Jan 21, 2019, 2:25 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Related threads
2019 Let's Eat - United First, United Business, & Premium Transcon Service
2019 Let's Eat - Economy Class (Domestic & International)
And the 2018 thread is here: 2018 Let's Eat - Polaris Business
2019 Let's Eat - United First, United Business, & Premium Transcon Service
2019 Let's Eat - Economy Class (Domestic & International)
And the 2018 thread is here: 2018 Let's Eat - Polaris Business
2019 Let's Eat - Polaris Business
Jul 7, 2019, 1:15 pm
#706
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,099
UA945: FRA-ORD in July 2019
No printed menus loaded.
”German breakfast” was slices of turkey deli meat, roast beef, two cherry tomatoes, wedge of unidentified cheese, lettuce, and a hard boiled egg. One would think at least a wurst would be included, but perhaps that has been cut. Seemed like the 2019-era domestic first “protein” breakfast with double the turkey and roast beef.
Other choices were eggs and steak, omelette, and I think a sweet option.
Arrival snack was choice of mac and cheese, burger, or vegetarian chili.
I don’t understand skimping a few marginal dollars on the meal, because otherwise Polaris is a very solid product, with the seat, bedding, and lounge.
No printed menus loaded.
”German breakfast” was slices of turkey deli meat, roast beef, two cherry tomatoes, wedge of unidentified cheese, lettuce, and a hard boiled egg. One would think at least a wurst would be included, but perhaps that has been cut. Seemed like the 2019-era domestic first “protein” breakfast with double the turkey and roast beef.
Other choices were eggs and steak, omelette, and I think a sweet option.
Arrival snack was choice of mac and cheese, burger, or vegetarian chili.
I don’t understand skimping a few marginal dollars on the meal, because otherwise Polaris is a very solid product, with the seat, bedding, and lounge.
Jul 7, 2019, 1:58 pm
#707
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: United GS; AA EXP; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 174
Jul 7, 2019, 7:56 pm
#708
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Scott Kirby, probably will go down as one of the most avid bean counters of his era.
Jul 8, 2019, 4:39 pm
#709
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,682
Here are the July Australia menus:
03JUL IAH-SYD
Dinner:
Seared beef short rib
Spicy chicken
Grilled butterfish
Ginger & butternut squash mezzaluna (vegetarian)
Breakfast:
Caprese omelet
Fruit & cereal
I didn't eat dinner, and had cereal for breakfast, so no idea about the omelet
03JUL IAH-SYD
Dinner:
Seared beef short rib
Spicy chicken
Grilled butterfish
Ginger & butternut squash mezzaluna (vegetarian)
Breakfast:
Caprese omelet
Fruit & cereal
I didn't eat dinner, and had cereal for breakfast, so no idea about the omelet
Jul 8, 2019, 4:41 pm
#710
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,682
07JUL SYD-IAH
Lunch:
Seared beef fillet
Chicken stuffed with mintbush and ricotta
Seared barramundi fish fillet (I had this, was pretty good)
Cheese & spinach ravioli
Breakfast:
Cheese omelet
Fruit & cereal
Lunch:
Seared beef fillet
Chicken stuffed with mintbush and ricotta
Seared barramundi fish fillet (I had this, was pretty good)
Cheese & spinach ravioli
Breakfast:
Cheese omelet
Fruit & cereal
Jul 8, 2019, 5:31 pm
#711
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,155
Jul 8, 2019, 7:55 pm
#712
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 506
SFO-SIN
UA 29 11:25am departure
789
One good thing about this flight is that the 2nd meal is appropriate to the time of day. Not like so many other flights where you arrive afternoon/evening and end up with a breakfast service. Regarding upthread comments on the ravioli, I would have liked it better if it were dryer. It was swimming in oil
UA 29 11:25am departure
789
One good thing about this flight is that the 2nd meal is appropriate to the time of day. Not like so many other flights where you arrive afternoon/evening and end up with a breakfast service. Regarding upthread comments on the ravioli, I would have liked it better if it were dryer. It was swimming in oil
I guess it's because SIN is such a long flight that they are willing to give a little more to the second meal.
Jul 9, 2019, 8:58 pm
#713
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: UA-1K MM, AA-Gold, DL-Silver, AS-MVP
Posts: 2,508
NRT-EWR
UA78
Boeing 777-300ER
Meal: dinner, breakfast
Same menu as posted above: Post 705, attached again below. Champagne was Beaumont des Crayères. Business class was around 80% full, meal service finished in under 2h even with some suspended service due to turbulence.
Menu
Appetizer - I liked the dried lotus root, would have been better with a Japanese dressing
Main - sea bass
Dessert - sundae
Breakfast - mackerel, and bread was only that plain bun, no choice of croissant or cinnamon bun
UA78
Boeing 777-300ER
Meal: dinner, breakfast
Same menu as posted above: Post 705, attached again below. Champagne was Beaumont des Crayères. Business class was around 80% full, meal service finished in under 2h even with some suspended service due to turbulence.
Menu
Appetizer - I liked the dried lotus root, would have been better with a Japanese dressing
Main - sea bass
Dessert - sundae
Breakfast - mackerel, and bread was only that plain bun, no choice of croissant or cinnamon bun
Jul 15, 2019, 6:40 pm
#714
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Florida
Programs: United 1K, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Gold
Posts: 673
Meant to post a few weeks ago but slipped my mind. Flew EWR-LIM-IAH in (fake) Polaris at the end of June. High level details below and happy to share more if people have specific questions.
