While food in domestic first class has largely been getting worse, overall I think the buy on board options available in economy have gotten pretty good. In many ways I prefer a fresh sandwich or wrap in economy to the horrible stuff often served in domestic first class.
While fresh options are nice, airlines have also been getting into offering branded options, and TravelSkills reveals the latest such initiative from United.
Starting in July, United will be selling Uno’s deep dish pizza in economy on flights within the United States. Apparently the only flavor available will be spinach and garlic, and it will retail for $9.99. United will also sell a pizza and beer combo for $13.99, which will include a pizza and a Miller Lite (the beer alone would usually cost $6.99). According to a United spokesperson, “it’ll be prepared and served in our skillet dish to help the cheese brown and keep the crust crispy,” whatever that means.
My assumption would be that this will be served on flights with the Bistro on Board service, which include flights of over 3.5 hours departing between 9:45AM and 8PM.
I’m not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, I love deep dish pizza… who doesn’t? On the other hand, is serving cheap, reheated garlic pizza in a confined metal tube where everyone has limited space really the best idea?
I’m almost certain this will sell really well. When the smell of pizza permeates the cabin, everyone will want one. Heck, I’m sure they’ll run out on most flights and have some unhappy people who couldn’t get one.
But at the same time, I can’t help but feel like any super smelly food on a plane isn’t a great idea. But I suppose who am I to judge, if it actually sells well.
For anyone excited about this, I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high in terms of the quality of the pizza. American used to serve Uno’s pizza as a pre-arrival snack in international business class, and it was nothing like on the ground. It basically tasted like some nearly stale bread with tomato sauce and cheese. My guess is that United’s pizza will be similar, given the constraints with how they prepare these.
What do you make of United serving deep dish pizza in economy — love it or hate it?
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