As a frequent traveler on United Airlines, I maintain a United Club membership and often use the Boston location in Logan airport. But I was as surprised as the other guests two weeks ago when in addition to the usual cheese and crackers, we were treated to passed hors d’oeuvres at our seats, including mini-lobster rolls - a New England staple and surprisingly tasty - and individual Boston cream pie parfaits. They also debuted anew gourmet snack mix packed in paper sacks to go - breaking a longstanding tradition of lounge food being only for consumption on the premises.
United has been aggressively upgrading and expanding its lounge network, with new locations in Houston, Atlanta, and last year one of the largest in the world opened at LAX, including an outdoor terrace. Existing lounges that have been substantially renovated include Chicago, Washington National, Hong Kong and Tokyo, while Dallas and Ft. Lauderdale are being renovated now. United also started rolling out its new top tier Polaris lounges, more like the first and business class lounges you find overseas, with the first in Chicago and another in San Francisco under construction.
But while more of its lounges are new and shiny, United has notably lagged behind its chief competitors when it comes to food. Now they are trying to equal the playing field. Across the board the bar is being raised, with the addition of hot breakfast items; soups, served with toppings and crackers; salads, with multiple dressing and bread options; whole-grain salads and crudités; and a Mediterranean board with a selection of sopressata, prosciutto, chorizo, salami or Mortadella, served with whole-grain mustard.
But the bigger change is reflected in the new lobster roll strategy, which skips past what competitors like Delta have done with general lounge buffet upgrades, and instead takes a page from American Express’ winning Centurion Lounge playbook by focusing on local specialties tied to the destination, offering travelers a sense of place. Boston’s passed food also included ceviche bites, reflecting the city’s seafood focus, while the “Boston Tea Party” is a tea infusion bar with fruit, sweeteners and herbs. They are not forgetting non-tea drinkers either: the new “Wine Down” happy hour will feature free pours of four premium wines and the lounge is rolling out $5 specialty martinis.
For now, United is just doing trials in four cities and won’t announce a comprehensive rollout strategy until the tests conclude, and they were a zealously passing out online comment cards in Boston when I visited (by chance).
“We are embarking on a journey to redesign our menus and create a world-class experience that celebrates our global network but is in tune with the regional flavors of the locations we serve,” a United marketing representative told me. This will involve customer research and employee insights to see which products resonate the most with travelers. The first phase kicked off less than three weeks ago, with a two-month trial in four locations.
“Designing this program was about delivering the right food to the right people in the right city,” said Lounge Vendors Manager Kirsten Perliski. “That is why Orlando features family-friendly items, whereas Boston caters to our frequent business travelers.”
The other test lounges are in Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS), and Houston (IAH) - the only hub city in the trial. Kid-friendly Orlando has a family theme with Mommy and Mini-Mosas (orange juice with prosecco ice cubes or Sprite), an exhibition food station with breakfast banana waffle bowls, cereal stacks, grilled cheese station, and of course, milk and cookies. Not-so-kid-friendly Sin City goes booze centric with a Bloody Mary bar featuring a choice of premium vodkas and an array of meats, cheeses, fresh produce and sauces, plus other enhanced bar offerings, including the chance to add a “rise and shine” floater for those favoring the hair of the dog approach, the $5 specialty martinis, a food cart with hash brown bar, cheese, charcuterie, and a ramen noodle bar, and passed food with a breakfast theme: parfaits, cinnamon raisin bruschetta, caprese salad bites and smoked salmon pinwheels. Houston gets the most traditional all-around upgrade, with the introduction of a small plates-style buffet, an updated core menu with more individual cereals, charcuterie and dessert offerings, and passed complimentary wine and water.
I recently wrote here at Forbes about how to choose the best credit card for travel, including options for fliers seeking lounge memberships.
