General discussion of UA's inflight service (Domestic / International, all cabins)

Jul 27, 22, 5:35 am - Wikipost

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Last edit by: phkc070408
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previous thread: COVID Era UA inflight service changes

Thread is for general discussion of the state of UA in-flight service / catering, comparison to other carriers, past UA offerings and concerns with management decisions.

For a specific post about a recent in-flight food, use the appropriate Let's Eat .... thread.

The current Onboard Service descriptions by UA.com

Long-haul international premium cabin dining
North America, Caribbean and Latin America premium cabin dining
United Economy dining

Since the UA website is extremely vague, I'm looking for a few volunteers to submit data, and I will summarize to complete the wiki. kind regards, phkc070408

Domestic Under 300 Miles

Sample 1
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 2
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 3
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 4
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 5
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Domestic Over 300 Miles Under 800 Miles

Sample 1
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 2
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 3
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 4
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Sample 5
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Bagged Snack? Yes/No
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?

Domestic Over 800 Miles

Sample 1
Route? Morning or Afternoon or Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket?

Sample 2
Route? Morning or Afternoon or Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket?

Sample 3
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening/. or Late Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket?

Sample 4
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Late Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket?

Sample 5
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Late Evening?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Served Snacked? Yes/No. Hot/Cold. What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket?

P-Tcon

Sample 1
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket/Pre-Arrival?
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 2
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket/Pre-Arrival?
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 3
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket/Pre-Arrival?
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 4
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket/Pre-Arrival?
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 5
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Snack Basket/Pre-Arrival?
Any other notes of relevance?

Polaris USA - Europe

Sample 1
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Menu?
Hot Towels?
First Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Appetizer / Desert Info:
Snack Basket/Mid-Flight Snack?
Arrival Meal? Short Description.
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 2
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Menu?
Hot Towels?
First Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Appetizer / Desert Info:
Snack Basket/Mid-Flight Snack?
Arrival Meal? Short Description.
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 3
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Menu?
Hot Towels?
First Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Appetizer / Desert Info:
Snack Basket/Mid-Flight Snack?
Arrival Meal? Short Description.
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 4
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Menu?
Hot Towels?
First Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Appetizer / Desert Info:
Snack Basket/Mid-Flight Snack?
Arrival Meal? Short Description.
Any other notes of relevance?

Sample 5
Route? Morning or Afternoon/Evening or Red-Eye?
PDB - Yes/No? What was offered?
Menu?
Hot Towels?
First Meal Served? Yes/No. Short description.
Appetizer / Desert Info:
Snack Basket/Mid-Flight Snack?
Arrival Meal? Short Description.
Any other notes of relevance?

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Jan 12, 22, 12:19 pm

#91

halls120

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Jun 2005

Location: At home in the PNW

Posts: 48,302

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewLAX

Right. These poor FAs should be able to spend the entire flight playing games on their iPad. It really doesn't matter that there is more than enough to time for a beverage service because now they know the magic words, "Due to the short duration of our flights, we will not be offering a beverage service." After all, I may have been served a drink for 15 years on every flight from BUR-SFO in economy class, but these days there just simply isn't enough time to even serve 12 first class passengers a drink on a 1.5 hour flight.

Whereas on an OS 195 Embraer flight STR-VIE - 1hr 15 mins - the entire plane gets a drink service.

Jan 12, 22, 12:24 pm

#92

dilanesp

Join Date: Feb 2015

Programs: united

Posts: 1,636

Quote:

Originally Posted by physioprof

Expecting UA/UX to provide the food/beverage service they explicitly offer to when they sell you a ticket hardly seems equivalent to expecting "beck and call" service.

I don't really accept that framing, but assuming it is right, it still has nothing to do with a passenger getting upset at the FA for being on an iPad.

Jan 12, 22, 1:35 pm

#93

st530

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: IAH/EWR-LGA/MIA

Programs: UA Global Services 2.9MM, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador (Lifetime Titanium) Elite

Posts: 1,847

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I don't really accept that framing, but assuming it is right, it still has nothing to do with a passenger getting upset at the FA for being on an iPad.

