Help shape the future of Polaris dining...
 

Been getting a few Polaris related surveys over the last few months.

The latest is titled "Help shape the future of Polaris dining" and based on the questions it seems they are interested in feedback regarding single tray, fast service and individual course, extended service and variations based on flight departure time and length.

Examples were, Polaris flight leaving @ 2PM lasting 9 - 11 hours and Polaris flight leaving @ midnight lasting 13 hours and a variety of questions regarding preferences during both of those scenarios.

UA would be much better served taking all the money it spends on consultants and surveys and spending it instead on higher quality food.

This is just classic middle-management butt-covering. "We made the decision based on market research and our consultants' recommendations."

I think there was a thread about these surveys being part of an effort to charge for things that currently come with Polaris, so it looks like they plan to come out of it with more money, not less...

This survey made me realize how UA’s catering management and operations have simply lost the plot. It’s a survey focused on how they can deliver the least service possible.

All of this sent out on the very day Delta announced new Chef collaborations and a partnership with Bon Appetit.

UA’s catering is sadly the “bad haircut” analogy - the more they “work” on it the worse it looks …

Well then let's add "misleading" to the litany of complaints. I sincerely doubt any UA frequent flyer is going to say "I'd really like to pay more for less."

One "cost cutting" change I would be on board with is significantly reduced service on short overnight flights, e.g., east coast and ORD to Europe. BA's concept of dine in the lounge, keep the lights fully off after takeoff, only offer on demand a small plated snack (e.g., cheese plate or something that can be served with minimal fuss and noise), and keep the lights mostly/fully off through breakfast worked like a charm on those short overnight flights to LHR, amounting to at least an extra hour of sleep.

Due to customer feedback..... it's going to get even worse.

While I prefer to eat before boarding a TATL, not everyone arrives at the airport early enough to do that.

United’s race to the bottom continues.

100% agree. At one point in the survey, I put in the comments something like "stop focusing on single tray"

Now that is a high bar to set - partnering with Bon Appetit :rolleyes:

This is classic UA -- why anyone is surprised I don't know.... The process goes like this:

1) Identify the area where you want to cut costs
2) Hire external consultants to game a survey to produce the results that support the initial goal
3) Implement the changes and tell everyone that UA delivered what you wanted...

UA Is better than most at shamelessly leveraging whatever it can to justify "Changes we like" -- whether it is COVID, Employee Safety, monetizing the app / TV screens in front of us, etc....

This lemming has just about had it....

UA has zero interest in what the recipients have to say. Catering is the first thing to be cut and the last last restored. The surveys just give people the impression UA cares about what they think. The results probably die quite a few floors below the corporate executive offices.

United has known for years their catering sucks and they don’t do anything about it - irrespective of surveys, passenger comments, FA annoyance, etc.

Do you want your cruddy UA meal served over an hour, or do you want the slop on one tray? Gee - what a fine choice…

I prefer to take my time eating, so I can force it all down my throat. So I suppose it doesn't really matter.

Good leads the way! :rolleyes:

Anyone wishing for minimalistic service can surely just refuse and that’s the end of it, “please don’t wake me for any meal service” and then press that red lamp button! For the rest of us paying $5,000-10,000 for a Polaris round trip on UA, a gourmet meal and a solicitous service of libations should be a reasonable expectation. How did some of us get ourselves into this Stockholm syndrome?

Here is the thread: Polaris Plus. The catering will be excellent as long as you are willing to pay more :)
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...-class-20.html