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}
Dec 30, 2021, 11:59 pm
#3031
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NGS
Programs: UA Silver, ANA MC, HH Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Bonvoy Plat, IHG Plat, Shangri-La GC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,229
True, but even the hard product hasn't been fully available with PL closed and only recently opened, so passengers wound up paying for a faulty product. Next time I fly UA in economy, I'm going to stop at a PL and show them my old ticket with no PL access due to closed status and ask them for one-time free entry as compensation since I paid (with cash and points) the going rate for the full Polaris hard product, which wasn't delivered. UA should have proactively offered a free pass to all "paying" passengers denied PL access due to closure at that time.
Dec 31, 2021, 3:40 am
#3032
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,568
Besides, the FA already have more important things to do, such as hawking credit card offers.
Dec 31, 2021, 4:20 am
#3033
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Programs: JAL Global Club & oneworld Sapphire, ANA SFC & Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 3,746
Aside from the plates that look like dog dishes, this particular issue has had me shaking my head throughout this entire thread. In what universe is it acceptable to serve ice cream on the same tray as everything else? Why did no one at UA think about the fact that the dessert would be melted by the time people were ready to eat it? Is it really so hard to serve the ice cream after the main meal service? Or, if they must serve everything on one tray, at least use a non-melting dessert. Even a child would realize this. And yet it's been going on at UA for months.
Dec 31, 2021, 6:59 am
#3034
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,568
Aside from the plates that look like dog dishes, this particular issue has had me shaking my head throughout this entire thread. In what universe is it acceptable to serve ice cream on the same tray as everything else? Why did no one at UA think about the fact that the dessert would be melted by the time people were ready to eat it? Is it really so hard to serve the ice cream after the main meal service? Or, if they must serve everything on one tray, at least use a non-melting dessert. Even a child would realize this. And yet it's been going on at UA for months.
Dec 31, 2021, 8:23 am
#3035
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: DAL
Posts: 3,398
I took 4 Polaris flights in August and September. On three of them, the ice cream came out with the meal. On the fourth, when the FA came to collect my tray, I asked about ice cream, and she realized they had forgotten to put it on my tray when it was originally delivered.
Dec 31, 2021, 8:26 am
#3036
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 95
They need to bring back printed menua for god sake, it's fine to give the Hemisphere magazine, but it's not safe to give the menus? Pff.
And it's time to do the meal courses in 3 parts, like before, like every other damn airline does. And it's TIME to bring back their damn ice cream sundaes. OR AT LEAST GIVE THE PATHETIC ICE CREAM CUP AFTER THE MEAL SO IT DOESN'T MELT.
And it's time to do the meal courses in 3 parts, like before, like every other damn airline does. And it's TIME to bring back their damn ice cream sundaes. OR AT LEAST GIVE THE PATHETIC ICE CREAM CUP AFTER THE MEAL SO IT DOESN'T MELT.
Dec 31, 2021, 9:27 am
#3037
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,448
A few weeks ago, there were rumors of "normal" business class service resuming January 1, but given the silence since, I assume that's off the table for now. United has enough on its plate actually staffing the operation as scheduled, since a fully-vaccinated frontline workforce hasn't exactly translated to better performance/completion factor relative to peers during the holiday rush...
Such martyrs!
Such martyrs!
Dec 31, 2021, 12:22 pm
#3038
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Bay Area California
Posts: 395
These meals look incredibly disgusting and cheap even for economy class. United does not care nor prioritizes their meals / soft product. Not that they did before the pandemic, compared to other airlines, however it seems currently they have just hit bottom.
We should all remember that when we pay our hard earned money / or miles on this product we are supporting UA in their argument of lowering the standards of the premium class.
I have an upcoming trip in a few weeks SFO-IAH-EZE and back, in Polaris - which I bought almost a year ago, thinking that the service would be improved by now. Hopefully SFO/IAH PL will be open, and those flights will operate in 789 new Polaris - to make marginally worthwhile what I spent. And that would be my last time spending money on UA.
