The habits of United Airlines’ CEO might explain why the carrier’s Polaris business class catering is still such an area for improvement…
In this post:
Scott Kirby has never eaten on overnight transatlantic flight
David Slotnick recently had the chance to sit down with United CEO Scott Kirby for an interview, and he shared some thoughts on that in his Substack. Kirby is a smart and interesting guy, and he’s typically willing to talk, and say things that other executives might not be willing to say.
Perhaps the most interesting tidbit is Kirby denying that United is interested in merging with JetBlue, claiming that United’s organic growth is substantial enough, and JetBlue is rather small. Kirby really struggles with keeping a consistent narrative there.
However, here’s what intrigued me most:
“I’ve flown across the Atlantic probably at least 100 times, and I’ve never once eaten a meal going from the US to Europe,” Kirby said. Sleep and hydration is what matters most. So for all of you complaining about the catering on United, maybe that explains it.
Kirby’s airplane dining preferences explain a lot
Funny enough, when airline CEOs talk about their own flying, more often than not they manage to sneak in how frequently they fly in economy, to seem more relatable. But I actually think Kirby’s statement is much more interesting.
Kirby isn’t alone by ordinarily skipping the inflight meal service on an eastbound transatlantic flight. Especially if you’re originating from the East Coast or Midwest, flights are quite short, and there’s a tradeoff between dining and sleeping.
Some people are just really good airplane sleepers, and I’m kind of jealous of their ability to sleep through a loud meal service, which I am just not able to do.
While United has made a lot of premium improvements, catering continues to be a weak point of the carrier’s passenger experience, particularly in Polaris business class. United claims it has invested more in its catering, but for the most part, people aren’t impressed.
I can’t help but think that Kirby’s own travel patterns and onboard dining preferences might partly explain that. As much as we try to pretend it’s not the case, it’s natural to think that our own preferences are more reflective of those of the average person.
Of course Kirby doesn’t view dining at something that hugely needs to be invested in, since it’s not something he values on overnight flights. Kirby is far from being the only executive who takes this kind of an approach, for better or worse. For example, Korean Air has among the best economy seat pitch of any airline, and that’s because Korean Air’s chairman is very tall, so it’s something he personally values.
Bottom line
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has never eaten on an overnight transatlantic flight to Europe. So if you’ve ever wondered why United improving its Polaris business class catering hasn’t been a priority, I think this explains at least part of the issue. Of course plenty of people go straight to sleep on transatlantic flights, but an equal number of people do value a good meal service.
What do you make of Kirby’s lack of dining on overnight flights?
Too bad that United points cannot be used on JetBlue. Anyway, as I've often said I don't choose a flight or airline because of their food. In fact the food in the air is bad for you in part because of what they need to do to make the flavors come back as if you were on land.
This is very poor leadership.
As an executive flying on your airline, you should be trying as many things as you can... the food... the wine... the loo... everything. Understand it from a customer POV.
Looks like he doesn't have much say at his company, because otherwise he'd stop the annoying celebration of service on these flights. Why the &$%^ can't they just dim the cabin and let most passengers sleep on redeys? I've just been on a 9:20 pm DEN-MUC recently, and if there is one single request I could make, that would be a quiet cabin after takeoff.
Ok folks, I’m convinced …. I would be best advised not to entertain an exclusive all U.S. airline carrier trip next month.
Sorry Ben, there will be no U.S. airline reviews. Both you and your readers have convinced me that giving up tried and tested world class airline seats, to be uncomfortable, delayed and fed inferior cuisine, is not worth the risk.
If I could affird flying lie flat in business class overnight to Europe, I'd prefer to sleep too. But us peons back in steerage find it hard to sleep in cramped economy seats so a decent meal would be a nice distraction from overnight discomfort.
Scott Kirby is an idiot. UA food is one step below dogfood.....
I got a shock reading this and not because of United but your comment about Korean Air pitch. I’m not tall at all (understatement, i’m only 5 feet) but on their single aisle aircraft, my knees were just touching the seat in front of me. The people next to me looked like their knees were wedged in after spreading as much as they could.
I’m sure longhaul is much better but that was a...
I got a shock reading this and not because of United but your comment about Korean Air pitch. I’m not tall at all (understatement, i’m only 5 feet) but on their single aisle aircraft, my knees were just touching the seat in front of me. The people next to me looked like their knees were wedged in after spreading as much as they could.
I’m sure longhaul is much better but that was a big surprise to me since its a national carrier. I’ve had better legroom on any of the budget airlines.
Kirby needs to change his last name! I always think of vacuum sweepers sucking up dirt when i read or hear his name.
I’m tempted to start flying on the XLR eastbound to get a tad more sleep.
I have found that the best thing you can do is take a very late flight if available, so you can eat before you get on the plane, and not have to eat in flight. United's food in Polaris is horrible, other than the ice cream. Unfortunately, AA Buisness and Delta Business is no better.
