United Airlines has dramatically scaled back premium cabin meal service on some but not all of its premium transcontinental flights. While reports are mixed, many passengers are receiving a double whammy: no meal service on flights that do not have lie-flat beds.
United Airlines Premium Transcontinental Service Cuts
United offers “premium transcontinental” service on three routes:
- Boston ⇄ San Francisco
- Newark ⇄ San Francisco
- Newark ⇄ Los Angeles
These flights traditionally operated with lie-flat beds in business class and a meal service that resembled an international flights. But under the guise of safety due to COVID-19, United has scaled back meal service dramatically. Still, these three routes are still supposed to receive meals (the only domestic routes that still receive meals).
According to the united.com COVID-19 meal page:
“Customers in the premium cabin will receive their meal with their entrée choice covered and will be offered a packaged snack for pre-arrival.”
The meals are supposed to look like this:
With demand depressed, United is operating a mix of narrowbody and wide body aircraft on its premium transcontinental routes between Los Angeles/San Francisco and Newark. Some of these flights still feature lie-flat seats while others do not. We’ve seen a mix of Boeing 787s, 757s, and even some Airbus A319s and 737s on these routes. The Boston – San Francisco routes have moved exclusively to narrowbody aircraft without lie-flat seating.
As if that is not bad enough, many Live and Let’s Fly readers have reported that they have been receiving snack boxes instead of the already-simplified meals above on these “premium transcontinental” routes.
I reached out to United with several data points and after researching, a spokesperson told me:
“For the safety of our customers and crew, we have made a number of changes to our inflight food and beverage service. We are currently offering hot meals to customers in first class on select premium transcontinental flights, and will resume offering hot meals to first class customers on all premium transcontinental flights in July.”
I found that statement rather cryptic, so I asked for more clarification. United.com says all flights receive hot meal service but now you are saying “select” flights receive hot meals. Which flights? How should a customer know or plan when all flights still indicate a full meal.
The spokesperson clarified:
“It’s based on aircraft type. We’ve currently subbed in some aircraft on those routes that are not lie flat which have not received hot meals.”
That may be the official line, but at least one reader claimed he was on a widebody aircraft with lie-flat seats and also received a snack box. Meanwhile, another passenger flying from San Francisco to Boston not only received a snack box, but watched a flight attendant eat a hot meal in front of him:
“Only one snack box offered for a six hour flight.
“This was even harder to swallow after watching the flight attendant heat up an entree in the oven, and eat it in full view of the passengers. Her pasta looked mighty tasty.
“If they aren’t going to provide a hot meal, they shouldn’t promote it in the pre flight information. I would have eaten before boarding.”
That is not the way to win premium customers…
Another Kirby Kutback? In Any Case, More Hygiene Theatre
The catering change has Scott Kirby’s name written all over it, though that is merely speculation on my part. Kirby, known as a bean counter, is probably the best man possible to keep United Airlines alive during the pandemic. But I continue to believe Kirby acts in a “penny wise, pound foolish” way by alienating high-revenue customers over trivialities like meals.
I say trivialities in terms of cost, not in terms of experience.
And spare me the safety arguments, please. By now, I am convinced that almost all meal service cutbacks are simply cost cutbacks masquerading under the mask of safety. COVID-19 does not spread through hot meals any more than spreads through snack boxes. You can see above how carefully wrapped the meals are. If United is concerned about safety, it should just focus on CleanPlus and bring back all pre-COVID-19 meal service.
But this isn’t about meal service at all…it is about cost-cutting.
> Read More: United’s Doomsday Strategy May Lead To Kirby Kutbacks…
CONCLUSION
Boston to San Francisco is nearly 6.5 hours. To present only snack boxes and standard seating while still charging a “premium transcontinental” price strikes me ridiculous. United’s decision to eliminate meal service on flights without lie-flat beds is a double whammy to customers.
image: United
So they want to treat these flights like regular flights service-wise but they still charge elites PlusPoints for upgrades, even if the plane doesn’t offer a lie flat bed.
Correct. Sad.
