CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) is testing a new food and travel essentials ordering service at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), allowing eligible passengers to order through the United app and collect items near their departure gate.
The pilot covers select flights at Terminal C, with United planning to expand the service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston later this year and potentially add seatback ordering.
United Brings Food Ordering Closer to the Gate
United Airlines has launched a pilot program at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) designed to help passengers save time during busy airport connections. Eligible customers traveling through Terminal C can use the United app to order food, drinks, snacks, and selected travel essentials before departure.
United sends eligible passengers a push notification or email with the available ordering options. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, beverages, children’s meals, chips, candy, and other snacks.
The service also covers practical travel items such as over-the-counter medicine, travel pillows and charging cords. Instead of requiring passengers to visit a restaurant or concession store, United will have completed orders placed on designated pickup shelves near the gate.
The initiative targets one of the most time-sensitive parts of the airport experience. Passengers with short connection windows may have enough time to cross the terminal but not enough time to wait in a restaurant queue, collect food and return to their gate before boarding.
United Chief Customer Officer David Kinzelman said the airline is focused on reducing friction during parts of the journey where customers need quick access to essential services.
The Newark pilot therefore combines existing airport concessions with a digital ordering system rather than creating a separate food operation.
Newark Terminal C Gates Included in the Pilot
The initial test covers select flights operating from or connecting through Terminal C at Newark. United is using up to nine designated gates in the C125-C138 area for the pilot.
The gates support both domestic and international services and accommodate narrowbody and widebody aircraft. This gives United an opportunity to evaluate the service across different types of passengers and connection patterns.
United is working with OTG, which operates numerous restaurants and concessions in Newark Terminal C. Participating outlets include Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill.
The partnership allows United to connect its mobile app with existing airport food operations. Customers can place orders digitally while moving through the terminal, then collect them closer to where they need to board.
For passengers making tight connections, the main benefit is time. The service can reduce the need to search for an available restaurant, stand in line and carry food across a large terminal.
Houston Expansion Will Add More Options
United plans to expand the pilot to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston later in 2026.
The Houston phase is expected to offer access to popular national restaurant brands and additional choices for passengers who want either pickup or delivery directly to their gate.
The expansion could make the service more useful for connecting passengers because they would have additional ways to receive food without leaving their route through the terminal.
United has also indicated that the technology could eventually extend beyond the mobile app.
United Plans Seatback Ordering
If the program expands, United plans to integrate food ordering into its seatback entertainment systems.
That development could allow passengers to place orders during an existing flight before reaching their connecting airport. A passenger arriving at Newark, for example, could potentially order food from the seatback screen before the aircraft reaches the gate.
After landing, the passenger could proceed toward the connecting gate and collect the prepared order without making a separate trip to a restaurant.
The concept could be particularly useful on short connections, where even a small reduction in time spent searching for food can make a difference.
Convenience Extends Beyond Food
The pilot is not limited to meals. United’s inclusion of items such as charging cables, travel pillows and over-the-counter medicine adds another practical use case.
Travelers often discover that they need a basic item only after entering the airport or during a connection. Having those products available through the airline’s app could make the service useful even when passengers are not looking for a full meal.
However, convenience does not eliminate concerns about airport pricing or food quality. The value of the service will depend partly on the selection, prices, preparation times and reliability of participating concessions.
The model nevertheless gives passengers another option. Travelers with longer connections can continue using airport restaurants and lounges, while those with limited time can order ahead and collect their items closer to the gate.
United Expands the Role of Its Mobile App
The gate ordering pilot is part of a broader effort by United to make its mobile app more useful during the travel journey.
United has added or expanded features covering TSA wait times, connection information, automatic rebooking, hotel and meal vouchers, baggage tracking and information about inbound aircraft.
The airline has also introduced tools designed to help disrupted passengers find earlier flight options. These features increasingly position the app as an operational tool rather than simply a platform for booking flights or accessing a boarding pass.
Gate food ordering fits that strategy by addressing a practical need during the airport portion of a trip.
What the Newark Pilot Could Mean for Travelers
United’s Newark test focuses on a simple problem: passengers often have limited time to find food during a connection.
By allowing eligible travelers to order through the United app and collect items near selected gates, the airline can reduce the time required to locate participating restaurants and wait for an order.
The planned Houston expansion and potential seatback integration could take the concept further. If United eventually enables passengers to order from their aircraft before landing, the service could become a more integrated part of the connecting passenger experience.
For now, the program remains a limited pilot at Newark Terminal C. Its broader rollout will depend on how effectively United and its airport concession partners can manage order availability, preparation, and gate pickup.
Bottom Line
United Airlines is testing app-based food and travel-essential ordering at selected Newark Terminal C gates, giving eligible passengers a faster way to collect items during their airport journey.
The airline plans to bring the pilot to Houston later in 2026 and is considering seatback ordering as a future extension. If the system performs well, it could give connecting passengers a practical way to save time without leaving their route to the gate.
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