America West Airlines to sell in-flight meals

poseidon · #1 01-02-2003, 10:46 AM

One can only wonder if the next step will be that airline security will be frisking people for bringing on their own food.

**theworm**[$] · #2 01-02-2003, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by poseidon
One can only wonder if the next step will be that airline security will be frisking people for bringing on their own food.

?
All carry on items are subject to search. We already could be "frisked for bringing on food - I don't get your point? We can get searched when we bring on a jacket - why would food be different.
I for one don't have a problem with the airlines selling food. I like it when they give it to me, but more and more flights have no food service at all. I try to bring a piece of fruit or a granola bar with me when I travel, but sometimes when you're rushing for connections there is no time to buy anything, and if you have nothing to eat you just go hungry. It would be nice if the price of the ticket went down - but, I'm sure that won't happen. At least if I had the option of buying a snack on board, I wouldn't starve if I had nothing in my bag.

quasar · #3 01-02-2003, 10:56 AM

Well, I'd rather have the option to buy than to not get at all. My flights to and from Vegas this last trip were horrendous - I didn't get fed on either flight and had no time between to get anything. That's something like 9 hours of travel, not including to and from airports.

That said, $10 for crappy airline food seems extremely excessive. Again, though, they have us in a position where we don't really have much choice.

Janice

poseidon · #4 01-02-2003, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theworm
All carry on items are subject to search. We already could be "frisked for bringing on food - I don't get your point?

I guess I didn't make my point clear, so lemme clarify, part is serious and part is in jest.

I'm concerned that the next step will be to say We're serving food, so if you want to eat on the plane you're going to have to buy our meal or you're not going to be eating at all.

You know, like how it's taboo to bring in your own food/drink into a movie theater... except in the theaters they don't frisk you, on the airlines they do.

Not all carry-on items are screened or searched. In many large-city airports, there are stores/restaurants that are inside the "security area" of the airport (meaning you've made it past the screeners). You could be randomly chosen to be screened before they let you onto the plane, but the people they screen there is but a miniscule percentage of the people on the flight itself.

poseidon · #5 01-02-2003, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by quasar
Well, I'd rather have the option to buy than to not get at all. My flights to and from Vegas this last trip were horrendous - I didn't get fed on either flight and had no time between to get anything. That's something like 9 hours of travel, not including to and from airports.

That said, $10 for crappy airline food seems extremely excessive. Again, though, they have us in a position where we don't really have much choice.

Janice

But right now you do have a choice, and what concerns me is that this "option" will take away the current choice.

Example: I can go to McDonalds or Taco Bell or whatever inside the airport and bring that food along with me on the plane and eat it in-flight.

Will that option be taken away because the airlines want to have a monopoly on in-flight meals?

Jeff
who did Denver -> Atlanta -> Jamaica and Jamaica -> Miami -> Atlanta -> Denver without any meals (a helluva lot more than 9 hours) on the planes.

BTW: Most international carriers still do provide in-flight meals and if you can catch them (such as Lufthansa from Denver to NY or something similar), their prices are similar to US carriers and you get much, much better service (and seating conditions).

**theworm**[$] · #6 01-02-2003, 12:06 PM

If you're seriously concerned that the airlines will say "buy or food or don't eat" I think you're wasting some good concern. That seems highly improbable to me. I agree with AA, that selling food will be a bigger headache than providing the lousy meals that they do give. They want passengers to be happy and quiet - I have no concern that they will restrict bringing your own food on board. That means that parents couldn't bring bottles or baby food for their kids - not going to happen.
You're right - now people can purchase food in the terminal - and that food is not necessarily searched. Airport security must concern themselves with employees as well as with passengers. That means that employees and business within the restricted parts of the airport are also subject to security regulations. The pizza, popcorn or ice cream that I buy in the airport should be "safe".
I really think that this is a non-issue. My only concern would be with the quality of the food. If I'm going to have to "buy" the food on top of the price of the ticket - I would expect for it to taste good.

**drmomentum**[$] · #7 01-02-2003, 04:39 PM

I think this will probably increase the quality of the food. People aren't going to like paying a lot of money for crappy food.

I seriously doubt they will frisk you and remove food you're carrying. What about people with dietary restrictions? Are they going to take my kid's Fig Newton away because they're serving food? The idea is ridiculous. I'd like to see them try.

Taking a pocket knife away for security reasons is one thing, Taking Fig Newtons away for no good reason is another matter entirely.

-JP

[edited: fixed sloppy typos and misspellings. No, I'm not still hung over.]

