Pretzels are out. A “fresh” appetizer is in. United Airlines is promising a more premium meal in international economy class starting next month on flights between Europe and the United States.
Goodbye Pretzels: United Airlines Adds Fresh Appetizers In International Economy
A memo to flight attendants shared with Live And Let’s Fly states, “…we’re reimagining the in-flight service delivery to offer a more premium experience without lengthening the service.” Specifically, United Airlines will introduce a fresh packaged appetizer in place of the beverage snack service (which is currently pretzels when departing the USA and breadsticks when flying out of Europe or the UK).
The new service procedure includes a three-step process:
- Pre-meal service: Beverage and starter cart (tray setup with cutlery, salad, dressing, bread, butter, fresh packaged appetizer, and dessert).
- Pick up as needed
- Main meal service: Beverage and entree cart. Use a black tray to offer a choice of warm entrees to customers from the cart.
If that last part sounds familiar, it is because this is how Delta Air Lines offers meals in international economy class (although my understanding is that Delta does not offer bread and butter or a salad, just the appetizer + main course with crackers and cheese).
United tells flight attendants this will not “lengthen” the service, and I suppose that is true, though handing out trays is going to take a few seconds longer than handing out pretzels.
There are two exceptions to this new service where the entire meal will continue to be served on a single tray:
- Flights with a wheels-up time of 8:00 pm or later
- Flights operated by a Boeing 767-300 (due to staffing ratios and galley space)
This service will be on flights between the UK/Europe and the United States. United is also testing an enhanced dinner roll service (served via a basket rather than individually wrapped) on routes between Los Angeles/Washington Dulles and London.
Great Food In Economy Class Is Possible
Of course one objective of this blog is to help readers use miles and points wisely to avoid international economy class, but I’ve flown in the back of the bus many, many times over the years and I do reconize that United’s food, at least in economy, is decidely above average, especially when it comes to midfligh snacks and pre-arrival meals (which will remain…including a hot sandwich mid-flight and a full hot breakfast on flights from the West Coast to the UK or Europe).
Furthermore, my recent flights on JetBlue in transatlantic economy class have shown that it is possible to offer fresh, healthy, and delicious food onboard. Now JetBlue has cut warm meals, which is a shame, but it still provides a model for how United and other carriers who wish to lead can approach meals.
People generally are not loyal to an airline because of the meal service, but I can tell you I look forward to flying JetBlue…maybe United is realizing that offering nicer meals onboard will not only lead to higher NPS scores, but genuinely create loyal customers, the sort of “sticky” customers as CEO Scott Kirby calls them, even who regularly fly in economy class.
> Read More: United Airlines CEO Thinks Customers Are “Sticky”
CONCLUSION
United Airlines will offer fresh appetizers on transatlantic flights starting in September 2025. It will also serve meals in two courses, similar to business class. I think United already offers better food than American and Delta in longhaul economy class (unlike in business class…) and this will only lengthen United’s lead.
I think with more people “dropping back” to Premium/Main Cabin Plus this is welcome news or be it a small incremental increase in service. As a whole US carriers are behind their counterparts. Never the less good news as I have an upcoming trip to FCO “main cabin Plus.”
Still don’t understand how people need a meal on a 5-6-7 hour flight. Eat before the flight at the airport, or don’t, trust me you’ll live.
Regardless of “upgraded meals”, it’s sh#t trying to be fancy, a fast food meal is just as unhealthy and tastes better. If you can afford to fly to America, you can afford a meal or 2. Or better yet, Don’t come here.
Most of us on business trips don’t have time to schedule meals plus the food at the airport is actually awful and crappy. So instead of paying for low grade food at the airport we like to options…whether eat before coming to the airport, eat in the lounge, eat the expensive rot at the airport or eat on the plane. Options are good and better options are even better.
More power to your relaxed lifestyle if you are able to plan your meals! I eat when I get hungry and not eat ahead of time during my busy life!
