United Adds 30 Chef's Table Polaris Dishes Starting Nov. 1

United Airlines said it is rolling out a second full lineup of Chef's Table dishes in Polaris business class starting November 1, expanding a partnership with the Netflix documentary brand that debuted on the airline in August. The new rotation brings 30 dishes from 11 chefs tied to United's seven U.S. hub cities and three international gateways — London, São Paulo and Tokyo — and will run through December 31, according to the airline.

The format carries over from the first round: each departure city gets its own appetizer, salad and main course preorder menu designed by a chef with local ties. Among the entrées, Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza is contributing a spiral meat lasagna with passato and taleggio sauce for Los Angeles departures, while Newark flyers can preorder a chermoula-glazed chicken breast from Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar. Chicago's menu, from Jenner Tomaska of Esmé, Petite Edith and The Alston, features roasted chicken stuffed with a mushroom mousseline, and Houston's comes from Justin Yu of Theodore Rex, built around a poached chicken breast in garlic, lemongrass and anchovy curry. Simple Flying also reported that the lineup includes a char siu pork entrée from Penelope Wong of Denver's Yuan Wonton.

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First-round scores run well above other preorder meals

United says more than 60,000 passengers tried Chef's Table dishes after their August 1 debut, and that satisfaction scores came in nearly 20 points higher than for the airline's other preorder options — a gap Simple Flying characterized as roughly 20% better. The figures are United's own measurements, but they mark a notable jump for an airline food program, and the new rotation builds on what Simple Flying reported was a $150 million catering investment the carrier made in 2025.

Aaron McMillan, United's managing director of hospitality programs, said the response so far justified the expanded partnership. "The strong response to Chef's Table reinforces the value of bringing perspectives of world-class chefs onboard in a way that reflects the destinations we serve and the dining experiences our customers seek," McMillan said. Justin Connor, president of Chef's Table Projects, said the collaboration "has been a great way to introduce millions of travelers to the incredible chefs we work with and the stories behind their food."

Menu swaps by season, chefs rotate by city

United has described the arrangement as an ongoing seasonal rotation rather than a one-off menu refresh, with new dishes expected to keep cycling in through 2027. The departure city determines which chef's menu a Polaris passenger can preorder, meaning the same traveler flying out of Chicago one month and Houston the next would see entirely different dishes despite flying the same cabin.

United has not detailed menus for every one of the ten cities covered in the new rotation, including the three international gateways, beyond confirming London, São Paulo and Tokyo are included alongside the domestic hubs. Passengers booking Polaris seats for travel after November 1 can expect preorder windows to open ahead of departure, following the same process United used for the August launch.