Well it was too good to be true. Thought UA had turned the corner with improved catering. Friend in the know sent me these "changes you'll like" starting 01SEP, oh well today, that were communicated to inflight. Literally reads very similar to what pmCO offered in the 2006 timeframe.

Flights 2:30-2:59 hrs:
Breakfast: Remove breakfast breads only
Lunch: Two cold meal options and a chocolate truffle (vs one hot and one cold option, mixed nuts/bread//side)
Dinner: One hot meal/one cold meal option (vs two hot options); offers mixed nuts/bread/salad/dessert

Flights 3:00-3:59
Breakfast/Lunch: No change
Dinner: One hot meal/one cold meal option (vs two hot options); offers mixed nuts/bread/salad/dessert

Flights 4:00-5:24 (exc. transcons)
Breakfast, lunch and dinner have cold and hot meal options (vs two hot-meals)
Pre-plated dessert replaces ice cream/sorbet on lunch/dinner flights

Sooo...using my CA centric brain, I would guess that puts catering (exc transcons) into 3 tiers where DEN-west Coast falls into tier 1, ORD/IAH-west coast falls into tier 2, and IAD/EWR-west coast falls into tier 3 based on flight times. Then again DEN might be under 2:30, but used a rough estimate. All in all seems odd that they would be doing this