United Airlines will restore meal service to more first class Hawaii flights and upgrade entree selections starting next month (including adding a vegan choice on some flights). It will also provision more sandwiches onboard and add cooling gel pillows to premium transcontinental flights.
United Improves Hawaii First Class Meals
While United Airlines has restored meal service to its longer flights to/from Hawaii, meals have not been re-introduced to service between the West Coast (Los Angeles + San Francisco) and Hawaii.
That changes starting April 1, 2021. All flights between LAX/SFO and Hawaii will include a full meal in the forward cabin which includes a choice of hot entrée, salad, nuts, bread and dessert (breakfast will include a fruit cup and biscotti instead of salad and nuts).
Breakfast will be served from 5:00am to 9:59am while dinner will be served at all other times.
New Entrées, Including Vegan Choice
Depending upon catering cycle and departure airport, United will offer a bit of variation from its standard menu options:
- Thai chicken with coconut ginger sauce
- Butternut squash ravioli
- Teriyaki chicken with fresh veggies and a ginger-green onion rice
- Vegan chili with a side of rice
(I tired both the Thai chicken and butternut squash ravioli recently and can vouch for them. I’ve also enjoyed the vegan chili dish on international flights.)
Cooling Gel Pillows + More Sandwiches
Two other notes. First, starting March 28, 2021 United will add cooling gel pillows to its premium transcontinental routes in business class. That includes:
- EWR⇄LAX
- EWR⇄SFO
- JFK⇄LAX
- JFK⇄SFO
Second, United will provision more sandwiches on domestic flights in first class. Sandwiches have proven popular and so United will load more sandwiches and less snack boxes starting next month.
CONCLUSION
As far as I can tell, this is good news all around. I’m particularly happy to see the vegan chili and Teriyaki chicken added to the domestic rotation, though we don’t know yet on which flights these meal choices will appear.
For those traveling to Hawaii next month on United in the front cabin, expect a meal service upgrade.
Any word if the second meal service will return to the long haul Hawaii flights?
Will this make it to SNA-HNL?
Good news I left direct feedback on this in my surveys
Vegan chili = sit near the lavatory.
You’d think for $2500 you could have a decent meal, no?
That picture doesn’t look appetizing at all…
True, but it is quite tasty (if you like beef). I’d never know it was vegan.
United website says only a snack box or sandwich for first class from SFO or LAX to Hawaii??
No, it is a full meal.
I see that in May Diane mentioned that the United website says “Flights to Hawaii from Los Angeles or San Francisco receive a choice of sandwich or snack box”. It still says that in August 2021. Sorry to ask again, but are you sure it’s a full meal from LAX or SFO?
No, meals are only served from DEN/IAH/ORD/EWR/IAD, not LAX/SFO. West Coast still has snacks available for purchase, but no complimentary meals.
Hi, I’m confused. So my First class travel SFO to Maui (OGG) gets a full meal or a sandwich/ snack? Thanks,jim
Full meal.
Are drinks served in first class SFO to HNL?
Yes. Several rounds.
Hi Matthew, Thanks for the info….Glad to know they have started to serve liquor! I hope the meal plan has at least one vegan choice (no chili thou) in first class from SFO to HNL 😉