United to charge for food on translatlantic flights

[bxleu]

More at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 12E8DR.DTL

Press release: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080821/aqth538.html?.v=13 :
"For trans-Atlantic flights originating out of and returning to the company's Washington Dulles hub, United will on a trial basis be offering economy customers fresh Buy on Board options..."

[LX-LGX]

They will not do it on transatlantic flights, but on what they call transcontinental flights: i.e. from San Francisco and Los Angeles to New York.

I think the airline industry analyst (see above artivle) predicts what will happen: "The savings they will get doing away with lunch in business class - they will lose more than that when corporations yank business. ... The challenging thing about business is that whether things are good or bad, you have to invest in your product for the sake of keeping customers and to make it harder for competitors to catch up with you. This does nothing to encourage people to pay more because you give more. They really make me question whether the inmates have taken control of the asylum."

[itami]

Next step : coin lockers on the lavatory doors ?

[Stij]

Next step : coin lockers on the lavatory doors ?

Shhhhh, Michael O'Leary might hear you....

[rolibkk]

next? BYOS ... bring your own seat. charging for entering the toilet seems to be tricky - i would rather charge for the paper - which comes with a nice environment friendly touch, doesn't it?

[earthman]

next? BYOS ... bring your own seat. charging for entering the toilet seems to be tricky - i would rather charge for the paper - which comes with a nice environment friendly touch, doesn't it?

That will only work if you get rid of the in-flight magazine first.

[JayBeeke]

From what I read they (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromt ... -cutbacks/) will be doing it on all transatlantic flights originating at Dulles except the one to Kuwait. No more UA for me.

cheers,
JJN

[regi]

At the very beginning of the A380 there was an offical idea about a franchise between McDonnald's and Virgin Atlantic.
Somewhere I would not mind to pay for my economy meal. Even transatlantic. When I fly short haul I do get sometimes something small like the famous hot panini bread at BMI - but I hardly touch it. And long haul, I leave at least half of the tray untouched.
So yes, if I would pay less for the ticket it is fine to me. I still can decide what I would eat and would pay accordingly.
Do I have to tell you that during my few flights with low cost carriers I have never ordered a drink or a snack? ( because the flight was short and I didn't need it - I did not even take it in consideration and didn't look at the prices )

[LX-LGX]

So yes, if I would pay less for the ticket it is fine to me.

That won't be the case: tickets fares at UA will not decrease.

(UA will probably say that they've avoided another fare increase).

[luchtzak]

I could agree to pay for a meal or a drink on short haul flights, but on long haul flights a free meal is just part of the flight and should be offered for free. But the concept is not totally new, I remember Van Gaever airlines doing the same, and Finnair offers a free meal and drink(s), but if you want to eat or drink something not during service you have to pay additionally.

[744rules]

So People Express was a real pioneer

[BrightCedars]

I think it's not an acceptable move on transatlantic flights, especially since many of those leave Europe shortly before lunch, so people have left home after breakfast and got to the airport, checked in and cannot really have a decent meal prior to boarding (in most cases it would be too early to have that second meal of the day already), and then should be given that opportunity of an included meal onboard. Let's face it, the meal service is a joy for many and it breaks the routine of flight, especially when little or no decent entertainment is available. Ultimately these cost cutting measures will make them lose their most faithful economy passengers, and will not allow them to differentiate on the market once the likes of Ryanair or easyJet go longhaul.

If the carrier needs this to survive, then let them fold.

[itami]

If the carrier needs this to survive, then let them fold.

I agree with you BrightCedars ! I even wonder if selling meals is really that profitable. How many passengers are willing to pay ? How many meals should be taken on board to avoid waste ? Meals against payment or complimentary meals make no difference at this point. Collecting cash or payment by credit card on board is often troublesome and slows down the service speed. In my opinion meals and drinks should be included in the ticket price. In most cases people take what they have paid for anyway.

[Stij]

If the carrier needs this to survive, then let them fold.

I agree with you BrightCedars ! I even wonder if selling meals is really that profitable. How many passengers are willing to pay ? How many meals should be taken on board to avoid waste ? Meals against payment or complimentary meals make no difference at this point. Collecting cash or payment by credit card on board is often troublesome and slows down the service speed. In my opinion meals and drinks should be included in the ticket price. In most cases people take what they have paid for anyway.

Personnaly I don't mind that much that they don't sell food in stead of offering it for free. Especially on US carriers it is uneatable anyway.

Maybe the Jetairfly system is good: there you have the cHoice: meal or no meal: let the customer choose!

I just hope they won't stop handing out drinks for free as this during long flights people tend to dehydrate and not drinking water is unhealthy.

Cheers,

Stij

[Comet]

I would object to this. On a long flight you are a captive audience, as you cannot take along your own food and so you have to eat what is offered on the plane. Greedy airlines will know this and so will charge sky high prices for what is little more than inedible modge knowing that people would have no choice but to pay up if they want to eat.

[Stij]

I would object to this. On a long flight you are a captive audience, as you cannot take along your own food and so you have to eat what is offered on the plane. Greedy airlines will know this and so will charge sky high prices for what is little more than inedible modge knowing that people would have no choice but to pay up if they want to eat.

I sometimes take my own food on board on FR, never had complaints... A few slices of pizza of the evening before are an excellent inflight snack!

Cheers,

Stij

[Comet]

I would object to this. On a long flight you are a captive audience, as you cannot take along your own food and so you have to eat what is offered on the plane. Greedy airlines will know this and so will charge sky high prices for what is little more than inedible modge knowing that people would have no choice but to pay up if they want to eat.

I sometimes take my own food on board on FR, never had complaints... A few slices of pizza of the evening before are an excellent inflight snack!

Cheers,

Stij

Yes, but on some flights it can be tricky taking food, how would you prove it was to eat on the flight and you were not intending to import it into your destination country? And of course there's the ban on liquids more than 100ml unless they are bought in duty free and in sealed bags. On short flights we always make sure we've had a meal before we leave, or else plan to have one as soon as we land, to try and avoid eating on the plane. Usually we just have a drink on a short flight (unless it was VLM, whose sandwiches used to be very nice).

[smokejumper]

next? BYOS ... bring your own seat. charging for entering the toilet seems to be tricky - i would rather charge for the paper - which comes with a nice environment friendly touch, doesn't it?

That will only work if you get rid of the in-flight magazine first.

Rumor has it that the US airlines are looking for a way to charge for oxygen!

[regi]

but look out for the mushroom soup from Ryanair.
It caused an allergic reaction with a passenger so severe that the plane had to make an emergency landing at FRA.

[Aspirapolvere]

My experience with UA's food for sale on flights within the US has been that they always run out of some of the selections, and sometimes run out alltogether. It also takes forever for them to serve/sell to an A320; surely a 767 will be even longer.

Unfortunately I have a BRU-IAD flight booked for 2 October - I am not looking forward to it.