My pregnant wife and I flew United from SFO to Maui for vacation last week. The flight back became a massive suckfest when the flight attendant told us (seated way back in row 44 of the 9-abreast 777 aircraft) that they'd run out of food. Considering we'd last eaten 5 hours earlier (and werent able to eat at the airport because United's check in line was a half hour long) and it was a 5 hour flight, you could say we and especially the pregnant wife, were pissed. The flight attendant gave us the soon to be extinct free packet of pretzels and told us we could buy one of their snack boxes for $5, which we did, even though it contained less food than even a midget would consider adequate.

Never flying United again.

$6 for "shelf stable items"

What's that, a new euphemism for bottled water or cans of soft drinks?

And what's next, the surcharge for bringing your own food and snacks on board? Glenn Tilton and his team must go!

I just REALLY don't see the point of it other than "We want more money"

I'm going to bring a picnic basket of sandwiches and sell them to all the hungry, irate travelers for $5.

Sort of like the Woodstock '99 effect: charge $5 for a 16 fl oz bottle of water, and see how many kids from the mosh pit (in between groping, smashing ATMs and setting things aflame) will jump at it.

I just buy some airport snacks to bring aboard. Not cheap, but at least I get what I like. I'm a little picky, I guess, but I never had a "meal" that I ate more than the buttered roll portion of. Can't they just team up with Subway or whatever? Of course, the downside of this is that the stench of even more revolting ethnic edibles will be wafting throughout the cabin. I hate flying, but what can you do? The mere thought of being stuffed into a little metal tube high in the sky freaks me out a little, I'll admit. But whatcha gonna do?

@AMetamorphosis: they threw my sisters applesauce away at Indianapolis last Saturday. They said it was because of the consistency, they can't see through it so she can't have it. she wasn't happy

Moreso than food, charging for water is unconscionable.

You pay 6 dollars BECAUSE you have limited choice.

(Except that at airports in Japan and Korea you don't, even though you have limited choice.)

Sandwiches made from UA Executives should sell like hotcakes, even among us non-cannibals. But why $9 dollars, that's a five and four ones?

You are not a movie theatre.

You are not an amusement park.

Nor are you any other overpriced entertainment venue that the public at large chooses to go to while willing to overlook (to some extent) the high prices charged for small-ticket items.

P.S. The meal was never FREE. It was always included in the ticket price.
.

Sad how special I feel for that.

But even the damn one hour leg from ATL to FTL still got snacks and drink service.

I will "gladly" pay them Tuesday for a puny ass ham sandwich today... or will I?
Stupid TSA regulations...

If you're making millions of dollars every year by running an airline into the ground over and over while getting bailed out constantly like the feds, a $9 snack is probably right in your budget range.

If United wants to make this offering, go for it $9 doesn't sound criminal to me, esp for the convenience of it. A hot-dog can cost 50cents at a gas station but $6 at a ball park (your so called "dome dogs"). Same processed hot dog different price for convenience.

If it's $5 footlongs and $1 McDos value meal you want get it at the terminal, insert in bag and eat during the flight.

Then Orbitz and Travelocity and Expedia have the power to fix this.

How about I buy my own snacks at Costco and resell them on the plane?

@pb5000: The bottle of water would fall under "avoiding worker's comp claims" as not drinking in Vegas heat can seriously mess you up.

@pda_tech_guy: Yeah, but beer is $4.00 in a bar, and a sandwich is like $3.50.

@jimv2000: Because on Travelocity, Expedia, etc. people will buy the cheapest flight. By shifting money from fares to fees it makes them look like a bigger value.

No, it's not an incredible value any more. It's money grubbing and opportunistic BS is what it is. I haven't noticed anyone backing off these surcharges now that the market price of oil is back down to $120 a gallon.

The first person to raise their base ticket prices to cover these things IMMEDIATELY takes a big ticket sales hit because people will filter them out when scanning the ticket prices. So they tack on all these fees in order to remain competitive at the actual point of purchase.

As for whether I will buy food on the flight? Hell no. I'll bring my own and fill up my water bottle at the gate.

God I hope they don't put these flight attendants on any sort of commission...I'm sure they hate this change as much as we do but the second they get pushy with this stuff is the second they'll have to land and have a plane full of pissed passengers arrested.

