United Airlines will offer fresh complimentary meals to economy class passengers on longer Hawaiian flights starting in August.
Complimentary Meals Return To Hawaiian Flights On United Airlines
Effective August 1, 2021, United Airlines will offer a complimentary snack or meal on its longer Hawaiian flights. Depending upon the distance, passengers will receive either a sandwich or multi-course cold meal.
- Denver/Houston to Honolulu/Maui – Complimentary cold sandwich
- Honolulu/Maui to Denver/Houston – Complimentary fresh meal (served cold)
- Chicago/Newark/Washington ⇄ Honolulu/Maui – Complimentary fresh meal (served cold)
The sandwich selection will include a meat or vegetarian option while the fresh meal service will include:
- A main course such as grilled chicken breast with vegetables
- Bread roll
- Sliced pineapple cubes
- KIND bar
Initially, complimentary meals will be available only on flights to and from Honolulu and Maui, as flight kitchens in Lihue and Kona have not yet re-opened. That requires double catering from the United hub.
Flights between San Francisco/Los Angeles/Orange Country and the Hawaiian islands were originally scheduled to receive complimentary meal service as well, but that has been scaled back. Those flights will remain buy onboard for now, with a variety of snacks and beverages available for purchase. Lihue and Kona flights will also offer buy-on-board service.
Alcoholic beverages will remain for purchase.
CONCLUSION
This is a big step forward in offering the sort of premium service on United that was not even available prior to the pandemic. The meals actually look lovely, with fresh fruit and entrees that rival (if not surpass) the hot meals offered in the first class cabin.
While United has moved quickly in response to Southwest’s expansion in Hawaii, this move seems more geared at Delta and American customers, who did receive free meals on longer Hawaiian flights prior to the pandemic.
While no one is likely to choose to fly on United because of the meal alone, the addition of complimentary meals is another important step in demonstrating United’s new commitment to customer service.
Will this mean that the PP and First class meals will be upgraded as well? Would make sense to provide improved meals to the premium cabins if economy is also receiving a meal
I would definitely pass.
Great graphic: is that from a United poster collection?
Lihue and Kona never had flight kitchens and required double catering from hubs
Well, United tells employees those flights kitchens are “not open.”
The flight kitchens at LIH and KIA are “not open” the same way the Five Guys restaurant is “not open” in my house.
So do you roundtrip catering when you go to Five Guys? Sorry couldn’t resist thinking that…
I have seen photos of these new meals, and they actually look pretty tasty. Better than many of you would expect.
Sounds better than what AA is serving in First from LAX/PHX – Hawaii.
Which is a snackbox? I’m on PHX-HNL next month in Premium Economy, so curious if I will get anything other than drinks.
Unlike UA, AA indicates on their website that they consider premium economy domestically to be nothing more than economy with a better seat. Standard economy service there.
No enhanced meals like UA provides for PP
Probably can’t do anything out of CA airports, because the coach galleys have been ripped out of all of the narrow body planes.
Why did they ever dump meal service in the first place ?? 6-7+ hour flights with no meal service ??? Who does that?, …. oh, yeah, United, of course. They always back track years too late.
Actually all US carriers did this when they were facing bankruptcy post 9/11. They transitioned to buy on board food in economy to lower ticket cost so people like you who always complain about stuff like this could afford to go to Hawaii. See you in the friendly and affordable skies JoEllen
Ugh, finally. Having a 10.5 hour flight flight with no meal service and no opportunity to purchase meals is not only cruel but also unhealthy. The snack boxes they had for sale were terrible (and even if you liked them, they aren’t gonna last 10 hours). You can bring your own meal, sure, but since perishables only last a few hours, that won’t get you even through half the flight. How they could even consider no meal service even during the pandemic is absurd.
Will UA serve complimentary meal between Hawaii and Guam?
That poster is from pre-statehood days, when William Patterson who ran United (and grew up in Hawai’i) expanded travel opportunities between the Islands and the Mainland US.