United Airlines Now Allowing Economy Customers To Pre-Order Fresh Meals

United Airlines has joined a small but growing list of airlines allowing customers flying in economy the ability to pre-order freshly prepared meals before their flight.

Typically, pre-order meal options were reserved for those flying in more premium cabins such as domestic first class or business class, but United is now extending the same privilege to those in economy, giving customers the choice to place an order for a fresh meal via the website or mobile app.

There are a few caveats though as this option will only be available on flights within the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (for now), and will eventually be the only way to order fresh meals from March 1, 2026. Other items such as snack boxes, packaged snacks and beverages for purchase onboard will still be made available for purchase during the flight.

United first introduced preorder in the United app for premium cabins in 2021 and saw customer satisfaction scores for domestic flights increase by almost 40%.

“We’re continuing to invest in meaningful improvements to our onboard food and beverage program, with a focus on quality, consistency and customer choice,” said Aaron McMillan, Managing Director of Hospitality Programs at United. “Preordering is a win for everyone – customers board the plane knowing they’ll get the meal they want*, our catering partners know exactly how much food to prepare for each flight and it helps our operation run even more smoothly and reduce food waste.”

Credit: Bradley Wint/Gate Checked

Customers can preorder both fresh ‘Bistro on Board’ and retail items in advance through the mobile app or on the website, beginning five days and up to 24 hours before departure. The meal purchases pre-order option will be listed under the Trips section, and those using the mobile app will get a notification letting them know they have the option of pre-ordering.

The January menu includes a number of options including items from the Steakhouse Burger, Tacos Al Pastor, Fresh Cheese & Fruit Tray, Everything Bagel Dots and more.

United isn’t the first to do this as other carriers such as Virgin Atlantic, Air Transat, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines and airBaltic also allow those flying in economy on longer flights the option of paying for meal orders in advance. From a business point of view, United is clearly trying to cut down on the expenses of loading too much food on an aircraft, but it’s a change I can get behind. Why waste food when you can load exactly what the customers want?

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