@robocop_is_bleeding: Yeah, I'm just waiting for some enterprising airline shill terrorist to try to smuggle through some C4 in a BLT, and a detonator in a bag of Doritos. Then we're all in for it.

@balthisar: Isn't it convenient that AA's hub in Dallas is less than 3 hours from most of its destinations? I love how they say the flight is only 2 hours, 50 minutes, so just the cheap snacks, but then headwinds or other delays cause the flight to turn into 3 1/2 hours. sorry, no sandwich for you.

The other issue with these meals is that they cater to adults, not to kids. When the airlines served actual meals, one could request a kids meal ahead of time. When I had to flight AA recently, I already had to bring food for my kids on the flight. Not much more difficult to bring my own as well.

Yeah, I'll just be stopping at the local hoagie shop on the way to the airport where I can guarantee the freshness of a sandwich that is probably bigger than that provided by the airline and cheaper. A good sized hoagie can last for a couple meals.

@PDX909: FWIW, while Amtrak is a great alternative for travel in certain areas (I use it exclusively for anywhere in New England or the mid-Atlantic states, down to DC), service interruptions in other areas don't make it feasible, and if you're traveling more than seven hours by train, you might want to suck it up and deal with the airline. It would take me two days to get home for Thanksgiving via train -- therefore, I have to suck it up and deal with United. But not their snack prices.

The captain is God. I am waiting for the Captain to announce he is accepting orders for Domino's to be delivered to the plane..... cause he doesn't want to PAY for his "warm sandwich" from the airline.

I have to fly United at Thanksgiving. Granola bars and PB&J the whole way, baby. I'll have to pay for an overpriced, oversized bottle of water in the airport, but I can live with that. Better an extra $3 at the airport store than $9 for a tuna salad. I mean, I live in Manhattan, and I don't pay that for a tuna salad.

right...and when will they start charging us for that?

Heck, if I worked for the TSA, I'd stop bringing my own lunch! "Sorry, sir, but your food looks delicious-I-mean-dangerous."

This is just another reason I'm glad I fly Southwest. No stupid fees and you get a snack.

And how long do you think it will be before that tasty looking snack box with all the cute extras will turn into those plates of slop that we used to get for free?

The best airline food I ever got was a chicken burrito thing in business class on a Canadian Air flight from DFW to Calgary. It was so good I wanted another one. I guess I would pay $9 for two, but not for one and I've never had any other business/coach class airline food or snack I would pay anything extra for.

I'll happily budget more time and more money to take the train over flying. To me it's as much about enjoying the journey and being relaxed, as it is about actually getting somewhere. We seemed to forget somewhere (and the airlines certainly did) that we're the customers here and to quote United directly "we understand that you have a choice"

Since when is a sandwich considered a snack?

$9 for meal doesn't sound crazy if it's actually worth eating.

however, i am anticipating the day they charge me a 'snack carry on fee' that can only be waived with a letter of medical necessity from my doctor

also i can forsee coming soon:

fee to fill your own water bottle at the drinking fountain inside the terminal

fee if your carry on doesn't fit under the seat in front of you and needs to be stored in the overhead bin

use of in flight restroom fee [please insert 25 cents for non potable water to wash your hands afterwards too!]

just wait until they start charging for toilet paper!!!!

I've always wondered if hotels/airlines/ballparks (i.e. closed enconomies) have ever tried selling food for reasonable prices just to see if the quantity sold makes up for the lower profit margin per item. My guess is that they have, otherwise, why would they avoid what could be a huge supplemental source of revenue?

Many times while traveling on my own dime, I've been tempted to order room service until I see that a hamburger will cost $20, in which case, I'll usually either tough it out or go out to eat. While I understand that many of these closed economy venues cater to expense accounts, I once ran a $20 hamburger through an expense account and I could have sworn that the $7 hamburger at the chain bar & grill would have tasted better (and that's not saying much).

Whenever I fly from Honolulu to the mainland at night on United, the salads/sandwiches are $5 (clearanced!). The salads are all right; they mix a bunch of stuff with lettuce and they kind of all go together to make a good salad, except whoever makes their salads is in dire need of a salad spinner.

Usually, my connecting flights are so close together that I don't have time to stop and grab a bite to eat, let alone carry with me 15 hours of food when I'm traveling to the east coast. The same salad I paid $5 for a week before is now $7 during the day and just as wet.

