Points Panda has partnered with a variety of financial companies including CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. Points Panda and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. For more information please read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Are you planning to go to Hawaii this year? Then we have some good news for you because United is bringing back hot food on flights to Hawaii starting August 1, 2021.
Passengers will be given different complimentary meals based on the distance of their flights. The meals do not include alcoholic beverages, however, you can still purchase them separately as in-flight purchases.
What Complimentary Meals Are Offered For United Airlines Hawaiian Flights?
- Complimentary Sandwich – Passengers can choose between a meat or a vegetarian sandwhich.
- Fresh Meal – The full meal will include a main dish (possibly grilled chicken with vegetables), bread roll, sliced pineapple, and a KIND bar.
Read More: Hawaii Travel Restrictions Ease Down Starting June 15
Which Routes Feature Hot Food On Flights To Hawaii
Currently, the complimentary meals are only available on Honolulu/Maui inbound and outbound flights since the Lihue and Kona flight kitchens are still non-operational. Passengers will receive different meals depending on the flights they have.
- Denver/Houston to Honolulu/Maui – Complimentary sandwich
- Honolulu/Maui to Denver/Houston – Complimentary fresh meal
- Chicago/Newark/Washington to/from Honolulu/Maui – Complimentary fresh meal
United also plans on bringing back complimentary meal service to flights between San Francisco/Los Angeles/Orange Country and the Hawaiian islands (including Lihue and Kona) but there’s no definite schedule yet. However, these flights do offer in-flight services for customers who want to eat onboard.
United Brought Back Complimentary Meals For First Class Flights This June
If you haven’t heard, United Airlines also brought back complimentary meals on other domestic flights since June 15, 2021. Passengers on all first-class domestic flights of over 1,500 miles or first-class hub-to-hub routes of over 800 miles will receive a main dish, a side dish, and a dessert.
What does the complimentary meal include?
- Breakfast – Passengers can either get a main dish of scrambled egg with chorizo or Belgian waffle with bourbon berry compote served with a side Greek yogurt parfait.
- Lunch or Dinner – Passengers can get a main dish of grilled chicken breast with orzo and lemon basil pesto or a chili verde enchilada. Spanish rice is served on the side and a chocolate pie flavored cheesecake is served for dessert.
United made some big changes to its complementary meals the airline was previously serving simple snack boxes on these routes.
Read More: How to Fly To Hawaii Using Points and Miles- The Best Options Using Credit Card Points
Will Delta And American Airlines Also Bring Back In-Flight Services?
The pandemic has forced a lot of airlines to remove inflight services for the purpose of reducing touchpoints during flights. However, the vaccine rollout in the US has been very successful which has prompted major US airlines to slowly bring back in-flight services.
As of the moment, United Airlines is taking the lead in bringing back hot meals onboard but Delta and American have also plans of doing the same thing.
Delta Airlines
Delta has announced on June 15, 2021 that it will bring back hot meals for Delta One and first-class passengers for these routes:
- Boston (BOS) and New York-JFK and Los Angeles (LAX)
- San Francisco (SFO) and Seattle (SEA)
Passengers can expect the all-time favorites like beef short ribs, smoked salmon, and lemon ricotta pancakes. More options will be available later this summer for Delta One and first-class flights of over 1,500 miles.
American Airlines
American Airlines doesn’t have clear plans of bringing back hot meals on board. Currently, they’re serving passengers with sandwiches or cheese plates on most of their routes.
News has been going around the block that the airline might restore hot meals on first-class flights in Fall. However, they might be taking a different approach when it does come to that point. American’s SVP of Flight Service released a statement in August 2020 about the future of American’s in-flight service.
“When you think about the footprint we have for meal service and how we served, it’s been very similar over the years. And is there a way to bring back something that still has a premium feel but is different and more modern, and is this an opportunity to reset in a way that we might have made more incremental changes before.”
What does this mean? It probably means that the airline is bringing back meal service in the near future but it might be different than what it was pre-covid.
Book A Flight To Hawaii Using Points
If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, then it’s the perfect time to use up those points you’ve racked up during the pandemic. Hawaii has eased down on travel restrictions way back on June 15 since its population is nearing a 70% vaccination rate.
American Express Membership Rewards
American Express cardholders can transfer their points to United Airlines and multiple airline partners to book a one-way main cabin award ticket to Hawaii for 13,000 points (plus taxes and fees).
If you’re not a member of Amex Membership Rewards yet, you can sign-up for The Platinum Card from American Express which comes with a welcome offer of 100,000 Amex points after spending $6,000 within 6 months of card membership. Or you can also sign-up for the American Express Gold Card which comes with a 60,000 welcome offer after spending $4,000 within 6 months of card membership.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
A one-way main cabin award flight to Hawaii on Chase Ultimate Rewards can cost as little as 17,500 points. If you’ve racked up a lot of points using your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, now’s the perfect time to put those points into good use.
What Points Panda Thinks
The return of hot meals onboard is really a big step for the entire airline industry. Passengers will be greeted with delicious entrees and fresh fruits that will satisfy everyone’s cravings during longer routes.
Advertiser Disclosure
PointsPanda Deal of the Week!
Looking for the best flight deals? Each week we'll send you updates with the best deals on flights and hotels both using points and cash.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.