More United Airlines Customers Say 'Salud' to New Dining and Beverage Experience

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines is giving more passengers a taste of a new dining and beverage experience, with the expansion of complimentary meals and free wine and beer to more United Economy customers; the launch of a seasonal craft beer; and the introduction of modern, flavorful new entrees and snacks on many Latin America and Caribbean flights.

Beginning today:

• United Economy customers on flights between the U.S. and Bogota, Colombia, and the U.S. and Quito, Ecuador, will receive complimentary meals;
• Free wine and beer will be available to United Economy passengers on those flights, as well as in other Latin America markets and on certain routes within Asia; and
• Premium-cabin customers on flights departing for the United States from more than a dozen cities in Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela may dine on all-new meals or snacks.

Additionally, this month the airline will introduce a seasonal craft beer on board and in more than a dozen United Clubs.

"We're listening to our customers and taking action to make their journeys more memorable," said Jimmy Samartzis, United's vice president of food services and United Clubs. "By delivering more restaurant-quality meals, prepared with the best ingredients, and more chances to enjoy complimentary drinks, like seasonal beer, we're getting to the heart of what customers tell us they want from their travel experience."

Expansion of Complimentary Meals and Beverages

The transition in United Economy from the company's Choice Menu food for purchase to complimentary meals, on flights between the U.S. and Bogota and the U.S. and Quito, means these customers may now indulge in breakfast dishes such as fresh fruit, a muffin and a hot ham, egg and cheese sandwich.

Lunch and dinner may feature entrees like a pan-roasted chicken breast with herbs and porcini cream sauce, paired with Carolina grits, and served with an artisan dinner roll.

United Economy customers on flights between the U.S. and Bogota and the U.S. and Quito can now enjoy free wine and beer with their meals – beverages that are also now complimentary on flights between the U.S. and Caracas, Venezuela, and the U.S. and Lima, Peru, as well as on service between Singapore and Hong Kong and Singapore and Tokyo-Narita.

Seasonal Beer

Starting this month, a seasonal craft beer will be among the beverages customers can select. United is bringing Samuel Adams Winter Lager to flights worldwide and in United Clubs at the airline's mainland U.S. hubs.

Bold and rich with a touch of spice, this dark wheat winter lager is brewed with fresh ground cinnamon, along with ginger and orange peel, for a deep smooth flavor.           

New Premium-Cabin Meals and Snacks

Meanwhile, United continues to elevate premium-cabin meals and snacks. United Business passengers on flights departing cities such as Bogota; Quito; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, may now indulge in new breakfast entrees such as banana pancakes with chorizo sausage and caramelized pineapples or a chive omelet with Lyonnaise potatoes, both served with a fresh-fruit appetizer and croissants or apple-cinnamon Danish breakfast breads.

Lunch and dinner flights offer new dishes like braised-beef short ribs in dark beer demi-glace sauce with sauteed mushrooms, oven-roasted potatoes, celery and cherry tomatoes, served with a fresh seasonal green salad and warmed dinner roll.

Flights scheduled after 10 p.m., between the U.S. and almost a dozen cities in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, will provide new hearty chilled snacks, like a fresh-fruit appetizer served with grilled chicken with a roasted corn and black bean salad and warmed dinner rolls, plus chocolates for dessert.    

United will continue to offer prosecco sparkling wine and its signature warmed nuts that start off lunch, dinner and snack service.

Visit http://newsroom.united.com/foodandbeverages for photos of entrees and Samuel Adams Winter Lager.

2015 Food and Beverage Investments

United has made significant investments in its customers' dining and beverage experience in 2015. The airline's upgrades include:

• In partnership with The Trotter Project, introducing new premium-cabin lunch and dinner appetizers, salads and entrees on United's p.s. Premium Service, refreshing and expanding premium-cabin meal service on other flights within North America and to Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean leisure markets and adding new selections to United's Choice Menu Bistro on Board;
• Launching significantly upgraded food and beverage service – including multi-course meals, complimentary beer and house wine and a new option to purchase premium snacks – for customers in United Economy on many intercontinental flights;
• Announcing the airline is bringing illycaffe's premium scuro dark roast and the Italian company's espresso to United Club locations at mainland U.S. hubs this month, with the scuro dark roast coming to flights worldwide next summer;  
• Adding Crafthouse Cocktails' Moscow Mule vodka cocktail on board United-operated North and Central America flights and Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey on flights worldwide and at many United Club locations in the U.S.; and
• Launching an all-new, seasonal menu at United Club locations at mainland U.S. hubs, with plans to complete the roll out of new fresh and healthy menus at United Club locations worldwide this year and to rotate club menu selections seasonally to consistently offer customers new options.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of nearly 5,000 flights a day to 352 airports across six continents. In 2014, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 138 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates more than 700 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 34 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 and the 737-900ER. United is also welcoming 49 new Embraer E175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. Approximately 84,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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SOURCE United Airlines