In an era of sustained profitability, it is confusing when airlines make customer-unfriendly, logically dubious cutbacks to premium class meal service. But that’s exactly what United Airlines has just done on domestic first class flights.
The North American Premium Cabin Dining page on united.com is about as verbose as the fares rules on a ticket. Here’s what changed on September 01, 2017, per qukslvr619 on Flyertalk.
Flights 2:30-2:59 hrs
Breakfast: Remove breakfast breads only
Lunch: Two cold meal options and a chocolate truffle (vs one hot and one cold option, mixed nuts/bread/side)
Dinner: One hot meal/one cold meal option (vs two hot options); offers mixed nuts/bread/salad/dessertFlights 3:00-3:59
Breakfast/Lunch: No change
Dinner: One hot meal/one cold meal option (vs two hot options); offers mixed nuts/bread/salad/dessertFlights 4:00-5:24 (exc. transcons)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner have cold and hot meal options (vs two hot-meals)
Pre-plated dessert replaces ice cream/sorbet on lunch/dinner flights
Not mentioned, but transcon redeyes (except for premium service routes) will no longer receive a hot sandwich with salad or fruit, only a snack basket.
Look Familiar? It is. This is the way Continental Airlines did meal service…a decade ago.
But what you probably won’t see is the re-introduction of soup and salad on dinner flights, one thing I always enjoyed about flying on Continental.
What is United’s Goal?
United is discounting premium class fares like never before, with paid first class tickets very reasonable on many domestic routes. It has led to fewer complimentary elite upgrades but more paid passengers. I would think that offering an edible meal would help justify the purchase of first class. I would also think that United wants people to continue to pay for first class, not send out the cabin full of upgraders and non-revs.
So my guess is that United simply thinks it can get away with this. That food is simply a small factor and that these strategic cuts will save the company millions while most consumers won’t mind.
And maybe that is indeed right…it just strikes as wholly antithetical to CEO Oscar Munoz’s promise to create a world-class airline. World-class airlines don’t let the bean counters control things…
Scott Kirby is simply doing what Doug Parker taught him to do @ USdbaAA.
How does this compare to others?
What does American or Delta offer in domestic first? Do they offer more bang for the buck?
I’d say Delta is by far the best and now United sinks almost to the levels of AA.
On what basis is Delta ‘by far the best’.
Take a look at the Delta food thread on FT – or fly them on run of the mill domestic flights.
Aside from the JFK premium transcons, where they’re a bit better than UA and AA, don’t see anything objective that makes Delta ‘by far the best’ for domestic catering.
They’ve cut in the last year – in a stealth way like so many things Delta. A non premium transcon offers a thimble sized salad and plastic tub of ice cream all on one tray. That’s it.
You’re more objective about UA than others, and while a cut is never welcome, it’s time to be more aware of what the other airlines did before UA announced this. We have an industry issue here to fight.
Exactly. Thank you!
Out of curiosity, is it possible to buy hot food/meal at the airport, go through security, eat it onboard? Or maybe you can ask FA to heat it for you?
Or maybe united shall open a food stall on boarding area, purchase food before boarding? Lower cost, no catering…..
Yes, anything you buy after going through security- you can take onboard and eat. The crew probably won’t heat it up for you though because then they become liable if you become ill after eating it, etc.
The airline’s strategy is to force people to eat at the lounge or airport concessions. The amount of wasted food per flight is significant per crew I’ve spoken to. As you noticed in the LH flight, most wealthy individuals skip the meals. The airline has no incentive to cater to the masses.
All things Continental even over five years since the merger. I give up.
I agree with txrus. To me this has less to do with emulating Continental, and Scott Kirby bringing the worst of USdbaAA with him. Cutting to profitability has always been his and Doug Parker’s modus operandi.
A disincentive to buy UA first class domestic.
In fact, some of the “snacks” aren’t too bad. I yo-yo between EWR and FLL, there is one “snack” that’s like an omlette that is delicious and FILLING.
HOWEVER, that wicker basket with unripened bananas and teensy bags of pretzels and chips that they QUICKLY flash before your eyes before you’ve had a chance to make up your mind is DEPLORABLE.
Still, I wish that a “real” meal would be offered in First on United.
It’s so, so sad.
Not to mention, that once but twice, United had a meal service listed on their express flights from Omaha to Newark. I purposely didn’t eat any dinner and when I boarded the flight nothing was said but after we took off, they came around with a ‘snack’ basket. I asked the FA what happened to the meal ? She gave me this look, as if she was surprised I asked, and then knelt down and told me that on the last stop, they forgot to load the meal on the plane? I mean, really now. This happened to me on another flight and I can’t help to think this was intentional on UA’s part to cut back expenses and try to ‘get away with it.’ I asked the FA for the TAPAS snack basket from economy, and she gladly got it for me. Oh, the horror.