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Home » United Airlines » United Solves its Ice Cream Bowl Crisis
United Airlines

United Solves its Ice Cream Bowl Crisis

Matthew February 26, 2018 10 Comments

Paper or plastic? United Airlines finally has a permanent solution for its ice cream bowl issue…plastic.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read here. In a nutshell, United’s glass ice cream bowls were cracking, prompting the carrier to eliminate ice cream sundaes for almost two months then use paper cups for more than six months.

> Read More: For Your Protection, No Ice Cream Sundaes on United Airlines

The original bowls looked like this–

With customers ingesting shards of glass, United transitioned to paper bowls for business class:

Nothing screams premium like a paper bowl…

Last week I flew from Newark to Seattle and was shocked to see bowls had returned–

But don’t be deceived. These are not glass bowls, but plastic ones.

These reusable bowls look nice, are made of heavy plastic, and eliminate the sad mockery of serving ice cream in paper bowls in premium cabins.

You might ask what took so long? I’m not defending United here, but it’s not like it could just snap its fingers and a solution would magically appear. United likely submitted an RFP (request for proposal) for a solution, reviewed options, chose a vendor, reviewed and tested samples, and finally approved their production. That takes time.

CONCLUSION

While plastic may also not scream premium, it’s sure a better solution than the paper cups.

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About Author

Matthew

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 120 countries over the last decade. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Al Jazeera, Toronto Star, and on NPR. Studying international relations, American government, and later obtaining a law degree, Matthew has a plethora of knowledge outside the travel industry that leads to a unique writing perspective. He has served in the United States Air Force, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House. His Live and Let's Fly blog shares the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs and promotions, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel. His writings on penandpassport.com offer more general musings on life from the eyes of a frequent traveler. He also founded awardexpert.com, a highly-personalized consulting service that aids clients in the effective use of their credit card points and frequent flyer miles. Clients range from retirees seeking to carefully use their nest egg of points to multinational corporations entrusting Matthew with the direction and coordination of company travel.

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10 Comments

  1. Ric Reply
    February 26, 2018 at 11:07 am

    Now I can sleep at night !

  2. Cei Reply
    February 26, 2018 at 11:30 am

    Psst, chard is a vegetable

    • Matthew Reply
      February 26, 2018 at 12:48 pm

      Shards. Thanks!

  3. D.A. Reply
    February 26, 2018 at 11:48 am

    Finally United gets something right!

  4. Charles Reply
    February 26, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    I travel economy and I travel Business. I have no issue being served ice cream in a small container as sold by the manufacturer. I prefer knowing that I am getting a premium brand rather that whatever.

  5. Gene Reply
    February 26, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    Why are other airlines able to use glass without this problem?

    • emercycrite Reply
      February 26, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      And THAT’s the million dollar question.

      Answer: Because those other airlines aren’t UA.

  6. EO Reply
    February 27, 2018 at 9:41 am

    I’m not a big fan of the ice cream sundaes personally, but I agree it took a long time to find a solution.
    Fine, use plastic. I am happy they have added other desserts to the menu – small tarts, etc.

    What saddens me more is the loss of the wine cart which featured the always fun “Flight of Wine.”
    That was a REAL step up for United, and now it was removed from service.

  7. Ravi Reply
    February 27, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    It doesn’t if it comes in plastic or paper. The only thing that truly matters is that they have hot fudge instead of the cheaper chocolate syrup. We are paying for business class (or at least using our points for it) and we deserve the good stuff. Nuff said.

  8. Sang Kancil Guru Reply
    February 28, 2018 at 7:09 am

    Jeez, just use porcelain bowls like everyone else. Ain’t rocket science.

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