Why do airlines charge for food?

Question

Flying was so nice when you got food from the cabin crew. Now they charge and it does not feel right. Why are they doing this.

Answer 1

Airlines do what they need to do to remain competitive. After 9/11 all the airlines took a hit and cost cutting became the top priority...except in the CEO's paycheck.

United discovered that by eliminating just one tomato from the salads they could save $40K a year. Since the airlines need to keep costs in line, meals are only served on long haul flights and in business and first class. ALL international flights have meals served and some even provide free alcohol.

Bottom line is....the bottom line. they can charge for food and save money. Prepacked food is cheaper than the catrering department. If they don't sell it by a certain date they are out less than a catered meal that someone doesn't eat...or a free one that someone does eat.

Answer 2

In the days when flying was nice and you got food from the cabin crew, you still paid for it - its just that the cost of the food was added to the cost of the ticket. So all that food you sent back because you didn't feel like eating - you had paid for it all.

Now, if you feel like eating you pay for it. If you don't feel like eating, you don't pay for it. And the cost of the food isn't added to the price of your ticket, so the airfare is lower than it would be if you got "free" meals.

Answer 3

because food cost money. If you want to eat, you must pay for it and the service.

They can charge by the meal, or add it to the ticket. I would rather have a cheap ticket then an expensive, bad tasting meal served by an expensive employee of the airline. So, it is a good idea by me to let others pay for the meal if they want it.

Answer 4

Only low cost airlines have stopped serving food in the flight.Other airlines still serve food in service. The ticket fares in low cost airlines which are not serving food on board will be lesser than other airlines.

Answer 5

Usually regular service airlines such as American, Delta, and United serve meals on flights more than 3 hours. Continental serves a small meal or hot snack on all their flights more than hour in length,

Most airlines have gone the route of Southwest Airlines and JetBlue and have eliminated meals to be cost-effective. They only sale snack packs and small meals to those who want them, but by eliminating meals from flights it helps bring the costs (and ticket prices) down.

Answer 6

Because the public has insisted on cheap airfares. Just look at this site--the most popular questions are "Help I need a cheap ticket to ____" and "What are some good websites to buy cheap airline tickets"

So the industry now sells "cheap" airline tickets, and we're paying for it.

Answer 7

Because we're being "nickeled & dimed to death" for EVERYTHING, nowadays- and the Airlines don't want to be left out. :) Have YOU been to the Hospital lately?- They're charging $1.25 per ASPRIN !!!

Answer 8

"worldwide Taxes & costs—For babies under the age of two and held in the grownup's lap, the fee is frequently approximately 10% of the grownup fare plus any worldwide taxes and surcharges, which could be substantial." you're able to be able to locate it helpful to purchase a seat for her fairly than shelter her on your lap, if the fees are close. in any different case, that's Delta's coverage, and in case you hve the different questions it truly is beneficial to call them fairly than ask the final public here.

Answer 9

They just want to earn money. You know you fall in hard times, like money loss? They're suffering too. Sometimes, you just have to be a penny-pincher to survive the hard times.

Answer 10

becuase food isn't free. You gotta pay for things, you know..