United Airlines Cuts Back On First Class Meals

by Gary Leff

United Airlines is pulling back on meal service in domestic first class. Starting January 1, United Airlines will only serve meals up front on flights of 900 miles or longer, as first reported by Live and Let’s Fly. According to internal United communications,

Starting January 1, 2024, complimentary meals will be offered at 900+ miles. This is a change from the previous 800+ miles. On flights 301-900 miles, United First customers can expect a premium snack basket and under 300 miles will receive a complimentary drink.

Both American and Delta currently serve meals only on flights over 900 miles. United had been serving meals on flights that were 800 miles.

Alaska Airlines, in contrast, serves fruit plates, yogurt, and cheeseburgers even on flights of 670 miles or more (along with a dessert course at lunch and dinner). Their meal service overall, more robust on longer flights, outshines what other U.S. carriers offer.

Of course, United’s move brings to mind Woody Allen,

There’s an old joke – um… two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ’em says, “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.” The other one says, “Yeah, I know; and such small portions.” Well, that’s essentially how I feel about life – full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it’s all over much too quickly.

United first and business class meals aren’t very good. But with this change, as Live and Let’s Fly points out, meals will no longer be served on routes like Denver – Los Angeles, Denver – Chicago, and Denver – Houston. And with the high level of passengers connecting through United’s banked Denver hub, many of these first class passengers will be coming off of flights without meal service and with limited time (if any) to pick up food in transit.

Before the pandemic United was uniquely ungenerous on domestic first class meals. They tried to cut them on all flights under four hours, but were embarrassed under the scrutiny and restored them to three hour flights.

Meals between 800 and 900 miles was an area where United offered greater value than competitors to premium customers. But it comes as an expense. I have a hard time trying to understand how premium United wants to be given that they seem to be a bit schizophrenic in their approach to premium passengers.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I haven’t eaten an airline meal in decades. We were late to our flight out of Heathrow to IAD this summer and I was asleep during meal service. We usually grab food from Cafe Nero before the flight, but no time. My husband didn’t get me anything (that’s another story) and I woke up over the Atlantic starving. Dug around in my carry on and found a smushed protein bar. Lunch was served. Seriously, first class food has sucked for years now. Even the fruit plate. Also flew first class to a couple of domestic locations this summer, including Phoenix. We were greeted with juice or water. Again I fell dead asleep as it was a 7:30 AM flight. Flying is a chore regardless of the carrier or the “class” you are flying. Usually fly American. Flight attendants are rarely more than perfunctorily pleasant even in First.

  2. Flew some amazing trips Intl biz class last month. Cathay, Qatar and BA. Food very good and decent portions. Even on 2am DOH FRA a tasting menu offered.

  3. Meals are the main reason I fly First Class. I have been flying LAX-DEN in United First primarily for the meals. This change will definitely change my flying habits and result in me flying United less often.

  4. When you’re a frequent flyer you have all the major airline loyalty programs. However, the meals are the primary reason I use United for my daughter to fly home from Denver to LA, and this change will force me to reconsider my loyalty to United.

  5. This makes no sense that in first class LAX to Denver you get a bag of popcorn, but as 1k in coach you get a snack box for “free”. Really need to rethink this United.

  6. I recently flew United Economy from IAH to SEA, and was surprised to find out that no meal service was offered. Only “snack boxes” for purchase. It was a 4.5 hour flight.

  7. I will never fly United First class again as I fly Denver to SD several times a month I might as well either go coach or fly Southwest. Crazy United! But typical your planes are old your snacks suck and those who fly a ton will find better options.

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