United cuts free meals in transatlantic coach and domestic business class

Posted by Molly Feltner on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

This year, the airlines have been busily packing on the extra fees and cutting services. However, there have been a few "sacred cows" the carriers have avoided messing with: international flights and upper-class services. Unfortunately, United has just decided to commit sacrilege. The airline will cut free meals in coach class on Europe flights and in business class on domestic flights.

Read the full details of United's cuts on SmarterTravel.com.

Surprised by these cuts or not? Post a comment below.

Categories: Airline Industry News

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by nicenfljersey on Friday, December 11, 2009

The airlines must charge start chargin a reasonable fee to cover those extra items, like food and drink on those long haul flights. They don't need to be charging for food after you get on the plane. All that does is cause the flight attendants to do more work. When we have been on a flight that charges for food, they options have been really crappy.

by Donna on Thursday, August 21, 2008

It'll make for strange flights when they have partners going the other way - Lufthansa has always had better food and service than United, and now you'll get a great Lufthansa meal going one way and just water going the other way?! I wonder how LH feels about that?

by Tara on Thursday, August 21, 2008

Before checking the WatchBlog, I posted the following comment on the message board a couple of hours ago:

I just have to get rid of my frustration:
In January 2008 I booked a return flight from Switzerland to Hawaii for Mid October 2008. Last week I received an insider newsletter that normally goes to Swiss travel agencies (I am not working for a travel agency) saying that you have to pay $ 6 for your meals on a 8 hr flight from Zurich to Washington DC from October 1st on. I called my travel agency asking if that was true. The agent didn't know, called United and they told him "at the moment" (!) on an oversea flight meals are for free. Just two days later my travel agency was informed by United that from October 1 on you have to pay for your meals an ALL flights, even on the long flights from Europe to the US...! - Don't get me wrong, it's not like I can't afford the $6, but first of all it is a rip-off, that you have to pay on a flight that long, where you need to eat some time (and with customs regulations since 9/11 it's not like you can take a whole bag of food and drinks with you...) and secondly how can a United office not be informed about that changes when a PR about it already went out to travel publications???
If I had to pay 10 bucks more for the whole flight from the beginning, I would have been less frustrated than I am now...

I will make sure not to fly any American airlines anymore. You get much better service in European and Asian airlines!

by ilisa on Friday, August 29, 2008

That is a long hungry flight if you don't opt in for the meal. Wonder how much they'll charge for the sub-par food? It'll be a monopoly so I wouldn't be surprised to see $10 microwave dinners.

by Brad on Thursday, August 21, 2008

I suspect UAL has never heard of Louie & Marie.... Hungry peasants DO revolt!

by DougHCO on Thursday, August 21, 2008

No airline wants to be the one to raise ticket prices afraid that they will loose business. So instead they take away every 'perk' to flying their airline. Check baggage - $15-50, Snacks $5-10, Drinks $2, Dinner $9. At some point someone this needs to stop. Airlines are going to loose business by cutting the cost of the $0.50 soda and the $3 meal.

Here is an option to cut cost and continue to provide basic services they should set up a website. 5 days before the flight passengers can log on and choose to have a meal or other perishable offerings. If they don't, no meal, they can buy a snack box. The number of meals would most likely be less and less food/money would be wasted.

by Samantha on Thursday, August 21, 2008

For reasons just like this, I always fly a foreign carrier when going overseas. It may cost a little more initially, but the treatment is SO much better. It makes it all worthwhile. I am hoping they don't follow suit! United just lost my business forever!

by Rebekah on Thursday, August 21, 2008

This is OUTRAGEOUS!! It's no wonder the 4th largest airline never comes close to making it on the top 10 world's best airlines. I rarely fly United, but I will never do so again, and I will recommend to al my freidns and colleagues aroudn the world to choose another airline that actually cares about the service it provides. You increase revenue by providing a better service to attract more customers - but hey - what do I know?!

by Richard on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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United cuts free meals in transatlantic coach and domestic business class

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