United backs off from food charges on Europe routes

Customers choosing United Airlines for their flights across the Atlantic have been given a reprieve and won’t be paying for in-flight meals after all.

The second-largest U.S.-based carrier announced on Tuesday that it would not be instituting its plan to charge for meals in economy class on services to Europe. Loyal United passengers expressed their disapproval of the plan, and a letter sent to customers on Tuesday began with the words: “Thank you for your direct, candid feedback.”

A spokeswoman for United, Robin Urbanski, said: “We heard loud and clear from our corporate and our Elite frequent fliers that they value our hot meal service.”

Although many airlines have already begun charging passengers for food on domestic flights, no other airline has attempted to institute charges for meals on long-haul services.

The letter to United’s customer base stated that it would “continue to be proactive in testing new ideas,” in order to cope with high operating costs.

United has also released a statement saying that, beginning October 1, it will serve sandwiches or boxed snacks to business class passengers on around 16 domestic flights daily – as opposed to hot meals. The airline also indicated that it would “evaluate the results and determine next steps by the end of the year.”

www.united.com