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United Airlines has been generally improving its meal quality in First Class. I’ve recently reviewed its Tortellini en Brodo, Cheese Enchiladas, Cheese Plate, and Beef Melt Sandwich. These all ranged from decent to good and were marked improvements for what has been served before. I was not prepared for the slop served on a recent flight from Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) as it made a meal purchased at a gas station seem like haute cuisine in comparison.
The flight was catered in Aruba and at an outstation you’re never sure what you’re going to get. We preordered the meals and chose one of each of the two selections. These included simply named “Penne Pasta” and “Grilled Chicken Breast.” One would not think these simple dishes could be bungled so badly, but the caterers found a way.
The Penne Pasta was overcooked and flavorless. The peppers were so cooked that they had zero flavor or texture. There was hardly any sauce on the dish and what was there tasted like nothing. The green salad was fine and the bread roll was also served warm (no complaints there). I just wish this dish had any semblance of flavor or consistency.
The Grilled Chicken Breast was also flavorless unless smothered with the brown sauce that accompanied it. It was incredibly tough and my husband spent his meal time sawing through it. Sides were the same as what was served with the Penne.
The real abomination on the tray was the dessert. I still can’t tell if it was meant to be a coconut cake or a dry tres leches cake. Either way, the cake was desert dry and the frosting was grainy, artificial and just gross.
Anthony’s Take: I realize that this is a “First-World Problem,” but when you’re paying for a premium experience it should at least be edible. In the past, I have compared Polaris® meals to prison food. I think that analogy is too kind here. I get that this was not catered from a hub, but United should demand better quality.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
