United Airlines have introduced a meal pre-ordering service on their app and website. The Chicago-based carrier says the move will improve inflight service while reducing food waste.
Customers can now pre-select their menu choices for flights over 1,190 miles (1,900 km) across North America and the Caribbean. From 1 March, fresh meals will only be purchasable online. However, customers who do not do so can still choose from the inflight range of snacks and beverages.
Aaron McMillan, Managing Director of Hospitality Programs at United, explained:
We’re continuing to invest in meaningful improvements to our onboard food and beverage program, with a focus on quality, consistency and customer choice. Pre-ordering is a win for everyone. Customers board the plane knowing they’ll get the meal they want, our catering partners know exactly how much food to prepare for each flight, and it helps our operation run even more smoothly and reduce food waste.
The carrier claims that the new system will save more than 100,000lbs (45,350kg) of food waste. Reducing the amount of food onboard will in turn reduce a plane’s fuel burn, contributing to emissions reduction efforts.
United is not the first airline to try and optimise catering offerings while maintaining high standards of service. Etihad, KLM, and Lufthansa are now using AI to predict the number of meals they need to carry. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways have invested in a biodigester to reprocess food waste into grey water.
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