On-board Catering: A la carte pricing models

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  • camilledup
    Blocked

    Hello,
    What do you think about airlines’ a la carte pricing model like the one on Swiss Air? A la carte pricing model is based on the idea that you can pre-book your meal (at a price) in advance an get a breakfast or lunch served during the flight. Would you be willing to test such a service, especially on short-haul flights?
    What about if British Airways was adopting such a model?


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    This is a good idea to add income for the operator’though the basic choice of pre-booking online should be available for all classes.
    Given enough time it’s a simple data operation to provide requirements to the catering company vehicle that attends nearly every flight.
    In that way we should be able to order the service we want, including “à la carte” and atleast be sure we can get a meal on board we like.
    Then like additional luggage, customers can be responsible for their preferred meal service.


    PhilipHart
    Participant

    Any of you old enough to remember the days of BA’s LoCo, Go, will probably also remember that they had an arrangement with a 3rd party website – LapTopDining.com (I think) – which offered this type of service.

    On the few number of occasions I flew with Go, I used the service, and found it to be very good.

    However with the demise of Go, the service also disappeared.

    It could well be that the latter was as a result of the former. But the more likely reason is that it was hard to make the business/operational model work, and that’s also why we haven’t really seen anything similar in the intervening 15 years.


    kmb9624
    Participant

    Doesn’t Air Baltic successfully adopt this business model as well? Personally, I would rather pre-order and purchase what I wanted anyway. It would free up the cabin crew to offer more personalized service, and it would compel me to enjoy my flight because I had a “choice” being the operative word.


    SwissExPat
    Participant

    I tried the dine on board with Swiss in Y.

    The meal quality and service was excellent.

    It was essemtially a business class meal. CLoth napkin and proper cutlery.

    I would do it every time if in Y with LX.

    However, as they do not have a Premium Economy service, I tend to avoid them.


    esselle
    Participant

    kmb9624

    I think preselected meals would actually create more work for the crew, as they would be running individual meals to seats, having first worked,out which meal goes where, rather than knocking out the same meals from a trolley as they move down the aisles.


    capetonianm
    Participant

    I think preselected meals would actually create more work for the crew,

    Possibly, but then I thought airlines made such decisions based on what customers want and pay for, not the crew, but clearly I got that wrong!

    I have paid for preselected meals in the past on KL, EI, OS and I thought it was a good idea and worked well.


    canucklad
    Participant

    I know this might be a radical idea, but I’d love to see an airline treat their passengers like guests.

    Once you’ve paid a fare, expect to be treated like a king or a queen, by an airline that will deliver a level of service that encourages you to book with them time and time again.

    Alas, most airlines now adopt a minimal service level agreement (Crap) with the passenger and then blackmail you into buying what we took for granted not that long ago.

    And like all blackmailers once you start to pay , you encourage the relationship in only one direction. Similar to a drug dealer and their junkie base!!


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    [quote quote=846688]kmb9624
    I think preselected meals would actually create more work for the crew, as they would be running individual meals to seats, having first worked,out which meal goes where, rather than knocking out the same meals from a trolley as they move down the aisles.
    [/quote]
    True however they decide on minimum flight time practical for the aircraft type and crew, and catering label correctly if advance booked 24 hours.
    QF accept choices in all classes and most airlines have special meals.
    Airlines make more money with extra choices so its a balance of time,type,crewing,income.


    JPNU
    Participant

    [quote quote=846747]I know this might be a radical idea, but I’d love to see an airline treat their passengers like guests.
    Once you’ve paid a fare, expect to be treated like a king or a queen, by an airline that will deliver a level of service that encourages you to book with them time and time again.
    Alas, most airlines now adopt a minimal service level agreement (Crap) with the passenger and then blackmail you into buying what we took for granted not that long ago.
    And like all blackmailers once you start to pay , you encourage the relationship in only one direction. Similar to a drug dealer and their junkie base!!
    [/quote]

    Well said! That’s a brilliant description of modern day customer service. Regrettably.


    stevescoots
    Participant

    [quote quote=846688]kmb9624
    I think preselected meals would actually create more work for the crew, as they would be running individual meals to seats, having first worked,out which meal goes where, rather than knocking out the same meals from a trolley as they move down the aisles.
    [/quote]

    Not really, just like filling a container ship with multiple port stops. The trollys could be filled on the ground by the service provider in seat order, or in the order the crew would serve from the galleys

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