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Home  >  News • United Airlines  >  United Will Trial New Express Dining Service Concept In Business Class
NewsUnited Airlines

United Will Trial New Express Dining Service Concept In Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 30, 2019November 14, 2023 9 Comments

a man serving food to a woman in an airplane

United will trial express dining service for all Polaris Business Class passengers on late-evening transatlantic departures from Washington Dulles next month.

I’ve written about the problem of late-evening departures to Europe before. Eastbound transatlantic flights from the East Coast are short enough already, with flights to Dublin or London often clocking in at less than six hours in the air. Throw in a full meal service after takeoff and breakfast before landing and that leaves very little time for sleeping.

United already offers express dining as a choice, but in my experience the noise of serving others negates any value of the express dining service unless you are a very sound sleeper. Others complained about this too, leading to a trial in Washington Dulles that will begin next week.

Starting April 01st, United will offer the appetizer, salad, and main course on a single tray. Ice cream, cheese, and petit fours will be served from the galley rather than by cart. The goal of the trial is to gauge whether passengers will appreciate the expedited service in exchange for a longer rest. No food will actually be cut: the menu items will resemble what they have for the last few years (albeit on the new casserole dishes we saw unveiled earlier this month).

Trial flights will include late evening departures from Washington Dulles to:
  • Dublin (UA126)
  • Frankfurt (UA932)
  • Lisbon (UA168)
  • London (UA924)
Depending upon customer feedback, United will either make this program permanent and also expand it to Newark or eliminate it.

Why Washington Dulles when Newark is the East Coast airport with a Polaris Lounge? A United spokesperson told me that this represents a conscious choice to try the meal service from a smaller hub with a team on the ground to more closely monitor and analyze customer reaction.

A Polaris lounge is already under construction at Washington Dulles and will be completed by the middle of 2020.

> Read More: United Airlines Will Invest Millions More At Washington Dulles

CONCLUSION

United has invested a lot in offering superb Saks Fifth Avenue bedding in business class and customers, myself included, consistently value shut-eye on short, late-night flights. Thus, I think this new express service trial is a smart move. As long as United doesn’t use this as an opportunity to scale back further on the quality or quantity of food onboard, I see this an acceptable tradeoff to maximize the comfort of the most passengers in business class.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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9 Comments

  1. Debit Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 10:05 am

    Airlines should open lounges on the ground. Feed them there. No service in flights going to Europe. Or just hand out coupons at checkins to be used at airport restaurants.

  2. Sam G Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 10:57 am

    Exactly what BA does – although you can eat on board (and in fact the offering has grown again recently) they offer a restaurant in lounges such as JFK for Club World biz passengers, so you can dine before you board and then get straight to sleep. In my experience most do so there is very little service noise in the cabin

    • Arthur Reply
      March 30, 2019 at 6:28 pm

      Preflight dining is what makes the BA lounge for CW passengers one of the best lounges at IAD. Decent wine and champagne is another.

      I’d take this. Better too fast than too slow. I have three flights on UA coming up to CDG, MAD and MUC, but guess I won’t see it.

      By the way, I have not actually noticed any construction at IAD yet.

  3. Greg Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 11:24 am

    I ask United How will they deploy the cost savings from this for a better experience on day flights and earlier departuers? Or in better quality food on these late departures.

    Otherwise this is another cost cut to the bottom.

    • 121Pilot Reply
      March 30, 2019 at 11:51 am

      Greg,

      What cost savings? It’s the exact same food just being served differently. Even if there is a cost savings this is being done to improve the flight experience not to save money. And it’s being trialed to see if customers like it or not.

      I’m not seeing the negatives here.

  4. Alex Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 5:13 pm

    Lufthansa did (or is still doing) the same thing. I hate it.

    I pay for Business Class and I want a full Business Class service. Those who want to sleep can eat in the lounges, put on their eye-masks and ear plugs and go to sleep. No need to not provide proper service.

    Besides: it makes no sense to serve the appetizer and the main course on the same plate. If you eat the appetizer as it should be eaten, you end up with a cold main course. If you want a hot main course, the appetizer turns into a dessert.

    Either way: I do not like that concept!

  5. Philip pedreschi Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    Most of time I would not have time to eat prior boarding.. hence I prefer the service on board.. this is nothing else but cutting back for United.. UA NEVER do any change programme for the Customer benefit.. it’s saving money to lessen the upset of shareholders Nothing else. Anyway wount effect me much as I don’t use this excuse of an airline

  6. Bobby Reply
    March 30, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    If you don’t like it please write to United and tell them you do not prefer this and would rather have the regular meal service. They listen to status members alot more then they listen to anyone else. Use your voice for them to do what you want. Casserole dishes are a common thing because that’s what customers wanted.

  7. Ryan VB Reply
    April 2, 2019 at 10:03 am

    What nonsense. Since the Feb 1 meal cuts, UA Polaris meals are barely edible. They might as well be express dining now, as the meager, low-quality “courses” barely qualify as a “meal”.

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