United tests ordering food in its app for pickup at the gate in Newark's Terminal C

United Airlines is testing a way to order a meal before you reach the gate. On select flights at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), customers can now order food, drinks and travel items in the United app. The order then waits for them at the gate. United announced the pilot on Sept. 2, 2026, in its press release.

The test is small for now. It covers up to nine gates in one part of Terminal C. United says it will take the idea to Houston later this year.

How the gate delivery test works

According to United, eligible customers get a notice before departure. It arrives as a push alert in the United app or by email. From there, they can choose from a menu that United says includes:

• Sandwiches and salads
• Drinks
• Kids meals
• Chips and candy
• Travel items such as some over-the-counter medicine, travel pillows and charging cords

The order is placed on a pickup shelf at the gate. Customers can eat it there or carry it onto the plane.

United is working with OTG, the airport restaurant operator, to prepare and deliver the meals. The food comes from airport restaurants taking part in the test. United names two of them: Nonna's Kitchen and Victory Grill.

The idea is to fix a specific pinch point. United's chief customer officer, David Kinzelman, put it this way: "The time right before boarding is one of those moments when customers want quick, easy access to food without added complexity." He called Newark a busy connecting hub where people often have little time between reaching the gate and boarding.

Which gates and flights are included

The test covers select flights that depart from or connect through gates C125 to C138 in Terminal C. United says these gates handle both domestic and international departures, on narrowbody and widebody aircraft.

That detail matters for connecting passengers. If you land at one of those gates with a short layover, the notice may reach you while you are still on the inbound flight, in time to order before you walk to your next gate. United has not described the timing in that much detail, so treat this as how the service appears to be designed, not a promise.

United hasn't said how it picks the flights in the test. It also hasn't said whether customers on every fare type or cabin get the offer. If you are flying from one of those gates, the clearest sign you can use it is the pre-departure notice from United.

What it costs and how long it runs

United hasn't said what the items cost or whether there is a delivery or service fee. It hasn't said how customers pay, though orders are placed through the United app. It also hasn't given an end date for the Newark test.

What United has said is that it will collect customer feedback during the pilot. It will use that feedback to judge interest and decide whether to expand to other airports. If the service does expand, United says it would add ordering to its seatback screens.

United frames the test as part of a run of digital tools meant to save time. In the same release it points to the rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet and to a TSA wait-time tracker in its app.

Houston is next

United plans to extend the pilot to Houston later this year. There, it says, customers will get food from popular national restaurant brands. They will also have more choices for picking up food or getting it delivered to the gate. United hasn't named those brands, given a start date or said which Houston terminal or gates will be part of it.

Lounges near the test gates in Terminal C

For travelers with lounge access, a lounge is the other way to eat before a flight at Newark. Lounge Frog lists three United lounges in Terminal C.

United Club (C, mezzanine) is the closest to the test gates. It sits on the mezzanine level of the C3 pier near gate C123. It is the largest United Club at Newark and the only one with showers, with six listed. Lounge Frog lists its hours as 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily. It is open to United Club members and Star Alliance Gold lounge access. Members can bring up to two guests, or a spouse or partner and children under 21. One-time passes cost $59, and you need a same-day United or Star Alliance ticket. It has an overall rating of 4.9 on Lounge Frog.

United Polaris Lounge is airside in Terminal C, between gates C102 and C120 at the entrance to the C3 pier. It is for United Polaris business passengers, with no guests. Star Alliance long-haul business and first class passengers can also get in. Lounge Frog lists its hours as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and rates it 4.6 overall. It has 10 showers and a craft cocktail bar.

United Club (C, west) is on the upper level of the C1 pier near gate C74. That is farther from the test gates. It opens 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, has the same access rules and $59 pass as the mezzanine club, and rates 3.3 overall.

If you have lounge access and a long wait, the lounge still wins on choice and seating. If you are tight on time at a C125 to C138 gate, the shelf is the faster option.

United also runs a United Club in Terminal A. See all of Newark's lounges on the EWR airport page, and United's lounges on the United Airlines page.