New FC meals - where's the promotion?

[FCYTravis]

An 8 p.m. flight that lasts close to six hours?

Yeah, I might get hungry. Or at least want a snack - something more than a bag of peanuts. In F at least you get access to the snack basket munchies, but they should offer buy-on-board snack boxes in coach.

United offers buy-on-board snacks on all transcon flights, even the red-eyes.

 

[azjetdude]

An 8 p.m. flight that lasts close to six hours?

Yeah, I might get hungry. Or at least want a snack - something more than a bag of peanuts. In F at least you get access to the snack basket munchies, but they should offer buy-on-board snack boxes in coach.

United offers buy-on-board snacks on all transcon flights, even the red-eyes.

This all goes back to revenue. We don't make money on the buy on board flights that are short or to late in the evening.

Not to bash United, but, they still don't really seem to have their act together. They may offer BOB at night, but if it costs too much....well, I don't think they have a solid business plan.

 

[PHLfa88]

An 8 p.m. flight that lasts close to six hours?

Yeah, I might get hungry. Or at least want a snack - something more than a bag of peanuts. In F at least you get access to the snack basket munchies, but they should offer buy-on-board snack boxes in coach.

United offers buy-on-board snacks on all transcon flights, even the red-eyes.

Ever heard of BUYING food in the Airport for your flight?

 

[FCYTravis]

Ever heard of BUYING food in the Airport for your flight?

Ever heard of I've already got one carry-on and a laptop bag and I really don't want to haul even more stuff down the jetway?

I don't understand how you can "lose" money offering non-perishable prepackaged buy-on-board snacks on long-haul flights. It's not like they go bad - if it doesn't sell, just stick it back on the rack for the next flight.

 

[dukeman]

Ever heard of I've already got one carry-on and a laptop bag and I really don't want to haul even more stuff down the jetway?

I don't understand how you can "lose" money offering non-perishable prepackaged buy-on-board snacks on long-haul flights. It's not like they go bad - if it doesn't sell, just stick it back on the rack for the next flight.

FCYTravis,
I agree completely about the fact that something should be offered on late transcons. I'm booked on the 8:30pm PHL-PDX in August and it says no food service. I can probably eat something before I fly, but 8:30 in PHL is only 5:30 in PDX. I like to try to adjust to the local time zone at my destination when I board the plane. 5:30 in PDX says dinner to me! Even if US doesn't want to serve a hot dinner, a sandwich would be appreciated.


However, as someone in the restaurant business, I can also tell you that it is easy to "lose" money even on non-perishables. It's called "shrink." Product just disappears.

 

[fly with US]

So is this new "menu" on every meal flight now? Or are they slowly bringing it online?

 

[SKY HIGH]

So what are they serving on transcons these days? I am going to SFO next week.

sky high states: Breakfast: Continental breakfast with fruit bowl OR Egg/sausage on a biscuit. and muffins.
Lunch: Lasagna in Fett. sause with shrimp OR Large salad, both with hot rolls.

 

[US1YFARE]

sky high states: Breakfast: Continental breakfast with fruit bowl OR Egg/sausage on a biscuit. and muffins.
Lunch: Lasagna in Fett. sause with shrimp OR Large salad, both with hot rolls.

Salad, thank you. That is one thing I did say HP did right was offering a salad for meals. I often used to buy the BOB salad in the back depending on what was in it. Thanks for responding.

I love how people complain about people asking for meals and that we should purchase food in the airport. Have you ever sat next to someone who is eating smelly food? They break out the french fries and the fried chicken or whatever. I have been doing Florida flights recently a lot over meal hours and try to grab something, usually sushi, to take on the plane--I feel a little nervous about that because some people think that is really disgusting and will just stare at me. Also, I am sometimes scrambling to get on my flight and I don't have a chance to grab something in the airport and not all airports have good food selections. I can buy food in a movie theater and movies are sometimes less than 1.5 hours.

And let's face it, after the meals are served, done and over with, how often does that galley curtain close and the buffet opens. The same FA's who complain about food service on the plane are the one's who eat it the most.

 

[azjetdude]

Ever heard of I've already got one carry-on and a laptop bag and I really don't want to haul even more stuff down the jetway?

I don't understand how you can "lose" money offering non-perishable prepackaged buy-on-board snacks on long-haul flights. It's not like they go bad - if it doesn't sell, just stick it back on the rack for the next flight.

I know it does not "appear" to cost anything, but here are just some of the costs.

• $75.00 per truck to pull up the the a/c
• the cost to fill the cart
• the cost to empty the cart
• the cost to wash the cart
• the security cost to secure each cart

And there is more. You can see that selling one or two $5.00 items won't pay the bills.

