UniFoxOs Freddie Laker started his service with no free food, just buy a packed lunch at the airport. This is a full service carrier changing their operating standards. so not the same thing at all.
Looks like UA are going down the road that Continental took in the late 80s early 90s - of cutting everything to save money and then finding that there was nothing left. Eventually, they saw sense and got someone in to fix it and they got their customers back. Strange that.