United Airlines has launched a new digital food ordering pilot at Newark Liberty International Airport, allowing passengers to pre-order food, drinks and travel essentials through the United app and collect them at their departure gate.
The trial is available on selected domestic and international flights departing from or connecting through nine designated gates in Terminal C, with passengers receiving a push notification or email before departure inviting them to place an order.
Customers can choose from sandwiches, salads, children’s meals, snacks and drinks, alongside travel essentials including over-the-counter medicines, travel pillows and charging cables. Orders are prepared by participating airport restaurants and placed on a dedicated collection shelf at the gate, ready to enjoy before boarding or take onboard.
David Kinzelman, Chief Customer Officer at United, said: “We focus on where the travel experience can be simpler for customers and innovating to remove friction along the way. The time right before boarding is one of those moments when customers want quick, easy access to food without added complexity.
“Newark is a high-volume connecting hub where customers often have limited time between arriving at the gate and boarding, making it an ideal place to pilot this type of service.”
United is partnering with airport hospitality operator OTG for the pilot, with meals prepared by restaurants including Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill.
The airline plans to expand the trial to Houston later this year, introducing additional restaurant partners and more collection options. If rolled out more widely, United said the service will also be integrated into seatback inflight entertainment screens, allowing passengers to order food directly from their seat before arrival at selected airports.
The initiative forms part of United’s wider digital customer experience strategy, alongside the rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet, enhanced inflight entertainment and new app-based travel tools such as TSA Wait Time Tracker.