**jgibson2**[$] · #8 01-02-2003, 08:30 PM

Trains have been charging for food since the dawn of time and nobody gets upset. If this improves the quality of airline food, or holds down hikes in ticket prices, good for them.

quasar · #9 01-02-2003, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by poseidon

But right now you do have a choice, and what concerns me is that this "option" will take away the current choice.

Example: I can go to McDonalds or Taco Bell or whatever inside the airport and bring that food along with me on the plane and eat it in-flight.

I'm glad you had time to find the food being sold in the terminals and wait on line before it was time to board your connecting flights. I rarely if ever seem to have that luxury.

Janice

erik_kosberg · #10 01-03-2003, 12:07 AM

It’s a way for America West to carve out a bit of a niche, between “bargain” airlines like Southwest (and JetBlue?) that don’t serve food and “‘full price” airlines that do. And it’s just being test-marketed so far. If the demand isn’t there, the test may end.

But hey, but what do I know about flying? I haven’t been on a plane in nine years....

poseidon · #11 01-03-2003, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by erik_kosberg
But hey, but what do I know about flying? I haven’t been on a plane in nine years....

Obviously not. The "full price" airlines don't serve food anymore.

**theworm**[$] · #12 01-03-2003, 10:30 AM

Well - I'm not sure that they ever served "food", but they did pass out a tray of stuff to eat way back when. US Air doesn't even give pretzels on flights from Florida to Philadelphia. That's a long enough flight to warrent pretzels - I think!

poseidon · #13 01-03-2003, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by theworm
Well - I'm not sure that they ever served "food", but they did pass out a tray of stuff to eat way back when. US Air doesn't even give pretzels on flights from Florida to Philadelphia. That's a long enough flight to warrent pretzels - I think!

Nah. I've had bad airline food and I've had good (not great, but good) airline food -- and yes I'm talking coach/cargo food (I've never flown anything but coach). I think it depended on who you flew -- again foreign carriers usually provide better in-flight service than domestic carriers.

The only thing the domestic airlines give out now is your choice of non-alcoholic beverage and a bag of "tasty snack" which consists of ground-up bits of pretzels, cookies and peanuts which requires a full can of pop to down and remove the aftertaste from.

Jeff
who will gently remind you that a flight from Miami to Denver is longer than a flight from Miami to Philadelpia.

**theworm**[$] · #14 01-03-2003, 10:54 AM

I've had good food on airlines too. International flights still offer good food. When was the last time you flew domestically and had food provided that you thought was good? For me it's been at least 8-9 years.
Back to the original question - I would pay for a snack with no problem if I were hungry and the snack were edible.

poseidon · #15 01-03-2003, 11:02 AM

$3 for a "snack box" or $10 for a "meal."

I know that I can get a "meal" in most airports for under $10.00. The difference? I don't have a waitress/stewardess (or, if you prefer, waiter/steward) serving it.

As far as paying $3.00 for a "snack box" -- well I'd need a bit more information. Does said "snack box" include the free pop? Does said "snack box" include the free Tasty Snack? What exactly is the "snack" in the "snack box?"

I can hit a McDonald's in the terminal and get a burger, fries and pop for around $4.00. Granted, it ain't Chicken Kiev, but I can't say that I'd prefer that anyway. And, before anyone says that the Chicken Kiev will be healthier, I'd not count on that -- airline food by nature has to have tons and tons of ways to preserve the food (meaning chemicals, etc.) for freshness and taste.

To address your other question, it's been about five or six years since I've had a "good" meal on a domestic airline. The last time I had a good meal on an airline was November 2000, which would have coincided with my trip to New Zealand. I remember six decent meals (three on each way), including the free wine that they served with dinner in coach class and the free champagne they served with breakfast, too.

**theworm**[$] · #16 01-03-2003, 11:16 AM

Oh, Jeff! You are sooooooo funny!

This is really not such a big deal!
I think we can all agree that if we could bring good food from home or had time to stop for our choice of food in the terminal we would.
The question is - if you didn't bring anything, and you're racing to catch a connection - and you're really hungry - would you pay $3-$10 to buy something to eat on the plane? I think we'd all prefer it if the airlines gave us tasty food without raising their prices. Since that isn't apt to happen, I'm guessing that yes - most of us would pay $3-$10 for food.
Speaking only for myself - I would rather pay than sit and feel hungry on a flight to Philadelphia or Denver or LA.

poseidon · #17 01-03-2003, 11:28 AM

There's an easier solution: don't book flights with a layover or, if you do have a layover, make sure that you pick your second/third/fourth/fifth legs (Lord help you if there's more than that) so that you factor in enough time for a delayed flight.

And, don't forget to eat before you leave for your first leg.