United Airlines retreats on eliminating transatlantic meals
Earlier this summer, United Airlines announced plans to stop providing meals to coach passengers on its transatlantic flights. Today, the airline emailed its customers to advise that they had changed their mind based on the feedback they’d received.
United Airlines is positioning this as responding to what travelers value. You may not be a fan a airline food. But if your flying from San Francisco to Frankfurt, a box of microwaved chicken looks a lot better than the Starbucks egg salad sandwich that has been in your carry-on for 10 hours.
I don’t blame United for trying to eliminate transatlantic meals. Cost cutting is essential right now. I don’t know if they had any focus groups prior to the initial announcement. But it is somehow reassuring to know that passengers out cried and United listened.