An update on the mandatory business class express dining on late-evening flights from Washington Dulles. As it turns out, some items have been cut from the menu.
Last week I wrote about United’s trial of express meal service for each passenger during the month of April in order to maximize sleep onboard. Initially, I was told that appetizer + salad + dinner would be delivered on a single tray, desserts would be served from the galley rather than by cart, but no menu items would actually be cut.
Turns out, that is not really the case. Instead, United has cut the following items from these late-night flights:
- Cheese plate
- Petit fours (2 of 3 choices will be cut)
- Hot breakfast (prior to landing)
Yes, the cheese plate is no longer loaded (United claims passengers were not eating it), only one sweet treat instead of three will be loaded, and now two cold options instead of one cold and one hot option will be available for breakfast. The ice cream sundae will remain.
You can find the expedited service on the following flights:
- Dublin (UA126)
- Frankfurt (UA932)
- Lisbon (UA168)
- London (UA924)
My Thoughts
I really think United did this wrong. Although United strongly stressed to me this is merely a trial and the old service will quickly revert back if customers voice complaints, it will instantly come across as an attempt to cut costs. Perhaps that is what it was all along, but I believe most people actually do want an expedited meal service onboard. I cannot stand a dragged out meal service so late at night on a such a short transatlantic flight.
But in cutting choice, United cheapens the product…even if there were very few partakers in the cheese plate or hot breakfast.
A couple more thoughts on that. Concerning the cheese, I love that AA offers a cheese plate as a complimentary snack option to economy class passengers on premium transcon flights, even redeyes.
I’m skeptical that so few people like cheese late at night, because I think a few bites of cheese serves as a perfect late-night snack. United should consider adding fruit/cheese as a menu item on these late flights.
Second, these late flights arrive in the late morning in Europe. For the London Heathrow and Frankfurt flights, these reduced service flights arrive too late to use the arrivals lounges, which close at midday.
> Review: Lufthansa Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt
> Review: United Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow
If you’re ending in LHR or FRA, that leaves you without a substantial breakfast.
I just don’t see what the harm is in loading a few cheese plate or hot breakfasts unless the goal really is only to cut cuts.
CONCLUSION
While I strongly support the concept of expedited meal service on late-night flights, I do not support this at the expense of reducing food…especially when Washingon Dulles does not have a Polaris lounge yet.
Now it is up to you, the customer, to let United know if these cutbacks actually matter to you.
Wow, no hot breakfast for business class. That’s awful.
Two cold options will be offered.
Two cold options does not a hot breakfast make.
Just as a heads up, the Heathrow Arrivals Lounge closes at 2pm. So the east coast red eyes will have access. The only UA flights affected are from LAX (12.20pm, so touch and go), second SFO (2.10pm) and the daytime flights from EWR and IAD (after 8pm). But other destinations? Do LIS and DUB have arrivals lounges?
I’m fully in support of the mandatory express dining on the short TATLs, but I agree the food cut, especially the hot breakfast, is poor.
I hate cereal, yogurt, and really hate milk, so I suspect the two cold options will leave me with a few nibbles of fruit. If they keep this service, my Atlantic flights will have to be with a different carrier. This is a deal breaker for me…..
Honestly,why not just pass a pizza box around the cabin for main entrée and a box of chocolates for dessert? Service finished in ten minutes.
“the old service will quickly revert back if customers voice complaints”
Which works to United’s favor, because honestly, much as with cheese plate, how can any of us argue with their “facts’? It’s all about cost cutting in the end, regardless of how they dress it up (as a “trial”, in this case).
Flew ALK-SFO last week. The food slop they served was awful. Who eats like that? Who eats crap rolls that are days old? I don’t think it’s possible to serve the tomato and mozzarella “salad” on a colder plate. Just all around awful. No wonder Americans are fat slobs.
why do you even bother to eat onboard for a 10pm departure to europe? don’t you want to sleep right away anyway? It is already a short flight, i don’t want the light to keep going for another 3 hours after departure at this time.
Use your eyeshades.
these are all post 10pm departure from IAD. who even wants to eat a big meal that lasts 2 to 3 hours on these short flight?
I suspected this all along – it’s about cutting costs and not really about service (express or otherwise).
As a corporate travel agent who’s clients often rush to the plane, enjoy their meals on board, then rush off the plane (my clients do not buy the discounted Business Class fares, but the often $16,000+ fares). United is really devaluing it’s Business Class product. When Polaris debuted, I was thrilled to see United ahead the curve; unique champagne flutes w/chocolates at boarding, wine flights, Bloody Mary cart, etc. and now we have THIS.
