2022 Let's Eat - Polaris Business
Apr 29, 2022, 1:37 pm
#436
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,927
It's comical at this point. No reason United cannot load menus onto the screen and mobile app. AC/LH/NH do without issue.
Apr 29, 2022, 1:57 pm
#437
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,043
Never really took notice of that in the past as I am really there for seat. Also had my first passive DYKWIA moment. When asked what I wanted I responded “beef” and she followed up with “and your second choice?” and without hesitation I replied in a nice soft tone “I really would like the beef”.
Apr 29, 2022, 4:08 pm
#438
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
Never really took notice of that in the past as I am really there for seat. Also had my first passive DYKWIA moment. When asked what I wanted I responded “beef” and she followed up with “and your second choice?” and without hesitation I replied in a nice soft tone “I really would like the beef”.
Apr 29, 2022, 4:15 pm
#439
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,043
I'd be worried about the pre-ordering system. Last week on my ATL-FRA LH flight the purser was apologizing to a passenger whose special pre-ordered meal wasn't delivered. Plan B was to cannibalize other meals.
Apr 29, 2022, 5:22 pm
#440
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
Yes that has happened to me on UA in the past when I have pre-ordered a special meal. I thought it was because pre-ordered meals are not the norm but if they were then it would go smoother. I mean my local In-N-Out can get my grilled cheese order correct and it is essentially managed by highschoolers and college students.
Apr 30, 2022, 8:03 am
#441
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: MM / UA 1K
Posts: 473
I had a recent flight on UA1 SFO-SIN. PDD was "champagne" or water.
There was no printed menu and the verbal options were salmon, ravioli and short rib.
The crew asked everyone for their first and second choice regardless of status.
Here's what I got after requesting short rib as my first choice:
It seems in line with what others have recently been posting for the short rib option. And I agree, when I saw the cookie as the "dessert" I just had to laugh.
I slept a good portion of the flight and while sleeping the crew placed a Mediterranean Snack box in the center section. Although since they put it there while I was asleep I had no idea why it was there when I woke up. It was only as we were getting ready to land that I realized it was meant for me when the crew said "I guess you don't want this..." as they whisked it away. Until that moment, I'd assumed it was my seat mates.
Snacks in the galley were the now expected lackluster CheezIts and offbrand gummy bears.
I forgot to take a picture of the breakfast offering but the image provided by FlytheTail is shockingly similar with the only noticeable difference being that my bakery item was an unwrapped croissant of the standard UA type.
As Scott Kirby says, UA will win customers on quality. That's quite a relief.
Thank goodness I'm on NH for the return...
There was no printed menu and the verbal options were salmon, ravioli and short rib.
The crew asked everyone for their first and second choice regardless of status.
Here's what I got after requesting short rib as my first choice:
It seems in line with what others have recently been posting for the short rib option. And I agree, when I saw the cookie as the "dessert" I just had to laugh.
I slept a good portion of the flight and while sleeping the crew placed a Mediterranean Snack box in the center section. Although since they put it there while I was asleep I had no idea why it was there when I woke up. It was only as we were getting ready to land that I realized it was meant for me when the crew said "I guess you don't want this..." as they whisked it away. Until that moment, I'd assumed it was my seat mates.
Snacks in the galley were the now expected lackluster CheezIts and offbrand gummy bears.
I forgot to take a picture of the breakfast offering but the image provided by FlytheTail is shockingly similar with the only noticeable difference being that my bakery item was an unwrapped croissant of the standard UA type.
As Scott Kirby says, UA will win customers on quality. That's quite a relief.
Thank goodness I'm on NH for the return...
Apr 30, 2022, 11:09 am
#442
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO / LHR
Programs: UA GS 2.2MM / UC / AS Gold 75K / Bonvoy Plat / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,028
SFO-LHR April
No PDB, no water at seat despite smooth boarding. “Beef/Fish/Pasta”.
Entree quality and presentation has unfortunately swept to new lows - wilted salad and very, very dry salmon. Neighbor sent his Short Rib back as was too gristly and fatty. The Grandma’s Cookies as the dessert option is comical - we’ve moved beyond the seemingly endless supply of Christie’s Cookies to this new option.
