Pretzels are out. A “fresh” appetizer is in. United Airlines is promising a more premium meal in international economy class starting next month on flights between Europe and the United States.

Goodbye Pretzels: United Airlines Adds Fresh Appetizers In International Economy

A memo to flight attendants shared with Live And Let’s Fly states, “…we’re reimagining the in-flight service delivery to offer a more premium experience without lengthening the service.” Specifically, United Airlines will introduce a fresh packaged appetizer in place of the beverage snack service (which is currently pretzels when departing the USA and breadsticks when flying out of Europe or the UK).

The new service procedure includes a three-step process:

• Pre-meal service: Beverage and starter cart (tray setup with cutlery, salad, dressing, bread, butter, fresh packaged appetizer, and dessert).
• Pick up as needed
• Main meal service: Beverage and entree cart. Use a black tray to offer a choice of warm entrees to customers from the cart.

If that last part sounds familiar, it is because this is how Delta Air Lines offers meals in international economy class (although my understanding is that Delta does not offer bread and butter or a salad, just the appetizer + main course with crackers and cheese).

United tells flight attendants this will not “lengthen” the service, and I suppose that is true, though handing out trays is going to take a few seconds longer than handing out pretzels.

There are two exceptions to this new service where the entire meal will continue to be served on a single tray:

• Flights with a wheels-up time of 8:00 pm or later
• Flights operated by a Boeing 767-300 (due to staffing ratios and galley space)

This service will be on flights between the UK/Europe and the United States. United is also testing an enhanced dinner roll service (served via a basket rather than individually wrapped) on routes between Los Angeles/Washington Dulles and London.

Great Food In Economy Class Is Possible

Of course one objective of this blog is to help readers use miles and points wisely to avoid international economy class, but I’ve flown in the back of the bus many, many times over the years and I do reconize that United’s food, at least in economy, is decidely above average, especially when it comes to midfligh snacks and pre-arrival meals (which will remain…including a hot sandwich mid-flight and a full hot breakfast on flights from the West Coast to the UK or Europe).

Furthermore, my recent flights on JetBlue in transatlantic economy class have shown that it is possible to offer fresh, healthy, and delicious food onboard. Now JetBlue has cut warm meals, which is a shame, but it still provides a model for how United and other carriers who wish to lead can approach meals.

People generally are not loyal to an airline because of the meal service, but I can tell you I look forward to flying JetBlue…maybe United is realizing that offering nicer meals onboard will not only lead to higher NPS scores, but genuinely create loyal customers, the sort of “sticky” customers as CEO Scott Kirby calls them, even who regularly fly in economy class.

> Read More: United Airlines CEO Thinks Customers Are “Sticky”

CONCLUSION

United Airlines will offer fresh appetizers on transatlantic flights starting in September 2025. It will also serve meals in two courses, similar to business class. I think United already offers better food than American and Delta in longhaul economy class (unlike in business class…) and this will only lengthen United’s lead.