United Airlines Upgrades Catering On Premium Transcontinental Routes (Full Menus)

At long last, United Airlines is bringing its business class catering on premium transcontinental flights back up to pre-pandemic levels with the return of appetizers and an enhanced pre-arrival service. I’ve updated this post to include full menus.

United Airlines Brings Back Linens, Appetizers To Premium Transcontinental Routes

While United has widely restored its pre-pandemic catering to both domestic and international routes, its premium transcontinental routes between Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO) / Los Angeles (LAX) have curiously remained stuck in a twilight zone.

Yes, the dessert cart has returned–reminiscent of an international flight–but menu choices have remained more limited than other domestic routes and there have been no appetizers served with meals. Meanwhile, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and JetBlue Airways offer far heartier meals on their premium domestic routes.

Starting November 15, 2024, United will elevate the premium transcontinental dining experience for business class passengers including the addition of linens, an “elevated” wine selection, and the addition of an appetizer. A larger pre-arrival meal with both hot and cold options plus a side salad will also be served.

A memo reviewed by Live And Let’s Fly outlines the new service flow:

Main meal service

Introduction of pre-meal beverage cart with linen placement and cocktail snacks
Choice of elevated wine selections
Adding an appetizer to the main meal tray setup
Pre-order for customers with four entrees to choose from

Pre-arrival 

Introduction of hot towel service
Full-size tray delivery with:

Salad, appetizer, and choice of entree pre-plated in casserole dish
Introduction of three choices of entrees, including two hot options and one cold

Currently, United offers a small tapas plate (meat and cheese or Medieterian) on afternoon and evening flights and a warm croissant with yogurt on redeye flights as the pre-arrival snack.

Sample Menu – Wow!

PTahCha on FlyerTalk shared the following menu from his upcoming December flight (United now posts menus in advance) and I must say that this appears to be a genuine upgrade. The addition of an appetizer and heartier pre-arrival meal is appreciated, but the big upgrade to me appears to be the main courses…these look great and represent a huge upgrade over standard domestic premium cabin meals.

Considering American Airlines and Delta Air Lines only offer cookies or a snack basket after the main meal service, United may actually be offering a superior meal… that will depend, of course, on the quality of the food.

United also sent me a look at what the menus will look like as of November 15, 2024. Take a look:

Entrees

East Coast

Pan-seared mid-Atlantic rockfish with sauteed green beans, roasted Yukon gold potato wedges and vierge
Garlic roasted chicken with calabrian chili butter, caramelized carrots and thyme roasted fingerling potatoes
Seared beef filet with steak fries, green beans and peppercorn sauce
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni with rustic tomato sauce and parmesan sauce

West Coast

Sauteed beef filet with green beans, sweet potato gratin and thyme demi glaze
Pan roasted Chilean Seabass with braised red wine lentils, roasted asparagus and bordelaise sauce
Chili garlic roasted chicken breast with fingerling potatoes and charred broccolini
Creamy wild mushroom ragout with mascarpone polenta, garlic spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes

Pre-Arrival Meals

East Coast

Maryland style crabcakes with succotash and remoulade sauce
 Cavatelli pasta with forest mushroom cream sauce and topped with fresh arugula
Tuscan kale romaine salad with roasted heirloom tomatoes, focaccia croutons, side of grilled chicken and creamy roasted garlic dressing

West Coast

Radiatori pasta with rustic tomato sauce, roasted zucchini and goat cheese
Cod fritter with minted smash peas and grilled lemon slices
Mixed green salad with heirloom tomatoes, bacon, egg, side of grilled chicken and green goddess dressing

No Meals In EconomyPlus

Prior to the pandemic, United Airlines served complimentary meals in EconomyPlus, United’s extra-legroom economy class section, on these routes, something American Airlines still does on its premium transcontinental routes from New York (JFK). The memo does not mention any change in economy class catering. In addition to free sweet and savory snacks, United offers several fresh and pre-packaged foods for sale on longer flights.

CONCLUSION

United appears to be on the cusp of restoring its premium transcontinental service to 2019 levels (and perhaps even surpassing it with a larger pre-arrival meal). This change is long overdue and applauded, especially considering the prices United is charging for these flights. I look forward to reporting on what the new meal service is like.