Category Archives: United Airlines

United debuts new plant-based menu items from Impossible Foods

United Airlines is today adding two new Impossible Foods menu items on select flights and in certain airport lounges, as part of the carrier’s new push to add more plant-based options to its food offerings.

As part of a new collaboration between United and Impossible Foods, the United-exclusive Impossible™ Meatball Bowl is now available to first class customers on all domestic flights more than 800 miles in the continental U.S. The Impossible™ Sausage is available in Polaris^® lounges in Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark and San Francisco.

Impossible Meatball Bowl, available exclusively to United Airlines customers

The collaboration comes as more than half of U.S. consumers are increasing their plant-based food consumption and sales of plant-based meat continue to climb, according to a recent Nielsen report¹.

The Impossible Meatball Bowl features three Impossible Meatballs™ Made From Plants and broccolini served on a bed of couscous and topped with an herb-infused tomato sauce. Impossible Meatballs are made with a custom mix of Impossible Beef™ Made From Plants and Impossible Sausage, seasoned with a savory homestyle spice blend. Additionally, during breakfast at Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, Newark and San Francisco Polaris lounges, United will offer ground Impossible Sausage as an optional omelet ingredient and Impossible Sausage breakfast patties in the buffet.

Impossible Foods is on a mission to create delicious, nutritious meat made from plants with a far lower environmental impact compared to meat made from animals. Impossible products are designed to look, cook and taste like animal meat, delivering the crave worthy benefits of meat without many of the negative qualities. Both Impossible Meatballs and Impossible Sausage are a good source of protein and other essential nutrients, while containing 0 mg cholesterol and trans fat, and no animal hormones or antibiotics. Furthermore, they require a fraction of the land use, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing their animal meat counterparts, according to preliminary lifecycle analyses.

Starting this week, customers in eligible markets can pre-order the Impossible Meatball Bowl through United.com or the United mobile app. For more information on United culinary offerings, visit United.com.

¹Nielsen, “Growing demand for plant-based proteins,” (September 2021)

United to add the San Francisco – Brisbane route

United Airlines has announced year-round, nonstop service between San Francisco and Brisbane, becoming the first U.S. airline to add a new transpacific destination to its global network since the start of the pandemic. From Brisbane, United customers will be able to easily connect to nearly 20 other cities within Australia thanks to the airline’s new partnership with Virgin Australia. United was the only carrier to maintain passenger service between Australia and the U.S. during the pandemic.

In addition to the new Brisbane route, United currently flies nonstop to Sydney from San Francisco and Los Angeles and offers nonstop flights between Melbourne and the U.S.

The launch of this route is supported by The Queensland Government’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund, which was established to help rebuild the country’s international tourism industry. United’s new service will support 385 local jobs and bring an estimated $73 million into the economy. Pre-pandemic, San Francisco was the second largest mainland U.S. inbound passenger market and destination for Queensland travelers. United’s hub at San Francisco provides convenient one-stop connections for more than 80 North American destinations.

United’s new Brisbane service will operate three times weekly on a 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that includes 48 lie-flat, United Polaris^® business class seats, 21 United Premium Plus^® seats, 39 Economy Plus® seats and 149 economy seats. All seats are equipped with seatback on-demand entertainment to help customers pass the time and relax during their travels.

United is the longest serving U.S. carrier in Australia, serving the country for more than 35 years with its first direct service to Sydney in 1986. The airline first began offering nonstop service to Melbourne from Los Angeles in 2014 and recently restarted its San Francisco–Melbourne service this June.

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

United is now flying from Newark to the Azores and Bergen

United Airlines is now flying three times a week from Newark to the Azores, Portugal and Bergen, Norway.

United Airlines aiorcraft photo gallery (Boeing):

United debuts new custom amenity kits

United Airlines made this announcement:

Starting on June 1, travelers flying in premium cabins on United’s long-haul international and premium transcontinental routes will be the first to experience the airline’s new, co-branded amenity kits designed exclusively for the airline by global travel lifestyle brand Away. Inspired by Away’s iconic suitcases and versatile accessories, United will offer three versions of the amenity kits, each with custom travel essentials and Sunday Riley’s United-exclusive range of clean, cruelty-free skincare products. The collaboration signifies the first time Away, the global travel lifestyle brand, has partnered with a commercial airline.

