United Airlines has launched a pilot at Newark Liberty International Airport that lets passengers pre-order food, drinks and travel essentials through the United app and collect them at the gate. The trial covers select flights departing from or connecting through up to nine designated gates in Terminal C, with items such as sandwiches, salads, kids’ meals, snacks, medicine, pillows and charging cords available for pickup or onboard delivery.
Travellers enrolled in the trial receive a push notification or email before departure prompting them to place an order. United is working with OTG at Newark and participating airport restaurants including Nonna’s Kitchen and Victory Grill to prepare the items. The airport-based shelves are intended to speed up collection at the gate for customers who choose the service.
United plans to extend the pilot to Houston later in 2026 and will use customer feedback to decide whether to expand it to additional airports. The rollout keeps the scope limited for now, with eligibility confined to selected flights and a defined gate area in Terminal C.