Be aware, UA might be serving past "best enjoyed by" date beer/drinks (deliberately)
Aug 27, 2021, 1:34 pm
#1
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Be aware, UA might be serving past "best enjoyed by" date beer/drinks (deliberately)
Trying my best to clarify things people:
1. The original title is not accurate, it should be past bb date instead of expired, as some have argued, things never expire. I don't agree with that w.r.t. the flavor, but maybe it's safe to consume long past due.
2. The discussion is derailed by how long the flavor last. This is not the main point, it's the response to the rep when he/she brought up wine aging to relate to beer. Maybe my sources are bad,
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how...-expired-beer: "Typically, the drink-by dates on beers are four to six months out; this is based on how long the brewer thinks the beer can retain fresh flavor.",
https://www.allagash.com/blog/does-b...e/?ao_confirm: "Intentionally aging beer is an entirely different subject, and one that’s worth a blog post of its own. But long story short, if you enjoy beer, you’ll want to drink it closer to its release date. It’s the best way to taste the beer as close as possible to the way the brewer intended."
https://www.firestonebeer.com/does-beer-expire/: "Beers that shouldn’t be cellared: Any beers with hop-forward characteristics, such as IPAs and Pale Ales. Most lagers and session beers are also poor candidates for aging and should be consumed fresh."
Tasting is a subjective matter, so there really is no conclusion to reach. But to claim it ages well or the tastes stay the same is not true in general.
3. Compensation phishing? lol, a good gesture in this case would be better than downplaying and dodging (I perceived it that way at that time, I might be wrong). I don't know if a drink coupon ever exist, if they do, happy to get one, if not, 1000 miles would be like a dream that I won't count for on that $1 wholesale can. Not traveling frequently on UA, so the miles will likely go to magazine subscription if they still have it.
4. The main concern is the catering. Inflight drink purchase is profitable and come and go very fast. In my opinion, more efforts should be put to it to deliver good service (serving fresh stuffs) rather than the bottom line. After all, customers in Y and F/J all have paid a premium for the alcoholic beverage. Only a few people agree/discuss on this part apparently.
But if you ever care about the bb date, don't take 'the freshness' for granted anymore.
----
I have to admit that I was confused with the bb date and the date that product should probably be tossed for good in original posting (a guy on YouTube does test MREs that were made in WWII and he is still alive, but that doesn't mean you should go for those past bb date food/drinks in the first place). And as many argue, that bb date doesn't mean that much, which is aligned with UA's point. If that's the case, then UA is doing a controlled distribution knowingly. They can do that after assessment of safety, but I do not believe it's a good business decision to do so, after all, those items' wholesale price is cheap on ground.
The assumption I had was due to the high turnover rate for inflight purchase, things we get should be fresh following first in first out rule, and I have never checked. I would believe post bb. date yogurt is more understandable than beers, with only a few weeks prior to bb. date comparing to at least a few months.
To me, catering is a potential issue, thus editing on top and trying my best to focus on the main point, not anything else:
----------
Again, the main concern is catering.
Given that high turnover rate for inflight drinks I would reasonably assume if there is any effort trying to maintain the first in first out rule, this should not have happened. - Correct me if I'm wrong on this.
And if this can happen, is the catering department really keeping an eye on their stocks?
If you are indeed an UA insider and can confirm that this is a controlled process to push slightly after bb date drinks, then fine. It could be at one point UA purchased too much and got stuck with that batch, then admit it.
And I don't think it's a good way to do business selling products with high premium around $10 per can after 'best before date' - when any reasonable customer will try to pick food/drink items far from 'bb date' comparing to those past 'bb date' when shopping, given paying the same. (I could be even wrong for this part though, maybe some will do the reverse. Of course there will be extra cost bringing that can onboard, let's say extra cost is triple the original price, still a very decent profit margin, and premium is much higher for J/F class that makes the cost of things marginal compared to the fare.)
Anyway, seems no one think the catering is potentially problematic, which is all the takeaway points are about.
Below is the original post:
-------
I just took a red eye flight from Honolulu back to SFO - UA396 in first class, which is Polaris in 763. I ordered 2 cans of IPA, when finished the second can and about to sleep, I casually checked out the details as I was not familiar with this beer.