The airlines aren’t trying very hard. We had non-stop tickets on Alaska between Seattle and Houston. First they cancelled the outbound without telling us, then they cancelled the return. Fortunately we got a full refund, but really. All the schedule volatility is making any semblance of planning impossible. We’ll probably suck it up and drive. At least that has predictable pain.
Wow can u give United a break? Your so negative and the Last things that airlines need are people like you. They’re worried about getting People to places safely and your worried about a meal. Have you ever actually eaten airline food ? if you did you would know that people are not flying for the food. So if you can’t say anything nice …..No one need your negativity
@ Matthew — No one is forcing you to fly this crappy airline. I just don’t understand why you don’t switch to AA or DL.
You don’t leave your first love, even when times are tough.
I’ve never flown UA – all of my flights from the UK are with VS or DL – and despite wanting to try them its things like this that drives me away again.
But what if your first love does not love and care about you anymore? She does not even remember you, but only men with thick wallets.
Well, in the absence of any competition, pandemic or not, this is hardly exceptional.
Good thing (for beleaguered flyers, that is) JetBlue is going to enter the Newark-LAX/SFO markets with its Mint configured Airbus A321s featuring lie flat beds this fall.
Then, United will have to step up its offerings or watch JetBlue become popular at its expense.
What a silly response. “You don’t leave your first love.”
United’s meal elimination has nothing to do with safety. If you don’t like it, why don’t you speak with your wallet instead of taking the group-think position of demonizing Kirby?
If people are willing to pay for this product (either full F, award, or upgrade), then I almost have to grudgingly admire United for getting away with it.
Read this:
https://liveandletsfly.com/love-affair-united-airlines/
This is why I don’t leave United. Call it irrational if you will, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Wow can u give United a break? Your so negative and the Last things that airlines need are people like you. They’re worried about getting People to places safely and your worried about a meal. Have you ever actually eaten airline food ? if you did you would know that people are not flying for the food. So if you can’t say anything nice …..No one need your negativity
Then you clearly are suffering from battered wife syndrome.
If they are concerned about safety, as they should be, then every aircraft should be thoroughly disinfected before every flight – essentially a beefed up version of CleanPlus. Not offering meals is simply cost-cutting. If a passenger doesn’t want a meal due to COVID-19 concerns, they can simply say they don’t want a meal.
This will likely become a permanent Scott Kirby “service enhancement”, spun in the name of “hygiene” and “passenger safety”. Much like various post 9/11 moves, once service cuts occur and if they “stick” with the market or the industry norms, they don’t come back. One will be lucky to get a stroopwaffel. I am still waiting for the return of olives in my AA salads (jk).
Pre-covid, UA dropped PS branding (and service levels) while DL rolled out DeltaOne and added service levels. on their transcons in more than just 3 markets. What does that say in general about their long-term plans?
What you are forgetting is they changed the name to “Premium Transcontinental Service”, and rolled out free hot meals in Economy Plus. Yes, the service level is completely different from when p.s. was first rolled out (international flight-level service and catering, second meal with breakfast flights, chocolate before landing, etc.), but people can also vote with their dollars.
Flew the dreamliner EWR-LAX on 6/18 and came back on a 737 on 6/23.
Outbound, we received a hot, cooked breakfast. Nothing but a snack box offered on the return LAX-EWR. That’s consistent with the lie-flat/recliner distinction. Still a bummer!
Delta is not serving ANYTHING at all on their flights. Why are t you covering that?
Sorry- my bad. Delta is only serving snack boxes in delta one and delta first. In their transcon flights. Why don’t you mention that too?
And sorry- have you not noticed that the whole world is on fire??? Most airkines and most businesses are in a fight for their life. They have to reduce expenses. Put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and get over the fact that you’re not getting a microwaved reheated meal. You’re paying for and getting the space.
Jason, I have called out Delta, but at least Delta says it is cutting meals to save money, not masquerading it behind bogus health concerns.
And when airport restaurants are closed and you step onto a six-hour flight and pay a big premium for it, it is not unreasonable to expect a meal, whether the world is burning or not.
Then QUIT paying a premium for it. If you know ahead of time it is going to be like this, who should you be angry at for wasting your money?
That’s precisely the problem…we don’t know ahead of time.