EWR-LIM 752
-only 3 menu choices: beef, chicken, ravioli. Essentially a transcon PS menu
-standard domestic F tray setting and salad portion size (not even the PS size salad)
-no appetizer
-no post-meal bottled water
-no midflight snacks available (was not expecting hot bites but we didn't event have chips/fruit available)
-pre arrival the only choice is a cheese plate, which is the SAME one offered as the dessert course, not the expanded one with the meats that's offered on some westbound TATL's
-pre-arrival tray had no dessert, bread, salad, anything. Was strictly the cheese plate.
-needless to say, I was starving by the time we finally got to our hotel in LIM
LIM-IAH 763
-no menus, only beef or chicken
-plated on a normal transcon plate, not the pre-plated casserole dishes
-no bottled water or midflight snacks available
-no pre-arrival service other than drinks and scones
Look, I get that these routes likely do not offer nearly the yield for UA that TATL's offer, however, why did they bother to "upgrade" these routes to Polaris when nothing has really changed minus the bedding and lounge access? The LIM-IAH I did not care as much about given the timing and duration of the flight, but to me EWR-LIM is totally unacceptable. It's the same stage length or longer than many TATL east coast flights and is completely during the day (lunch + dinner periods). Not that I was expecting two full meal services but at a minimum would expect a full lunch service, midflight snacks available, and the "normal" pre-arrival meal.
EWR-LIM 752
-only 3 menu choices: beef, chicken, ravioli. Essentially a transcon PS menu
-standard domestic F tray setting and salad portion size (not even the PS size salad)
-no appetizer
-no post-meal bottled water
-no midflight snacks available (was not expecting hot bites but we didn't event have chips/fruit available)
-pre arrival the only choice is a cheese plate, which is the SAME one offered as the dessert course, not the expanded one with the meats that's offered on some westbound TATL's
-pre-arrival tray had no dessert, bread, salad, anything. Was strictly the cheese plate.
-needless to say, I was starving by the time we finally got to our hotel in LIM
LIM-IAH 763
-no menus, only beef or chicken
-plated on a normal transcon plate, not the pre-plated casserole dishes
-no bottled water or midflight snacks available
-no pre-arrival service other than drinks and scones
Look, I get that these routes likely do not offer nearly the yield for UA that TATL's offer, however, why did they bother to "upgrade" these routes to Polaris when nothing has really changed minus the bedding and lounge access? The LIM-IAH I did not care as much about given the timing and duration of the flight, but to me EWR-LIM is totally unacceptable. It's the same stage length or longer than many TATL east coast flights and is completely during the day (lunch + dinner periods). Not that I was expecting two full meal services but at a minimum would expect a full lunch service, midflight snacks available, and the "normal" pre-arrival meal.
Jul 17, 2019, 4:39 pm
#715
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,220
Flew CDG-SFO July 16. Breakfast and then a snack prior to landing. The extraordinary thing about the catering is that, no matter what choice you made for either meal, there was no greenery available to anyone on the flight (at least in Business). Not even one limp lettuce leaf. How UA can cater such unhealthy food beggars description.
Jul 17, 2019, 4:55 pm
#716
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,900
While I'm glad they're finally serving decent champagne, it is still embarrassing that insufficient amounts are provided and/or selectively handed out.
I recall a time on UA900 where there were just 2 bottles of champagne for all of BF. GF wasn't even catered, because it was full of non-revs, so they gave one of the bottles to them, leaving just 6 glasses of champagne to be shared across all of business class.
I recall a time on UA900 where there were just 2 bottles of champagne for all of BF. GF wasn't even catered, because it was full of non-revs, so they gave one of the bottles to them, leaving just 6 glasses of champagne to be shared across all of business class.
I’m about to board a LOT flight ORD/WAW for 1/4 of what UA wants for a similar TATL flight and I know with 100% certainly that there will be a wine list and the decent wines listed will be on board. Same situation with TAP to LIS this fall. How can UA pretend to be in the game while having such low standards.
Jul 17, 2019, 5:05 pm
#717
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 38
The champagne truck probably tipped over and/or a warehouse had a climate control issue so they unloaded it to UA as it couldn’t be sold for full price. This largesse can’t last. How does whatever his name is - Doug Frost? - sleep with himself and continue to work for UA ?
I’m about to board a LOT flight ORD/WAW for 1/4 of what UA wants for a similar TATL flight and I know with 100% certainly that there will be a wine list and the decent wines listed will be on board. Same situation with TAP to LIS this fall. How can UA pretend to be in the game while having such low standards.
Jul 17, 2019, 5:22 pm
#718
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
Flew CDG-SFO July 16. Breakfast and then a snack prior to landing. The extraordinary thing about the catering is that, no matter what choice you made for either meal, there was no greenery available to anyone on the flight (at least in Business). Not even one limp lettuce leaf. How UA can cater such unhealthy food beggars description.
Jul 17, 2019, 5:43 pm
#720
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,900
To be fair, on my last WAW-ORD flight, LOT ran out of champagne (Nicholas Feuillate) before the first meal was served. I wouldn’t set your expectations that high. Also, TAP didn’t even serve champagne (just some gross sparkling wine) on my LIS-EWE flight last month. Of all the airlines to pick to compare...
Meanwhile, UA can’t produce a list and stock the planes with it. The FAs know nothing, and current experience with the champers being an exception, most of it is awful. I’ll set my expectations down a notch and take LO or TAP for a fraction of the price while UA charges deluxe prices for a Walmart experience.