When airlines don't try as hard, you get remarkable results. Air Canada offers an excellent 'pita/pizza/wrap' thing that's hot and delicious. It clearly not that expensive to make, but combined with a can of pop, it's quite satisfying. United's 3.5+hr flights often see a simple ham sandwich, a small bag of chips, a bag of carrots and the refreshment drink 4 or 5 times. It's not gourmet, but it's hard to screw it up. Matthew On Monday, October 7, 2002, at 10:08 AM, Bryant Petitt wrote: > ...This past weekend: > > DTW-SFO (4 1/2 hours) NW A320 -Mini Turkey Sandwich > (finished even before the drink cart got there, and 2 > Oreo Cookies. NO second run-thru with beverage > service! Piss-poor for an afternoon flight! > > SFO-DTW (Breakfast Flight) NW B757 A bit better. Total > Cereal, Bagel, Creme Cheese, Banana........Yes, second > beverage service! > > > > > > --- Roger & Amanda La France <lafrance@verizon.net> > wrote: >> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. >> >> ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C26C38.7209ABC0 >> Content-Type: text/plain; >> charset="Windows-1252" >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >> >> Airlines cutting food quality and quantity, critics >> say >> >> > <http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/default.asp?siteid=excite&dist=excite> >> >> <http://custom.marketwatch.com/1.gif> >> >> Airlines cutting back on quality and quantity, >> critics say >> >> By Barbara Kollmeyer, CBS MarketWatch >> Last Update: 12:01 AM ET Oct 4, 2002 >> >> LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -When it comes to air travel >> these days, >> coach-class passengers are getting poorer menu >> offerings from an >> industry struggling to pare its grocery bill. >> >> Airlines already eliminated most meals, and they're >> now scaling back on >> quality, consumer advocates say. Sandwiches replace >> meals, and tiny >> snack bags are replacing sandwiches. >> >> "The quality has changed and the amount has >> changed," said Barbara >> Beyer, president of Avmark, Inc., an >> aviation-consulting firm. "You used >> to have real meat, now it's pasta and salad. It's >> been an enormous >> amount of annoyance to the passenger." >> >> Most airlines stopped offering meals late last year >> in coach for most >> flights under four hours and in business for less >> than two hours. >> >> "After 9-11, there was a tremendous cutback in the >> amount of food being >> served in cabins. They brought it back on Jan. 1, >> then as part of cost >> cutting moves, they started cutting back on food," >> said David Stempler, >> president of Air Travelers Association. >> >> Of course, airlines say their quality and quantity >> hasn't changed for >> the meals themselves. "If you were getting steak and >> potato on a 2000 >> mile flight, a similar type of food would be served >> today," said John >> Kennedy, Delta Air Lines ( >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/full.jsp?symbol_search_text=DAL> >> DAL: >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/ > newsheadlinebysymbol.jsp?symbol_search_t >> ext=DAL> news) spokesman. >> >> Slim pickings >> >> Yet, the quality of food is going up for passengers >> the airlines are >> courting hard again -- business travelers. Food >> prepared under the >> supervision of top New York chefs will soon grace >> the menu for >> BusinessElite passengers flying Delta between New >> York's John F. Kennedy >> Airport and Los Angeles or San Francisco airports. >> >> Featuring a different chef every quarter, it's an >> effort to grab >> business passengers in the cross-country market. >> "That northeast >> corridor is the world's most lucrative aviation >> market. Obviously, we're >> all looking for an edge," Kennedy said. >> >> If you do get a meal, though, who is serving the >> best six-mile-high >> grub? Continental Airlines ( >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/full.jsp?symbol_search_text=CAL> >> CAL: >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/ > newsheadlinebysymbol.jsp?symbol_search_t >> ext=CAL> news) this year snagged Conde Nast's best >> major U.S. carrier >> title based on comfort, reliability and value. Food >> was an important >> element -- Continental was commended for still >> providing meals on >> flights under four hours. >> >> Other notables can be found at www.airlinemeals.net >> <http://www.airlinemeals.net/> . The Web site is >> dedicated to in-flight >> food and contains pictures of hundreds of meals from >> over 100 >> international airlines, snapped by passengers >> themselves, along with >> tips on where to get the best food at airports. >> >> Continental and United Airlines ( >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/full.jsp?symbol_search_text=UAL> >> UAL: >> > <http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/ > newsheadlinebysymbol.jsp?symbol_search_t >> ext=UAL> news) are receiving high marks on the site >> lately, says owner >> Marco t'Hart of Rotterdam, Holland. "Also, I noticed >> that marks for the >> more recent meals of United are higher than those >> for the older pics." >> >> Peanuts, really >> >> How much are airlines saving with the frugal gourmet >> approach? >> Apparently, not that much. >> >> Food is a minute part of airline operation costs, >> though every bit helps >> in the current climate, says Ray Neidl, airline >> analyst with Blaylock & >> Part. "The only way it would be really a big savings >> is if they >> eliminate the galley altogether and put in more >> seats." >> >> Down the road, Stempler says passengers may be lucky >> to get any >> complimentary food at all. "It may be dependent on >> what kind of ticket >> you buy. The more expensive the ticket, the more >> likely you are to be >> fed." >> >> >> ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C26C38.7209ABC0 >> Content-Type: image/gif; >> name="1.gif" >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 >> Content-Location: >> http://custom.marketwatch.com/1.gif >> >> > R0lGODlhAQABAIABAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw== >> >> ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C26C38.7209ABC0-- > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More > http://faith.yahoo.com
