United Airlines announced today that they would be enhancing their meal offerings onboard their flights in both the premium-cabin as well as in United Economy on several of their flights throughout North and Latin America. Below is a rundown of the changes from United’s site:

A flat-iron steak with grilled broccolini, gigande beans and red chimichurri will be one of the entrees available in United BusinessFirst on the airline’s p.s. Premium Service.

New York/Newark–San Francisco and Los Angeles

On Oct. 25, with the beginning of p.s. premium transcontinental service to Newark Liberty International Airport, p.s. flights will begin offering new premium-cabin lunch and dinner selections.

After starting with new appetizers like roasted duck with stone-ground mustard and fig, peppered goat cheese with pumpernickel bread, customers may dine on new salads, such as butternut squash with haricots verts, pumpkin seeds, bleu cheese, cranberries and pickled onions or granny smith apple with shaved fennel and beets.

New entrees will include a flat-iron steak with grilled broccolini, gigande beans and red chimichurri; duck confit ravioli, mushroom ragout, semi-dried tomatoes and sauteed asparagus; and lamb shoulder with sauteed gnocchi, eggplant confit and lamb jus.

United will continue to offer its p.s. made-to-order sundaes for dessert, followed by bake-on-board cookies prior to arrival.

A refreshed Choice Menu Bistro on Board for United Economy customers will offer dishes like a breakfast Southwestern bistro scramble with black beans and butternut squash

North America Premium-Cabin

Beginning Nov. 1, the airline will refresh lunch and dinner choices for United First and United Business customers on flights throughout the U.S. and Canada, and to Mexico, Caribbean and Latin America leisure markets.

United-operated flights that currently offer meal service will add new dishes, like Spanish paella, mushroom risotto and seafood cioppino on shorter dinner flights.

The carrier will also expand meals to:

• Lunch flights longer than three hours, departing between 1:30 and 3:59 p.m., which will offer options that include seasonal entree salads like a Napa salad with grilled salmon, goat cheese and fig and an arugula salad with Milanese-style chicken; and
• Late-night flights between Hawaii and Houston, Chicago, New York/Newark and Washington, which will offer full dinner service with entrees, such as hoisin short ribs with wasabi grits and stir-fried vegetables.

Late-night non-p.s. transcontinental flights and service between Hawaii and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver, as well as other late-departing flights of at least five hours and 20 minutes, will offer hearty sandwiches after takeoff, such as a pretzel burger with bleu cheese dressing, arugula and pickled onions, followed by warmed pastries before arrival.

United will continue to provide premium-cabin customers prosecco sparkling wine and –  on lunch and dinner flights – the airline’s signature warm nuts and a variety of desserts, including ice cream, sorbet and bake-on-board cookies.

United Express two-cabin regional jet service will also offer new premium-cabin lunch, dinner and snacks and expanded lunch meal service to flights longer than three hours.

Other North America flights will offer new premium-cabin dishes like the Napa salad with grilled salmon, goat cheese and fig that will be available on many lunch flights.

United Economy Dining

In addition, United Economy customers can savor new items beginning Nov. 1, when the airline refreshes its Choice Menu Bistro on Board fresh food for purchase in United Economy on most flights within North America, to Central America and northern South America and between Honolulu and Guam, departing before 8 p.m. and scheduled longer than three-and-a-half hours.

Menu selections will include a Southwestern bistro scramble for breakfast and, for lunch and dinner, a rustic Italian sandwich and a French country-style bowl with slow-cooked beef, roasted carrots, onions, parsnips and steamed white rice.

Additional Dining Investments

United’s coming in-flight dining upgrades are part of the airline’s ongoing investment in its customers’ travel experience. This fall, the airline will also:

• Refresh beginning Nov. 1 its Bistro on Board menu available on most flights departing before 8 p.m. from the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Colombia or Ecuador; and
• Introduce new dishes in December for United Business customers on flights from more than a dozen Latin America and Caribbean business markets.

Meanwhile, this month the airline launched an all-new, seasonal menu at United Club locations at the carrier’s mainland U.S. hubs. The complimentary menu includes fresh zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes as well as hearty corn chowder and Tuscan-style white bean and chicken soup. Guests will also be able to select from a variety of salads, including a Texas caviar bean salad and kale and spinach salads.

Bottom Line

I’m excited to see these changes that United is investing in their meal service. American Airlines has recently enhanced their domestic first class meals, and Delta has been a leader when it comes to inflight offerings, so it was a only a matter of time for United to catch-up.

What are your thoughts on these new meals? Feel free to comment below.