Apr 18, 2020, 1:31 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ll-cabins.html
Updated posting July 2020 - Ice, tea and coffee returns and some small food enhancements.
orignal posting
crew meals, covered by contract, appear minimally changed
Updated posting July 2020 - Ice, tea and coffee returns and some small food enhancements.
Safety updates to inflight dining
Your safety and the safety of our employees is our highest priority. To try and further limit potential exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) on board, we’re temporarily adjusting our inflight service as of March 29 and will be moving to primarily pre-packaged foods and sealed beverages. Preorder meals and food for purchase will not be available. We’re also unable to offer special meals except for Kosher meals on flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Beverage changes for all flights
We will be offering sealed beverages on all flights. If you’re on a flight under 1 hour, you’ll receive beverages on request. We’ll also offer coffee and tea on domestic flights departing before 9:45 a.m. and on all international and premium transcontinental flights. Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary, and alcoholic beverages are complimentary in premium cabins. Wine and beer are also complimentary in United Economy® on long-haul international flights.
Food changes for domestic flights
We won't have snacks available in United Economy for flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes or in United First® for flights under 1 hour. As always, you're welcome to bring snacks on board. For flights between 1 hour and 2 hours and 20 minutes in United First, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks.
For flights 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks in United Economy. In the premium cabin, you'll be offered a snack box.
Food changes for premium transcontinental flights
If you're flying in United Economy or Economy Plus®, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks. Customers in the premium cabin will receive their meal with their entrée choice covered and will be offered a packaged snack for pre-arrival.
Food changes for international flights
In United Economy®, you’ll receive an entrée, a snack and packaged dessert, as well as pre-packed mid-flight and pre-arrival items on select flights. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap.
In United Premium Plus® and United Polaris® business class, your entrée, dessert and bread will be served together. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap. You’ll receive a pre-packaged snack for midflight and a fresh packaged meal for pre-arrival on select flights.
Your safety and the safety of our employees is our highest priority. To try and further limit potential exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) on board, we’re temporarily adjusting our inflight service as of March 29 and will be moving to primarily pre-packaged foods and sealed beverages. Preorder meals and food for purchase will not be available. We’re also unable to offer special meals except for Kosher meals on flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Beverage changes for all flights
We will be offering sealed beverages on all flights. If you’re on a flight under 1 hour, you’ll receive beverages on request. We’ll also offer coffee and tea on domestic flights departing before 9:45 a.m. and on all international and premium transcontinental flights. Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary, and alcoholic beverages are complimentary in premium cabins. Wine and beer are also complimentary in United Economy® on long-haul international flights.
Food changes for domestic flights
We won't have snacks available in United Economy for flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes or in United First® for flights under 1 hour. As always, you're welcome to bring snacks on board. For flights between 1 hour and 2 hours and 20 minutes in United First, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks.
For flights 2 hours and 20 minutes or longer, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks in United Economy. In the premium cabin, you'll be offered a snack box.
Food changes for premium transcontinental flights
If you're flying in United Economy or Economy Plus®, you'll receive an "all-in-one" snack bag with a wrapped sanitizer wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks. Customers in the premium cabin will receive their meal with their entrée choice covered and will be offered a packaged snack for pre-arrival.
Food changes for international flights
In United Economy®, you’ll receive an entrée, a snack and packaged dessert, as well as pre-packed mid-flight and pre-arrival items on select flights. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap.
In United Premium Plus® and United Polaris® business class, your entrée, dessert and bread will be served together. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap. You’ll receive a pre-packaged snack for midflight and a fresh packaged meal for pre-arrival on select flights.
Safety updates to inflight dining
Your safety and the safety of our employees is our highest priority. To try and further limit potential exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) on board, we’re temporarily adjusting our inflight service as of March 29 and will be moving to primarily pre-packaged foods and sealed beverages. Preorder meals and food for purchase will not be available. We’re also unable to offer special meals except for Kosher meals on flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Beverage changes for all flights
We will only offer sealed beverages and we will no longer offer ice, coffee and tea service, and poured alcohol. Instead of pouring you water from a large bottle, we’ll provide sealed individual water bottles. In premium cabins, we will offer beer and individual wines. Flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes will only have beverages on request.
Food changes for domestic flights
For flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes, we will not offer a snack service in any cabin. As always, you’re welcome to bring snacks on board.
For flights over 2 hours and 20 minutes, you will receive your choice of pretzels, a stroopwafel or cookies in United Economy®. In the premium cabin, you’ll be offered a snackbox.
