For this week’s edition of Matthew’s Meal of the Week I reflect upon the worst meal I have ever been served in business class. With roughly 80% of my flights on United, it is no surprise the worst meal was on United and truly some of the best airline meals I have ever had have also been on United.
It was February 2009. I had not even started law school and had a job in Los Angeles that allowed me to take long weekends. My brother was just starting college. We found a cheap United fare to Mexico City and rather than fly non-stop, we routed via Washington Dulles (as was easy to do back in the day) for no extra cost. That meant we would earn approximately triple the miles. Even better, we were able to book on a Boeing 777-200 from Dulles to Los Angeles and upgrade to business class.
2009 was a dark year for United Airlines. United emerged from bankruptcy in 2006, but was still in a cost-cutting mode during the Great Recession of 2009. Following the flawed logic that it could cut its way to growth, United eliminated hot meals in domestic business class. This change only affected those three-cabin aircrafts that had a first, business, and economy class, but that still impacted many hub to hub routes.
It had been a long day and many hours since lunch, so I was hoping for something appetizing as we boarded the 5.5-hour flight to Los Angeles departing at 5:45p, the prime window for dinner.
The Meal / IAD-LAX UA947 on United
Shortly after takeoff, the following meal tray was plopped down in front of every passenger in business class on a take-it-or-leave-it basis:
It tasted even worse than it looked. The sandwich was ice cold, like it had not just been refrigerated, but frozen. The beef was tough and tasteless. The cheese was like rubber. A side salad was simply a few large leaves of iceberg lettuce with no dressing drizzled in bland couscous. The bread was stale. Even the grapes were not sweet.
I could not eat it. Looking around, no else could either. FAs were embarrassed as they came through the cabin collecting uneaten tray after uneaten tray.
Thank goodness for the warm cookie and cup of coffee served prior to landing–
Thankfully, United came to its senses after a few months and restored full meal service to business class. Here’s what a dinner on the same flight would look like today–
Now that is more like it.
Do you any of you remember the cold meal phase in United domestic business?
Deli sandwiches when UA was in bankruptcy back in the early 2000’s. 2 pieces of white bread, slice of cheese and a slice of meat plus a pickle I think and maybe a cookie. The was standard domestic first class meal for months. I was even served this on a transcon LAX-JFK p.s. service flight in first class. Yuk
I’ve had some bad meals on planes but what continues to surprise me is that airlines all seem to think they need to hire some chef and create super fancy over the top menu items and then turn this all over to skychefs, etc. all over the world. You end up with average meals usually and to make matters worse they all weird. I admit I’m not a foodie but we really don’t need FA’s trying to play Hells Kitchen when I could just use some comfort food on a long flight. Sorry but a pet peeve of mine.
Matthew considers everything to be stone cold that is not heated up. -Heidi
Thanks darling.
Japanese dinner on Northwest business class from MSP to Tokyo. I was stupid enough to eat raw fish on a plane. I was going on a 2 day business trip to Kuala Lumpur. I spent all the time going from the bed to the bathroom of my room at the Mandarin Oriental. I had doctors come to my room to treat me with medicine and I was fortunate to not need to go to the hospital. Two days later and 6 pounds lighter 🙁 I left the hotel room back to the airport. This time I was flying back on CX business class through Honk Kong. I was upgraded to first class at the gate for all segments and all I could have was bread and water.
Yes, yes and yes!
Sandwiches wrapped in plastic, a bun with meat and cheese. This was served in first class on United, formerly Continental, during and shortly after the bankruptcy in the mid 1990s, on some domestic flights. Example Houston to Las Vegas. And the cabin decor was orange and brown.
It was a memorable experience. The only benefit was that many flights were not that full. So you got the full attention of the flight staff.
The airline industry goes through the cycles of boom and bust and the service is reflective of that cycle. The industry was more diverse and there was still a pioneering feeling, but today flights are mostly full and the clientele is your average backpacker.
Yes, we did get hot food back in domestic business, but – alas, I frequently ended up with the Jeff McMuffin™, not much better than what you described.
I had to fly Qantas economy recently from LAX to Auckland and it was by far the most unedible meals I have ever been served in my life. Even my son who got the kids meals couldn’t stomach anything they gave him. I typically fly business or first class, but this was a fare that I couldn’t pass up. Next time I will bring all my own food because it was absolutely horrid.
Hah! Imagine what it is like being vegan!! Some airlines just don’t completely get it!! I’ve been offered dairy and eggs, and yes, on business class! I recently travelled long haul with Air France and was expecting a gastronomic delight, but, alas, no such thing. Plenty of dry bread though!!!
Best food was on non american carriers, it appears the hustling motive in the states debases any authentic form of quality. Profit is the only focus in the states.