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Travel Forum / Travel Types / Air Travel / August 2008UAL Scraps Free Coach Meals on Some Overseas Flights
From the read it looks like just (international) flights from Dulles and excludes Kuwait Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a2hssF7MnyXo&refer=home Snip: Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- United Airlines, struggling to curb losses from record fuel prices, will become the first U.S. carrier to stop serving free meals in the coach cabin of some overseas flights. Instead, the second-largest U.S. carrier will offer food that can be purchased aboard trips to Europe from Washington's Dulles International Airport starting Oct. 1, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said today in an interview. The change expands the list of formerly complimentary services airlines are charging for as they combat a 52 percent jump in the price of jet fuel during the past year. United parent UAL Corp., with net losses of almost $3.32 billion in the past three quarters, is eliminating 7,000 jobs and parking 100 aircraft to cut operating costs. ``International flights have historically been sacrosanct from these kinds of charges,'' David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association passenger advocacy group, said in an interview. ``This is the new era of a fee for every service. We should get used to it.'' United won't eliminate free coach meals on travel from Dulles to Kuwait because the flight is about 12 hours instead of the typical 8 to 9 hours to Europe, Urbanski said. Dulles is United's ``gateway'' to Europe, with about 33 daily international flights. Food in first and business classes will remain free. > Instead, the second-largest U.S. carrier will offer food that can be > purchased aboard trips to Europe from Washington's Dulles > International Airport starting Oct. 1, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said > today in an interview. They are testing the waters. They'll produce skewed survery results showing passengers really like the new menu and roll out that policy to all their flights. Now, if, for say $15, one could get the same meals as what they serve in first class or business, then this might be worth it. But if for $15 they sell you sh.t that costs them $5.00 then it isn't worth it. If none of the airlines emulate UA's moves, then UA will very quitly stop charging for meals on those test flights. But the publicity may be deadly for UA. People will consider that all intl flights are without meal services and avoid UA. This may be good news for Star Alliance airlines since those with UA FF points may choose non-UA Star flights to get to europe. I've always wondered why airlines don't have restaurants bid for partner and advertising deals to get extra revenue......I'm sure maybe even painting the plane wouldn't be out of the question......imagine Subway, Quiznos, Pizza Hut, KFC, or McDonalds being served on your flight......I bet most people wouldn't mind. ---- http://www.moviesitearchive.com/travel > From the read it looks like just (international) flights from Dulles > and excludes Kuwait [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Europe, with about 33 daily international flights. Food in first and > business classes will remain free. >I've always wondered why airlines don't have restaurants bid for >partner and advertising deals to get extra revenue......I'm sure maybe >even painting the plane wouldn't be out of the question......imagine >Subway, Quiznos, Pizza Hut, KFC, or McDonalds being served on your >flight......I bet most people wouldn't mind. Sure and then get routinely sued everytime someone claimed food poisoning. >---- >http://www.moviesitearchive.com/travel [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >> Europe, with about 33 daily international flights. Food in first and >> business classes will remain free. Waiving the right to remain silent, john_kulp@hotmail.com (John Kulp) said: >>I've always wondered why airlines don't have restaurants bid for >>partner and advertising deals to get extra revenue......I'm sure maybe [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Sure and then get routinely sued everytime someone claimed food > poisoning. It's been done. Can't remember which, but a major airline I flew a few years back was serving Blimpie sandwiches. Fact is that airlines contract out their food service, so would it really matter whether or not it's a recognizable chain doing it..?  SignatureLarry J. - Remove spamtrap in ALLCAPS to e-mail "A lack of common sense is now considered a disability, with all the privileges that this entails." >Waiving the right to remain silent, john_kulp@hotmail.com (John Kulp) said: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >Fact is that airlines contract out their food service, so would it really >matter whether or not it's a recognizable chain doing it..? First, all the airlines hardly contract out their food service. Continental, for example, owns Chelsea which does its catering. Second, most contract another airlines catering service to provide theirs, such as Chelsea or Lufthansa's not chains like McDonald's, etc. That way, they know they are getting what the owning airline serves its own passengers. > Fact is that airlines contract out their food service, so would it really > matter whether or not it's a recognizable chain doing it..? Is that contracted out by airline or is this a deal with the individual airports and the airlines are stuck with it. Sorta like the fixed base operator for their fuel. On Aug 23, 12:26 pm, Larry in AZ <usen...@DELETE.THISljvideo.com> wrote: > Waiving the right to remain silent, john_k...@hotmail.com (John Kulp) said: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > It's been done. Can't remember which, but a major airline I flew a few years > back was serving Blimpie sandwiches. I think it was Great Plains Airlines. The link show that they served Krispy Kreme Donuts on their morning flights. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains_Airlines M. Graham >I've always wondered why airlines don't have restaurants bid for >partner and advertising deals to get extra revenue............imagine >Subway, Quiznos, Pizza Hut, KFC, or McDonalds being served on your >flight......I bet most people wouldn't mind. Where would the deep fryer go? >I'm sure maybe even painting the plane wouldn't be out of the question. More paint = more weight. (More than some people think.) |
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