United Airlines is experimenting with the food and drink offerings at four United Clubs in the USA.
In what it calls a “unique experiential trial” and “quick win” initiative, the carrier launched changes on September 30th at United Clubs at the following four airports:
- Boston (BOS)
- Houston (IAH)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Orlando (MCO)
Each lounge has received regionally-influenced food and drink items unique to that club.
Boston
- Boston Tea Party tea infusion bar with fruit, sweeteners and herbs
- “Wine Down” happy hour, featuring four premium wines
- $5 specialty martinis
- A snack bar with a new signature Boston mix
- Passed food with a Boston influence: lobster rolls, seafood ceviche bites and Boston cream pie
Houston
- The introduction of a small plates-style buffet
- Updating our core menu presentation to feature more individual cereals, charcuterie and dessert offerings
- The introduction of passed complimentary wine and water
Las Vegas
- A Bloody Mary bar that gives travelers the chance to select from premium vodkas and an array of meats, cheeses, fresh produce and sauces
- Enhanced bar offerings, including the chance to add a “rise and shine” floater or a “bitter bar” natural remedy
- $5 specialty martinis
- A food exhibition cart with a hash brown bar, cheese and charcuterie, and a ramen noodle bar
- Passed food with everything that makes mornings worthwhile: breakfast parfaits, cinnamon raisin bruschetta, caprese salad bites and smoked salmon pinwheels
Orlando
- The introduction of Mommy- and Mini-Mosas (orange juice served with prosecco ice cubes or Sprite)
- A food exhibition station that offers breakfast banana waffle bowls, cereal stacks, a grilled cheese station and milk and cookies
- Family fun with a plane photo opportunity and kids’ toys
This trial will run for two month and if successfully, may roll out across the United Club network.
CONCLUSION
Note that while United is experimenting with clearly positive enhancements in the clubs above, it is also trailing a reduction in domestic first class meal service. Hopefully the club enhancements stay and the in-flight cutbacks are rolled back.
Figures Houston would get the short end of the stick on this one, again 🙂 As great a food city as Houston is, that selection is really lame! They could have at least set up a taco bar for lunch and dinner…
Passed food is a great idea – adds elegance to the presentation and keeps the gamers from stuffing their bags with things and over filling their plates.
Hope this is entirely independent of the on board catering disaster which must be fought back on – not just at UA mind you – the other two are sad as well.
Small typo = in the heading you used the word “experimental”. The UA notice card does not use that word.
Thanks, fixed it!
So for the Orlando location no local sourced fruit, vegetables, herbs, fish, beef or wine/beer. That pretty much neglects the entire state output.
We ran into the offerings mid-day in Orlando about 10 days ago, before I’d heard of this experiment – the grilled cheese bar wasn’t anything fancy, but honestly it was so refreshing to see SOMEthing different than the same tired food they serve day after day in the lounges across the country that we were delighted. 3 types of grilled cheese sandwiches, cut into strip (think French Toast sticks shape) and served in a glass with marinara sauce for dipping – it made a nice little meal for us. We also partook of the small snack bags with a seal that were set out to put some trail mix in for a flight – something else we hadn’t seen before, although it has been a few months since I was in a United Club.
Thanks for sharing your experience, RichWyo.
meanwhile, they’re getting rid of showers in the United Clubs…
I have a big international layover on EWR by the end of this month (and really don’t feel like going to Manhattan on a very early Sunday morning). BTW, flying Polaris.
Despite several United Clubs (and still zero Polaris lounges in EWR) and some Star Alliance lounges, no one has a single shower! argh!