As travel opens up in 2022+ (let's hope) and I will likely resume my frequent business travel SF-India, I will continue avoiding UA like the plague! ..... Seriously now have you all seen what QR / EK / TK serve? and charging fares equal or in some cases lower than UA? Even on my BA flight LHR-SFO a few months ago the meal was lovely presented, great taste and quantity and top notch FA service.
United is turning into a disgrace....
and no mileage affiliation or benefits in the world would ever persuade me to buy United for as long as they think that meals and service presented in the pictures above are ok.
We should all remember that when we pay our hard earned money / or miles on this product we are supporting UA in their argument of lowering the standards of the premium class.
I have an upcoming trip in a few weeks SFO-IAH-EZE and back, in Polaris - which I bought almost a year ago, thinking that the service would be improved by now. Hopefully SFO/IAH PL will be open, and those flights will operate in 789 new Polaris - to make marginally worthwhile what I spent. And that would be my last time spending money on UA.
As travel opens up in 2022+ (let's hope) and I will likely resume my frequent business travel SF-India, I will continue avoiding UA like the plague! ..... Seriously now have you all seen what QR / EK / TK serve? and charging fares equal or in some cases lower than UA? Even on my BA flight LHR-SFO a few months ago the meal was lovely presented, great taste and quantity and top notch FA service.
United is turning into a disgrace....
and no mileage affiliation or benefits in the world would ever persuade me to buy United for as long as they think that meals and service presented in the pictures above are ok.
Dec 31, 2021, 4:11 pm
#3039
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,638
Aside from the plates that look like dog dishes, this particular issue has had me shaking my head throughout this entire thread. In what universe is it acceptable to serve ice cream on the same tray as everything else? Why did no one at UA think about the fact that the dessert would be melted by the time people were ready to eat it? Is it really so hard to serve the ice cream after the main meal service? Or, if they must serve everything on one tray, at least use a non-melting dessert. Even a child would realize this. And yet it's been going on at UA for months.
Dec 31, 2021, 9:04 pm
#3040
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Bay Area California
Posts: 395
A friend sent me pictures on his HA SFO-HNL breakfast a few days ago and I was just amazed at the quality, presentation and service. Same, way better with Jetblue, AS .. even AA transcontinental. The forums for these airlines have great examples of what they actually offer which is light years ahead of UA. UA meal service is a big disappointment right now - stop buying their product and that would send them a loud message.
Last edited by HAF; Jan 1, 2022 at 11:22 am
Dec 31, 2021, 11:30 pm
#3041
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Seoul
Programs: None anymore
Posts: 983
Even if Covid disappeared tomorrow, I don't think UA would be capable of even pre-pandemic Polaris service. It's just too much "work."
That's actually a great point. Menus, to my knowledge, aren't reused, whereas Hemispheres sits in the seatback pocket for like a month. What gives?
They need to bring back printed menua for god sake, it's fine to give the Hemisphere magazine, but it's not safe to give the menus? Pff.
And it's time to do the meal courses in 3 parts, like before, like every other damn airline does. And it's TIME to bring back their damn ice cream sundaes. OR AT LEAST GIVE THE PATHETIC ICE CREAM CUP AFTER THE MEAL SO IT DOESN'T MELT.
And it's time to do the meal courses in 3 parts, like before, like every other damn airline does. And it's TIME to bring back their damn ice cream sundaes. OR AT LEAST GIVE THE PATHETIC ICE CREAM CUP AFTER THE MEAL SO IT DOESN'T MELT.
Mar 8, 2022, 8:35 pm
#3042
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,834
After a two year run, and having become a very, very bulky thread, it is time to retire / archive these posts. Will archive the pre-2022 here and hopefully we will move into an new, improved era (always the optimist).
The new active thread, starting with posts from January 2022, is General discussion of UA's inflight service (Domestic / International, all cabins)
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
The new active thread, starting with posts from January 2022, is General discussion of UA's inflight service (Domestic / International, all cabins)
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 11, 2022 at 1:39 pm