To my great surprise, the can was expired, best before date 08/21/21, flight date 08/26. I always thought inflight drink come and go quickly, so no need to worry about it. Definitely wrong.
Talked to UA on twitter, thought they might throw a few miles for this, and here is their response:
"Please know that although the "best enjoyed by" date was a few days ago, it's not unsafe to drink the beer. Beer doesn't go bad after expiration, the taste might just slightly change over a long period of time."
I know likely I will not die from drinking it, but this expired can is certainly an indication of potential service issues so replied: 'I don’t know how long the shelf life that beer has but it must have been around for months. I’d say it’s a good sign that catering is chaotic.'
At this point their response is more annoying than the expired beer itself. I pressured to see if they will issue compensation, and here is the response:
"Please be assured that there's nothing harmful about drinking an unopened alcoholic drink a few days after the "best enjoyed by" date. Beer itself doesn't go bad after the date listed on the can, the taste may just change over a period of years if not opened the same way that the flavor profiles of wine and liquor change the more it ages. I can see why it might be off putting to see the date has passed which is why I'll be sharing your comments internally with Catering, but we're unable to provide compensation for this."
Unbelievable...
For those who does not drink beer especially crafted beer often, beer absolutely does not age. And one of the top beer 'Pliny the elder' clearly states on bottle: "drink it fresh or not drink at all".
So takeaways:
1. UA catering is chaotic and they do not know what they are bringing onboard
2. UA catering has certain leniency in ..... expiration date!!!!!
- Will they be selling this to economy class passenger for $10?
- Or the First class passenger will have the privilege of consuming the 'aged flavor' beer for free!
Anyway, next time you order beer/drinks on UA, double check the expiration date. They certainly don't give a damn.
1. The original title is not accurate, it should be past bb date instead of expired, as some have argued, things never expire. I don't agree with that w.r.t. the flavor, but maybe it's safe to consume long past due.
2. The discussion is derailed by how long the flavor last. This is not the main point, it's the response to the rep when he/she brought up wine aging to relate to beer. Maybe my sources are bad,
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how...-expired-beer: "Typically, the drink-by dates on beers are four to six months out; this is based on how long the brewer thinks the beer can retain fresh flavor.",
https://www.allagash.com/blog/does-b...e/?ao_confirm: "Intentionally aging beer is an entirely different subject, and one that’s worth a blog post of its own. But long story short, if you enjoy beer, you’ll want to drink it closer to its release date. It’s the best way to taste the beer as close as possible to the way the brewer intended."
https://www.firestonebeer.com/does-beer-expire/: "Beers that shouldn’t be cellared: Any beers with hop-forward characteristics, such as IPAs and Pale Ales. Most lagers and session beers are also poor candidates for aging and should be consumed fresh."
Tasting is a subjective matter, so there really is no conclusion to reach. But to claim it ages well or the tastes stay the same is not true in general.
3. Compensation phishing? lol, a good gesture in this case would be better than downplaying and dodging (I perceived it that way at that time, I might be wrong). I don't know if a drink coupon ever exist, if they do, happy to get one, if not, 1000 miles would be like a dream that I won't count for on that $1 wholesale can. Not traveling frequently on UA, so the miles will likely go to magazine subscription if they still have it.
4. The main concern is the catering. Inflight drink purchase is profitable and come and go very fast. In my opinion, more efforts should be put to it to deliver good service (serving fresh stuffs) rather than the bottom line. After all, customers in Y and F/J all have paid a premium for the alcoholic beverage. Only a few people agree/discuss on this part apparently.
But if you ever care about the bb date, don't take 'the freshness' for granted anymore.
----
I have to admit that I was confused with the bb date and the date that product should probably be tossed for good in original posting (a guy on YouTube does test MREs that were made in WWII and he is still alive, but that doesn't mean you should go for those past bb date food/drinks in the first place). And as many argue, that bb date doesn't mean that much, which is aligned with UA's point. If that's the case, then UA is doing a controlled distribution knowingly. They can do that after assessment of safety, but I do not believe it's a good business decision to do so, after all, those items' wholesale price is cheap on ground.
The assumption I had was due to the high turnover rate for inflight purchase, things we get should be fresh following first in first out rule, and I have never checked. I would believe post bb. date yogurt is more understandable than beers, with only a few weeks prior to bb. date comparing to at least a few months.
