<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SRQ Guy:
Whiel I agree that it is nitpicking in the extreme to take away FA's food provisions, I don't understand why it's necessary that the airline provide food to them while flying. I don't generally provide my employees food during their workdays. I don't think I'm alone or even in the minority. Why should FA's feel entitled to free food?
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The airline didn't "take away" their meals, their union leaders negotiated them away in lieu of other cuts.
Nearly every restaurant in the nation feeds its employees free or reduced cost meals as a reasonable fringe - there's no reason the airlines can't. Imagine that 14 - 16 hour flight from JFK-NRT. Pax get two meals. FAs now get none. Guess they'll have to pack a lunch.
Why is that a problem? It encourages the FAs to tell the pax "your choice is not available" so they can eat it themselves as a "leftover." And that is bad.