BWIA to cut hot meals By JUHEL BROWNE Trinidad Guardian 11.14.02 Packages of nuts will not be offered as a meal on future BWIA flights but=20 passengers can expect some changes in their flight menu, says the airline.= =20 As part of BWIA management=92s original US $1 million monthly savings plan,= =20 catering bills were to have been cut by US$240,000 a month. While the cuts= =20 would apply to both first and economy classes, the airline insists it would= =20 not result in fewer meals being offered. =93It=92s more a matter of choices= of=20 meals, etc,=94 said BWIA corporate communication director Clint Williams=20 Tuesday. =93Maybe a hot meal on a flight would have gone to a cold meal. We= =20 will try to keep our portions tasty and substantial.=94 He insisted=20 passengers will still receive full meals. Some other regional carriers=20 offer nuts as in-flight meals. Some international carriers offer trail mix.= =20 =93We comparison shop on the other airlines regularly to see what is being= =20 offered. We offer a good value for money. I don=92t think BWIA will ever be= a=20 no-frills carrier,=94 Williams said. The reduction in monthly catering expenses was part of the US$690,000 in=20 monthly non-staff concessions the airline=92s management said it achieved by= =20 October 31. It was trying to save US$700,000 a month in non-labour=20 costs. BWIA is yet to give a new catering concession figure now that it=20 has to save US $1.4 million a month - one of the conditions of a state loan= =20 to the airline. However, Williams said the new cost reductions will be more= =20 geared towards the economy class. =93One of the things we are trying to do= is=20 to keep the class service for the first class,=94 her said. One noticeable= =20 change in BWIA=92s first class is that passengers have had to use plastic=20 utensils. Williams said this had nothing to do with the restructuring plan= =20 =96 =93Cutlery issues are more security related. We would have removed the= =20 metal knives from first class since 9/11.=94 This has been a requirement of= =20 the US Federal Aviation Administration since September 11, 2001. Some union officials questioned why BWIA=92s management was unable to save= =20 US$700,000 a month in non-labour costs before 9/11. BWIA=92s employees were= =20 being asked to give US $300,000 in monthly staff concessions. To date they= =20 gave US$161,000. Christopher Abraham, president of the Aviation=20 Communication and Allied Workers Union said many were uncertain how the=20 money would be saved. =93They just give a blanket statement they going to=20 save US$700,000,=94 Abraham said. Williams asserted BWIA=92s employees and= =20 their unions were apprised as to how the US $700,000 savings target would=20 be achieved. Some of the other non-staff savings included the negotiation=20 of cheaper landing fees. Other non-staff savings were not publicly=20 revealed. Williams said this is because those figures could have exposed=20 sensitive aspects of BWIA=92s operations to its competition. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (chgdev) http://www.chagdev.com/ (Chaguaramas Development Authority) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************