Nine bucks for wet lettuce is pushing it too far. Anyone want part of my PB&J?

Southwest is the way to go. On a trip from Austin to Vegas last week we got several free snacks (peanuts, Cheese Nips), free drinks, and if you're a frequent customer you get free alcoholic drink tickets. Clutch.

I wish that AA would offer their better (more expensive) snacks on their flights less than 3.0 hours. It really, really sucked last time when I didn't have time to grab something in Dallas, and all they could sell me were damned chocolate chip cookies and trail mix. I was captive! I would have paid!

Hell to the no. I rarely ate airplane food when it was free, I'm sure as hell not going to pay for the privilege!

I'm a captive audience. If I'm hungry enough, I'll pay $9.

@Tedicles: Just wait until the onions and limburger cheese crowd starts up. Maybe someone could bring a 10lb spicy bolonga to cut up and dish out- oh wait no more knives...

And united airlines is so bad there is a website untied.com all about their bad service...

@Inglix_the_Mad: Jersey Mikes Subs are the best- a little more expensive than the sub(standard)way stuff but you can resonably eat two meals from one giant sub.

I wonder if the airlines would kick you off for bringing and selling your own snacks onboard...

NO. I wouldn't even do it on my expense account!

I'm not going to be paying $9 either, but all you people 'bringing your own food' annoy the hell out of me. Granted, I usually fly first or business (lots of miles) but having someone bring a MCd's bag on board is just rude, as it stinks and makes a mess (notice how I ate BEFORE boarding the plane and am not dropping lettuce all over your book).

I can't imagine being hungry enough to pay $9 for an airline sandwich. I wouldn't pay that just out of principle.

Can they do this for transatlantic/transcontinential flights? I always assumed there was an FAA regulation about providing something to eat/drink on flights over X hours.

In closed economies, we pay all sorts of dumb prices. Ever pull money out of and ATM as a Casino? Ever buy a beer at a baseball, hockey, football, etc. game? Some will pay it, some will not. I assume the number crunchers have figured out that its worthwhile to charge more and risk more people brining their own food on.

FWIW- on Lan airlines (South America), I got a meal on every flight, even the 2 hour ones. It was pretty good too.

But on an airplane? I expense my meals and I'm STILL not going to pay $9 for their damn sandwich. Add one more airline to the "do not book" list I put on my travel request forms.

@dry-roasted-peanuts:
Yeah, unfortunately I'm in the same boat... er, plane. Unless I basically fast before my flight, plus take a solid dose of Dramamine, baaaad things happen.

I guess I'd pay the price if I was desperately hungry AND able to keep it down.

Although, I flew Delta this past week and they still give out free beverages and snacks like peanuts, crackers with cheese (not real cheese, like Ritz crackers with the fake stuff), and some really good cinnamon cookies. They still had sandwiches for 6 bucks (not good) and the salads (better), which is still cheaper than United's $9 snacks.

The service was excellent, the crew was very friendly, they had good entertainment (I love the new screens at every seat thing) and the flight (both going and coming back) were on time. We even arrived early coming back!

Can't they life their heads up just long enough to look around and say "holy crap - we suck!" I mean, recognition of that sort might be the first step to actually repairing their deplorable customer relations. And fixing their business somewhat. Jet fuel prices can't be helped, but ticket sales sure can if people feel any sense of loyalty towards this airline. Which United (Untied?) Airlines seems to be working dilligently to completely eliminate.

Sheesh.

And the version United is offering is probably one of those tiny, cafeteria style crappy ones anyway.

I don't I would EVER pay $9 for a sandwich ANYWHERE.

European airlines like Luftansa ought to try to break into the US market (I'm sure there's some legal reasons why they can't). Free yummy, hot meals, snacks, leg room, and unlimited free alcohol. I've never flown better in all my life! It was better than US first class!

nope. I always bring my own food on a flight, fill up my bag with Dollar menu items, buy drinks inside the gate.

That was also the time when you could get on the plane with your own bottle of water without letting the terrorists win.

I have 3 phrases for them:

Five

Five Dollar

FIVE DOLLAR FOOT LOOOOONG!

