Dec 15, 2022, 12:59 am
Allergies and UA's inflight food ingredients / procedures
Dec 15, 2022, 9:55 am
#16
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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It's hit and miss. While I haven't seen nuts recently in Polaris meal/Choice/Domestic F options, I recall us flying United internationally a few years ago where the Economy chicken option had cashews.
Dec 19, 2022, 3:36 am
#17
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,751
Honestly if its a "horirbly allergic" situation bringing your own food is probably the best bet. A restaurant would always want to be given a head up about things. Airlines serve a lot of nuts. Why risk it?
Dec 19, 2022, 9:33 pm
#18
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ORD, MKE
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yeah, I guess "horribly" was a bit of an exaggeration. We've had airline food in the past without issues, but it's always been packaged food with ingredients on them. Cross-contamination isn't an issue, but it'd be a problem is a piece of cashew was hidden in the chicken. Either way, you're right, not worth risking while 30k ft above the Pacific. If there's anything prepackaged, that's great, otherwise, we'll have our own food. I was just hoping, like restaurants (and like their choice menu items), United would be able to tell us what was in their other meals.
Dec 20, 2022, 12:16 am
#19
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The food prep for airlines is done far away from where it is being served, consist of multiple options systemwide and prepared by multiple entities making uniformity a larger challenge.
Dec 20, 2022, 9:24 am
#20
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Except some airlines are better than others. With Finnair, JAL, ANA, Air France and Singapore, for example, you can request nutfree meals beforehand.
Dec 20, 2022, 9:54 am
#21
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And, of course, its a legal requirement within the EU to advise customers of allergens on request, so not really difficult for UA to comply.
Dec 20, 2022, 10:17 am
#22
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Feb 11, 2023, 3:44 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA silver
Posts: 127
How can I let UA know about a food allergy before flight?
Help needed.
Mrs Man is allergic to milk products. I booked MAN>FRA>IAH>SCL via Expedia in a Polaris P bucket. Lufthansa knew about the allergy but both UA flights had no knowledge. Everything on menu had milk somewhere so two long haul flights in business class meant some fruit and a packet of crisps.
We dont want the same nonsense on the way back in a few weeks so does anyone have an email address we can use? The app doesnt have a function to report allergies.
Many thanks in advance
Mrs Man is allergic to milk products. I booked MAN>FRA>IAH>SCL via Expedia in a Polaris P bucket. Lufthansa knew about the allergy but both UA flights had no knowledge. Everything on menu had milk somewhere so two long haul flights in business class meant some fruit and a packet of crisps.
We dont want the same nonsense on the way back in a few weeks so does anyone have an email address we can use? The app doesnt have a function to report allergies.
Many thanks in advance
Last edited by ManInExitRow; Feb 11, 2023 at 4:22 pm
Feb 11, 2023, 5:59 pm
#24
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,608
Help needed.
Mrs Man is allergic to milk products. I booked MAN>FRA>IAH>SCL via Expedia in a Polaris P bucket. Lufthansa knew about the allergy but both UA flights had no knowledge. Everything on menu had milk somewhere so two long haul flights in business class meant some fruit and a packet of crisps.
We dont want the same nonsense on the way back in a few weeks so does anyone have an email address we can use? The app doesnt have a function to report allergies.
Many thanks in advance
Mrs Man is allergic to milk products. I booked MAN>FRA>IAH>SCL via Expedia in a Polaris P bucket. Lufthansa knew about the allergy but both UA flights had no knowledge. Everything on menu had milk somewhere so two long haul flights in business class meant some fruit and a packet of crisps.
We dont want the same nonsense on the way back in a few weeks so does anyone have an email address we can use? The app doesnt have a function to report allergies.
Many thanks in advance
Feb 11, 2023, 9:03 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
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Posts: 1,412
If you're paying for Polaris, a premium product, you would hope they could cater to a special diet.
However...
I highly recommend you guys bring something yourself as a backup. (and honestly, the way UA catering is lately, Mrs. Man will probably have the best meal in the house).
However...
I highly recommend you guys bring something yourself as a backup. (and honestly, the way UA catering is lately, Mrs. Man will probably have the best meal in the house).
Feb 11, 2023, 9:30 pm
#27
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Location: NYC
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They dont cater to special situations other than the handful of special meals you can order.
Vegan would seem to be the only option that would be guaranteed non-dairy.
Otherwise bring your own food.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...g/special.html
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...allergies.html
Vegan would seem to be the only option that would be guaranteed non-dairy.
Otherwise bring your own food.
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...g/special.html
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...allergies.html
Feb 11, 2023, 10:22 pm
#28
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Feb 11, 2023, 10:24 pm
#29
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this. I would just buy my own food at airport if I couldnt cook it at home. Airline food is designed to be decent for most pax. Any allergies and such a pax should just bring their own. This is a flight, not a $30 meal at a restaurant. And yes I know that airport food is tricky.
Feb 11, 2023, 10:25 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: San Francisco, CA
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Do both - Pre-order the vegan meal, as folks are suggesting, and also bring backup food. My SO has a dairy allergy as well, and on more than one occasion, the requested (and confirmed in writing) vegan meal did not make it on board. Granted, this was on AA, but it’s not like UA is any better at not making mistakes IMO. Although, do send an email to customer service if that happens and you’ll probably get some bonus miles as an apology.