United Now Wants Economy Flyers to Order Lunch Ahead

United Airlines has extended its Economy fresh-food preorder program to flights over 900 miles across North America and the Caribbean, down from the previous threshold of more than 1,190 miles. The airline says the change adds 420 flights a day and gives up to 65,000 more customers per day access. Example routes include Chicago–Houston, Denver–San Francisco and Houston–Washington, D.C.

The mechanics are simple. Customers order through united.com or the United app, with preordering opening between five days and 24 hours before departure. Options are found under the Trips section, and app users get a notification when ordering opens for their flight. Menu items rotate monthly and include sandwiches, burgers, pasta and breakfast dishes.

The program applies to United Economy only. The airline notes that preordered meals may not be available in certain circumstances, so travelers should not count on a meal if there is an aircraft swap or a schedule change.

For flyers, the change shifts a lot of mid-length trips from “hope there is something left on the cart” to a planned meal. It also lets United load food more precisely for the flight. Some trade coverage has described the preorder as mandatory for a meal on these routes, so check the booking flow for your own trip before assuming you can buy food onboard.

Sources: United press release via Finviz, TravelPulse