**United Airlines Trials Convenient Food Collection Service at Newark Airport**
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In an effort to enhance the travel experience, United Airlines has launched a new service at Newark Liberty International Airport, allowing passengers to pre-order food and essentials for collection at their departure gates. This initiative, introduced on September 2, seeks to streamline the process for travellers, enabling them to save time and enjoy a range of products while waiting for their flights.
The service allows passengers to order an assortment of items through the United app. These include meals, snacks, and travel necessities, which are then set aside on designated shelves at the gate for convenient pickup. The products available for order range from sandwiches and salads to drinks, children’s meals, chips, candy, and various travel accessories such as charging cords and over-the-counter medicine.
At present, this offering is available at select gates within Terminal C of Newark Airport, covering both domestic and international departures. The initiative has been developed in collaboration with OTG, a hospitality management company that operates various food services within the airport. They have partnered with participating restaurants, including Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill, to prepare and deliver the meals.
David Kinzelman, the chief customer officer at United Airlines, believes that Newark serves as an ideal location to pilot this innovative service. The airport functions as a major connecting hub, serving millions of passengers who often have tight schedules between arrival at the gate and boarding their flights. Notably, Newark welcomed around 47 million passengers in 2025, indicating a high level of foot traffic that could benefit from quicker and more efficient food services.
Looking ahead, United Airlines plans to expand this service to Houston later this year. Alongside this expansion, the airline intends to introduce a wider array of national restaurant brands, giving customers even more choices. Feedback from travellers will be essential in gauging interest and determining the feasibility of rolling out the service to additional airports across the United States.
Customer convenience remains a priority for United, which has indicated a desire to incorporate this service into the inflight entertainment systems of its aircraft. This would enable passengers to order meals directly from their seatback screens, providing a truly seamless experience from the gate to the airplane.
The introduction of this food collection service coincides with several recent announcements aimed at improving customer experience. United revealed plans to launch seven new international routes from Newark starting in March 2027, solidifying its commitment to expanding travel options for customers. Among these new destinations are Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, and Ljubljana—cities that will be exclusively serviced by United Airlines from the United States.
In addition to new routes, the airline had previously announced the rollout of a new type of economy seating known as the United Relax Row. These dedicated seating areas will convert into a couch, complete with adjustable leg rests for increased comfort on long-haul flights. The company aims to implement this feature on over 200 of its Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft by 2030.
As United Airlines explores new avenues to improve its services, the pre-order food collection initiative stands out as a promising development for enhancing passenger satisfaction at airports. By addressing the needs of travellers who often find themselves pressed for time, United is taking meaningful steps toward a more user-friendly airport experience.
The success of this pilot project at Newark will likely set the tone for further innovations as customer feedback is gathered and evaluated. United Airlines is clearly hopeful that by investing in customer convenience, it can solidify its position as a go-to airline for both domestic and international travel.