Last time I flew UA was 20 years ago. I just don’t need to fly them and won’t. However, I struggle why people care so much about food served on planes. No matter if you fly in the front or in the back it will be bad food no matter what. Thus, unless I am in a hurry I will bring my own snack or eat before the flight so I couldn’t care less about the food served on the plane.
“For the safety of our crew” lol, this is all bullshit!
“Kirby Kutback” the new era has begun…
Thanks for shining a spotlight on this. I was on the 787-10 (UA2006) EWR-SFO and received a snack box, and flew on a 737 and received the meal. It is completely random.
I’m willing to speculate it is ultimately tied to their labor cutbacks in the Catering (legacy Chelsea) division. This is the only workgroup without strong labor protections, and they moved aggressively with furloughs. Can guarantee this plays into the mix
Out of BOS/EWR/LAX/SFO, Chelsea only caters from EWR, with GateGourmet or Air Fayre catering out of other markets… can’t solely be about Chelsea.
Was on a 757-200 EWR-SFO yesterday. Snack box only.
At least I knew based on reports and brought two meals. Ha.
Only paying $180 or so plus PPs for biz still winning in my book at least.
And to think AA is still doing a full hot meal service, bedding, menus, B&O headphones, etc. on their A321T 3 class J and F flights JFK-LAX/SFO.
“Offers” a double whammy?
Well, I reject their offer. Now my seat will lie flat and Twin Peaks servers will prance around the aisles to serve my meal set-aside, yes?
Words have power. Bloggers (I didn’t call you a journalist) should choose them wisely. And oh, I expect a “Delta is cr@p because they cut back service” article soonish.
Oh, I so long for the days of balanced journalism (and accurate’ish copy.)
What are you talking about? What sort of balance would you like?
Clearly whenever you write an article about airlines you have to mention every one of them to be a “balanced journalist.” If you start writing about Delta as well you’d be biased in favor of American, and if you include all the big 3 you’d be biased toward JetBlue and Alaska. If you write about every US airlines then clearly you’re a shill for foreigners trying to destroy American jobs.
Seriously, “unbalanced journalism” is the most trite and pathetic critique there is.
I’m shocked, shocked to hear that UA has devalued its product and misled its customers.
Who ever would have expected that?
Pissing off your customers when you need them most is an exceedingly bad idea, but Kirby is certainly consistent in that his changes are bad for the employees, customers, or both. United should shuffle him to some new job where he can’t do any more damage. Matthew, I’d still like to hear what it would take for you to leave United.
“Aircraft” is both singular and plural. There is no such word as “aircrafts”.
I will never fly with United again. We had our Newark to Portugal flight canceled due to coronavirus and tried for months to get a refund. The only way we got our money back was to dispute the charge with our credit card company. Their customer service is the worst!
People that Have money don’t get on the airplane looking for food maybe a drink or snack but they can do a restaurant airport or restaurant prior to or after the flight*
This has nothing to with “people that have money” John…
Flew HNL GUM on 6/15 GUM HNL 6/18 BOTH IN SEAT 2K Both segments were snack boxes
Just flew United 787 sfo-ord . Paid for 1st class tkts. Wife and I got last 2 crummy snack boxes available . Not even a choice. Sad, very say. Next time Southwest and will bring a sandwich.
I flew EWR -> LHR last week in business. The meal was terrible. A nasty small gooey chicken entree with packaged crackers and a fruit cup. United has to be f**k**g kidding. I can’t wait for Virgin to be flying this route again – I will be back with them in a heat beat.
And yes — this is about Kirby saving $$ – not Covid19.
Virgin has announced that they are permanently discontinuing service to Newark. They’ll continue JFK though
I just flew Newark to San Fran on a 787 in Business class with lie flat beds. I did not receive a meal, but was given as many snack boxes as I wanted. It looked like the FAs took the hot meals into the flightdeck for the pilots but not the premium passengers.
Thanks for continuing to blog in this rather troubling times. I find some of the comments on here to be pretty crazy. It’s Matthew’s blog. If you don’t like his perspective rather than bitching about it why don’t you head out and create your own.
Now that it is July, any updates on this?
It appears meal service is back on all premium transcon flights.
That’s awesome news. Thank you Matt!