To me, catering is a potential issue, thus editing on top and trying my best to focus on the main point, not anything else:
----------
Again, the main concern is catering.
Given that high turnover rate for inflight drinks I would reasonably assume if there is any effort trying to maintain the first in first out rule, this should not have happened. - Correct me if I'm wrong on this.
And if this can happen, is the catering department really keeping an eye on their stocks?
If you are indeed an UA insider and can confirm that this is a controlled process to push slightly after bb date drinks, then fine. It could be at one point UA purchased too much and got stuck with that batch, then admit it.
And I don't think it's a good way to do business selling products with high premium around $10 per can after 'best before date' - when any reasonable customer will try to pick food/drink items far from 'bb date' comparing to those past 'bb date' when shopping, given paying the same. (I could be even wrong for this part though, maybe some will do the reverse. Of course there will be extra cost bringing that can onboard, let's say extra cost is triple the original price, still a very decent profit margin, and premium is much higher for J/F class that makes the cost of things marginal compared to the fare.)
Anyway, seems no one think the catering is potentially problematic, which is all the takeaway points are about.
Below is the original post:
-------
I just took a red eye flight from Honolulu back to SFO - UA396 in first class, which is Polaris in 763. I ordered 2 cans of IPA, when finished the second can and about to sleep, I casually checked out the details as I was not familiar with this beer.
To my great surprise, the can was expired, best before date 08/21/21, flight date 08/26. I always thought inflight drink come and go quickly, so no need to worry about it. Definitely wrong.
Talked to UA on twitter, thought they might throw a few miles for this, and here is their response:
"Please know that although the "best enjoyed by" date was a few days ago, it's not unsafe to drink the beer. Beer doesn't go bad after expiration, the taste might just slightly change over a long period of time."
I know likely I will not die from drinking it, but this expired can is certainly an indication of potential service issues so replied: 'I don’t know how long the shelf life that beer has but it must have been around for months. I’d say it’s a good sign that catering is chaotic.'
At this point their response is more annoying than the expired beer itself. I pressured to see if they will issue compensation, and here is the response:
"Please be assured that there's nothing harmful about drinking an unopened alcoholic drink a few days after the "best enjoyed by" date. Beer itself doesn't go bad after the date listed on the can, the taste may just change over a period of years if not opened the same way that the flavor profiles of wine and liquor change the more it ages. I can see why it might be off putting to see the date has passed which is why I'll be sharing your comments internally with Catering, but we're unable to provide compensation for this."
Unbelievable...
For those who does not drink beer especially crafted beer often, beer absolutely does not age. And one of the top beer 'Pliny the elder' clearly states on bottle: "drink it fresh or not drink at all".
So takeaways:
1. UA catering is chaotic and they do not know what they are bringing onboard
2. UA catering has certain leniency in ..... expiration date!!!!!
- Will they be selling this to economy class passenger for $10?
- Or the First class passenger will have the privilege of consuming the 'aged flavor' beer for free!
Anyway, next time you order beer/drinks on UA, double check the expiration date. They certainly don't give a damn.
Last edited by oneworld_wanderer; Aug 28, 2021 at 10:47 am Reason: Corrected title; Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Aug 27, 2021, 1:41 pm
#2
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If you're going to quote Pliny, abide, and not order canned beer at all.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Aug 27, 2021 at 2:14 pm
Aug 27, 2021, 1:47 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
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Posts: 641
A "Best Before" date is mainly a marketing tool. It is not the same as an expiration date, and plenty of shops, bars, restaurants, distributors, and even breweries themselves will sell beer that is near or beyond a "best before" date. I don't blame them for dismissing this non-issue, it's an absurd thing to request compensation for. Growlers aren't designed to keep beer fresh, but anything that has been properly canned or bottled (sterile equipment, limited exposure to air) will keep for a very long time in a fridge. You'll get more of an effect on flavor by drinking at altitude than you will from drinking something a couple days past the best by.
Aug 27, 2021, 1:57 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Posts: 693
Are they still serving Goose Island? Or maybe Breck? Last I checked, most inbev beers shelf life is 6 months. A couple of days is going to be fine.
A couple of other fun facts....
