United Airlines is investing more into its onboard food and beverage selection with a series of catering upgrades that will begin next month. Later this summer, we’ll even see the popular Italian cocktail Aperol Spritz onboard.

United Airlines Catering Improvements: Aperol Spritz, United Express Meals, Hub-To-Hub Meals, “Caramel Cloud” Ice Cream Sundaes

Let’s take a look a the catering changes coming to United, starting in June 2025.

A Snack Returns To First Class Hub-To-Hub Flights Between 800-900 Miles

Last year, United increased the threshold for a meal in first class from 800 miles to 900 miles. That hit its Rocky Mountain Denver (DEN) hub hardest of all, with many flights losing meal service that had been catered for years, including a trio of hub-to-hub flights. United will elevate the snack offerings on hub-to-hub flights starting in June.

On hub-to-hub flights between 800-900 miles, we’re elevating the customer experience by introducing a warm offering alongside the already featured snack basket. Customers can enjoy a warm apricot sweet roll in the morning and a margherita pizza twist in the afternoon.

That will include:

• Chicago ⇄ Denver
• Houston ⇄ Denver
• Los Angeles ⇄ Denver

While this is a far cry from a return to meal service on these flights, it’s a step in the right direction and means Denver passengers will not totally go hungry.

Improved Meals On United Express Flights

Flights operated by United Express subsidiaries have never fully returned to pre-pandemic catering. While meals were eventually reduced, often the only choice at line stations was a shelf-stable pre-packaged cheese plate similar to what was offered for sale in economy class: hardly a first class meal.

That changes with the introduction of new enhanced meal boxes on these flights with selections including:

Cured meat and cheese box
Cured meat and cheese box with a selection of cured meats, cheese, dried fruits, mixed pickles and salted nuts

Fresh vegetarian box
Fresh vegetarian box with a grilled vegetable wrap, orecchiette pasta salad with olives and apple cinnamon crumble

Cheese platter box
Cheese platter box with varieties of cheeses, dried fruits, thin crisps, mixed nuts and small pickled cornichons pearl onions, and green olives

Chicken box
Fresh lunch dinner box with chicken caesar wrap, poke chicken bowl, and chocolate lava cake

Mediterranean vegetarian box
Mediterranean vegetarian box with quinoa salad, casa milo mini focacce green olive crackers, casa milo focacce sea salt and rosemary crackers, mom almonds, trofico mixed olives, mezete hummus and breadsticks, and mezcla matcha vanilla bar

Tex Mex box
Tex Mex box with Tex Mex salad, mi nina jalapeno agave nachos, mr filberts chorizo salami trofico green olives, mezcla hot chocolate bar, and mom roasted and salted cashews

A preview of what these look like was given on a recent Starlink media flight:

Sky-High Caramel Cloud Ice Cream Sundaes In Polaris This Summer

Per United, a special-edition ice cream sundae will be available in June and July:

A special, limited-time summer sundae – the Sky-High Caramel Cloud – joins our sundae cart for June and July, alongside the signature classic vanilla bean offering. The Sky-High Caramel Cloud features Tillamook’s delicious caramel toffee crunch ice cream, olive oil lemon cake crumbles, glazed pecans and a caramel drizzle, all topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a cherry! 

Sounds delicious…

Later This Summer: Aperol Spritz Cocktails Onboard

United has done a great job with onboard beverage menu, adding craft cocktails, improved wine and Champagne, and even cold-brew coffee. Starting later this summer (date still unspecified), United will add Aperol Spritz cocktails to its onboard menu. This was shared with Live And Let’s Fly at the Polaris 2.0 luncheon event in Brooklyn.

This popular cocktail will be available for purchase in economy class and complimentary in premium cabins.

CONCLUSION

Even in the face of economic uncertainty, United continues to invest its onboard product. Together, these changes indicate that United is moving in the right direction with its food and beverage service onboard. I’d love to see a full meal return to hub-to-hub flights, but the improved meals on United Express, Aperol Spritz cocktails, and caramel ice cream sundaes are sure to be a hit onboard.