A flight meal often causes discussions and a specially if it is payed for. We asked Travel Professionals around the globe what they think about the value for money if buying anything onboard. And, for sure the airlines can do better at least if you believe what the respondents replied. The survey is still running in the Travelemployees.com’s Linkedin group for travel professionals; Travel Employees Networking Group
So far only 13% says it is a great value for money to buy anything onboard. As many as 74 % replied “Low Value” or “I feel Ripped off”. Fair enough, the question was raised in a way that it concern anything sold onboard. But still it says something.
Perfect in temperature and taste
When i did my Emirates flight bookings i was curious about the food on board on my flights to and from Bangkok. This is honestly the only time a fish meal, with the highest possible standards was served onboard. It was perfectly cooked with extreme accuracy in both temperature and taste. And it was not even charged for.
This tells me something. After so many years in travel industry i never expected to have such a meal served on board. So all the airlines reputation in area of flight meal is really bad.
As i see it airlines should do one out of two things.
Stop Sell or Improve flight meal and other services
Either one can stop serving / selling anything on board. Not entirely because of the bad quality of the flight meals, but also because carrying all this stuff around the globe is not great from an CO2 emission perspective. Perhaps also because of 46% of the passengers feels ripped off when buying anything onboard. Fancy Paper och plastic packages with a spongy sandwich just pisses people off if charged for.
Or, which is more likely, start improving the quality of what is sold on board. And sell it at a price that does not make people feel ripped off. That would be something.
Perhaps there is a third option. Why not combine the first option to stop sell it onboard and only sell meals and tax free merchandise (it is still called tax free…) upon departure/arrival in a destination.
Imagine a United Airline Meal sold in a United Airline store or restaurant of good quality on the ground instead of on board. Or a Hawaiian airline meal served in a Hawaiian Airline restaurant or shop in the open air outside the terminal but with a view of the airport runways. Regardless of destination, inside or in the open air. Perhaps it is time to stop all meal and “taxfree” services onboard and push for the services to be available on ground in stead.