1) The employee beer trailer at the Coors brewery in Golden is almost entirely beer that's past the shelf life or the guaranteed shelf life lead time they promise retailers. So if it's good enough for the employees at 5,300 feet, it's probably fine at 35,000 feet too.
2) Hops are preservatives. The origin of IPA is that the beer was hopped to preserve it for the long boat voyage from England to India.
While not the same as an IPA, I've got a cellar full of 3-8 year old barrel aged beers that I'm waiting to drink on purpose. Some beers NEED to be aged (again, not usually IPAs).
A couple of other fun facts....
1) The employee beer trailer at the Coors brewery in Golden is almost entirely beer that's past the shelf life or the guaranteed shelf life lead time they promise retailers. So if it's good enough for the employees at 5,300 feet, it's probably fine at 35,000 feet too.
2) Hops are preservatives. The origin of IPA is that the beer was hopped to preserve it for the long boat voyage from England to India.
While not the same as an IPA, I've got a cellar full of 3-8 year old barrel aged beers that I'm waiting to drink on purpose. Some beers NEED to be aged (again, not usually IPAs).
Aug 27, 2021, 2:00 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Posts: 9,630
As mentioned above expiration and "best by" dates are 2 entirely different things.
Not sure... is UA back to selling drinks in Y?
Ultimate solution is to pour drink in galley, and *hope* they gave you the right drink... that way you can't study the can
Aug 27, 2021, 2:04 pm
#7
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Aug 27, 2021, 2:08 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Back in the days when domestic F had yogurt on every breakfast tray, I would routinely find "expired" dates. The worst I ever saw was 6 months. Now, I know a little about the science of yogurt and cheese and know that it's not a problem at all, so long as it has been kept sealed, and I ate my "expired" yogurt without whining. I would assume that beer isn't critical either but admit that I know nothing about it.
There is one product onboard that critically degrades such that it's undrinkable past its date and that is Coke Zero. The closer it gets to its "best by" date, the worse it tastes and, if you get one that is expired, it is almost nauseating.
Last edited by zombietooth; Aug 27, 2021 at 2:14 pm
Aug 27, 2021, 2:11 pm
#9
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Aug 27, 2021, 2:14 pm
#10
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I'm a certified Hophead and a badge collector on Untappd. Beer doesn't age in the sense where it being 5 days overdue is going to affect you in any measurable way. Feel free to not drink them and pass the cans over to me.
Aug 27, 2021, 2:16 pm
#11
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Aug 27, 2021, 2:22 pm
#12
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Again, I honestly think this is an issue:
1. Either it's chaotic catering that no one knows what's being bringing onboard, or it might just be a can sitting in the corner of their cart and no one keeps track of it.
2. UA allows certain items to be sitting there for months and have leniency for best before date and possibly other food/drinks that do expire.
I believe food/drink catering should be first in, first out. Given fast turnover rate for onboard purchase things should be rather fresh.
And I've never thought I should double-check the date until now.
Some of the above responses do feel like those YouTuber/bloggers praising airlines no matter what.
1. Either it's chaotic catering that no one knows what's being bringing onboard, or it might just be a can sitting in the corner of their cart and no one keeps track of it.
2. UA allows certain items to be sitting there for months and have leniency for best before date and possibly other food/drinks that do expire.
I believe food/drink catering should be first in, first out. Given fast turnover rate for onboard purchase things should be rather fresh.
And I've never thought I should double-check the date until now.
Some of the above responses do feel like those YouTuber/bloggers praising airlines no matter what.
Aug 27, 2021, 2:22 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Posts: 6,447
You can apparently even drink 50 year old Coors:
Woman Drinks 50-Year Old Can of Coors Banquet to Honor Her Late Husband - Thrillist
A Woman Drank a 50-Year-Old 'Very Tasty' Can of Coors to Honor Her Late Husband
Impressively enough, the beer still had carbonation and looked to be in good condition. “I thought it was very tasty, I was surprised, I thought it would be full of crap, but it was good.”"It's sweet," her son seconded.
Aug 27, 2021, 2:25 pm
#14
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I"ll have to send UA a note and tell them I'll gladly take all the "expired" beer off their hands from the Honolulu station. I'm only 10 minutes away and there's a U-Haul Center on the way if I need something bigger....