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Discussion of the Quality of UA's In-Flight Meals

Discussion of the Quality of UA's In-Flight Meals

Old Feb 24, 2020, 11:32 am
  #211  
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Originally Posted by spin88
As I keep saying, this is why Kirby gutting MP is so dangerous of a move. It is causing a lot of traffic to look around, and realize that other carriers are just flat out better than is UA. Food is just one example. AS has good food, better wine, better service. And oh, their planes are being retrofitted to have 41" pitch in F, not UA's 37" (which feels like 36"). So yes, the few lie flat routes on UA are nice, but absent a red-eye, which I just avoid absent about once a year when need strikes, the lie flat is not worth paying for.
Oh don't worry, Kirby has the potential to still make things A LOT worse if his time at AA is any indicator.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 11:56 am
  #212  
 
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
I will take fast service of adequate food over slow service of fine food any day of the week. More time to work or sleep.
When traveling overseas, always order express meal. Same as latter
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 12:27 pm
  #213  
 
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Originally Posted by UA_Flyer
Meal photos from recent Turkish flights.
Nice hot soup, quality ingredients used in entree and amazing deserts:
Turkish is easily my favorite airline for catering. Although some days I wish the service would speed up. A 9:30pm departure from ORD means I'm not done eating until midnight (+1 hour on my time zone)!
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 12:41 pm
  #214  
 
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Imagine if United switched to DO and Co. catering like Turkish....
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 1:26 pm
  #215  
 
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Originally Posted by fumje
Recently I went DEN-ORD, and the FA was still bringing out row 5's meal service after the captain turned the seatbelt sign back on for initial descent.
Unless there was a supersonic tailwind, that's pretty bad.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 1:43 pm
  #216  
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Originally Posted by goodeats21
UA-FLYER- great photos. Makes me recall your frequent posts in the UA Let's Eat forum, where you made even UA meal service look good...

I need to try Turkish out soon. Just about the only major *A airline I haven't sampled yet.
Thanks. I decided to stop posting UA meal photos since the pre-plating was introduced last year and also the cost-cutting on the Polaris in-flight meal offerings. I still take photos of UA meals but just cannot be bothered to post them because they are just embarrassing (for UA).

I have over a decade of UA meal photos in my archives .and these photo show the deterioration and cost cutting over the years.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 5:32 pm
  #217  
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Originally Posted by vaguba
Imagine if United switched to DO and Co. catering like Turkish....
DO & Co. would probably be able to offer a bread and side salad course with what UA spends on its meals.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 5:39 pm
  #218  
 
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Originally Posted by vaguba
Imagine if United switched to DO and Co. catering like Turkish....
It wouldn't make a hill of beans difference if they didn't increase the budget.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 7:21 pm
  #219  
 
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Originally Posted by worldtrav
It wouldn't make a hill of beans difference if they didn't increase the budget.
And that is the problem. So status quo and we should just accept the slightly edible food? I just don't understand some of the posters here who think that the food on UA or even DL & AA are comparable to "some" OAL's. We supposedly have the three largest carriers in the world by number of passengers (please let me know if that is wrong), and we cannot put out a decent meal on domestic/international flights. There have have been many, many reports here on FT and outside of FT how OAL's provide a decent meal on even a less than 50 minute flight and serve the whole cabin. I just don't get this argument that what we have here is doing just fine for "passengers". Of course it is doing good for the airlines, I guess that is what matters. Is it too say that we who live in the US are just content with anything and never want something better? I guess I just don't get it. As UA_Flyer above stated, there is no point in posting photos anymore. The majority of the meals are not even presentable for a photograph. The ones he/she does post from OAL make all the meals from the big three here look like leftovers ready to heat up in the microwave...
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 7:50 pm
  #220  
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Originally Posted by AeRoSpaceman
And that is the problem. So status quo and we should just accept the slightly edible food? I just don't understand some of the posters here who think that the food on UA or even DL & AA are comparable to "some" OAL's. We supposedly have the three largest carriers in the world by number of passengers (please let me know if that is wrong), and we cannot put out a decent meal on domestic/international flights. There have have been many, many reports here on FT and outside of FT how OAL's provide a decent meal on even a less than 50 minute flight and serve the whole cabin. I just don't get this argument that what we have here is doing just fine for "passengers". Of course it is doing good for the airlines, I guess that is what matters. Is it too say that we who live in the US are just content with anything and never want something better? I guess I just don't get it. As UA_Flyer above stated, there is no point in posting photos anymore. The majority of the meals are not even presentable for a photograph. The ones he/she does post from OAL make all the meals from the big three here look like leftovers ready to heat up in the microwave...
WN apparently beats UA based sticky on number of passengers carried. But yes, I agree. The problem is that it comes down to standards and what people are willing to accept and in the US our standards are considerably lower than the majority of the developed world. Until that changes or until the US government allows foreign competition in the domestic market, well continue flying around in crappy recliner F seats with 36-40 of pitch while being served prison food on $1000+ fares.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 9:25 pm
  #221  
 
