Surprised nobody has mentioned this.

Beginning November 1, the IFC program will drop the "Signature" names from the offerings. It will simply be called In Flight Cafe. As a result, the price for the lunch/dinner option will drop from $10 to $7. The snack box will remain at $5.

Also only the snack box will be offered on flights of 1000 miles or less.

Good to hear. I never could justify paying $10 for a cold, mediocre meal when stuck back in coach. $7 is much more reasonable, especially for those times when I have a tight connection and might not have time to stop for food at the airport.

With these changes, unless one is travelling to/from DEN or points west, the only option is the $5 snack box.

The $7 meals will now only be offered on flights to/from DEN and points west, which will offer both the $7 meal and the $5 snack box.

I expect that 2000-mile flights between SAN-CLT would offer In Flight Cafe on flights near meal times?

I have only flown a few USAir codeshares this year and have a roundtrip this week that include the SAN-CLT CLT-SAN flights. SAN-CLT is 8:00AM and return CLT-SAN is 6:00PM.

So should I expect In Flight Cafe to be offered on these?

I take it USAir has no meals in Coach these days other than the Buy-On-Board?

I thought the whole idea of these was marginal profit, and with so many reports here on FT of them being sold out on so many flights, I'm surprised to hear that they're cutting back re: flights less than 1000 miles. Is it not worth it for them to continue?

I expect that 2000-mile flights between SAN-CLT would offer In Flight Cafe on flights near meal times?

I have only flown a few USAir codeshares this year and have a roundtrip this week that include the SAN-CLT CLT-SAN flights. SAN-CLT is 8:00AM and return CLT-SAN is 6:00PM.

So should I expect In Flight Cafe to be offered on these?

I take it USAir has no meals in Coach these days other than the Buy-On-Board?

Correct on all counts. I'd suggest that you buy food at the airport, however, as on most of my West Coast flights they've sold out of IFC onboard meals pretty quickly. If possible, try to get a seat near the front of the coach cabin for a better chance of procuring a meal.

Correct on all counts. I'd suggest that you buy food at the airport, however, as on most of my West Coast flights they've sold out of IFC onboard meals pretty quickly. If possible, try to get a seat near the front of the coach cabin for a better chance of procuring a meal.

Wahooflyer: what are YOU doing in coach?? :D

I never see them even offered. With over 90,000 miles this year to date, it's not like I'm not on a lot of flights. I think the program is a bust. With it being run by an outside vendor, there appears to be an obsession with not having to dump unsold meals, which leads to under counting, which then leads to not having enough. If you are hungry, and don't get one, next time you won't chance it. The result is fewer sales, followed by more unit reduction onboard. Something like this only works if you accept a certain level of spoilage.

I never see them even offered. With over 90,000 miles this year to date, it's not like I'm not on a lot of flights. I think the program is a bust. With it being run by an outside vendor, there appears to be an obsession with not having to dump unsold meals, which leads to under counting, which then leads to not having enough. If you are hungry, and don't get one, next time you won't chance it. The result is fewer sales, followed by more unit reduction onboard. Something like this only works if you accept a certain level of spoilage.


Exactly right! On a recent NW trip, on the IAD-MSP leg I had agonizing hunger (yes, it was truly painful) and they sold out of the meals real quick so I didn't get one. Well on the return MSP-IAD I expected them to be sold out. So in the airport I got food before my flight, and what do you know? Get on the plane, they've got extra meals. :rolleyes:

I thought the whole idea of these was marginal profit, and with so many reports here on FT of them being sold out on so many flights, I'm surprised to hear that they're cutting back re: flights less than 1000 miles. Is it not worth it for them to continue?

I head anecdotally from a few f/a's that the long-hauls (DEN and beyond) usually sold out, whereas the shorter flights were not selling very well and had most that had to be discarded. I'd guess they've used the results from the last several months to fine-tune which routes sell better.

Even if the IFC program is break-even on its own, the cost savings in not providing the meals that were on the flights should be a reasonable cost saving to the airline.

I had a horrendous sandwich in F yesterday. It was supposed to be ham, but there was a small, thin white piece of meat that looked more like turkey than ham. It had an equally small piece of cheese attached. The meat was less than half of the size of the bun.

One bite, and it was OVER!!!! :D

For me, the golden age of First Class shortish-haul meals was when the full In Flight Cafe offering from Einstein Brothers -- in the first month of the program's existance -- was offered for free to First Class. I'd guess this was July/August 2003. I flew almost weekly between Florida and the Northeast in the time period, and very high-quality IFC meals were free in FC on almost all flights.

If possible, try to get a seat near the front of the coach cabin for a better chance of procuring a meal.

That's a good tip.

BTW, on my flights over the last two weeks, they sold out really fast in coach. On one flight it was within 5 minutes of beginning service--I'd guess they had about 10 or 15 meals.

But, they announced afterward that any flyers interested in meals in the future reserve them ahead of time. They didn't mention how, but since I was in First eating and drinking already ^ , it didn't occur to me to ask specifics.

