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Discussion » Questions » Travel » When commercial airlines stopped offering free in-flight food and chose to charge (exorbitant prices) for it instead, did their executives,

When commercial airlines stopped offering free in-flight food and chose to charge (exorbitant prices) for it instead, did their executives,

and/or their bean-counting accountants anticipate that passengers would merely ignore the silliness and take their own food on board?

  I’m on a plane right now, it’s still boarding, and a passenger near me is chowing down on the most delicious-smelling Asian stir-fry possible. That’s what prompted this question.  I seem to remember that some airlines may have attempted to institute rules against passengers carrying off-site food aboard flights in a bid to gouge a captive audience into paying the ransom on curbing hunger, but that nonsense was struck down. 

~

Posted - December 12, 2019

Responses


  • 14795
    Greed maketh the man fat and want more .Treating your customers like cash cows never works in the end...
      December 12, 2019 10:19 PM MST
    3

  • 3523
    Speak, oh wise one.  You have keen insight into the corporate mind.  I often ask, "How dumb do they think we are?"  The answer:  Not THAT dumb.  Hey, there's one.
      December 12, 2019 10:26 PM MST
    3

  • 44608
    Now I understand your question.
      December 13, 2019 7:03 AM MST
    0

  • 4624
    I'm sure they worked it out to the last cent and knew that passengers would bring their own (much better) food.
    First, the food was never free; the cost was included in the ticket whether you ate it or not.
    Second, when they started competing for lower prices, they had to eliminate all the frills, including non-hand baggage - so the 'perks' became the far more expensive add-ons. With the result that the fares are not necessarily cheaper at all unless you book way in advance and don't try to cancel.
    All this could be wrong. I get it only from listening to the news and friends' anecdotes. I haven't flown anywhere for a very long time.
      December 13, 2019 2:02 AM MST
    0

  • 44608
    That is similar to sport venues. If you get caught taking your own food, they can remove you.

    Also, '...did their executives bean-counting accountants...' sounds awkward.
      December 13, 2019 7:07 AM MST
    1

  • 53509

      I was miss a comma; I have since edited it. Thanks for catching that error. 
    ~
      December 13, 2019 8:17 AM MST
    0