BA set to scrap short-haul meals
British Airways is to scrap all free meals, except breakfast, on its short-haul flights to save £22m a year.
Passengers on flights after 10am, which last less than two-and-half hours, will only be served drinks and snacks. They will not have the option to buy food.
The measure, starting next week, comes as the airline is trying to trim costs.
It is raising more than £600m to help weather the recession, while thousands of staff have agreed to take pay cuts or working part-time.
'Avoid waste'
Currently passengers on short-haul flights typically get a sandwich. This will be replaced by a bag of nuts or other snack.
But the carrier insisted it was still a "full service" airline, with those flying before 10am still being served breakfast.
"When you fly with British Airways, the in-flight catering is top-class and, unlike some other airlines, it is free," a BA spokesman said.
"It is not unusual to make small changes to avoid waste and save money where it makes sense and it meets customers' changing tastes."
Its research suggested that it was only after two-and-a-half hours in the air that passengers require more substantial refreshments, they added.
Revenue stream
Budget carriers have always sold food and drink as an optional extra.
Easyjet has revealed that the average passenger pays £10 per flight in so-called "ancillary revenues" - which includes items sold on board as well as checked-in baggage charges.
BA has been in negotiations for several weeks with unions over plans to cut costs and has asked thousands of employees to take pay cuts or work for nothing.
Earlier this month, BA pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut. Talks with unions representing cabin crew and ground staff are ongoing, but if no resolution is reached, the firm could face a summer of strikes by its 14,000 cabin crew
(BBC News)
British Airways is to scrap all free meals, except breakfast, on its short-haul flights to save £22m a year.
Passengers on flights after 10am, which last less than two-and-half hours, will only be served drinks and snacks. They will not have the option to buy food.
The measure, starting next week, comes as the airline is trying to trim costs.
It is raising more than £600m to help weather the recession, while thousands of staff have agreed to take pay cuts or working part-time.
'Avoid waste'
Currently passengers on short-haul flights typically get a sandwich. This will be replaced by a bag of nuts or other snack.
But the carrier insisted it was still a "full service" airline, with those flying before 10am still being served breakfast.
"When you fly with British Airways, the in-flight catering is top-class and, unlike some other airlines, it is free," a BA spokesman said.
"It is not unusual to make small changes to avoid waste and save money where it makes sense and it meets customers' changing tastes."
Its research suggested that it was only after two-and-a-half hours in the air that passengers require more substantial refreshments, they added.
Revenue stream
Budget carriers have always sold food and drink as an optional extra.
Easyjet has revealed that the average passenger pays £10 per flight in so-called "ancillary revenues" - which includes items sold on board as well as checked-in baggage charges.
BA has been in negotiations for several weeks with unions over plans to cut costs and has asked thousands of employees to take pay cuts or work for nothing.
Earlier this month, BA pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut. Talks with unions representing cabin crew and ground staff are ongoing, but if no resolution is reached, the firm could face a summer of strikes by its 14,000 cabin crew
(BBC News)
