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Airplane food takes off

Posted Sep 04 2009, 10:43 AM by Kim Peterson
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Image credit: Alessandro Scotti, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 licenseAirplane food -- the butt of a thousand jokes -- is getting upgraded this summer at some airlines. Soon, you might see sushi, ice cream and gourmet cheese served during your flight, The Wall Street Journal reports.

It's an odd thing to do, in this age of cost-cutting, and particularly as airlines are increasingly threatened with swine flu and the downturn in corporate travel.

But better food is being eyed as a profit center for airlines. Food-for-purchase has been a bust (could the quality be any worse?) and any profits made usually went to cover the cost of the food that was thrown out. 

Bing: How to DIY airplane food

Now, the idea is to provide food in coach that actually tastes good -- for free or at a cost. The food itself may not bring in big money, but it will give some airlines a leg up in the competitive business.

So what's headed to the menu? The Journal reports that Delta Air (DAL) is trying out grilled chicken gyros, almond-butter-and-grape-jelly sandwiches, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream in coach.

Already, a standout hit has been the $6 fruit-and-cheese plate with a trio of cheeses that don't look like Kraft singles.

American Airlines is testing Boston Market sandwiches and salads, like a $10 chicken sandwich meal plate, the Journal reports. Hawaiian Airlines (HA) is rolling out the culinary red carpet, selling sushi bento boxes and satay chicken in vermicelli noodles.

It's about time airlines did this. They lose too much business to the restaurants that now populate airports. But people have grown accustomed to buying food at the airport to carry on the plane, and those habits are hard to change.

Image credit: Alessandro Scotti, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license

At the time of this writing, Kim Peterson did not own shares of any stocks mentioned in personal or client portfolios.

Related reading:

Turbulence ahead for the airlines

Fare wars sizzle with Southwest entering the fray

US Airways returns to free drinks for all

Southwest Air's stock turbulence

 

Comments

 

Airlines should realize that they will never be able to provide good gourmet food.  They really need to just provide a nice sandwich in the realm of subway/quiznos, you can't really mess up a plain sandwich.

Just what i want to smell on an airplane cheese and fish. Why not cut out food altogether? If people can not figure out how to get something to eat before they board a plane, maybe they are too stupid to fly anyway.

Not all flights are short. Not all airports serve food. Not all airports are organized enough to get you through customs in a timely fashion. So food becomes a necessity on longer flights and international flights for most people.

Why have anything but a small sandwich. I can understand oversea flights but domestic flights it's a waste. A sandwich is enough for any domestic flight. What are you talking about, 4 hours max? Maybe if we stopped eating all of these fat loaded meals we could lose weight and save fuel!! How do you like that Al Gore?

Gee, there is a thought. Some service and customer satisfaction. I am so sick of this God forsaken era in our Country of cheap this, cut that.  Forgo some of the lottery bonuses and invest in something that actually makes the customer feel good and not like cattle.  Here is a simple Econ 101, happy customers are better customers and likely to spend more.

Raise the price and make it the way it's suppose to be.I do think airlines are able to provide an excellent hot meal,Air France does,why not the rest?

Sushi, any seafood, on a plane? The downside of that is the upside cost  of vomit bags and emergency landings to to:

1. Pump a stomach.

2. Shut an airport down so the ambulances can reach the sick people faster.

3.Haul the corpse's away.

Like the man says, eat before you board and half or more of the passingers won't be running up and down the aisles to pizz or what ever.

Come on people, the Flight Attendance are their for your safety not to be waitresses.  It is taking them back 20 years.  In doing this are they going to get raises, hell no!  If you want food, eat before you get on board or after you exit the plane.  Not only that but then the Attendance will have to deal with the money after getting off the plan and I'm sure that will take more security which in return will mean the public will pay for it some how.

Come on people, you get on an airplane to get somewhere faster then in a car.  If you want food eat before the flight.  The crew aboard have enough to do w/o dealing with food.

Most people are not aware of the fact that the crew is there for the passengers SAFETY not to be food servers.  The crew has many hrs. of training for safety not serving food.  Do you think the airlines are going to give them raises for the additional headache, I think not.  

Who in their right mind wants to eat airplane food anyway??

Some people cannot tolerate the smells of certain foods so you will have an issue with that.

I really think we have more important issues to adress in the airplanes then the food.  

How about the fact that airlines allow babies to be held in arms but in a car they HAVE to be seatbelted in.

The overhead baggage has become a joke.  Most of the passengers cannot even lift it up to put it overhead, check it in if it weighs a certain amount.  You are putting us all at risk by dragging 50lb. bags in the passenger seating.  

Forget the food work on the safety huh?

"Forget the food work on the safety huh?" -mom

Last time I checked flying is one of the safest forms of travel, doubt we need to do much more in the safety dept.

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