Except that wasn't the complaint-- the complaint was the FA spending the ENTIRE flight on an iPad and not serving a single beverage. (Read the complaint again.)

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 12, 22 at 1:43 pm Reason: Discuss the issue, NOT THE POSTER

Jan 12, 22, 1:36 pm

#94

HNLbasedFlyer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: HNL

Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold

Posts: 5,570

This iPad thing is just bizarre to me. I’ve had plenty of flights from AS -DL - AA -HA do the same thing and I’ve never gotten hot and bothered by it.

Jan 12, 22, 1:40 pm

#95

Xyzzy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike...

Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus

Posts: 32,785

Quote:

Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer

This iPad thing is just bizarre to me. I’ve had plenty of flights from AS -DL - AA -HA do the same thing and I’ve never gotten hot and bothered by it.

The iPad is the new People magazine. And it does bother me when they stare at it the entire flight without c

ming by to serve drinks even once.

Jan 12, 22, 1:53 pm

#96

MatthewLAX

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Posts: 26,341

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I thank you for posting this because I absolutely think it gets to the nub of our disagreement.

So you are upset that the FA's might be spending time on their iPad rather than serving you. Why? The world is absolutely filled with people who sometimes goof off a little bit on their jobs, or do something other than pay 100% to serving the needs of others at all times while at work. And you know what? That is absolutely none of my business. It's not harming me, and if anything I'm glad that people who are doing an important and sometimes stressful job might be able to stop for a moment and enjoy a little pleasure.

Why do I need them to be at my beck and call on such a short flight, rather than on an iPad? It's not as though I will starve if I don't get served a pack of pretzels on a one hour flight. It's not as though I'll go into delirium tremens and die if I am not served a cocktail in that time period. I realize that's sort of an in extremis point, but it's illustrative of the whole thing- the desire to have these people serve me rather than be on their iPads is symbolic. I own their time. They are there to serve ME. It is offensive that someone who is supposed to be at my beck and call is doing something else, something that is valuable to her, instead.

These people are here primarily for our safety. The airline even tells us this in their safety announcement. They are there so that if the plane has to be evacuated, it happens quickly and yours and mine and everyone else's lives will be saved. And they receive extensive training to ensure that happens. They are not servants. They are not like hiring a person to serve us food in our homes. They have a service role, but it is secondary to the safety role. Heck, they aren't even like waiters in a restaurant.

If a FA is on an iPad rather than waiting on me, I assume she has some good reason that she either needs to be on that iPad, or that being on that iPad is good for her well being in what has to be a stressful existence. I am not offended she isn't serving me, and it isn't the end of the world if I take off and land safety, get to my destination, but don't receive subservient service on the airplane. I don't need to feel like a stereotypical rich man with all of his supplicants waiting on him, when I get on an airplane. That's not what I am paying for- I am paying for transportation.

She was playing a game. I saw her when I used the lavatory.

There was more than enough time to serve the entire cabin. She and her colleague chose to remain seated instead. Not even the first class passengers were served, when protocols call for serving drinks to the entire cabin on flights over 300 miles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I don't really accept that framing, but assuming it is right, it still has nothing to do with a passenger getting upset at the FA for being on an iPad.

I'm not at upset at her for using an iPad. I am upset at her for not doing the job she is paid to do. It's that simple.

Last edited by MatthewLAX; Jan 12, 22 at 2:15 pm Reason: ?

Jan 12, 22, 1:57 pm

#97

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jun 2007

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Posts: 60,087

Next Rule 12.2 volitional will lead to a Warning and entire post deletion

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 12, 22 at 3:43 pm Reason: typo

Jan 12, 22, 2:31 pm

#98

SPN Lifer

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Posts: 12,320

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyce (Post # 3119)

I don’t understand the continual blinkered defense of an airline with NPS scores of SEVEN, but it is what it is.

Is the maximum Net Promoter Score (NPS) 10 or 100?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyce (Post # 3122)

NPS score of seven indicates there is MUCH improvement needed in United's service.

EDIT: sorry, I just double checked and the United score is actually FOUR. Delta's is 51.

The edit suggests a maximum of 100.