I am United 1K member and fly frequently in Polaris international flights. Recently I flew the 1st segment in Emirates business class and the rest by United Polaris.Fortunately I had the best drinks and food in Emirates.Leave alone tasting,just with the look of it,United Polaris food was so awful,I flew around 15 hours starving.I thought it was better for me to starve than getting sick. Does United have any reason for providing such horrendous drinks-food...
I am United 1K member and fly frequently in Polaris international flights. Recently I flew the 1st segment in Emirates business class and the rest by United Polaris.Fortunately I had the best drinks and food in Emirates.Leave alone tasting,just with the look of it,United Polaris food was so awful,I flew around 15 hours starving.I thought it was better for me to starve than getting sick. Does United have any reason for providing such horrendous drinks-food service to its best customers?
I have viewed several pics of what UA serves. More often than not, it looks like slop. Definitely not befitting of the class given the magnitude premium one is asked to pay. Perhaps if he used to eat, there would be less slop like meals served.
As a public service: the reason not to eat on overnight flights isn’t just to prioritize sleep. The biggest benefit is that you will have far less jet-lag if you get your digestive system on to your destination time-zone as fast as possible. So have a big lunch on the day of your flight, a snack before going to the airport, and skip the in-flight dinner.
I got this tip from a long-haul flight attendant and it is absolute gold.
United Polaris food sucks!
I’m with him. Don’t care to eat on planes. Just give me water and some decent snacks. I’ll eat before or after my flight.
If he's unpopular with employees, he may not want to be served food from them.
Same CEO School as Christopher Kempczinski of McDonalds?
Korean has a 31" pitch on the A350. That doesn't seem like a lot to me.
Maybe he did not eat on the short hop flights from the East Coast to Europe. But certainly he must have visited Asia too - with no meal on 12+ hour flights ?
This seems oddly-timed given their announcement today about hiring chefs from the Netflix show Chef's Table to do the Polaris catering...
You can hire all the fancy chefs in the world - doesn’t matter at all if you don’t properly train the people making the dishes every day and buy suitable ingredients.
I recently started doing htis as well on TATL flights from NYC. I definitely prefer to eat dinner at the lounge. The EWR polaris lounge dining is not bad.
I'm an AA/BA flyer, but I'd much rather eat in the Flagship Lounge than on board. The only thing I covet on the plane is the ice cream sundae. And if they offered that in the lounge as well, I'd happily go flat right after takeoff!
Having flow AA, DL, and UA in F all within the past year I can say that UA's food is by far the worst of the 3.
I don't expect Michelin star level catering on the US3, but the meal UA served me was so bad. I'm sure inmates get better food.
CEOs should have to eat the food on their airlines so that can experience their flights like we do. Polaris food is horrendous!
Serious question: is United or any other U.S. airline that lags in this category really missing the mark by not prioritizing the food?
Sure, AvGeeks, bloggers, and YouTubers care a lot about the details. But for the typical traveler, assuming the food is at least decent, is anyone really paying close attention?
And then more specifically in the context of this article though, is United offbase for not prioritizing the food more on these routes?...
Serious question: is United or any other U.S. airline that lags in this category really missing the mark by not prioritizing the food?
Sure, AvGeeks, bloggers, and YouTubers care a lot about the details. But for the typical traveler, assuming the food is at least decent, is anyone really paying close attention?
And then more specifically in the context of this article though, is United offbase for not prioritizing the food more on these routes? I feel like most people flying overnight from the United States to Europe are mainly focused on getting sleep.
Not exactly...I'm diabetic, so decent food is not optional...I literally stopped flying UA to Europe because the last time (2025) I paid $5000 for IAH - CDG - IAH, I literally could NOT stomach the food and its looks that I was served, main dishes lukewarm!
(reposting again...)
The point is that the food isn't always decent.
Super chewy steaks, horrible pasta sauces, sticky ultra-processed breads, cheese slices that look and taste like they're made of plastic, and fruits served freezing cold are all presented every day to airline passengers in multiple cabins and parts of the world.
It's easier to ignore horrible food when you're in Y, but anyone with an expensive ticket will likely be annoyed by...
(reposting again...)
The point is that the food isn't always decent.
Super chewy steaks, horrible pasta sauces, sticky ultra-processed breads, cheese slices that look and taste like they're made of plastic, and fruits served freezing cold are all presented every day to airline passengers in multiple cabins and parts of the world.
It's easier to ignore horrible food when you're in Y, but anyone with an expensive ticket will likely be annoyed by what they perceive as the airline attempting to eke out a tiny amount of additional profit (which might not even be a correct assumption to make, as the enjoyability of a meal doesn't directly depend on the cost of making it some really cheap meals can be highly enjoyable - I'd rather have some sauteed chicken livers than a dried out tuna fillet).
All this negativity.
This also means Polaris seats are so good and comfortable, you can sleep thorough and entire flight to Europe.
But Kirby never took the Concorde?
No , he never took the Concorde .
He should try the food to better understand customer experience as he is the CEO. But many people have eating dinner prior to boarding and Europe generally has amazing food. I would likely skip my meal at well if flying from the east coast in lieu of a much better meal when I land
I call BS on Kirby! I can understand never eating on a redeye flight from the U.S. to Europe, but I don't understand never eating on a daytime flight from Europe to the U.S. You're bound to be hungry on one of those 100+ flights!