I agree with your points but I try to eat as healthy as I can and it is very difficult o do that on lounges and airplanes. It still surprises me how US airlines love to dump carbs on passengers during their flights. A few weeks ago we flew from Italy to the US on Delta and while my wife and I were on Delta One, my teens were sitting in coach. They shared that in both flights, the meal served before landing was just a “carb bomb”. It was a deep pizza/calzone that was literally dough with almost no filling. They had a bite and left the rest.
I thought Delta served something similar in Delta One as the pre-arrival meal, albeit with a salad?
the length of time between meals is far longer than the length of the flight if meals were not served.
Humans generally eat every 6 hours while awake.
DL does serve salads and bread in economy as well as sometimes crackers and cheese. They are usually on the base tray.
most pre-arrival meals are heavy on carbs regardless of the airline. You are getting off the plane soon and carbs help get you goign; the purpose of feeding you before landing is different than at the beginning of a long flight.
In Delta One, there is a choice which often includes an entree salad which may be vegetarian.
DL also moved to fewer items on economy trays and larger entrees which reduces FA workloads as well as waste since just about everything on an economy tray is individually wrapped; it is in business class as well but FAs remove all the wrappers in the galley.
Hopefully the quality improves, not just the quantity.
Exactly Aaron. I hope that catering starts keeping it simple. Everything need not be sauced to hide and inferior product. Half chicken breasts cut laterally seasoned with basic salt & pepper, will stay moist through reheating and in the end cost less than an unrecognizable casserole . Paired with a green salad would be a treat anymore.
What the F is that supposed to mean? If they provide too much, don’t eat it. It’s like you have no self control with food, just like you don’t with c#cks.
Do us all a favor and go jump off a cliff. The world will be a far better place for it. If you’re too stupid to figure out what I was saying, that’s your issue to deal with (just like your obsession with me and gay sex).
Since I jumped ship and left American for United big changes are coming.
With great fanfare a few years ago, UA did something similar. And slowly be sure they cut back. UA is good at hype.
I remember!
No food for me. Fasting is the best way to fly. You feel lighter. Your digestion is not impaired by having all that food sit in your stomach and sitting down for a long time. No need to worry about going to the bathroom. Mind you, I was impressed with United’s SFO lounge (pre-flight); Pretty good food.
No clue what you mean with the bathroom unless you have issues that normal people don’t, but you are correct on avoiding food.
Anything would be an improvement (based on my recent experience flying from Sweden to Newark). I don’t have high expectations for airline meals in the first place in coach but the “breakfast” was not very appealing, edible but something equal to the cheapest fast-food restaurant quality.
What annoyed me more has northing to do with meals but the usual scowling, old, overweight flight attendants (including the male purser) who served the meals, easily annoyed when passengers didn’t answer “quick enough” or couldn’t hear the two choices.
What does it take to tidy up your appearance, like tucking in your shirt or combing your hair instead of looking like you literally just rolled out of bed and threw it into an unkempt, scrungy knot ?? I guess the ship sailed a long time ago as far as high appearance standards at United.
United is amping up the competition! I like it
” think United already offers better food than American and Delta in longhaul economy class”
Not trying to be shady, but honestly curious. When is the last time you flew economy international on American or Delta? I was going back in your reviews and I couldn’t find one for AA and I stopped on page two of the delta search reviews. Was this a statement based on other website reviews?
I could’ve just easily missed something.
Delta use to offer a salad with bread and butter in coach but stop several years ago after realizing 70% or more of the salads and bread ended up in the trash still in the package it was delivered to the customer. It is good to see United stepping up its game but I’d say in less than a year the salad, bread and butter will go away in coach it’s just wasteful. An appetizer, main course which includes a vegetable and a desert is good enough.
Even in Polaris and Delta One I’d wager 60% or more of the passengers don’t eat the soup and/or salad. I get why airlines feel like they have to serve so much food but truly its nothing but a waste as most people tend to eat the appetizer, main course and they love the desert carts on both airlines. But the first airline to tackle food waste and make meaningful changes to cut food waste would be raked over the coals by mainstream media, social media and blog sites like this. Instead we continue to see airlines board all this food that only ends up in the trash