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An alternative story is (1) the public has correctly realized that in a world full of very good variety, availability, and quality of food in airports, airplane food on domestic flights and shorthaul international isn't very important and (2) you guys are simply wrong on the quality of United's Polaris food, which lots of people enjoy (check out the YouTube reviews of preplated Polaris food if you don't believe me). Plus many people just want to sleep on longhauls.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 10:21 pm
  #222  
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
An alternative story is (1) the public has correctly realized that in a world full of very good variety, availability, and quality of food in airports, airplane food on domestic flights and shorthaul international isn't very important and (2) you guys are simply wrong on the quality of United's Polaris food, which lots of people enjoy (check out the YouTube reviews of preplated Polaris food if you don't believe me). Plus many people just want to sleep on longhauls.
I dont quite understand how the highlighted statements above relate to the topic of this thread which is the quality of UA inflight meal.

I understand tasting of food and portion of meals served is a subjective matter, but bringing these other stuff in the discussion just seem illogical to me.

I accept the YouTube reviews (although I have not seen them) as a counter argument.
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 11:23 pm
  #223  
 
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Originally Posted by dilanesp
An alternative story is (1) the public has correctly realized that in a world full of very good variety, availability, and quality of food in airports, airplane food on domestic flights and shorthaul international isn't very important and (2) you guys are simply wrong on the quality of United's Polaris food, which lots of people enjoy (check out the YouTube reviews of preplated Polaris food if you don't believe me). Plus many people just want to sleep on longhauls.
Except, well, the data shows this is just flat wrong. I posted this upthread, and will post it again: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31993605-post150.html

I urge everyone to read this, as it is some actual market research: https://www.jdpower.com/business/pre...sfaction-study

First Paragraph:

"Great food—the spicier the better—plus good customer service and a positive track record are the primary drivers of passenger satisfaction on international airline flights. In a stark departure from the price-driven culture of domestic airline customer behavior, the J.D. Power 2019 Airline International Destination Satisfaction Study,SM released today, finds that cost and fees are notably less important than in-flight services when it comes to delighting passengers on international flights."

If you have some different research, something beyond "Well I think the UA food, seats, service is great" happy to look at it....
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Old Feb 24, 2020, 11:26 pm
  #224  
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Originally Posted by UA_Flyer
I dont quite understand how the highlighted statements above relate to the topic of this thread which is the quality of UA inflight meal.

I understand tasting of food and portion of meals served is a subjective matter, but bringing these other stuff in the discussion just seem illogical to me.
As does bringing up logistics. Amen.
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Old Feb 25, 2020, 1:12 am
  #225  
 
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Originally Posted by spin88
Except, well, the data shows this is just flat wrong. I posted this upthread, and will post it again: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31993605-post150.html

I urge everyone to read this, as it is some actual market research: https://www.jdpower.com/business/pre...sfaction-study

First Paragraph:

"Great foodthe spicier the betterplus good customer service and a positive track record are the primary drivers of passenger satisfaction on international airline flights. In a stark departure from the price-driven culture of domestic airline customer behavior, the J.D. Power 2019 Airline International Destination Satisfaction Study,SM released today, finds that cost and fees are notably less important than in-flight services when it comes to delighting passengers on international flights."

If you have some different research, something beyond "Well I think the UA food, seats, service is great" happy to look at it....
I don't think surveys are really valid here. Of course people are going to say they like good food. That doesn't tell you anything about purchasing decisions. I bet there's a survey that says Y passengers care about legroom when we all know they don't.

If United was flying empty J cabins or giving out tons of upgrades, I would buy the notion they are doing something wrong. They aren't though- they are making bank.

At any rate, Polaris food is delicious. So even if food is driving purchasing decisions, it would work in United's favor.

Originally Posted by uastarflyer
As does bringing up logistics. Amen.
Logistics is very relevant. It refutes preposterous statements about United only spending $10 on an international premium cabin meal.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 25, 2020 at 1:39 am Reason: Merged consecutive posts by same member; please use multi-quote
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