United pilots gate-side delivery of meals and travel supplies at Newark

United Airlines has begun a limited rollout of a gate-side delivery program at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal C, where passengers can use the United mobile app to purchase snacks, beverages, over-the-counter medication, travel pillows and charging cords. The pilot is confined to nine designated gates and serves flights heading out of or connecting through those gates, for both domestic and international routes.

After placing an order, travelers receive a notification and retrieve their items from a pickup shelf at the gate. United is partnering with OTG, the company that manages the terminal’s food and retail services, for this initial phase. The carrier intends to trial the concept in Houston later in the year and, if successful, may embed the ordering function into its in-flight entertainment platform for broader use. The airline also recently added an app feature that lets passengers join standby lists when flights are disrupted.