Subway sandwiches are terrible now. Ultra-thing, almost not there meat, crappy bread, veggies are ok. Still you might as well stop at a Cousin's, Quiznos, or Jimmy John's for a decent sandwich (or just pack your own).

Now if we could only get the TSA to drop that ridiculous liquids ban, we'd not have to suffer high prices again.

I have found that flying a non-US/Canadian airline when possible has been the best bet. Normally I get exceptional service, and food served that is very good without the additional cost.

United, you can keep your crappy service, high prices, and smelly planes.

I fly only on vacations any more, and for us, "vacation money" isn't like "real money." You spend more and don't be worrying too much about HOW MUCH more, because, well, worrying doesn't fit well when you're on vacation, y'know?

Anyway, if I was hungry I'd consider it.

Don't buy food at the ballpark either (bring in my own whenever possible) or the amusement park. Anywhere I can bring my own food in I do, and the airplane sure as hell fits the bill. Plus, the flights *THEORETICALLY* are about a six hour ordeal, plus a couple hours in waiting beforehand. For a cross country flight that is - and I've never had trouble bringing food into the waiting area.

Now, if you have a medical condition that's one thing, but other than that, who can't wait to eat for six hours?

Think about it. If you're at a ball park, you pay $7 for a beer and $5 for a midrange hotdog. If at an amusement park, a bad burger, fries, and drink are 12 bucks. It's a closed economy. There are always some that pay.

Someone commented about the greatness of taking a train. All I can guess is that you live somewhere on the east coast. I pulled up Amtrak.com and plugged in the numbers. I'm here in Nebraska. Train leaves my area at 11 pm, and then takes awhile. My plane trips have been to visit my friend in Las Vegas. By train, it's about 24 hours to get to Salt Lake City, and then another 8 hours by bus. And it could cost more than it would to fly.

It wouldn't even be that bad if the service was at all reasonably good. It's not.

The best flight I ever took was premium economy from DC to London. Superb service, great food, complimentary drinks... the feeling of being taken care of goes a long way to negate expensive sandwiches in my eyes. United and the rest of the US hub-and-spoke carriers should take a lesson (or 10) from foreign carriers. If I wanted to be treated like chattal, I'd fly Southwest (SHUDDER!).

I really wish they would allow foreign carriers to set up shop in the US to fly domestically.

No.
I'm not willing to pay 9 dollars for a supposed "fresh" sandwich.

I have always packed a few snacks such as granola & applesauce cups prior to flights. It tastes better, I can eat it when I want it & it doesn't cost me 9 dollars ...

Fill an empty water bottle after security and add flavor packs like crystal light and I have a drink too for a lot less than they want to charge ...

I've actually found that when airlines are SELLING you the food, it's a bit tastier than if they're not. Frontier is the best for this - they had delicious food last time I flew with them.

Most of the time, though, I can just pick what I want out of the airport. *Most* airports have improved their food offerings recently.

b) to buy a $9 food item on a plane, you'd have to get me to buy a ticket for a plane trip, which you will not be able to do.

I can't remember the last time I flew United. I certainly won't start flying with them now.

If you're going to raise fares do so. Next we'll have to pay for seat belts and oxygen masks.

what's interesting is how the word "fresh" has been raped to the point where it now means "made within the last 72 hours nowhere near where you are now." fresh used to mean "we make it now".

as for flying to europe from washington, try Qatar, one of the best and cheapest airlines going. and nobody will question you for choosing the muslim meal, since they are all muslim meals.

When they drop their airfares by $18 or more.

No thanks. I'll fly Continental, which still serves meals in coach- on domestic AND international flights. Not to mention their on-time rating is better than United!

Reason #75894 that I <3 Southwest. Bring on the free peanuts and crew that doesn't care that you brought McDonalds with you!

Five

Five Dollar

FIVE DOLLAR FOOT LOOOOONG!

Or a story of some airport snack shops & restaurants that post the airline price right next to their own [inflated] prices to help convince consumers to purchase before boarding.

My company won't let me fly business class, but didn't object to my $4.50 bottle of water I bought off a street vendor on the Vegas strip.

Now I drive or ride the rail. I forgot how relaxing a train ride can be compared to a flight.

The better question might be:

"With all these fees, am I ever going to fly United again?"

Sorry, haven't had my morning coffee yet.