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Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

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Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#31

Post by cj »

stephenr wrote: post #5
chii wrote: post #3

good airline food but at a higher ticket price is not what consumers actually choose to buy. They'd rather suffer and get a discount on the ticket. They merely complain about that suffering.

Isn't the point that food in economy class is often worse than it needs to be for the cost, and food in first class is not good enough to justify the massively increased ticket price?

Yes, but many don’t buy first class for the food. On a red eye (often don’t serve much food at all and if they do it’s very rushed) it might be you need to sleep for a meeting tomorrow. Or if you’re tall, leg room + basic comfort.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#32

Post by jjulius »

Dalewyn wrote: post #6

Granted I generally fly business class on Delta and ANA (because long hauls in economy is miserable), I find the food is great given the context. YMMV.

I came here to say the same thing (well, about Delta's domestic coach service). I will fuck with Delta's chicken salad sandwich all day long and am always disappointed if they're out before I can order one.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#33

Post by tracker1 »

loosescrews wrote: post #19
jordanb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airline upgrades is a market for lemons. Even if you, say, buy an upgraded seat you may get sat next to a big guy or a rowdy child and then your seat sucks. Instead you have to pay much more (sometimes multiple times a main-cabin ticket) for the cabins up front and even then you might have to set next to a drunk businessman. If you complain you will get told there's nothing that can be done. Even if you get sat in a…

I've traveled for business a few times and a few times I got the company to pay for a first class seat up front. One time the first class cabin had a crying baby in it. Another time it was full of rowdy children. It turns out that rich people have children too. Paying for first class simply decreases your chances of dealing with such things, just like any other seat upgrade. I suspect that airlines could offer seats…

From what I've noticed, first class in the US is usually around 3x the price. As a big guy I'll usually swallow the bullet on cost. I really don't mind kids too much and like chatty people.

Otherwise, I have noise cancelling headphones

That said. I do think I can handle a whole can of soda. On the food front, I can pretty much take it out leave it.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#34

Post by anymouse123456 »

gosub100 wrote: post #14
verdverm wrote: post #2

I recall how much better the experience of flying British Airways was, notably the food and drinks. Too bad it was only once

I've heard it as a general rule when flying internationally to always choose the foreign carriers over a US one.

As another said, it depends on the country.

But if the options include JAL or ANA, always take them over any US carrier. They are not even the same kind of thing compared to what we endure in the US.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#36

Post by hedora »

smt88 wrote: post #22
gosub100 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've heard it as a general rule when flying internationally to always choose the foreign carriers over a US one.

That's a bad rule of thumb. Some foreign airlines are significantly worse than the better US airlines like Delta. You also have to consider safety (some airlines only fly Airbus planes, some are mostly Boeing), cost, and convenience.

From what I’ve seen, it works extremely well if you’re traveling to a western country.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#37

Post by tracker1 »

jethro_tell wrote: post #30
loosescrews wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've traveled for business a few times and a few times I got the company to pay for a first class seat up front. One time the first class cabin had a crying baby in it. Another time it was full of rowdy children. It turns out that rich people have children too. Paying for first class simply decreases your chances of dealing with such things, just like any other seat upgrade. I suspect that airlines could offer seats…

That's because you're paying for a wider seat and better service. I suspect they are just as happy to take some kids parents money for the seat as not. And judging by the number of people I know that get upgraded, its not like they sell out every flight.

They do sell out upgraded seats every flight.

In the later 90s, I used to try to upgraded at check in. It was usually a 2x cost of the was a seat or less vs 3x of you got first class ahead of time. Since the 00s is pretty much never an option. Most flights are over sold and getting a decent seat (prefer front row) is really hard.

And the past couple years, even then they're often sold out when buying tickets less than months ahead of time. Mostly have traveled in occasion for work and mostly shorter notice.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#38

Post by debian3 »

listenallyall wrote: post #15

It's actually not awful, and besides, without an oven or grill or fryer, how good could it possibly be?

Check out some youtube video on Emirates or Singapore airlines on their suite experience on the A380. You will see how great the food can be before you go take your shower and go to sleep in your full size bed.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#39

Post by addicted »

chii wrote: post #3

good airline food but at a higher ticket price is not what consumers actually choose to buy. They'd rather suffer and get a discount on the ticket. They merely complain about that suffering.

Your answer is the only correct answer. The original article might have been correct for half a century ago but has nothing to do with today where food is universally bad on airplanes across the world with the only possible exception being airlines like Emirates whose business model is not to run an airline but to get people to fly to their host country.

Re: Airlines Colluded to Ensure Onboard Food Would Be Awful

#40

Post by jacurtis »

loosescrews wrote: post #19
jordanb wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airline upgrades is a market for lemons. Even if you, say, buy an upgraded seat you may get sat next to a big guy or a rowdy child and then your seat sucks. Instead you have to pay much more (sometimes multiple times a main-cabin ticket) for the cabins up front and even then you might have to set next to a drunk businessman. If you complain you will get told there's nothing that can be done. Even if you get sat in a…

I've traveled for business a few times and a few times I got the company to pay for a first class seat up front. One time the first class cabin had a crying baby in it. Another time it was full of rowdy children. It turns out that rich people have children too. Paying for first class simply decreases your chances of dealing with such things, just like any other seat upgrade. I suspect that airlines could offer seats…

That's an interesting anecdote.

I fly first class a fair bit (10-12 flights per year), and children in first class is pretty rare. When I've seen it, they've never been rowdy. In fact, my experience is that its usually really quiet, which is one of the things I really value.

Maybe i'm just the luckiest person in the world. But its never happened to me and I fly a moderate amount to have some sample data.

I will concede, that flight rowdiness in general is very different based on time of day. The afternoon is the worst. Fridays and Mondays are the worst. I love night flights, to the point where I prefer them. Everyone is so much calmer on red-eyes.

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