 

[UWCactus]

A couple of things. As Jet Dude indicated, this business is all about revenue in so many ways. From what I understand, the late night flights or all niters, were created to keep aicraft flying, but they seats needed to be fairly discounted in order to cover those costs. Adding food to those flights would cut into the profit margins, although it would be really nice. Just take a look at the costs involved that jet dude pointed out. The theory on late flights is also "leave the customer alone", "let them sleep" (very true) don't do some of the things that are considered "normal" during daytime hours, in some cases, movies, 2nd and 3rd beverage services, etc,. As for the first class food and putting out press releases....I don't know that you can "pump" it up that much..by publicizing it, that might raise the expectations too high. The fliers that are in first class now, are already on US and don't need to food publicity campaign to stay with US. It's nice to be able to offer those customers up graded service, but this food is still quite simple. America West has long has this type of food service in some form or another in the first class cabin.

 

[US1YFARE]

The fliers that are in first class now, are already on US and don't need to food publicity campaign to stay with US. It's nice to be able to offer those customers up graded service, but this food is still quite simple. America West has long has this type of food service in some form or another in the first class cabin.

I agree and disagree. I certainly wouldn't publicize it to the extent of advertising, but I would make a note of it dividend mile statements...something like enhanced first class meals and glassware on all transcon flights. You are wrong that people already on US don't need this info because they will stay with US. That is a very dangerous attitude. Many of us will book UA on transcons to get their FC service--whether anyone thinks their business model is sound or not, the reality is that UA is your current competition. It's just that some small improvements in FC meal service would be enough to keep many from booking those transcons on other carriers.

Many here bash UA's model, but AA is offering the same type of service--2 hours or more and a hot meal is served. AA competes with US on PHL-MIA and US serves no meal. I agree with the other poster that something on a PHL-Florida flight is warranted in FC. My tickets have been costing around $900, more or less, and I don't think that my expectations are unreasonable in that regard.

 

[UWCactus]

I agree and disagree. I certainly wouldn't publicize it to the extent of advertising, but I would make a note of it dividend mile statements...something like enhanced first class meals and glassware on all transcon flights. You are wrong that people already on US don't need this info because they will stay with US. That is a very dangerous attitude. Many of us will book UA on transcons to get their FC service--whether anyone thinks their business model is sound or not, the reality is that UA is your current competition. It's just that some small improvements in FC meal service would be enough to keep many from booking those transcons on other carriers.

Many here bash UA's model, but AA is offering the same type of service--2 hours or more and a hot meal is served. AA competes with US on PHL-MIA and US serves no meal. I agree with the other poster that something on a PHL-Florida flight is warranted in FC. My tickets have been costing around $900, more or less, and I don't think that my expectations are unreasonable in that regard.

I really don't want to mislead you on the "stay with us" part of my response. I completely value the customer and the frequent traveler, and by no means do I mean to say that "they are here...so they are here to stay" that was not the intent of the post at all. I think from past experience with America West, those frequent fliers "hung in there" through all of the miserable changes that occured, because they liked the people, the simplicity, the route structure and the airline itself. They hung in there through apple cobbler, peach cobbler, brownies, blondies, plastic, glass, good wine, bad wine, eating with stir sticks..you name it, they lived through it and I'm sure the same is true with many US East flyers. My point was really about true loyalty comes in a variety of diffent ways and reasons and food service is one of those, but it doesn't make or break it. The real clincher is the people working with the food (flight attendants) have to feel a sense of pride in that product in order to carried over the passenger, resulting in a good experience "overall".

If you are a frequent US Traveler, I certainly hope you also "hang in there" through the changes on the horizon, some positive, some neutral, but hopefully overall..better for you and the airline. You are more valuable than some give credit to..and your word of mouth comments can prove to be worth a million bucks if things go well.

 

[desertgal]

UWCactus, nice post. I enjoyed it, especially this part:

through apple cobbler, peach cobbler, brownies, blondies, plastic, glass, good wine, bad wine, eating with stir sticks..you name it, they lived through it and I'm sure the same is true with many US East flyers.

Ahhh, apple cobbler memories! I thought it would never go away!

Just 2days ago, there was a Gold member on my FLLPHX flight, and he didn't get his upgrade, so was 'stuck' in coach.
I chatted w/him just a bit, and he said it was his first ever flight on HP.
But he was VERY pleased with the merger, because he is already benefitting from the improved routes.
Much easier for him to get to SNA.
And he's going to SBA next week, which would've been impossible for him before.
He was a happy camper for sure and I don't think he really missed the food.

 

[USCREW]

FCYTravis,
8:30 in PHL is only 5:30 in PDX. I like to try to adjust to the local time zone at my destination when I board the plane. 5:30 in PDX says dinner to me!

This is the quick way to jetlag. You can adjust your watch but not your body-clock as soon as you board.

 

[ClueByFour]

One small problem with advertising meals. What are you going to say?

"Hey, remember the stuff we cheaped out on a few years ago? It's baaaaaack!"

People actually have memories.