It makes certain sense. I suspect most people who have flown long haul J 100+ times skip a lot of meals. You'll get the same or better quality in the lounge anyway and when you're flying that frequently there's nothing special about drinking out of a "real glass" etc. Same folks who leave the unopened amenity kits behind.
Most of the folks eating on these red-eyes either got to the airport late or cashed...
It makes certain sense. I suspect most people who have flown long haul J 100+ times skip a lot of meals. You'll get the same or better quality in the lounge anyway and when you're flying that frequently there's nothing special about drinking out of a "real glass" etc. Same folks who leave the unopened amenity kits behind.
Most of the folks eating on these red-eyes either got to the airport late or cashed in points for a special trip (nothing wrong with that). I can understand why there's not much motivation to invest in the catering, at least for these routes.
Two week ago flew on UA's longest flight SYD-IAH - 16.5 hours. Food was totally inedible. Even the Sundae on my aisle side was melted when served. Seating in Row 1, FA's keep cabinet open with bright LED spot lights shining out into the cabin whole time (direct to your eyes) - they had their phones in there on charges and kept checking their emails (wifi on flight). What kind of premium airline is that? So Kirby doesn't eat on a 16.5 hour flight either?
Have to wonder if Kirby has ever taken one of United's punishing 3-4pm departures from EWR. Not much choice but to eat on those.
Maybe it's like people wanting to tax other people but not themselves? Washington state has no state income tax but the legislature just voted for a new 10% income tax.
What in the name of Lucky Lindy are you talking about? This is an aviation blog, so save yer cheesy political rants for Reddit.
Because ignorant brainwashed by propaganda people like JamesW can't see through the hypocrisy.
It's like Trump never fought in Vietnam but is now starting multiple wars.
Kirby- "Sleep and hydration is what matters most. So for all of you complaining about the catering on United, maybe that explains it."
So us paying customers are just suppose to suck it up and follow his advice??
I go to bed late at home (never before midnight), so asking me to sleep at 7 or 8 pm is not going to happen. I am fine with 2-3 hours of light resting/sleeping and powering through the first day in Europe.
I will say that the biggest difference for me is going without alcohol. It really makes jet lag non-existent for me. I usually drink on flights, but I've taken 7-8 flights "dry" and the difference is pretty huge.
I have noticed that most top tier customers including public figures do not eat or drink alcohol on premium cabin long haul international . Some asked for breakfast only if they are awaken.
It may be a combination of maiximizing sleep on the purchased real state ( the seat ) and because, honestly, how many people eat a heavy meal right before going to sleep ?
They don't drink cheap alcohol on planes.
Any bottle under $1000 burns their mouth.
Some people do not like to eat on a plane. Airplane will never be great cuisine. Not to mention passengers sitting up front normally have access to a business class lounge where they can get better food for free.
In all honesty, United food has been improving, it's just that the baseline is very low.
I had a chance to sample domestic first food last week, United EWR->SEA, Delta SEA->FAI. To my shock, United served better - and quite decent - food, chilean sea bass, vs some non-descript beef on Delta. (I also felt the prosecco in paper cups on Delta was a classy touch, not often you see this in first).
Ben - You make a good point, but Kirby likel eats (and probably values) meals while flying EU-US, and he's probably also eaten on transcon flights as well, so it's hard to attribute the lack of investment to one specific portion of Kirby's flying.
Yet another reason not to fly United on our forthcoming U.S. trip.
You fake Brit.
You never set foot on anything that isn't BA.
As my login name is NOT ‘Eskimo’ there is nothing “Fake” about me, Bot. Ben, must luv you for your clicks as there is no other reason to tolerate your unintelligent Bot posts. Do ask your programmer to rewrite your code as posts from you are so repetitive, unoriginal and totally boring don’t you know Bot!
He knows there is nothing to be excited about UA catering.
These days, airplane food is so disgusting I cannot believe anyone even thinks about eating it. I can see having Caviar in First, but the rest of it is just so bad. High sodium.carb meals are also the absolute worst to have at high altitude.
On our recent trip, AF and SQ served excellent cuisine in F. World Class airlines serve some mighty fine food thank you.
(repost due to comments disappearing)
I recently had some pretty good, protein-focused, meals in VS premium economy. They still managed to screw up the ground experience on both ends so I'm not particularly looking forward to flying with them again, but both meals were great quality, fresh and tasty. There are no excuses for UA etc to serve rubbish food in business class.
With United and Delta having business-class lounges that feature ala carte dining at many airports serving short transatlantic flights, the airlines should offer an incentive for passengers to skip the in-flight dinner. There's really no need to eat dinner at 9 pm Eastern on a flight of 5.5. or 6 hours. Especially when they start serving breakfast 90 minutes before arrival.
It's a bit like that McDonalds CEO whose video of him attempting to eat a Big Mac went viral - he looked like he'd never eaten a burger in his life, nibbling around the edges like a hamster.
You are what you eat! Lol!