Until recently, BA have said there’ll be free food on their flights, telling travellers that: “Whenever and wherever you are travelling, we offer a complimentary snack or meal and bar service”.
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It looks like one way of differentiating the experience between Business Class/First Class, and the economy class that is offered by British Airways.
Currently BA economy passengers get a three-course meal on longer European flights to destinations like Athens or Istanbul, while on shorter trips get a snack like a pack of pretzels or sandwich, free of charge.
According to The Independent, Alex Cruz, BA’s newly-appointed chief executive and former head of Spanish budget airline Vueling, may enter into a contract with United Kingdom supermarket chain Waitrose to provide upscale snacks.
A British Airways (BA) passenger plane comes in to land at Gatwick Airport on March 19, 2009. The change will align BA in a new way with lower-cost airlines like easyJet and Ryanair, which have always had food for sale as an add-on to a la carte fares.
Cruz has form in this area – before taking on BA, he was the head at the Spanish budget airline, Vueling.
Ever since easyJet launched in 1995, it has been charging for meals and drinks.
The Independent spoke with airline consultant John Strickland, who said he is not surprised by the move; he notes that the almost century-old airline suffers from inconsistency. People are used to going onboard loaded with food from shops at the moment because they don’t know what to expect on BA – a full meal, or a wrap and a packet of crisps. “It needs to bring some clarity to better meet or manage customer expectations”.
There are speculations that BA will enlist Waitrose-a high-end United Kingdom supermarket chain-to supply high-quality snacks at a price.
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‘Everything we do is with our customers in mind and we will make changes that reflect their feedback’.
