United Airlines Promises Better Onboard Meals. Here’s A Preview.

United Airlines acknowledges that its in-flight meals have been slow to change, but is promising new choices with more variety in the weeks to come. There are five new dishes that have already been introduced on domestic routes.

United Airlines Promises More Choice In In-Flight Meals

Linda is the Chief Customer Officer. She and her teams deliver the processes and tools to create an airline that customers choose to fly. Digital technology, contact centers, and customer solutions are included.

Pre-order capabilities are gradually being expanded to give passengers the ability to choose their meal in advance. She oversaw the design of a new flight attendant app to take meal orders and record customer choices, with the goal being to improve meal provision onboard so that passengers get their first choice.

At the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas earlier this week, Jojo joked about what is on the mind of every frequent United flyer.

“I know you probably love the za’atar chicken and the Impossible meatballs. Sorry to say, they’re probably not gonna be around much longer.”

These dishes were not bad the first, second, third, or even fourth time around, but have been the primary choices on most non-longhaul meal service routes. The inability of United to change its menu items frequently has been baffling. The supply lane issue was blamed by Jojo.

“What I would say is that we definitely got slowed down first by the pandemic itself and now by the supply chain challenges that have been there.”

The main problem was cost-cutting, judging by the ability of United's peers to bring back food sooner.

United has recently refreshed its menu and promised more variation going forward.

Five new entree choices and vegetarian dishes for the first time since the Pandemic have been added to domestic flights.

• Belgium waffle with caramelized apple and cranberry compote
• Egg frittata with Potatoes O’Brien, sausage, and cooked spinach
• Chicken curry noodle bowl with rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and spices
• Cauliflower grain salad with cauliflower rice, zucchini squash, avocado salsa, and green chile (on westbound flights)
• Harvest grain bowl with quinoa, butternut squash, feta, and mandarin oranges (on eastbound flights)

Pre-order six new signature entree's on December 1, 2022.

The last change to domestic first class was 18 months ago. Hot towels and ice cream will be back in Polaris business class on December 1st.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines wants passengers to be able to choose their meals in advance. Alaska, American, and Delta continue to improve their in-flight offerings, so United needs to make sure the quality and taste of the meals are also enough.