United Airlines is introducing two new items to its buy-on-board menu in economy class this month, including a bento tray. But if you are expecting Japanese food, the word “bento” is being used in its broadest sense.
United Airlines Introduces Two New Snacks For Purchase In Economy, Including Bento Tray
Recently, United Airlines resumed onboard sales of snacks, food, and alcohol on select flights out of Denver. United is also testing a new contactless payment system, which eliminates any flight attendant handling of credit or debit cards.
In addition to United’s usual snack box line-up, the following two items can now be found onboard:
- Bistro Box: A snackbox that includes Wheat Thins, smoked gouda spread, salami and a fruit and nut mix
- Sweet Cinilla Bliss Bento Tray: A fresh, vegetarian items that includes blueberries and grapes, cinnamon roasted almonds and granola
These items still have not been added to the online menu, but are available on flights from Denver (DEN) to the following cities:
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
- Honolulu (HNL)
- Houston (IAH)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Newark (EWR)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
- Washington National (DCA)
1K and Global Services members who are not upgraded are eligible for either new item for free.
CONCLUSION
It’s nice to see United diversify its onboard offerings beyond snacks with a long shelf life. Blueberries, grapes, and almonds sounds like a nice snack to me. Hopefully we’ll see a full restoration of fresh food in the months ahead.
Have you tried United’s new snack box or bento tray? Is the use of the term “bento” for a non-Japanese dish constitute cultural appropriation?
> Read More: United Airlines Moves To Contactless Onboard Payments, Will Resume Buy-On-Board Service
> Read More: United Airlines Flight Attendants Concerned Over Onboard Service Resumptions
So no sushi or rice? It seems like a regular old “snack box” with a fancy name. I never understand why airlines can’t just offer something simple. It’s not like we need a fancy name to buy it on the plane as a captive audience.
Bento my ass, that’s not even a lunchable
So what would make you happy? This is the first fresh fruit I’ve seen on board in economy in forever, and they are doing it with the COVID challenges. Kudos to the United team for raising the bar! I can’t wait to see this come to my city!
Whatever, it’s definitely “cleaner” & healthier eating than the Box O Carbs that has been a staple in Economy for years now. I welcome it – would prefer it in F over the nasty looking all carb/no protein sandwiches as of late too.
Agreed!
Somehow I doubt you would pick this ersatz bento box over a United burger with all the fixins.
You are most definitely correct.
United awesome job I can’t tell you how exciting it is to have fresh fruit clean and natural on a flight I’ll take three! I’m definitely flying on United whenever there is the opportunity now!
Has a platinum 1K million-mile flyer I truly believe you guys are doing all the right things!
This is so pathetic, United. Bento boxes are a meal. What is described here is far from a ‘true’ bento. If you serve this to a chef claiming it’s a ‘bento’, you would be chewed out beyond belief. Is this just a way to bump up the price tag? It’s a box of snacks, so here’s a novel concept,: call it a ‘snack box’. It’s an exercise in rebranding that I’m guessing that United paid an expensive consulting or marketing firm big bucks to come up with this gem. It’s misleading and insults the intelligence of your customers.
Call it what you want but I’d take fresh fruit (fresh anything!) on my flights any day before I eat another dry snack box that could double as bunker food.
Agreed. This is better than the current selection.
United Airlines, y el costo ? Porque es una aerolínea carísima, compre a mi hija un vuelo de Sacramento California a Houston tx, precio segun rebajado 300.00 dólares carísimo más a parte no Ofrecía nada de snacks, y a ella le cobraron 130.00 dlrs por su maleta en Sacramento California y llegando a Houston Tx, le volvieron a cobrar otros 130.00 por la misma Maleta, muy mala experiencia, no vuelvo jamás a comprar un vuelo de esa Aerolínea. Unos Aprovechados. Que se queden con sus nuevos bocadillos, no lo dudo la ofrezcan al mismo precio de un vuelo
Jeannie, you are overestimating the intelligence of the average United customer.
By the way, if you are a nipponphile like myself, then you would be even more outraged at what this hotel considers to be a ryokan.
https://paloalto.nobuhotels.com/ryokan/
Thanks for sharing this info with us Matthew. I love the option of something fresh, new, and different. Thank you to United, as well.
To everyone else, by the way, a “Bento Box,” defined literally, just means multi-compartmented box. It does not require Japanese food in it just because the term may have originated there.
Why so much negativity, people? Try therapy; it does wonders for your outlook on life 🙂
No one has mentioned that the 5 blueberry bento box is a joke!