United Customers Can Now Order Economy Meals Before Flights

United customers can now order fresh, United Economy meals like burgers and sandwiches before their flight through the airline's website and mobile app.

This change prioritizes giving customers more choice and ensuring they get the meals they want, while also helping the airline's catering operation run more efficiently and supporting efforts to reduce food waste.

United Economy meal preorders are available on flights over 1,190 miles within the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and starting March 1, preorders will be the only way to purchase fresh entrees for customers traveling in the Economy cabin. United Economy will still offer its signature snack boxes, packaged snacks and beverages for purchase onboard.

In addition to ensuring customers get the meals they want and improving catering efficiency, enabling customers to preorder meals is expected to help United's food-waste reduction efforts by helping minimize unconsumed fresh retail items. This approach is anticipated to keep more than 100,000 pounds of unused food out of landfills each year.

United expects to add additional fresh meal choices to the preorder menu this summer that include elevated salads, gourmet sandwiches and wraps, with expanded preorder exclusive premium beverage options planned for later this year.

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%.

Customers can preorder both fresh Bistro on Board and retail items in advance through the mobile app or on united.com, beginning five days and up to 24 hours before departure. Customers can browse the available options within the online Trips section, and United app users will receive a notification when preordering opens for their flight.

In addition to signature snack boxes, the January menu includes a variety of fresh and flavorful options including the Steakhouse Burger, Tacos Al Pastor, Fresh Cheese & Fruit Tray, Everything Bagel Dots and more. For more information, visit united.com.