United debuts fast-food snacks, opening details of the Airbus A321neo

If you’re feeling hungry during your next United flight, you might be in luck.

The newest member of United’s fleet will also be the first major jet to offer a snack station.

United’s Airbus A321neo, which officially debuts in less than two weeks, will be the first major aircraft to offer economy class passengers a so-called “grab-n-go” station, United confirmed to TPG.

This snack station will be stocked on flights longer than 801 miles, and will contain complimentary water and snacks after main service, United said.

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Snacks will include a mix of That’s It bars, Undercover chocolate quinoa chips and a mix of delicious snacks. The snack bar will not open until flight attendants have completed the first round of snack and beverage service.

United says items in the snack bar are limited and will vary based on flight distance. Note that it will be available exclusively on a first-come, first-served basis.

The carrier didn’t have any additional photos or details to share with TPG, but it certainly looks like United is taking a page from JetBlue’s playbook by offering this snack bar.

JetBlue’s “stores,” as they’re called, offer free snacks and drinks. It has been found in the galley of some of JetBlue’s largest aircraft flying medium and long-haul missions.

United’s Airbus A321neo has been a long time coming to the carrier, and will now make its debut in less than two weeks.

The carrier has scheduled the inaugural flight for Thursday, November 30, from Houston to Chicago. United Flight 321 is scheduled to depart Houston at 5:30 PM and land in Chicago at 8:13 PM, all times local time.

The airline plans to preview the plane to the media before the inaugural flight at a special event in Houston on Thursday.

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Aside from the new arrival and departure terminal, United’s Airbus A321neo is expected to feature a distinctive interior similar to those found on new and recently modified aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A319.

The A321neo will offer 20 first class lounge chairs, 57 economy seats with extra legroom, and 123 economy seats.

Every passenger will enjoy access to seatback displays with Bluetooth connectivity, larger overhead bins, power and USB ports at every seat and more.

United also confirmed that its A321neos will feature an Airbus Cabin Flex structure, meaning there will be four cabin doors, two at each end of the plane, along with four overhead window exits. The airline has added a restroom location in the middle of the cabin to help with traffic flow, and has also installed Airbus XL overhead bins, which should free up space for everyone’s full-sized carry-on bags.

Furthermore, those sitting in first class will likely appreciate that the A321neo will have a locker near the forward galley for storing coats.

Following the November 30 opening, United plans to deploy the Airbus A321neo primarily on domestic routes, filling a similar role to our other large narrow-body aircraft.

The map above from Cirium shows the initial routes United is planning for the A321neo in the coming months.