Airline Food: A love/hate relationship(1)
Everyone has an opinion about airline food. And it’s rarely good.
Bryan Miller, a NY Times restaurant critic, once said, "The quality of food is in inverse proportion to a dining room's altitude, especially atop bank and hotel buildings. Airplanes are an extreme example.”
Canadian actress Hermione Gingold (1897-1987) kept her guideline for airline food simple with a rhyme: "Anything that's white is sweet. Anything that's brown is meat. Anything that's grey don't eat."
Glory Days
Anyone who has reluctantly picked at wilted lettuce with a plastic “spork” (combination spoon and fork) while cradling a warm diet soda knows what she is talking about. Airline food has gone down with airline profitability.
But it wasn’t always this way. In the glory days of air travel, just after World War II, when Pan-Am ruled the international skies and a pre-flight security pat-down meant checking your jacket to make sure you had your cigarettes with you, meals were special. Many flights had full galleys and top-rated French chefs.
At that time mostly rich people took to the skies. And airlines began to compete for that clientele. It was a race to see who could make the experience more lavish and extravagant.
And unlike the bone-rattling airplane of the 30’s, after World War II new airliners like Pan-Am’s “Jet Clipper” flew higher and smoother. Complete with air conditioning, recessed lighting, and luxurious powder rooms, it was the perfect blend of technology and up-market consumerism.
No “mystery meat” was seen on either side of the Atlantic on these luxury liners in the sky. Airliners often had up to 4 working galleys working concurrently. Multi-course meals were prepared in-flight using 5 minute ovens. You could choose from roast beef, fresh lobster, spiced lamb, or perhaps you would like to start with some foie gras, madam?
The only plastic on these aircrafts were the covers on the designer lamps. Real china, silver and glassware set on proper linen were the norm.
Cost-Cutting
And then, Corporate Man took over. One fateful day, Robert L. Crandall, the former head of American Airlines, decided to remove one olive from each salad that went aloft.
The savings? $40,000 per year.
The game was over. Cost cutting became the new mantra. As competition mounted and the costs of running an international airline sky-rocketed, each one looked everywhere to shave costs. Food service got caught in the net.
In London, British Airways also made major moves over the years to contain costs. In the mid 1990’s they undertook a restructuring effort which led to union clashes. In the early 2000’s, CEO Rod Eddington slashed even further, symbolically ending the Concorde brand among other drastic moves. As recently as 2009, trade unions accused the airline as having an identity crisis, saying they were tarnishing their image trying to emulate hugely popular budget carriers like EasyJet.
So, most passengers wish the in-flight meal would go the way of the dodo bird, right?
Not exactly. Once in 2008, United Airlines announced a series of cost-cutting moves including higher fares, charges for checked baggage, reductions in frequent-flyer benefits, and more. Flyers grumbled. But when they cut out free food on some international flights, consumer reaction was loud, long and strident. United soon added the meals back.
A basic airline in-flight meal.
Familiar Ritual
Why do people insist on keeping a product of inconsistent quality? For many passengers, meal service is a comfortable part of the rhythm of flying.
“It’s 80 percent entertainment and 20 percent hunger....a meal is one trick airlines use to keep passengers diverted during a long flight in a narrow, sterile metal tube," said Jack Foley, an Aer Lingus executive, as told to Joe Brancatelli for Portfolio magazine.
He went on to say in-flight meals are a way for experienced passengers to mark time. Once he sat next to a passenger who put his shoes on as tea-and-scones were served because that meant the plane was starting to descend into New York and would land soon. Food service is familiar and comfortable—and passes the time.
Why all the negativity about food service, anyway? What do you actually get to eat when you battle through security checkpoints for hours on end?
The majority of airlines don’t even offer free meals anymore on domestic flights in coach, or economy class. The offerings vary by airline and length of flight.
For example, Jet Blue offers limited complimentary snacks and beverages like Coke and bottled water. As can be expected, alcoholic drinks cost around $6 or more. If a flight is longer than 2 hours and 15 minutes, passengers can purchase a boxed lunch for a few dollars.
On the other hand, United Airlines offers complimentary meals in coach on most flights flying internationally. But on most North American flights you just get a free soda or water and you can purchase snacks. On flights over three hours you can buy snack boxes, a sandwich or a salad.
In first class, American Airlines offers complimentary food service on all flights over two hours that operate within normal breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. Any flights over two and half hours outside of common meal times will get snack service.
On some airlines you get the choice of two meals in first class. And many frequent fliers report that the airline often runs out of their first choice. And, as some wag pointed out “it still tastes like airline food.” The meals are pre-cooked, flash frozen and reheated.
Still, you get real linen, china and glasses. Wine selection is a cut above the mass market brand in the back of the plane. And best of all, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Real Kids and Height Cuisine
British Airways used seasonal produce and introduce local flavors where possible. Twice a year they organize a “Kids’ Council” that provide “real kid” feedback on menu items. They introduced “Height Cuisine” to make sure food tastes good at 38,000 feet--passengers really dehydrate at that elevation, affecting their ability to taste—the food preparation team figures the average person loses 30% of their taste. They try to add back the lost flavor.
On UK Domestic flights, British Airways offers breakfast with coffee and tea. For the rest of the day they hand out drinks and snacks. For flights in and out of Heathrow, they provide complimentary beverages mid-morning and afternoon. For all European flights they also serve breakfast with coffee and tea at no charge. Drinks and snacks are handed out the rest of the day.
If you can afford World Traveller (a private dedicated cabin with a maximum of six rows) you get a three-course meal with complimentary alcoholic drinks. After your meal you can take a nap by breaking open your free amenity kit with earplugs, flight socks and eye mask.
Club World flyers get a four-course meal. First Class flyers enjoy made-to-order meals that are served when the customer says they are ready to eat, not when the crew wants to serve it.