What is your source for the UA NPS of 4? Do you have a link?

Perhaps we need a separate thread for discussion of the UA Net Promoter Score, as this is a very specialized field that most travellers without business management or market research experience would have little insight into or understanding of.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_promoter_score

Jan 12, 22, 2:41 pm

#99

Repooc17

Join Date: Aug 2017

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Posts: 6,178

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPN Lifer

Is the maximum Net Promoter Score (NPS) 10 or 100?

The edit suggests a maximum of 100.

What is your source for the UA NPS of 4? Do you have a link?

Perhaps we need a separate thread for discussion of the UA Net Promoter Score, as this is a very specialized field that most travellers without business management or market research experience would have little insight into or understanding of.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_promoter_score

Range between -100 to +100. UA is so proud is single digit (positive) score, and can celebrate however it wants to; it is still rather average.

Jan 12, 22, 3:06 pm

#100

HNLbasedFlyer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: HNL

Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold

Posts: 5,570

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewLAX

I'm not at upset at her for using an iPad. I am upset at her for not doing the job she is paid to do. It's that simple.

Personally - I don't think it our job on FT to dictate what airline crew jobs are. With that said - I personally do not find it a big deal to either ask for a drink or ring my call button.

Jan 12, 22, 5:40 pm

#101

rch4u

Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: RIC

Programs: UA 1K MM

Posts: 3,298

Quote:

Originally Posted by HNLbasedFlyer

Personally - I don't think it our job on FT to dictate what airline crew jobs are. With that said - I personally do not find it a big deal to either ask for a drink or ring my call button.

https://careers.united.com/job/14691...washington-va/

The documented job responsibilities of an in-flight supervisor give is a pretty good idea ...

- Deliver best in class customer service
- Deliver a high-quality onboard experience to drive improvement in our Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Ensure daily company goals, policy, and procedure compliance are met

I'm confident playing on your personal device for the entire duration of a flight do not support any of these three.

Jan 12, 22, 5:45 pm

#102

dilanesp

Join Date: Feb 2015

Programs: united

Posts: 1,636

Quote:

Originally Posted by rch4u

I'm sure that people I run into at all sorts of workplaces, from Starbucks to the supermarket to the mall to offices, are at some point violating some policy of their employers. But that's a matter between their employers and them. I don't worry about their internal policies.

Jan 12, 22, 7:15 pm

#103

UA_Flyer

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Posts: 11,498

Delete photos.

Meal photos were posted originally in the 2022 Let’s
eat thread to show meal served on a 2022 Polaris flight. They more not supposed to be used for Covid inflight service change. Thanks to moderator’s note. I will observe the posting rules next time.

Last edited by UA_Flyer; Jan 13, 22 at 4:21 pm

Jan 12, 22, 7:48 pm

#104

Unitedloyalflyer

Join Date: Jun 2021

Location: Houston, TX

Programs: UA silver, Bonvoy gold

Posts: 779

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA_Flyer

Unless UA improves its catering (or stop hiding behind Covid as reasons not to provide full Polaris meal services), this will be the only set of UA Polaris meal photos I post in 2022. I had full meal services on a NH regional flight recently, and there is no comparison how good NH meals were just so much better.

Jan 9th SFO-ICN

Making my own salmon salad

The photos show a very good meal... for PREMIUM PLUS

UA needs to keep this level for PP and raise the bar for Polaris

Last edited by Unitedloyalflyer; Jan 12, 22 at 8:00 pm Reason: for some reason, I got UA mixed up with Polaris

Jan 12, 22, 7:57 pm

#105

UA_Flyer

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Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: IAD/DCA/FLL/MIA

Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, SQ*PPS, Hyatt*Globalist

Posts: 11,498

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unitedloyalflyer

The photos show a very good meal... for PREMIUM PLUS

Polaris needs to keep this level for PP and raise the bar for Polaris

Not sure I agree with you that the meals were very good for Premium Plus. I have flown Premium Economy on SQ and BR, and their meals were significantly better (pre Covid). I guess we take it while we can still get food at this level in PP.

Yes, you are right about raising the bar for Polaris.

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