But it does in the sense that if you try to sell a product you need to provide some selling point. In the US, on the few routes where F sells, this is typically the seating. Since European airlines have chosen not to differentiate the seating, they need to market something else.

Of course, on most routes within Europe, C does not sell either on point to point, and C is merely filled by connecting passengers, but on the few routes where it does (NCE which you mention and which we both know well being one of them), I personally doubt that the panino will cut it.

By the way I fully agree with you on the chicken pot pie. I don't on the panino though - my partner forced me (I swear!) to try hers last week and I found it really ghastly I must say. In fairness, I object to the principle anyway (I do not like panini and they are not what I want to get as a business class food main or for that matter only course), but I did not like the quality either. I'll stick to my special meals whenever flying CE short/medium.

PS: in fairness, even though I hated the panino, it is not as bad as the new afternoon tea. When I saw it, I thought that if I hadn't ordered a special meal and had had to eat those three disgusting little open faced sandwiches, I would have caused an air rage incident. This is just not on.