There are (7) changes to United’s food and beverage program this month.
This includes a new blend of Illy coffee, new premium wines (a 3-year commitment!), new Bloody Mary mix and improvements to meal service in economy as well – an additional entree choice on transatlantic flights and new buy on board.
- Starting Earth Day, April 22 through May 20, illy Arabica Selection Braille Cerrado Mineiro (produced using regenerative agriculture methods) will be served.
- As part of a 3 year partnership, Polaris will start to see new wines from Heitz Cellar, which is a family-owned Napa Valley winery that uses 100% organically farmed fruit. Their cabernet sauvignon, which has flavors of violets, redcurrants, spices and oranges with hints of mint and dark chocolate, is now available in Polaris
- New Bloody Mary mix and tomato juice from The Pickle House. Their beverages are served at various Soho House locations but are exclusive to United Airlines in the air.
- Passengers in the economy cabin will now have a 3rd option for meals on flights from the U.S. to Europe (chicken, beef or vegetarian), along with a side salad.
- New food for purchase options on the Bistro on Board menu for flights of 1,190 miles or more. There’s a new Chicago Bagel Breakfast Melt made in collaboration with Jeff Mauro. Along with that are chorizo breakfast tacos, a chicken parmesan sandwich and a Tuscan caprese burger.
- New preorder exclusive signature entrees for domestic first class. New entrees in April include shrimp Creole at IAH, Korean BBQ short rib at LAX and pastrami spiced chicken at EWR.
- Those in domestic first will see red velvet as a new flavor of the Magnolia Bakery banana pudding dessert.
The wine partnership includes Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (retail $69) and the Stony Hill Napa Valley Chardonnay (retail $60+). The airline raised its business class wine standard significantly for 2025, really leaving Delta (and, chortle, American) behind.
United’s coach food for sale options are far superior to its top competitors as well. Not everyone loves the domestic first class banana pudding, however.
Two years ago, United’s food was really quite bad. Woody Allen in Annie Hall bad (“Boy the food at this place is really terrible. And such small portions!”).
They now have a CFO who believes that they’ll sell more tickets if they invest in better food, and that product investment will drive credit card revenue too.
Nothing screams bagel sandwich quite like Chicago!
Kidding aside, happy to see these positive changes.
And what’s the rational for airlines not serving robust, or in AA’s case any, food in economy for buy on board. Since they’re selling it, shouldn’t they want the revenue?
Nice “chortle,” Gary. Perhaps, next time, we can ‘guffaw.’ Bah!
Anyway, yup, people, food, economics, politics–all inter-related; all relevant. Remember: “Groceries!” So, with the way the world is looking, today especially, CFO Leskinen may need to re-evaluate a lot more than the type of coffee they serve in Polaris. Oh, never mind, I read that we simply need to “take medicine.” (Just saying, if the other team had done any of this… they’d already been removed.)
I saw red velvet pudding so consider me sold! Good on you, United!
$69? Noice
Big fan of the site! I read it almost daily therfore its wonderful to see my name on it’s pages. If you want an interview or anything, I’m here for ya. Would love to tell you more about the collab and the sandwich itself.
@Jeff Mauro — Wow, the ‘Sandwich King,’ himself! Congrats, Jeff!
Look forward to the IAH shrimp creole and nice to see the long term Polaris quality wine commitment
They did remove crab cakes from IAD and now it’s a shrimp ‘boil’
Lets hope that last pic in article is tray you’d get from 2 yrs. ago; such small portions, so little food; wish they’d move away from spicy food items; we don’t want to get all gassed up on a long 4 hr. flight.