Comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres has had a mostly good-natured rivalry with United Airlines going on five years now.
In early 2017, several celebrities and TV personalities publicly criticized the airline for the removal of a passenger from a flight after the United Airlines Holdings (UAL) company overbooked. On an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", DeGeneres opened with her own thoughts about the incident.
“There was a United Airlines flight in Chicago that was overbooked, and to make room for people, they forcibly removed one of the passengers — did y’all hear about this? It’s crazy, they charged him a $50 removal fee. That’s not true, that’s not true. No, your first forcible removal is free.”
She went on to add, on a more serious note, that United should just not overbook its flights. This wasn't the first time DeGeneres had taken a well-deserved jab at the airline. When airlines rolled out basic economy fares, the comedian featured an over-the-top funny skit about what a United Basic Economy flight might look like. But in early 2020, DeGeneres rallied to raise money for relief during Australia's bushfire season and United Airlines pitched in to help.
These two frienemies have kept the relationship in good spirits since. But while it would be easy to assume United's latest move is related, it's actually something very different.
United Airlines Opens Chicago Test Kitchen Studio Ellen
This week, we got first word of United Airlines' newest test kitchen, where chefs try out new ways to make airline food not bad -- a struggle fraught with technical difficulty that affects most airlines. Changes to United Airlines' in-flight catering are beginning to take form, The Points Guy reports. United Airlines has recently opened a test kitchen in Chicago that it has cheekily named Studio Ellen.
United confirmed to TheStreet via email that the name is not related to DeGeneres, but to Ellen Church, the first woman to ever become a flight attendant back in 1930.
Back in 2021, United Airlines completed an overhaul of its in-flight catering services. Contracts were reorganized, with the company bringing on new vendors like gategroup and Newrest to provide meals for its major hubs. But the changes have been slow to roll-out, so this update is appreciated by frequent fliers.
United Airlines Finds Itself in a Sticky Spot
In-flight meals might be a cart-before-the-horse issue for the airline in the coming months. United Airlines pilots have joined the ranks of Southwest Airline (LUV) pilots picketing their companies over the untenable working conditions and delayed contract negotiations.
It's no secret that there is a shortage of pilots thanks to a wave of early retirement when the pandemic shut down airlines in 2020. Between short staffing and multiple delays, airline staff have been face-to-face with irate customers and were recently forced to scramble through a meltdown of cancelled flights and chaos that could have easily been avoided.
But as airlines start to calm down after the holiday shuffle, declining fuel prices are looking good for most company's bottom line. To reassure wary (and weary) customers, companies like United Airlines are looking to offer more perks to rewards members. United recently brought back its United Premier luggage tag, which comes with its own set of perks.
