United’s standard meal offerings (notwithstanding my overcooked steak last night) have improved quite a bit over the last year. Nevertheless, I still find myself ordering special meals quite often because UA offers very nice Hindu and Moslem meals. Here’s a list of special meal types currently available on United:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian meals
- Vegan meals
- Asian vegetarian meals (Hindu vegetarian)
- Children’s meals
- Hindu meals
- Kosher meals
- Moslem meals
- Diabetic meals
- Low-fat meals
- Low-cholesterol meals
- Low-calorie meals
- Low sodium meals
- Gluten-free meals
Up until now, you could order these meals on any mainline United flight that featured a meal service. Continental, on the other hand, generally does not offer special meals on domestic flights. Regrettably, the Continental way of business seems to be winning out. While special meals have not been wholly eliminated on domestic flights, effective immediately the following stations will no longer offer special meals (due note that some of the stations below are United Express stations that would not offer special meals anyway):
ABQ/ ALB/ ATL/ AUS/ BDL/ BIL/ BOI/ BTV/ BUF/ BZN/ CLE/ CMH/ COS/ CVG/ DAY/ DCA/ DFW/ DSM/ DTW/ EGE/ EUG/ FSD/ GEG/ GLL/ GRR/ GSO/ HDN/ ICT/ IND/ JAC/ JAX/ LIH/ KOA/MCI/ MDW/ MCO/ MDT/ MHT/ MIA/ MSO/ MSY/ OAK/ OKC/ OMA/ONT/ PBI/ PIT/ PSP/ PVD/ RDU/ RIC/ RNO/ ROC/ RSW/ SAT/ SJU/ SLC/ STL/ TPA/ TUL/ TUS
Oddly, UA has stated that this will be true for flights to and from the cities above. I can understand the new policy from stations that do not have catering facilities, but am baffled why special meals would not be offered on flights departing from United or Continental hubs (and note that even CLE is in the list above).
I anticipate that in the months to come we will see more cutbacks to service, further decreases to compensation levels, and a generally less-friendly attitude toward elites. UA has treated us well over the years and the adjustment will not be easy, but I see the progression toward CO’s "what have you done for me lately?" model as inevitable. And these are not "changes that we’ll like."
RIP special meals.
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