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View from the Wing wrote a piece this morning stating that US airlines should sell food in domestic First Class. I disagree with this and think it’s a slippery slope before premium passengers are paying for soft drinks, snacks, headphones, and more.
I buy Business and First Class seats on every flight I’m on. With that, I expect a comfortable seat, more space, room for my carry-on bags, and snacks or a meal depending on the length of flight. I’ve been trying not to fly United lately (even though I live near its Chicago hub). Part of the reason is that the food and beverage (and service) are poor. I’d rather connect on Delta and enjoy the experience than fly nonstop and be annoyed, not eat the food, and deal with surly or disinterested flight attendants.
I do not want to pay for a meal in a premium cabin. I am already paying multiples of what an Economy seat costs and think the airlines should be able to bake into the ticket cost a simple, satisfying, and tasty meal. Ticket prices are at an all-time high and even if an airline went above and beyond with its offerings, it will be a small percentage of the revenue gained from my seat.
Plus, once you begin down this road you’ll soon find yourself paying for alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, headphones, snacks, and more. If something is labeled premium and has an upcharge, you can bet that the free offering will decline in quality even further.
There was a time when US airlines served caviar, carved roasts in the aisle, and paraded back and forth with a box of Godiva chocolates. I know that we will never go back to those days, but a simple, tasty, healthy meal should be provided free of charge.
Anthony’s Take: It’s a bad idea to begin selling things a la carte in premium cabins, especially when it comes to basics like meals. I already don’t find it right that some airlines are beginning to charge for selecting Business Class seats in advance. The race to the bottom will be complete when we need to pay for food, beverages, and the rest.
(Featured Image Credit: Rare Historical Photos.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Well said! Unless the Legacy 3 want to offer a first class seat for very very cheap and not include the expected ancillary benefits, they should serve a quality meal as part of the premium experience that they’re charging you for.