(PRNewsfoto/United Airlines)

Together, United and Away thoughtfully designed each amenity kit to be the perfect accessory for customers to freshen up on long flights and reutilize on future journeys. The Away amenity kits offered include:

Hard Pod: For travelers flying in United Polaris® business on long-haul international flights. The sturdy shell and interior elastic band will help keep belongings organized.
Sports Pouch: For travelers flying in United Premium Plus® on long-haul international flights. Featuring a soft, protective material you can keep all your belongings organized —including your other travel essentials.
Zip Case: For travelers flying in United Business on premium transcontinental flights. The water-resistant kit for transcontinental premium travelers is an ideal solution for storing liquids and moving quickly through airport security lines.

In addition to co-branded personal care essentials like earbuds, an eye mask, and a dental kit, the Away amenity kits will include United’s In-Flight Remedy skin-care products from trusted partner and customer-favorite Sunday Riley. Sunday Riley custom developed the In-Flight Remedy line to offer United passengers, high-end skincare products on long-haul international flights and transcontinental flights. Formulated with hydration in mind to meet flyers’ needs for increased moisture as they travel, each amenity kit includes a variety of Sunday Riley products, from face creams and cleansing cloths to hand creams and lip balms.

United opens its largest club in the country

United Airlines on May 19 announced the opening of its new, nearly 30,000 square-foot United Club location at Newark Liberty International Airport, offering travelers a modern design, enhanced amenities and culinary offerings, locally-sourced art and furniture pieces and views of the Manhattan skyline.

Located in Terminal C3 near gate C123, this club is the largest club in United’s network, and is opening just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, which the airline expects will be one of its busiest travel weekends so far this year.

The Newark United Club location features a new design and reflects a modern take on the United Club experience. It showcases many firsts for the club, as well as existing premium offering, including the following:

The largest club in our network: The club features more than 480 seats across spaces for lounging, working, private dining and socializing.
Spa-like showers: Members can freshen-up in one of the six, spa-like shower suites at Newark, stocked with Sunday Riley products.
Coffee shop experience: Staffed by a barista ready to prepare their favorite hand-crafted drinks, flyers can get inspired at the full-service coffee bar, featuring illy signature blend of 100 percent Arabica beans, in addition to culinary offerings in all United Clubs, like complimentary beverages and snacks.
Modern, Newark-inspired design: Flyers can enjoy unmatched views of the Manhattan skyline amidst locally-sourced furniture pieces and décor, as well as the new design and color scheme that will be rolled-out in future new and refurbished clubs. The space also includes modern amenities, like self-scan entry for quick access and free, high-speed Wi-Fi.
Sustainable, green materials: As part of the airline’s sustainability commitment, the Club is designed with sustainable materials and features, such as WaterSense-rated fixtures, enhanced indoor air quality, green cleaning and more.

Additionally, in collaboration with The Newark Museum of Art and Gallery Aferro, the new club location prominently features two murals created by local artists, Gilbert Hsiao and Dahlia Elsayed. Inspired by the musical legacy in the Newark area and United’s iconic history, Hsiao’s mural, located in the club’s entryway, is a deceptively simple, eye-catching piece featuring dots and circles to represent abstract beats in space as well as nod to the United globe. Elsayed’s artwork, situated in the club’s lounge, is an abstract and textural piece, referencing Arshile Gorky’s famous 1936-67 murals at EWR, with imagery inclusive of built and natural environments of the New York / New Jersey area.

“The Newark Museum of Art is honored to be a part of this remarkable tribute to our community and our city,” said Linda Harrison, The Newark Museum of Art’s director and CEO. “May these tremendous artworks inspire and remind our residents and visitors of Newark’s role as a cultural hub for artistic excellence and community cultivation. We are so proud to contribute to this exciting unveiling and pay homage to our special city with these two extraordinary works of art.”

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (historic liveries):

FAA clears United’s 52 P&W Boeing 777-200s to return to service

United Airlines has received FAA approval to gradually return its 52 Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing 777-200s to service.

The FAA approved the service bulletins for the necesaary changes that will allow the aircraft to return to service.

The first 777 is expected to reenter service next week.

United’s 52 Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing 777s have been grounded since an engine failure in Denver in February 2021.

Top Copyright Photo: United Airlines Boeing 777-222 ER N210UA (msn 30216) IAD (Brian McDonough). Image: 950647.

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):

United Airlines expects P&W Boeing 777-200s to return to service next week

From Reuters:

“United Airlines said on Tuesday its Boeing 777 planes equipped with Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines are expected to return to service next week.

Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued the final paperwork for the wide-body jets, which were grounded after a United flight to Honolulu suffered an engine failure and made an emergency landing in February 2021 in Denver.”

