threeoh

Haven't used UA's system yet as it hasn't launched, but for AS's you can select food for each passenger on the reservation, up to 1 meal each. Obviously UA's may work differently since it includes snacks and beverages.

United does not force anyone to purchase connecting flights. You take risks when you book a connection, including that you may lose your seats, pre-ordered meal, or upgrade if you miss your connection and are reaccomodated on a later flight.

Based on the wording of the announcement and the practice of other airlines, it sounds like you only get charged if you are in the seat to receive the food, so no worries about that.

Look, no one is making you use this new option. You can continue to buy in the airport, bring your own, or buy on board from remaining options if you prefer. For a lot of us this is an improvement, since we can book ahead and know they won't run out.

DELee

Right now, with how UA's reduced its domestic schedule and only flying into specific airports from specific hubs, yes, it is forcing me to purchase connecting flights.

Yup. Them's the risks.

It's only an improvement if UA has an effective system that we, the caterers, the FAs, etc. can use.

Can't wait.

David

emcampbe

Presumably, they'd load the specific pre-orders for those who ordered them - I'd suspect similar to how they provided special meals for those who ordered them in the past (although...given the records on that...maybe don't expect too much?). And then guesstimate how many of what items they'd need for the rest of the cabin, similar to how they do it today, just with presumably a bit tougher way of getting it accurate with less potential orders for these.

I'm waiting to see what the deal will be on the cutoff to order. i.e., will you be able to order if you are upgraded at T-24? Clearly, if upgraded at the gate, you wouldn't have a chance to pre-order. And as I wondered upthread, how will that affect the choice for these customers. I realize no system is perfect, but if you have a history of, say, knowing in general how to roughly accurately predict the preferences of a 16-seat F cabin - clearly, it's not always going to be 100% accurate, but much of the time, it would presumably come close. But let's say that 16-seat F cabin is full, but there are only 4 that couldn't pre-order - the chances of being as accurate with the smaller number is less. 2 vegetarians, for example, and you may have an issue.

Also, in IRROPS, what will happen? Will the order transfer over to the new flight if there is, say, 2 hours notice of the change? 3? Some other number? Or would it just get removed, and you could order whatever is left on the new flight.

I'd say that is potential, but again, will depend on uptake and how good their forecasting model is for the rest of the pax. Forecasting based on a smaller number of pax is probably trickier (although if fresh food isn't involved, presumably unopened snack boxes could be used for other flights).

I believe the limited recline box only contains 70% of the items of the regular recline box (which 70% will be a mystery&#128512.

Agreed, this would be really good for fresh options. One of the issues with fresh options is, IIRC, any leftovers need to be thrown out after the flight. Snackboxes, I don't think that's the case. It would be great, if at a minimum, fresh food could be available on flights of at least X miles, exclusively available for pre-order, and then snacks available to buy on board or pre-order.

The release is clear that you are only charged when you receive it at your seat. I'm not sure where the disconnect is. So no charge if you aren't in the seat to receive it. As for misconnects, that was my question above. Is there some cutoff where the order would follow the change?

Nobody is forced to purchase connecting flight, no matter UAs routing options...at the moment...or ever. If you want to fly UA specifically, then yes, connecting might be your only option, but certainly, there's no one 'forcing' you to book that. There are other airlines - if you want to fly nonstop, you can pick an airline that offers the nonstop service (if available).

Look, I need to go SFO-YYZ in October, UAs nonstops don't start until November. So for my trip, I can choose to get on AC nonstop, or fly UA (or another carrier) with a connection. Nobody is forcing me to take the UA connection (and based on the nonstop pricing being cheaper, I'd say UA is not only not 'forcing' me to fly a UA connection, but even encouraging me not to).

Doppy

I don't know what they use onboard, but this is the sausage ingredient list from one of the main plant-based companies:



And here are the ingredients from a meat based one:

Quote:

PORK SALIVARY GLANDS AND FAT, CHORIZO SEASONING (PAPRIKA, SALT, SPICES, MUSTARD, GARLIC POWDER), PORK, VINEGAR, SOY GRITS, SODIUM NITRITE.

DELee

Yum!

David

Dublin_rfk

Call me an anti faux'er but I don't want any part of it. I get enough chemical input as it is. I'm sure that I'm already pumped so full of preservatives that I won't require embalming when I pass on.

SPN Lifer

Who eats pork salivary glands without sodium nitrite?

�Mucho gusto, UA!

raehl311

Have a flight 8/10 ORD-SMF. Got the email a couple days ago about this option - but do not see any way to actually pre-order. Clicked the link in the email, it takes me to a page explaining the program, but the only thing to click on is a button that says "View Current Trip Details", which takes me to the general reservation information page with the usual change/cancel/seat change etc options, but I don't see anything about food/beverage pre-order. (Currently in Y.)

Did they just abandon this and forget to disable the emails?

cesco.g

Are AA and DL offering these on domestic flights in F & Y?

raehl311

Looks like United isn't actually doing this. Still no option to select anything for my Wednesday ORD-SMF flight on either the website or the app despite getting an email advertising the program 4 days ago.

BobOscar

While you're joking here, US Air did charge for water (I think $2, just like for a can of Coke or any other non-alcoholic beverage) a few years before they were bought by AA.

cmculp

For the 2nd (of 2) times I�ve flown with the option to pre-select my meal (now for a Thursday ORD-SEA), there is only a single choice to choose from. For this flight, a vegi enchilada with Spanish rice. Am I missing the point??

raehl311

You're doing better than me, I got the email but there seemed to be no way to select options at all.

For you if you select now, it "reserves" the selection for the flight so you should get it before anyone else.

cmculp

In theory, it solves the �who gets which of the two options� problem by matching supply to demand. As a 1K, this shouldn�t have been a frequent problem, but it was due to the front to back ordering.

but if you are going to serve a single thing, why bother?

**Could it be that there are 2 choices, catered in usual ratio, and the other choice has already been maxed out?**

arma5

Right! That's potentially one of the big wins here, for those in coach. In the Before Times (back when half of E+ was 1k's) I had a tradeoff to make -- choose row 7 or 8 if I want a tapas box, or choose row 21 if I want the legroom. Here, I can have my tapas box *and* my legroom? That sounds promising.

Bonus that I might be able to avoid the standard interaction from the window seat of "Juice Drop IPA please" "what?" "beer!"