaul routes any different to domestic? Specifically IAH-MEX (classed as 'dinner' according to GDS) and CUN-IAH ('lunch')? I waded through the whole 2018 Let's eat thread and couldn't really find any Mexico examples.

I'm already in F for CUN-IAH and pondering whether to upgrade on IAH-MEX for what is likely to be a net cost of approx $73... but given I have UC and Centurion lounge access in IAH, decent E+ seats currently, and the delights of Mexico City awaiting on arrival (we land at 5.45pm local time) I'm thinking probably not. What would you do?
Catering standards are the same (though apparently meal thresholds are lower), but the actual food ex-Mexico is different since it is catered there. At 763mi for IAH-MEX, I'd be on the fence but probably pass on the upgrade. Especially if "we" is two of you and the middle is currently empty
findark is online now  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 10:08 am
  #20  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 939
Originally Posted by mad_atta
Is the catering on the IAH-LatAm shorthaul routes any different to domestic? Specifically IAH-MEX (classed as 'dinner' according to GDS) and CUN-IAH ('lunch')? I waded through the whole 2018 Let's eat thread and couldn't really find any Mexico examples.

I'm already in F for CUN-IAH and pondering whether to upgrade on IAH-MEX for what is likely to be a net cost of approx $73... but given I have UC and Centurion lounge access in IAH, decent E+ seats currently, and the delights of Mexico City awaiting on arrival (we land at 5.45pm local time) I'm thinking probably not. What would you do?
I flew breakfast LAX-MEX flight about a year ago and the meal was pretty substantial (I'll post a pic in a min) and the flight time was only about 2 hr 45 min. $73 definitely isn't too bad for an upgrade. Not sure of your status, but I was CPU'd on my MEX flight even as a Silver.
tstauck is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 10:10 am
  #21  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: SBA
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 939
LAX - MEX breakfast (about a year ago):

tstauck is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2019, 6:29 am
  #22  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ*G, VA Plat, NZ*G (Elite), QF Gold and PC+, Hyatt Explorist, HH Gold, Bonvoyed ("Gold")
Posts: 5,342
Originally Posted by findark
Catering standards are the same (though apparently meal thresholds are lower), but the actual food ex-Mexico is different since it is catered there. At 763mi for IAH-MEX, I'd be on the fence but probably pass on the upgrade. Especially if "we" is two of you and the middle is currently empty
Re the thresholds being lower, that makes sense, as I was wondering why IAH-MEX qualified for a full meal when the block time is only the exact 2h 20m minimum (so actual flight time would be a fair bit less). Yes there are two of us, and for now at least the middle seat is empty.

Originally Posted by tstauck
I flew breakfast LAX-MEX flight about a year ago and the meal was pretty substantial (I'll post a pic in a min) and the flight time was only about 2 hr 45 min. $73 definitely isn't too bad for an upgrade. Not sure of your status, but I was CPU'd on my MEX flight even as a Silver.
Thanks for posting the pic! I must say if it was a breakfast flight I certainly wouldn't bother - I'm no great fan of airline breakfasts and I also won't want to drink at that hour, so I'd get less value from an upgrade. I agree $73 is a good price - the upgrade cost really is $129 but I've already paid $56 for E+ seats, reimbursed by my Amex Plat credit. In my experience a refund of that cost, due to paying to upgrade to F in my case, doesn't trigger a reversal of the reimbursement.
mad_atta is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2019, 6:54 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: United GS; AA EXP; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 174



BOS - ORD breakfast. Heard multiple names for this - spinach pastry, souffl, egg white thingy...
bdw1120 is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2019, 4:50 pm
  #24  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,633
IAH-SFO dinner flight 17JAN choice of burger or four-cheese pasta
kirkwoodj is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 8:20 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: Chase, United
Posts: 401
So Polaris lax-ewr, depart 8:15, would the full meal be a breakfast, and what I’d anything would you get for lunch, given that local time on arrival is already 4:30pm?
zoechow is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 9:41 pm
  #26  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,291
Originally Posted by zoechow
So Polaris lax-ewr, depart 8:15, would the full meal be a breakfast, and what Id anything would you get for lunch, given that local time on arrival is already 4:30pm?
That's not a Polaris flight.

What does it say about meal on the reservation? I would assume breakfast given the departure time. One meal only. United figures you can feed yourself once you arrive in NYC.
Kacee is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 11:15 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: Chase, United
Posts: 401
Originally Posted by Kacee
That's not a Polaris flight.

What does it say about meal on the reservation? I would assume breakfast given the departure time. One meal only. United figures you can feed yourself once you arrive in NYC.
Thanks! Dumb of me not to realize, but it is right there: breakfast. It has been changed back to 787-10 from 757, and is the Polaris hard product. Not sure if that changes catering at all.

Anyway, Im wondering what sort of arrival meal can be hoped for on morning bus8ness transcon?
zoechow is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 11:20 am
  #28  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,291
Originally Posted by zoechow
Dumb of me not to realize, but it is right there: breakfast. It has been changed back to 787-10 from 757, and is the Polaris hard product. Not sure if that changes catering at all.

Anyway, Im wondering what sort of arrival meal can be hoped for on morning bus8ness transcon?
Equipment doesn't affect meal options (except mainline vs. express).

There is no arrival meal on ps. Those days are long over.
Kacee is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 11:44 am
  #29  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,921
Originally Posted by zoechow


Thanks! Dumb of me not to realize, but it is right there: breakfast. It has been changed back to 787-10 from 757, and is the Polaris hard product. Not sure if that changes catering at all.

Anyway, Im wondering what sort of arrival meal can be hoped for on morning bus8ness transcon?
You need to separate seat type from marketing. Lie-flat does not necessarily mean Polaris. If you look at your ticket, it says Business. Nowhere does it say Polaris. The same seat would be marketed as First to Hawaii and Polaris to London. Unless the flight is marketed as Polaris, it is not a Polaris flight.

Although youll be in a Polaris hard product, itll be premium transcontinental catering and amenities. United Club access, but no Polaris Lounge access.

Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Jan 21, 2019 at 11:50 am
IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 6:06 pm
  #30  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Originally Posted by bdw1120



BOS - ORD breakfast. Heard multiple names for this - spinach pastry, souffl, egg white thingy...
The cat threw up in croissant thingy..........wish they would retire that thing
Kacee likes this.
wanderingkev is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.