United Airlines has decided, according to Bloomberg, to stop serving free meals in coach on some international flights.
Basically all flights to Europe from Dulles airport will now offer BOB (Buy-On-Board) meals in coach. Well, I use the term meal loosely. Not as loosely as United perhaps. Basically it looks like your two options will be a snack box with crackers, cheese, fruit and yogurt or a salad or sandwich. First and Business class will still offer "free" meals but then again you're typically paying anywhere up to ten times the lowest coach fares.
In addition, United is also planning on dropping free food in business class on domestic flights except for transcon flights between San Francisco and LA to New York. First class will still get the culinary extravaganzas offered by Sky Chefs, or the equivalent industrial food purveyor United actually uses.
Personally, if I have to flight to Europe on United in coach (and I pray to the Elder Gods of H. P. Lovecraft that this never happens), I will arrange to get some decent food to take along with me rather than pay for the overpriced cardboard that offered on board. Or just take some fruit and cheese because even at worst it's only around eight hours across the water. A big meal before getting to the airport for an overnight flight and I think I'd be good. But my preference is still to fly someone I actually enjoy traveling with like Virgin Atlantic.
