United Upgrades In-flight Meal Service

Beginning February 1, United Airlines will upgrade dining for North American premium cabin customers and expand North America premium-cabin meal service to include flights of at least 800 miles or 2 hours and 20 minutes during mealtimes.

The airline will also offer an enhanced menu with menu items such as cage-free scrambled eggs prepared skillet style with pepper-jack cheese, sauteed pepper mix, sliced New Mexico sausage, potato gratin and fire-roasted pepper sauce; lobster macaroni and cheese with a baked crumb topping and side of broccoli rabe; and chicken and sausage jambalaya with white rice and green onions.

In addition, short flights that offer lighter refreshments will be enhanced with new breakfast breads in the morning and a rotation of 25 new premium snacks in the afternoon and evening.

On meal flights lasting less than four hours, a variety of enhanced breakfast choices such as French toast souffle or steel-cut oatmeal, both paired with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt, will be offered, while new dinner selections will include tandoori chicken with basmati rice and paneer in place of the current premium sandwich options.

An expanded mid-continental meal service on flights of four hours to five hours and 19 minutes will expand entree options from two to three, including such new additions as creole shrimp served with Carolina grits, and a dessert of sorbet with mint-leaf topping during lunch or gelato or ice cream for dinner.

New multi-course meal service on transcontinental and Hawaii flights will feature heartier entrees such as tamale-stuffed chicken wrapped in a corn husk and served with creamy corn sauce, roasted red and yellow tomatoes and yucca sticks, followed by sorbet during lunch or gelato or ice cream for dinner.

Finally, signature bake-on-board cookies in customer-chosen flavors like triple-chocolate chunk will be served for dessert on short- and medium-haul flights that offer meals, or as an afternoon or evening pre-arrival treat on transcontinental flights and flights that link Hawaii with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and Houston.

United will also continue to offer premium-cabin customers Prosecco sparkling wine and, on lunch and dinner flights, the airline's signature warmed nuts.

"Our customers tell us they want greater options and fresh, savory dining choices when they fly with us," says Lynda Coffman, United's vice president of food services. "With these latest enhancements, we will offer restaurant-quality cuisine that enriches their in-flight experience."

Beginning in March, the company plans to...

• upgrade premium-cabin meal service on United Express flights, replacing snack boxes with freshly prepared food served on chinaware on flights of at least 800 miles or lasting at least two hours and 20 minutes, and a selection of premium packaged snacks on flights of less than 800 miles;
• significantly enhance United Economy meals and beverages on long-haul international flights, including adding multi-course meal service;
• refresh its Choice Menu Bistro on Board selection, which offers fresh food for sale in United Economy on most flights scheduled for more than three-and-a-half hours within North America, to Central and northern South America and between Honolulu and Guam; and
• launch new premium-cabin menu choices on its p.s. Premium Service between New York JFK and Los Angeles and New York JFK and San Francisco.