Customers can now order food, drinks and other travel essentials in advance through the United app and have their items waiting for them at the gate
Available on select flights departing from or connecting through up to nine designated gates in Terminal C
NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — United has launched a new, time-saving benefit for customers: the ability to order food, drinks and other travel essentials in advance through the United app and have their order waiting at the gate.
The airline is testing the new service on select flights departing from or connecting through up to nine designated gates in Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Customers receive a pre-departure push notification via the United app or email that lets them pick from a selection of sandwiches, salads, drinks, kids meals, chips, candy and more, as well as travel essentials like select over-the-counter medicine, travel pillows and charging cords.
Items are available on a designated pickup shelf to enjoy at the gate or to bring onboard.
“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,” said David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “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.”
The test service is available on select flights departing from or connecting through designated gates in Terminal C (C125-C138). These gates service the airline’s domestic and international departures, including both narrowbody and widebody aircraft. As part of this pilot program at Newark, United is collaborating with OTG to support the preparation and delivery of meals from participating airport restaurants, including Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill.
United will expand the pilot to Houston later this year, with popular national restaurant brands and more options for customers to pick up food or have it delivered directly to their gate. United will collect customer feedback throughout the pilot to evaluate interest in the service and inform potential future expansion to other airports. If expanded, United will integrate the service into its seatback inflight entertainment screens for an even more seamless ordering experience.
As part of United’s broader effort to elevate the customer experience, the airline is continuing to introduce new digital tools that help customers save time and make travel more seamless – from the ongoing rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet and industry-leading inflight entertainment to new app innovations, such as the TSA wait times tracker, that help customers navigate their journey with ease.
For more information, visit united.com. Visual assets can be found here.
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/food-delivery-to-the-gate-united-tests-new-time-saving-customer-benefit-at-newark-liberty-international-airport-302867665.html
SOURCE United Airlines
