America West to charge for meals

[JJJ]

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/business/articles/1225amwestmeals25.html

 

[ClassG]

Different from the way they usually screw it up, but heard this today on the radio......

(What I heard):

Just to further piss the flying public off about air travel, America West today announced they will begin charging for meals on a number of their flights. Just one more of the innumerable ways the airlines have made airline travel suck for the flying public since 9/11.

Kinda got the story a little backwards, I guess.

EDIT: I guess news editor's will corrupt even the most mundane in aviation news!

 

[lookup]

I like this part:
--
Under the three-week trial program, the airline won't take reservations for the meals. Instead they will offer them like they offer headphones and drinks.
--

Headphones and drinks don't "expire" quite as quickly as meals. Unless they end up running out frequently (with it's own customer sat issues), I would think they could lose more money "speculating" on how many meals to bring.

Just do away with the dam-n things and give us more time between connections so we can choke down some overpriced MC-Ds. At least in the AUS airport the food is really good.

 

[Hopeless_in_GA]

Fart-n-Church comes to mind…

 

[AZaviator]

Under the three-week trial program, the airline won't take reservations for the meals. Instead they will offer them like they offer headphones and drinks.

RRRRiiiiggghhhttt.....so, the airline meals we've been making fun of for years, are now going to start costing us if we want them?

Oh, and the headsets on America West are $5 per flight, they're not free. But, hey, the drinks (non alcoholic) are still free though! Or did I misread the paragraph?!?!

I actually really enjoy flying on America West, but charging for food seems quite ridiculous.

 

[Wiggums]

Why is it the first thing everyone wants to do after getting on an airplane is eat something? Can't you people sit tight for a couple hours.

 

[SATCFI]

Pay Toilets are just around the corner for AmWest. Might start charging for O2!

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Why is it the first thing everyone wants to do after getting on an airplane is eat something? Can't you people sit tight for a couple hours.

Same reason people tend to drink coke and eat snacks on road trips.

 

[chrisdahut24]

[B}
I actually really enjoy flying on America West, but charging for food seems quite ridiculous. [/B]

But surely they've always charge for food (?), it just wasn't an option before and was included in the ticket price. Unfortunately the majority of the non flying public thought they were somehow just scoring a free meal and are now outraged. Since when did profit hungry companies ever give anything away for free??

 

[CA1900]

It's not just America West

Saw this on Air Canada's Tango web site:

Tango offers consumers a no-frills air travel alternative complementing Air Canada's full service operations. Tango currently operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, offering a unique "all extras are optional" in-flight service, including a menu selection of snacks and refreshments at reasonable prices and short feature audiovisual entertainment.

So it isn't just America West trying this out.

 

[av8instyle]

Whether you think it's a good idea or not, I think it's not a bad idea to try SOMETHING to maybe help offset the cost of getting the thing off the ground.
Heck, the taxes on a ticket are as much as 50% on some.
Good on 'em for trying SOMETHING!

 

[Midnight Mike]

Great idea, the passenger has the option of purchasing or not purchasing the meal, we have been making fun of airline food for years.

Creative ideas like this are what make companies successful, let's not forget the passengers want cheap tickets, well if you want cheap.....

I bet the food will improve once the "pay-for-meal" service starts.

I myself never eat airline food, it gives me gas..

MIKE

 

[RightBettor]

Whine whine whine!

Some people just cannot be pleased. The same folks who bi+ch about airlines NOT serving food will turn around and bi+ch about the food once they get it. For example, "This airlines sucks because they don't serve food!" and then of course, "This airline food sucks, so this airline sucks!"

Whhhaaatever.