Yes, I'm sure somebody thought it would save 'lots' of money.
They could also save lots of money by firing the chefs for AS Beyond and eliminating the
marketing budget for this program, solely designed for passengers travelling in Coach.
But I'm sure that AS realizes the bulk of their profits come from filling Coach seats first.
So, hence, the effort spent on AS Beyond, and better FC offerings on long-haul flights.
How much money does it really save to have the caterers handle one more meal item?
As I said before, it can be exactly the same as one of the other monthly rotating meals.
It just seems smarter.
.
It may save more than you think. It may not, but even if it is 50¢ c/u, it is a lot of $. Note that these are typically the flights that people are more likely to UG on, and less likely to pay for F.