Dive in and learn more about how United Airlines has modernized and re-invented its Food & Beverage program
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United Airlines (United) is a major airline in the US that was formed by the amalgamation of several airlines in the late 1920s. Since its merger with Continental Airlines in 2010, the company consistently ranks as one of the world’s largest airlines, and in fact, currently stands as the first by number of destinations served and fleet size. Today, United operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the US and all six inhabited continents.
To maintain its scale and position in the market, United must constantly ensure that it offers its customers new and exciting options. One such project is its current
journey to redefine the onboard dining experience by modernizing menus and delivering exclusive unique products, designed to entice and delight those in flight. To learn more about this, we are joined by Jenefer Jackson, Director of Food and Beverage Programs, who is well placed to discuss the origins of United’s catering program.
“At United, our food and beverage program is a core piece of our business. We know that delivering a consistently elevated and exclusive onboard dining experience really turns the dial for guest satisfaction and increased loyalty – it’s a differentiator and something our guests look forward to as a part of their travel journey! As a large global carrier, we shouldn’t (and don’t!) serve just one menu worldwide – in fact we partner with over 130 kitchens and run over 60 menus at any given time. This approach ensures that all our menus reflect the unique characteristics of our global footprint – delivering on our commitment to represent the countries and communities we serve through the dishes we create and providing an opportunity for our guests to enjoy regional cuisine representative of their destination. In addition, we rotate each of these 60 menus up to four times a year – meaning the team is busy working on upwards of 240 menus annually!”
Exclusive partnerships
The United culinary team has been hard at work over the past 18 months to not only modernize menus but also redefine their culinary identity. Leveraging a perspective about how they want to ‘show up’ in the food and beverage space has been key to defining their core pillars – Clean, Simple, Approachable with a Sense of Adventure, and Luxury. Speaking of Luxury: “Making sure that we include touches of luxury in our menus for travelers in all cabins is important – how we deliver on value, and offer products that make our guests feel special, providing signature or exclusive offerings they can only find on United is really important to us. To that end, we cultivate unique partnerships to offer food options that guests can only ever get when they fly with us. For example, we recently launched Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding onboard for first-class passengers on domestic flights, an option exclusively available to our passengers, aside from visiting a Magnolia Bakery in town. We have also partnered exclusively with Emmy nominated celebrity chef Jeff Mauro for signature retail offerings available in economy,” adds Jenefer.
Strategic supplier selection
Another exclusive partnership began in January of 2025 when world-renowned champagne house Laurent-Perrier joined United’s award-winning Polaris wine program, alongside other premier brands including Heitz and Shafer. Nestled in a grand cru village, Laurent-Perrier is the largest female and family-run house in the Champagne region of France and has been crafting traditional and elegant champagnes since 1812. “Since the 1st of January, customers on our international business class, Polaris, have had the chance to enjoy Laurent-Perrier’s La Cuvée Champagne onboard. This fresh and elegant blend of 55 percent chardonnay, 35 percent pinot noir, and ten percent Meunier is aged to perfection for four years in the Laurent-Perrier house cellars. La Cuvée pairs wonderfully with our diverse menus or even as a standalone toast to the friendly skies. We are proud to be the only airline in North America serving this champagne,” Jenefer enthuses.
Creating unique onboard experiences like these remain core to the team’s strategy and are proving out with positive guest reactions. However, such vast and varied menus entail significant supplier relationship management efforts, as Jenefer points out. “It can be challenging because we require large quantities to cater to the needs of all passengers traveling on our flights. A notable instance of this is our upcoming introduction of a new appetizer for our international economy guests flying between the US and Europe, or vice versa. Given that the volumes for this appetizer will average 11 million annually, we need to work with a supplier capable of producing approximately 800,000 units per month. Our supplier selection process is highly strategic. Local brands may not always be able to accommodate such high-volume demands, so we seek unique opportunities for them to showcase their products in other culinary areas where the required volumes aren’t nearly as large.
“For example, we have opened snack bars in the economy cabins of our A321 NEO aircraft. Since these cabins require smaller quantities, they serve as a platform for diverse local suppliers to gain exposure and connect with our guests and brand,” she continues.
Unforgettable experiences
Besides fostering successful partnerships with the best of suppliers, United consistently strives to enhance the quality of its food options. “We recently invested in our premium cross-country transcontinental routes connecting Newark with Los Angeles and San Francisco. These investments are dedicated to elevating our premium cabin cuisine to meet our Polaris standards. In February of this year, similar investments will be directed towards our long-haul Hawaii markets, not only to align our dishes with Polaris standards but also to introduce regional touches. Inspired by the Hawaiian Islands, these regional elements will include a premium nut mix for first-class passengers, containing pineapple and coconut. Through our partnership with Chicago-based Crafthouse, we will also introduce a signature Mai Tai cocktail that resonates with our communities and truly connects with our guests,” Jenefer says. “I love the Crafthouse partnership not only for the great quality and shared values with United, but also for the Chicago connection – nothing better than aligning an awesome Chicago brand with Chicago’s Hometown Airline!”
2024 was a busy year for United, with new products being released nearly every month. Jenefer reveals that she hopes this impressive output will continue in 2025. “Last year, we launched cold brew onboard, expanding our partnership with illy coffee, and embarked on a partnership with Tillamook Ice Cream, a B Corp company from the West Coast, featuring its ice cream in our Polaris sundae bar. In August, we introduced canned wine for our economy passengers on domestic flights – partnering with two female owned companies – Just Enough and Maker, a move that has enabled us to bring quality wine options to our guests while diverting over 180,000 plastic bottles from landfills each year by transitioning to recyclable aluminum cans. As we kick off 2025, we expect monthly product launches, no matter how big or small, to continue throughout the year,” she ends.
United’s passion for culinary excellence and commitment to ongoing improvements is starting to reap positive feedback from its travelers. “It’s exciting to see the work of the team really paying off – we’re connecting with our guests in new ways, and will continue to innovate and deliver high quality, relevant menus that up the ante for the onboard dining experience!” From exclusive partnerships to authentic regional offerings, the airline’s dedication to delivering unforgettable experiences has solidified its position as an industry leader.