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

United Airlines to cut its long-haul network in June due to the 777-200 prolonged grounding

United Airlines has been forced to cut its long-haul network in June due to the continued grounding of its 52 Boeing 777-200s powered by Bratt & Whitney engines.

The following routes will be cut in June:

Newark hub to:

Honolulu

Maui

Stockholm (Arlanda) (will not be restored)

Tokyo (Narita)

Washington Dulles hub to:

Dublin

Geneva

Honolulu

Sao Paulo

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

United becomes first U.S. airline to sign agreement to purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) overseas

United Airlines, which has invested in more sustainable fuel production than any other airline in the world, became the first US airline to sign an international purchase agreement for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The airline has signed a new purchase agreement with Neste that provides United the right to buy up to 52.5 million gallons over the next three years for United flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, and potentially other airports as well.

Neste will provide United with 2.5 million gallons of SAF in Amsterdam in the first year. United will also have the right to purchase up to 20 million gallons in the second year, and up to 30 million gallons in the third year, at Amsterdam or other locations that Neste can supply throughout the globe, as Neste increases its SAF production.

This supply agreement is enabled by Neste’s ambitious growth strategy, which will see the company producing 515 million gallons of SAF (1.5 million metric tons) per year by the end of 2023. Neste has been producing and delivering SAF since 2011 and has a proven track record of supplying SAF to customers in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

SAF delivers the performance of conventional jet fuel but with a significantly smaller carbon footprint on a lifecycle basis. Neste’s SAF reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”) by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel and burns cleaner than conventional jet fuel reducing non-CO₂ emissions, including particulate matter (PM). Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ is produced from 100% sustainably sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials, including used cooking oil and animal fat waste.

United has aggressively pursued strategic investments in SAF producers and revolutionary technologies including carbon capture, hydrogen-electric engines, electric regional aircraft, and urban air mobility. United has invested in more SAF production than any other airline globally.

United’s 100% green commitment

Here are some of the ways United plans to make sustainability the new standard in flight:

In March, United invested in synthetic biology company Cemvita Factory for them to begin R&D efforts to bioengineer microbes with the express purpose of creating SAF.
In December 2021, United purchased an equity stake in hydrogen-electric engine developer ZeroAvia, becoming the largest airline to invest in zero-emission engines for regional aircraft.
In December 2021, United became the first in aviation history to fly an aircraft with passengers using 100% SAF.
In September 2021, United agreed to purchase 1.5 billion gallons of SAF paired with an investment in Alder Fuels – enough to fly more than 57 million passengers.
United is also an investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, where United has an option to purchase up to 900 million gallons of SAF.
In July 2021, United announced that along with Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mesa Airlines, it invested in electric aircraft startup Heart Aerospace. Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-19, a 19-seat electric aircraft that has the potential to fly customers with zero emissions when powered by renewable electricity.
In July 2021, Air Transport World magazine named United its Eco-Airline of the Year for the third time.
In February 2021, United announced an agreement to work with Archer Aviation to accelerate the development and production of their electric aircraft – an urban mobility solution that has the potential to serve as an ‘air taxi,’ giving United customers another opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint before they even board a United flight.
In 2019, United operated the Flight for the Planet, which at the time represented the most-eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of commercial aviation.
In 2018, United became the first U.S. airline to commit to reducing its GHG emissions, by 50% by 2050. This goal has since been superseded by the airline’s 100% green net zero commitment.
In 2016, United became the first airline globally to use SAF in regular operations on a continuous basis with SAF from World Energy.

United Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Boeing, new livery):

United resumes flights between San Francisco and Melbourne, Australia

United Airlines today announces the return of its nonstop service between San Francisco and Melbourne, beginning with three weekly flights this June. The restart of this route complements United’s existing service between Sydney and the airline’s hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles. United will now be the only U.S. airline to offer nonstop flights from the United States to Melbourne.

Since Australia announced in February that the country would open its borders to international travelers after being closed for nearly two years, there has been remarkable growth in travel demand from the U.S. United has more capacity from the United States to Australia than any other U.S. carrier, and the resumption of the airline’s San Francisco–Melbourne service will provide customers with even more access to Australia ahead of the busy summer travel period. Additionally, United’s recently announced commercial alliance with Virgin Australia will offer further connectivity to top Australian destinations with convenient one-stop flights.

United has worked closely with the Victorian government on the resumption of this service, as well as on broader plans for the market as demand continues to grow.

United began offering direct service to Melbourne from Los Angeles in 2014 and launched nonstop flights between San Francisco and Melbourne in October of 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic.