United Expands Economy Meal Preorder Program to Shorter Flights
United expanded the United Economy® meal preorder program to customers traveling on shorter flights, giving up to 65,000 more customers per day access to this time-saving benefit.
More Flights Now Eligible
- The expansion adds approximately 420 additional flights per day to the meal preorder program.
Newly eligible routes include major hub-to-hub services such as:
- Chicago - Houston
- Denver - San Francisco
- Houston - Washington, D.C.
Greater Choice and Convenience
- According to David Kinzelman, United's Chief Customer Officer, the expansion is designed to provide customers with:
- More choice
- Greater convenience
- An improved onboard experience
Available Meal Options
Customers can choose from a rotating menu of fresh food selections, including:
- Sandwiches
- Burgers
- Pasta dishes
- Breakfast items
Current offerings include:
- Pork Mojo Burrito
- Chicago Patty Melt by Jeff Mauro of Mauro Provisions
- Hot Honey Chicken and Waffle Sandwich
- Cinnamon Apple Waffle
- United's signature snack boxes and snacks are also available for preorder.
How the Preorder Service Works
Customers can preorder eligible food and retail items through:
- United's mobile app
- United.com
Orders can be placed:
- Beginning five days before departure
- Up to 24 hours before the flight
- Mobile app users receive notifications when preorder options become available for their specific flight.
Fast, Free Starlink Wi-Fi Expansion
- MileagePlus® members can access free Starlink Wi-Fi on equipped aircraft.
The service allows passengers to:
- Stream content,
Play games,
Shop online
- Stay connected gate-to-gate
- Starlink is currently available on:
- The entire two-cabin regional fleet
- More than 280 mainline aircraft
- Fleet-wide installation is expected to be completed in 2027.
More Live Sports Onboard
- United recently added TBS to its live entertainment lineup through its partnership with DISH.
Customers can watch:
- Playoff baseball,
NFL programming,
Major network broadcasts
- Live programming is available on more than 200 aircraft, covering roughly 900 flights daily.
Expanded Entertainment Options
- United offers more than 2,500 hours of onboard entertainment.
Content partners include:
- Apple TV,
HBO Max,
A24,
Spotify
- The airline plans to have seatback screens installed on up to 1,000 aircraft by the end of 2027.
- New aircraft feature 27-inch 4K OLED seatback screens, the largest among U.S. airlines.
New Food and Beverage Enhancements
- Beginning November 1, United will refresh its popular snack boxes:
- Tapas,
Takeoff,
Recline
- The airline is also introducing new seasonal food and beverage options.
- A limited-edition Wishes Snackbox, created in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, will help support the organization's mission of granting wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Key Takeaway
United's expansion of the Economy meal preorder program reflects the airline's broader strategy to enhance the passenger experience through greater personalization, improved onboard dining options, free high-speed connectivity, expanded entertainment offerings, and more customer choice throughout the travel journey.