I thought the whole idea of these was marginal profit

My understanding is that US is not at risk at all with the inflight meals, only SkyChefs is, and SkyChefs' goal is more probably more than some small marginal profit (in their case, additional margin beyond the profit they get for catering the plane without meals).

It is my understanding that by unbranding the product, they can offer the same IFC product to all of the airlines that currently contract with LSG, instead of having to do separate packaging for US alone. What it comes down to is an economy of scale.

...because I have been so ticked off the last two flights!

I have been flying to Charlotte on an almost weekly basis since early August. While I generally fly Continental, I have had to make some of my arrangements a little later than I normally would, and have found the US Air flights cheaper (if booked under a United codeshare) in thost cases, so I have flown US Air a few times recently.

Of course, I was initially taken aback that the airline would charge for food, but I found the chicken salad sandwich good, so I didn't really mind all that much.

So here comes Monday, Nov 1. I missed my flight and had to be rebooked on the 11:30 AM flight. I ate something small for breakfast, but did not eat anything for lunch because the flight is at lunchtime and I decided I was going to get the chicken salad sandwich. The weather was bad, so the flight was delayed, etc. Once we get off the ground and into some smooth air, they finally bring the cart through. I'm in the exit row. They do not even get past the first set of rows before coming over the intercom to tell us that all meals are sold out - they had only been given 7 snack boxes for a full flight.

We didn't get to Charlotte until after 4PM, so, of course, I was starving and not happy. However, I chalked it up to the flight not being catered properly because they were attempting to turn it around quickly.

Imagine my surprise when I get on last night's flight (6PM) and wait patiently with my money out, only to find out that they only had 8 snack boxes (again for a full flight), no chicken salad sandwiches, and, of course, they sold out. I was not a happy camper.

It makes no sense to me that an airline would charge for food, then not bring enough to feed the passengers, while most other airlines do not charge for food and bring enough for all passengers.

Thankfully, after Monday, my currently booked flights are on Continental - while their "snacks" are not as good as the chicken salad sandwiches, at least they actually feed their passengers on a 2 1/2 hour flight!

Thanks for giving me a forum in which to vent!

...because I have been so ticked off the last two flights!

I have been flying to Charlotte on an almost weekly basis since early August. While I generally fly Continental, I have had to make some of my arrangements a little later than I normally would, and have found the US Air flights cheaper (if booked under a United codeshare) in thost cases, so I have flown US Air a few times recently.

Of course, I was initially taken aback that the airline would charge for food, but I found the chicken salad sandwich good, so I didn't really mind all that much.

So here comes Monday, Nov 1. I missed my flight and had to be rebooked on the 11:30 AM flight. I ate something small for breakfast, but did not eat anything for lunch because the flight is at lunchtime and I decided I was going to get the chicken salad sandwich. The weather was bad, so the flight was delayed, etc. Once we get off the ground and into some smooth air, they finally bring the cart through. I'm in the exit row. They do not even get past the first set of rows before coming over the intercom to tell us that all meals are sold out - they had only been given 7 snack boxes for a full flight.

We didn't get to Charlotte until after 4PM, so, of course, I was starving and not happy. However, I chalked it up to the flight not being catered properly because they were attempting to turn it around quickly.

Imagine my surprise when I get on last night's flight (6PM) and wait patiently with my money out, only to find out that they only had 8 snack boxes (again for a full flight), no chicken salad sandwiches, and, of course, they sold out. I was not a happy camper.

It makes no sense to me that an airline would charge for food, then not bring enough to feed the passengers, while most other airlines do not charge for food and bring enough for all passengers.

Thankfully, after Monday, my currently booked flights are on Continental - while their "snacks" are not as good as the chicken salad sandwiches, at least they actually feed their passengers on a 2 1/2 hour flight!

Thanks for giving me a forum in which to vent!


FemaleFlyer, you definitely do not understand. At US, you have to be ecstatic to pay for your meal (even if none are available), put up with substandard service and pay exorbitant fares in markets that have no competition (eg, $1000 ewr-gso), because this airline makes no money and you have no choice but to accept it. Oh wait, you do have a choice?

It makes no sense to me that an airline would charge for food, then not bring enough to feed the passengers, while most other airlines do not charge for food and bring enough for all passengers.




I understand how you must feel, but this is just downright incorrect. All the major US airlines now offer food for sale in Y, except for CO and AS, and even AS just now announced that they will begin selling food in Y to save costs next month. UA, US, HP, DL, NW, and just recently AA have all begun selling food, too. CO (whom I admire for the high level of service that I've always received) will be the only airline left still offering free food in the back. This is the new reality of Y travel in the US :(

because I've been flying Continental the last couple of years. US Air is the only airline I've flown that charges for meals. The last time I flew another airline was Delta in 2002 and they did not charge for meals at that time.

Thanks for setting me straight.

Part of the reason CO does not charge for food is that they own their caterer.