Anticipated 1 June enhancements - UA bringing back hot meals to domestic first class
 

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-...ic-first-class

United Airlines bringing back hot meals to domestic first class

United Airlines will make several upgrades to its food and beverage offerings on June 1 as it shelves pandemic-era procedures.

The airline said Tuesday that it will reintroduce meal trays in domestic first class on all flights that are longer than 800 miles, replacing the packaged sandwich it has been serving during the pandemic. For mainline flights, the plated meals will include hot entrée choices, while cold plates will be on offer for United First customers on regional flights.

United will also resume coursed meal offerings in the Polaris business class of long-haul international flights on June 1. Polaris customers will once again receive a pre-meal snack and cocktail along with table linen service. That will be followed by a plated entrée and dessert.

The full-service meal will replace United's pandemic Polaris service in which meals are served packaged or covered, and all at once.

United will bring spirits back to international premium economy and economy sections on June 1, accompanying beer and wine, which are already available in those cabins. The carrier will offer complimentary liquor minis in United Premium Plus. Liquor minis will be available for purchase in international economy cabins.

Gary Leff, who pens the View from the Wing blog about airlines and airline loyalty programs, said that United had previously brought liquor back to Premium Plus before suspending it again in recent months.

United’s domestic full-service competitors Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue previously resumed domestic hot-meal service.

The other airlines are not doing hot meals on all flights longer than 800 miles.

United leading again it seems

Now more people can enjoy the lower-quality slop UA’s been dishing out. The booze return is good, though.

The best meal I’ve gotten domestically lately is the burger on longer Hawaii flights (although it really needs two ketchup packets), served as the second meal.

Well at least this will be the end of the heart attack sandwiches. Anyone have any insight into the nutritional contents of the ragu?

This points to a possible refresh on existing midcon meals and…let’s hope, the replacement of chicken with Latin rice and the Ragu!
let’s hope!

I wonder what this means for transborder flights that are marketed as First Class? Of course, YVR-SFO is exacly 800 miles, so it would be exempt from hot meals anyway.

I believe DL is 900 miles but the quality of the meals is pretty good compared to UA's current slop and the biggest plus no casserole dishes.

Bizarre that they returned spirits to domestic economy but didn't bring them to international PP or economy before now. Is there some weird covid trick that explains this?

UA doesn't publish nutritional information for the hot meals - suffice it to say you wouldn't want to know and it will have enough sodium to make most people take a pause.

Hmmm. I am flying LAX-LHR on May 30 in Polaris. What might I expect?

Absolutely none. No one has been able to explain it to me and every FA tries to serve liquor on Europe-NA flights only to remember it's not even offered except the free beer & wine.

-RM

Now only if I can get rid of the fistful of drink chits that I have while sitting in economy plus

This is a change that I like

On my calendar, 30 May is before 01 June, so I wouldn't expect anything different.

Had a pretty good service yesterday LHR-BOS. Almost pre-pandemic. No menus, however.

Curious myself about what I can expect on SFO-YYC. The website has just said "snack" for a while. Don't really know what that is.
This. Leading on distance maybe but I'm not sure if the meal I had in Polaris on LHR-SFO last month was even as good as DL's domestic meals.