Food changes for premium transcontinental flights
If you’re flying in United Economy or Economy Plus®, you’ll be offered a snack choice. Customers in the premium cabin will receive their packaged meal with their entrée choice covered and will be offered a packaged snack for pre-arrival.
Food changes for international flights
In United Economy®, you’ll receive an entrée, a snack and packaged dessert, as well as pre-packed mid-flight and pre-arrival items on select flights. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap.
In United Premium Plus® and United Polaris® business class, your entrée, dessert and bread will be served together. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap. You’ll receive a pre-packaged snack for midflight and a fresh packaged meal for pre-arrival.
Your safety and the safety of our employees is our highest priority. To try and further limit potential exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) on board, we’re temporarily adjusting our inflight service as of March 29 and will be moving to primarily pre-packaged foods and sealed beverages. Preorder meals and food for purchase will not be available. We’re also unable to offer special meals except for Kosher meals on flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Beverage changes for all flights
We will only offer sealed beverages and we will no longer offer ice, coffee and tea service, and poured alcohol. Instead of pouring you water from a large bottle, we’ll provide sealed individual water bottles. In premium cabins, we will offer beer and individual wines. Flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes will only have beverages on request.
Food changes for domestic flights
For flights under 2 hours and 20 minutes, we will not offer a snack service in any cabin. As always, you’re welcome to bring snacks on board.
For flights over 2 hours and 20 minutes, you will receive your choice of pretzels, a stroopwafel or cookies in United Economy®. In the premium cabin, you’ll be offered a snackbox.
Food changes for premium transcontinental flights
If you’re flying in United Economy or Economy Plus®, you’ll be offered a snack choice. Customers in the premium cabin will receive their packaged meal with their entrée choice covered and will be offered a packaged snack for pre-arrival.
Food changes for international flights
In United Economy®, you’ll receive an entrée, a snack and packaged dessert, as well as pre-packed mid-flight and pre-arrival items on select flights. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap.
In United Premium Plus® and United Polaris® business class, your entrée, dessert and bread will be served together. Everything is served packaged or covered for you to unwrap. You’ll receive a pre-packaged snack for midflight and a fresh packaged meal for pre-arrival.
crew meals, covered by contract, appear minimally changed
COVID Era UA inflight service changes {Archive}
Apr 29, 2020, 5:30 pm
#241
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Apr 29, 2020, 5:41 pm
#242
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: New York / Hawaii
Programs: UA Global Services, HH Diamond
Posts: 5,178
Apr 29, 2020, 6:01 pm
#243
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
United's (new) policy is FAs (and other staff) must wear masks and passengers will be offered masks to use if they wish to use them.
Many hubs are in states are cities that require masks indoors (e.g. Illinois) so you might have to wear one in the airport, though no clear enforcement mechanism.
I believe JetBlue is the only US airline requiring that passengers wear masks right now.
I expect they all will by the end of May.
Many hubs are in states are cities that require masks indoors (e.g. Illinois) so you might have to wear one in the airport, though no clear enforcement mechanism.
I believe JetBlue is the only US airline requiring that passengers wear masks right now.
I expect they all will by the end of May.
Apr 30, 2020, 6:00 am
#244
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
United's (new) policy is FAs (and other staff) must wear masks and passengers will be offered masks to use if they wish to use them.
Many hubs are in states are cities that require masks indoors (e.g. Illinois) so you might have to wear one in the airport, though no clear enforcement mechanism.
I believe JetBlue is the only US airline requiring that passengers wear masks right now.
I expect they all will by the end of May.
Many hubs are in states are cities that require masks indoors (e.g. Illinois) so you might have to wear one in the airport, though no clear enforcement mechanism.
I believe JetBlue is the only US airline requiring that passengers wear masks right now.
I expect they all will by the end of May.
As for eating/drinking with masks, that is exactly the issue I've had. In the office, they have a new rule that everyone needs to wear a mask. We wear them coming in but I noticed that everyone does not wear one once at their desk so they can drink coffee, eat, etc.I guess that is a case where one needs to weigh the risk/benefit of wearing a mask or not. What's the risk of being infected and spreading to others vs becoming infected from constant touching of the mask. Plus all the secondary risks. Unfortunately, when people come up with these guidelines or rules, nothing is ever fully quantified because no one really knows. I'm planning to take my first flight in 6 weeks later today assuming it is not cancelled. I was also curious how many people would be wearing masks on board. I try to drink as much water as possible when flying so that will be interesting.
