United Airlines has begun trialing a service that allows passengers to pick up meals and drinks ordered in advance through its app at their boarding gate.
The service is available on select flights departing from, arriving at, or connecting through gates C125 through C138 at Terminal C of Newark Liberty International Airport. Both domestic and international flights are eligible, including those operated by narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.
Passengers will receive a notification via the app or email before departure and can select sandwiches, salads, drinks, kids’ meals, chips, sweets, and other items, as well as travel essentials such as over-the-counter medicine, travel pillows, and charging cables. Items can be collected from designated shelves at the gate and eaten immediately or brought onboard. In partnership with OTG, airport restaurants including Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill prepare the orders.
“Just before boarding is one of those moments when customers want to get a meal quickly without a complicated process,” said David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “Newark is well suited to testing this type of service because it has significant connecting traffic, and travelers often have limited time between arriving at the gate and boarding.”
The airline plans to expand the trial to Houston later this year. It will add national restaurant brands and support both pickup and delivery to gates. Based on customer feedback, United will consider expanding the service to other airports. If expanded, the company also plans to allow orders through inflight entertainment screens.
