United has suspended its “mandatory” express dining service on some late-night flights to Europe and is still testing out free meals in economy class on select Hawaiian flights.
In April, United began testing obligatory express dining service on select flights to Europe from Washington Dulles. The appetizer, salad, and main course were served on a single tray. Ice cream and petit fours were served from the galley rather than via cart. United initially cut the cheese plate and hot breakfast prior to landing, but brought it back last month.
Trial flights included late evening departures from Washington Dulles to:
- Dublin (UA126)
- Frankfurt (UA932)
- Lisbon (UA168)
- London (UA924)
Now we are in June and the trial has concluded. United tells me these flights are back to “regular” meal service, with the option for express dining.
Our team is currently reviewing customer feedback so that we can determine next steps.
I’m glad United is reviewing customer feedback, but I’ll add mine here. I think the experiment will only work if everyone has to participate. One person with the light on and clanking away on his cutlery against his plate will keep all those around him up.
Free Sandwiches Continue On Two Hawaiian Routes
I also asked about the complimentary sandwiches United offered in April from Houston to Honolulu and in May from both Houston and Chicago to Honolulu. Will that continue? Will it expand to Newark and Washington Dulles to Honolulu routes? I was told that for now, the status quo would continue:
We continue to test the free sandwiches from IAH-HNL and now from ORD-HNL. We’ll continue to gather feedback before determining next steps.
Even though the European market is far different than the Hawaiian market, offering meals on a 10-hour flight seems like a no-brainer, especially when Hawaiian and Delta do it.
CONCLUSION
United is in a holding pattern right now on both of these meal service items. As long as full a la carte dining is not in the cards, I’d like to see the mandatory express dining program expand to Newark and Chicago…just for the late night flights departing after 9:00 PM. As for Hawaii, let’s hope United expands its free meal service offerings.
What is your opinion on mandatory express dining or free meals on longer Hawaiian routes?
Free sandwiches to Hawaii? Who cares? I’m sure they are horrendous. If you travel from Houston to Hawaii without food you bring on board (either from home or an airport restaurant) you are crazy.
Mandatory express dining in business would push me to other airlines or other departure times….or I’d just buy a coach ticket. If I’m getting a ‘wham bam thank you’ service, I might as well be paying coach prices. Eyeshades and earplugs should work nicely for those who want to sleep from takeoff to touchdown… aren’t they in the business Amenity Kit?
“We know you want to sleep” when said by a flight attendant is really “You know we want you to sleep” as their People magazine is dying to be read. Just my two cents….
I truly don’t get why you’re so focused on the meal. No matter how high the quality, our business class meal will never be close to anything found in any old bistro on the ground.
I travel business to be able to work and/or sleep. Most of the time I decline most of the food anyway.
However, if you’re on a red-eye from the US East Coast to Europe, you have 6-8 hours to get settled in, try to sleep, wake up for landing prep. You lose any hope of having a productive workday on the other end if you spend 2.5h eating when you depart.
Why not take day-time flights instead, if the dining experience is that important to you? They do exist. I thought food-as-the-highlight-of-the-trip was an 80s thing or so.
Around 2005, Continental still had subway type sandwiches on US domestic flights. That was nice. I actually flew CO sometimes because that was the deciding factor.
If United were to ever get off their butts and start/finish the Polaris lounge at Dulles, which would give people the ability to eat a good meal before leaving this could/would work much better! I have no idea why they have been so slow to get a Polaris lounge at Dulles up and running… Pathetic!!
Did you ask your contact in UA if they would match AF concept of offering lounge full restaurant service to business class pax on night flights?
I agree on Polaris for IAD. It would make them more competitive. The BA lounge at IAD does this, though more elaborate for the Concorde room for those in F. I’m happy with a BA burger, though. I don’t recall AF doing that at IAD except for La Premiere, though their normal spread was pretty good. The AF lounge is currently under renovation, so we will see if that changes.