Many Trans-Atlantic airlines have offered varying degrees of service in Business Class, from Express Dinning to Snooze Zones. I hope United rethinks their strategy soon.
This may sound like a dig but I mean it honestly…if you can afford a $16,000 plane ticket you are probably also someone who can pay to have a hot meal delivered directly to you wherever you may be running off to in such a hurry. Sure, it could/should be included in the fare, but I imagine if you are that pressed for time you could have someone standing at your chauffered vehicle with a meal for you to eat en route to the boardroom.
Very good points.
This is cutting into people’s time – one of the most valuable things for many fliers.
Cheapness like this when you have a small number of high dollar fares driving profitability is a gamble.
I am against this change.
They already went too far with not catering desserts to the full cabin load this year.
@ Steve S –
Often, my clients find out they need to be in Europe maybe 2/3 hours before flight time. They really rush from the office, to airplane – not even stopping in the lounge for food (if one is offered). Because work pays for their $16,000+ plane ticket, that does not mean they have a personal assistant.
United has already cheapened what was a great idea – Polaris. In United’s new vision for Polaris dinning from the East Coast, it is now basically domestic First Class.
I’ve stated once before how some passengers will dine in the lounge when time permits (which is a good idea) but United has not even opened up a Dulles Polaris Lounge (yet). United Club has some food options, but nothing compared to Polaris Lounge. I’m curious to see how long this experiment lasts.
If these changes migrate to the west coast-Europe flights, I will always fly LH and SK to Europe (most of my paid biz travel is already with LH).
Which scenario makes more sense?
1. FAs will have less work to do and more rest.
2. FAs will have less food to snack on and eat.
What will UA do to offset these cuts? Nothing.
I have never understood why Airlines we’ve a big dinner this late at night and then a small breakfast. I would much rather, in whatever class I am flying, just get a snack and drink directly after take-off and then a much more substantial breakfast in the morning before landing. That way you can hit the road ready to take on the day. And hopefully sleep better not stuffed.
I have no desire to eat dinner at 10 pm. Breakfast, however, is very much welcomed before arrival. I couldn’t care less about the cheese plate; if you’re flying to the cheese heaven that is Europe and want a cheese plate from the US before you land, you’re doing it all wrong. That is not to say, however, that I eschew all cheese offerings; I’d trade all of the food listed above for the grilled cheese and tomato soup offered on longer flights.
The lack of hot breakfast option on a business class fare is ridiculous, and while it might be a small cut to them it would def be another signal to me to avoid United in business class.
Every week they cut their business product further it seems…
I can understand cutting of the evening meal if you offer a real replacement meal in the lounge (not a self-serve buffet of picked over leftovers) or vouchers for an airport restaurant. Sometimes these are very, very short flights with good winds. So why not ENHANCE the morning breakfast and have an amazing HOT breakfast or brunch to compensate?
PLEASE HAVE A SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL FEATURE LIKE EVERY OTHER BOARDING AREA BLOG.
I think this is more of UA just cheapening the Polaris experience, not really for customer convenience. People who didn’t want to eat or wanted express service already have that option. They’ve just decided to compete on price, not quality. Maybe it will work for them, maybe not.
The UA cheese plate was pretty much the saddest cheese plate of any airline. But I still ate part of it. And I usually skipped the breakfast for more sleep, so won’t miss that much. But this makes a lot less sense to try out of IAD where they do not have lounge dining (though BA does, and the LH and TK lounges put out a pretty good spread).
On the other hand, if this drives more people to other airlines, maybe they will discount their TATL business class out of IAD further and open up more PZ. I’m good with that.
I meant to add that I have been under the impression that IAD has a relatively large proportion of corporate business under contracts with UA, so maybe they think they can do this there with such a captive audience.
No hot breakfast is OUTRAGEOUS!
I knew it when I saw this “express service” we’d be seeing more cuts. Polaris is an absolute embarrassment. The meal service is literally worse now than it ever was before Polaris.
Polaris; No departure meal and cold breakfast.
Polaris Plus: Limited Express meal service and cold breakfast
Polaris Premium: Express meal and cold breakfast
Enhancement, Summer 2019- Polaris Basic: No beverages or meals
On a short late flight I would sleep immediately and just have a quick breakfast snack.
Cutting out the cheese is no loss. I can’t imagine anyone voluntarily putting his teeth into a piece of genetically manipulated overprocessed US cheese.