Apr 30, 2020, 6:02 pm
#245
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: New York / Hawaii
Programs: UA Global Services, HH Diamond
Posts: 5,178
The UA passenger mask policy policy was leaked on social media the other day, but it was vague about mask use at meal time.
Apr 30, 2020, 7:21 pm
#246
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,211
I am not sure how B6 is handling consumption of passenger food or their own beverages onboard with their mask policy, but if UA comes out with this same policy, my money is on Kirby using it as an excuse to discontinue all inflight service because it will be impossible to keep your mask on while eating or drinking, while making it possible for him to cut more cost.
Apr 30, 2020, 8:49 pm
#247
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
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Apr 30, 2020, 9:11 pm
#248
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 97
At least then some travellers would be relieved of the need to have a conniption and howl blue bloody murder should a fellow passenger be permitted to put a hand in the snack basket.
May 1, 2020, 8:57 am
#249
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Flew phl-ord yesterday on a 739. Rare takeoff on rwy 17.
Flight was about 25% full. 7 of 20 in F spaced out. Seemed like many dead heads from overhearing the FAs. All crew except pilots had masks. Half wore gloves. Seat looked clean, no bleach smell like my last flight. Floor had lots of good crumbs. Given several small bottles of water and asked several times if I wanted anything else. Greeted by name, thanked for 1K. Offered multiple snack boxes and Oreos from the back.
Flight was about 25% full. 7 of 20 in F spaced out. Seemed like many dead heads from overhearing the FAs. All crew except pilots had masks. Half wore gloves. Seat looked clean, no bleach smell like my last flight. Floor had lots of good crumbs. Given several small bottles of water and asked several times if I wanted anything else. Greeted by name, thanked for 1K. Offered multiple snack boxes and Oreos from the back.
May 1, 2020, 9:46 am
#250
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
I am not sure how B6 is handling consumption of passenger food or their own beverages onboard with their mask policy, but if UA comes out with this same policy, my money is on Kirby using it as an excuse to discontinue all inflight service because it will be impossible to keep your mask on while eating or drinking, while making it possible for him to cut more cost.
There is literally no evidence that Kirby plans to do that.
May 1, 2020, 11:54 am
#251
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
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Posts: 42,211
There was literally no evidence that Kirby planned on capping *A PQP or doing any of the other anti-customer changes he and his staff came up with - it has no bearing on whether or not this would actually happen.
May 1, 2020, 1:14 pm
#252
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
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May 1, 2020, 3:00 pm
#253
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
Your posts reason backwards from the assumption that United is trying to be Spirit Airlines or something. That has clearly never been the business model and Isn't now.
May 5, 2020, 7:43 am
#254
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Flew phl-ord yesterday on a 739. Rare takeoff on rwy 17.
Flight was about 25% full. 7 of 20 in F spaced out. Seemed like many dead heads from overhearing the FAs. All crew except pilots had masks. Half wore gloves. Seat looked clean, no bleach smell like my last flight. Floor had lots of good crumbs. Given several small bottles of water and asked several times if I wanted anything else. Greeted by name, thanked for 1K. Offered multiple snack boxes and Oreos from the back.
Flight was about 25% full. 7 of 20 in F spaced out. Seemed like many dead heads from overhearing the FAs. All crew except pilots had masks. Half wore gloves. Seat looked clean, no bleach smell like my last flight. Floor had lots of good crumbs. Given several small bottles of water and asked several times if I wanted anything else. Greeted by name, thanked for 1K. Offered multiple snack boxes and Oreos from the back.
Flight seemed more like 1/3 full with the smaller plane. F was about half full. I didnt get upgraded. I was #2 , they upgraded #1 , then 2 others that were below me. I'm not sure how they are doing CPUs now. On this flight, the first row was open and 2,3C. 4C and 4D had two people together for some reason eventhough they were not together. One of them tried to move to row 1 but the FA said they could not.
This time on the return flight, no food at all was offered. Water bottles were given in F. No water in Y. Masks now required, they even made an additional announcement after the pre-recorded safety briefing to remind us to remove our mask before putting on the O2 mask. I noticed that about half the passengers removed their masks after take off. I noticed less than half of people wearing masks in the airport. Pilots, more like 1%.
Anyways, the return flight was certainly different than the outgoing one.
I'll be flying again on Sunday on the same route, it will be interesting to see if the service will follow the same level of consistency that you usually get on UX.
May 11, 2020, 8:34 am
#255
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: NYC
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 66
{I}n first on my next flight, I was told no beer / wine because it’s under 2:20. Is that policy?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 11, 2020 at 10:20 am Reason: split post