When you’re loyal to one airline, you tend to the run into the same meal often. Sometimes that is a curse, sometimes that is a blessing. In the case of United Airlines, the cheeseburger continues to be a blessing. After another great meal, I cannot help but to feature it once again in this week’s Meal of the Week segment.
I flew Air Serbia to New York JFK on Tuesday and had a business class connection back to LAX on United for a flight leaving at 9:35p. I arrived into JFK at noon and figured I would have plenty of time to get across town to Newark (EWR).
The journey to Newark took much longer than I expected, but I arrived at 5pm. By then, I just wanted to get home. Doing something I rarely do, I gave up my business class seat to fly standby on a flight leaving at 5:30p. Why? Well, to get home early of course. Also because I figured I would be more productive working for five hours on the flight then going to bed rather than working in the lounge, sleeping on the flight, then waking up to drive home.
But there was one other reason as well: I knew I could still have my hamburger. Honestly, that made the choice to fly coach on the earlier flight a little easier. While not served on a porcelain dish over a cloth placemat with real silverware, it was the same delicious burger. And unlike in first class, you get these amazing French Fry/crisps in economy class.
Look, you can laugh at me for having so much affinity for a terribly unhealthy airline cheeseburger, but let me tell you: I am not the only one!
I share your affinity for the cheeseburger, a guilty pleasure I picked up from the CO days. I have no idea why, honestly, but the few times I’ve flown CO/UA up front, I’d always looked forward to wolfing that down.
French fry crisps? Props for attempts at inclusion, I guess, but pick one.
I didn’t know how else to describe them. They are crunchy potato chips (in the US, not British sense of the word). I thought that was less confusing then saying French fries / chips which people would think are synonymous. So I used crisps!
The fries are definitely misleading. They look like the good stuff from McDonald’s but are actually cold chips.
I fly United exclusively, and I just saw the cheeseburger in domestic first class for the first time. I suppose my food tastes are simpler than many people have, but for several years in first class United has had a lot of Asian foods, Indian spices, and Mexican dishes, and I haven’t cared much for many of them. I often just skip the meal rather than eat food that isn’t interesting. The burger was a delightful change, and it was quite tasty. I suspect a lot of passsengers will consider it low class, though, and criticize the airline for it. As we know, you can’t satisfy everyone.
Bon Appétit! I only take issue with the pretzel roll not being grilled with garlic butter before the catering service placing the beef patty inside. Imagine if it was a Wagyu beef, smoked Gouda, thick double smoked Tennessee bacon, Dijon mustard sriracha homemade mayo. 😉
I would also like to add the stroopwafels they give out to everyone on morning flights. Those things are more addicting than crack!
I agree–the consistently available cheeseburger in coach is a bonus. You’re killing me with the news that it is being rotated off. Why? Too popular?