Midflight had turkey/cheddar or apple/gouda sandwiches in galley, plus a snack basket of pretzels and … more Grandma’s Cookies.
Arrival was the highlight, only as it’s impossible to ruin the centrally made Eggwhite Kale Quiche.
With the arrivals lounge still closed at T2 and the quality of dining at the SFO Polaris Lounge the weakest of the network, it is not competitive. One colleague flew AA from ORD and was having a shower and hearty breakfast in the Galleries, and the other DL from JFK and was enjoying the VS Revivals - both having enjoyed full service onboard.
They have got to find a way to solve this. Not a $6,600 round trip offering - seat isn’t enough.
No PDB, no water at seat despite smooth boarding. “Beef/Fish/Pasta”.
Entree quality and presentation has unfortunately swept to new lows - wilted salad and very, very dry salmon. Neighbor sent his Short Rib back as was too gristly and fatty. The Grandma’s Cookies as the dessert option is comical - we’ve moved beyond the seemingly endless supply of Christie’s Cookies to this new option.
Midflight had turkey/cheddar or apple/gouda sandwiches in galley, plus a snack basket of pretzels and … more Grandma’s Cookies.
Arrival was the highlight, only as it’s impossible to ruin the centrally made Eggwhite Kale Quiche.
With the arrivals lounge still closed at T2 and the quality of dining at the SFO Polaris Lounge the weakest of the network, it is not competitive. One colleague flew AA from ORD and was having a shower and hearty breakfast in the Galleries, and the other DL from JFK and was enjoying the VS Revivals - both having enjoyed full service onboard.
They have got to find a way to solve this. Not a $6,600 round trip offering - seat isn’t enough.
Apr 30, 2022, 12:49 pm
#443
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: 66,855
You information is a bit dated, closer to 90% ( presently 4 unconverted 789s in operation)
Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....
Please use COVID Era UA inflight service changes or other threads for that discussion, the intent is for this thread to be a reference resource on UA's inflight service and not a discussion of how UA should do better
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Polaris (& PP) Retrofits: Schedule, ....
....I'd really love to get some insight to what the thought process is at UA HQ. Is the motivation to have this level of soft product minimizing work for FAs so they can staff flights with the bare minimum and appease AFA by reducing the work of those FAs who are on the flight? Is it aggressively minimizing catering cost? Are they aware of what a flight on other *A airlines are like, or do they have no comparison in experience because they are using their employee flight benefits to fill the empty seats and only flying UA?
Come on, UA, you can do so, so much better.
Come on, UA, you can do so, so much better.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 1, 2022 at 11:26 am Reason: retrofit link
Apr 30, 2022, 1:30 pm
#444
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,637
No. My colleague next to me had the spicy chicken, which she said was OK. AFAIK, no around me ordered the bimibap but I did not look too hard. However, I cannot imagine that it has improved over the pre-pandemic version when everything else has gone seriously downhill.
Apr 30, 2022, 2:04 pm
#445
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,697
Grandma's cookies are atrocious. Fingers crossed things improve soon.
May 1, 2022, 3:03 am
#447
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,051
Sleeping Snack Box Alert! 
Thank you very much indeed for giving your fellow FlyerTalkers a "heads up" about snack boxes served while sleeping. 
🌴 🎶 💚 ✈ 🇸🇬
I had a recent flight on UA1 SFO-SIN. . . .
I slept a good portion of the flight and while sleeping the crew placed a Mediterranean Snack box in the center section. Although since they put it there while I was asleep I had no idea why it was there when I woke up. It was only as we were getting ready to land that I realized it was meant for me when the crew said "I guess you don't want this..." as they whisked it away. Until that moment, I'd assumed it was my seat mates.
I slept a good portion of the flight and while sleeping the crew placed a Mediterranean Snack box in the center section. Although since they put it there while I was asleep I had no idea why it was there when I woke up. It was only as we were getting ready to land that I realized it was meant for me when the crew said "I guess you don't want this..." as they whisked it away. Until that moment, I'd assumed it was my seat mates.
🌴 🎶 💚 ✈ 🇸🇬
May 1, 2022, 11:03 pm
#449
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
What's the present status with the return of the multi-corse dining that was tried in February I believe? When can we expect it fleet wide?