OT - UA is charging for food on flights

[tonado]

United Airlines tests $7 breakfasts, $10 lunches

By Dave Carpenter, Associated Press, 4/21/2003 18:41

 

CHICAGO (AP) United Airlines is upgrading to ''restaurant-quality'' meals on some of its flights this week. But just like in restaurants, most passengers will have to pay for them.

 

The nation's No. 2 airline, looking to raise revenue as it overhauls its money-losing operations in bankruptcy, began a six-day experiment Monday selling meals on its daily flights between Denver and Seattle.

 

Reflecting difficult times in the airline industry, United is the latest and biggest carrier to test the concept of charging for in-flight meals. America West, Northwest and US Airways conducted trials in select markets earlier this year.

 

United, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December, scaled back its food service in January, eliminating meals on domestic flights lasting less than 3½ hours. It is now considering restoring them in some markets, but this time they won't be free for economy-class passengers who want them.

 

Breakfast will cost $7 and lunch and dinner will be $10, while passengers in first class and business class will get the same selections for free.

 

''It's a convenience for our passengers and a possible new source of revenue for United,'' said Bill Dove, director of worldwide catering.

 

United is teaming with Gate Gourmet to offer what it characterized as restaurant-quality meals from Eli's Cheesecake Company. Passengers will have their choice of two options for breakfast and lunch/dinner, with different selections on the return leg.

 

For breakfast, they can opt for continental cinnamon crumb cake, hazelnut biscotti, fresh fruit and berries or hearty brunch, which consists of a croissant sandwich with smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, hard-boiled egg slices and lettuce plus a raspberry strudel pastry bar and fresh fruit and berries.

 

One of the lunch/dinner offerings, served in a decorative basket, is a grilled turkey sandwich with a bowl of fresh fruit and a chocolate chunk cookie. United spokeswoman Chris Nardella didn't immediately have information on the other choices.

 

The selections didn't entice analysts, who are skeptical the concept will take hold in the industry despite all the recent tinkering.

 

''Airline food has been so bad and getting scarcer that people have been buying airport food to bring on board,'' said Scott Hamilton, an independent airline analyst based in the Seattle area.

 

''Buying food on board will eliminate the hassle of having to carry one more thing, but the question will be whether passengers will get what they perceive to be a good value for the price paid, and whether food quality will be better than before.''

 

Airline travel analyst Terry Trippler said the concept isn't likely to generate huge revenue and would open the airlines up to new complaints from passengers and even flight attendants at a time they can't afford them.

 

''Under the circumstances, the way things are, now is maybe not the time,'' said Trippler, of Minneapolis-based cheapseats.com. ''With the war in Iraq over, travel is about to take off so I don't think airlines should make drastic decisions like that. Let's get people back on the planes and see what happens.''

[chinadave2001]

Most of the food they were serving wasn't worth it when it was free!

Dave

[owenkrout]

And they really think that they are going to convince us that this is a customer service? B)

[Mick]

It wouldn't surprise me if they started asking customers to brown bag it.

[tparrent]

" It wouldn't surprise me if they started asking customers to brown bag it"

 

And why not? I'd rather bring decent food aboard than eat what they serve - at least on flights less than 7 hours. After that, the bring aboard food gets a tad smelly.

 

Perhaps a reasonably priced (yeah right) selection of delin items near the boarding gate is the way to go. Make life easier for everyone. They would just have to have some way of dealing with the trash on board.

 

One exception: Thai Airways - WOW! Their food was tasty!

[tonado]

It would be like Southwest Airlines which is doing very well.

[wolf]

For the last two years, if I fly an American carrier, I just stop at a deli near the airport and get a few good choices and carry them with me. THe food the airlines gave was bad for 5 or more years now. JAL is the only airline that really offers good food and as much as you want for free.

[owenkrout]

The next thing is that they will want to count your brown bag as your carry-on luggage allotment. If they are overcharging you for nasty food then there will be a financial incentive to forbid your bringing your own food with you. Just like you are not supposed to bring your own snacks with you to the theater, except it would be a lot easier for them to know that you were doing so on an airplane.

 

I've never seen anything reasonably priced at an airport and the airline food has be bad for at least 20 years that I know of.

[tonado]

I've never seen anything reasonably priced at an airport and the airline food has be bad for at least 20 years that I know of.

Owen,

 

You have been out of the country too long. The airport has decent food and slightly more than outside. I worked at Logan airport. They have Legal Seafood, Au Bon Pain, Starbuck Coffee, Dunkin Donuts, Cheers and Burger King. In HK airport, they have excellent food (even have dim sum).

[owenkrout]

Hmm.. Things do change, I guess. I haven't flown on business for ten years now and it was two years ago when I flew into China this time. All I remember from that time was that the food at Tokyo International was very expensive. I've never been to Hong Kong.