Originally Posted by
David7
Service on the shorthaul today has got to be most hilarious:
Business class FA “There will be no lunch and no beverage service”
The FAs then sit down in empty rows in Business class and each eat a hot Business class meal. So catering is obviously still provided, it’s just not served to passengers. It’s good that the food isn’t wasted but I think it’s absurd for the FAs to eat it right in front of the passengers.
While it is poor form for the FA's to eat in front of passengers, the fact is that for short-haul flying, the crews do not get to eat if they do not eat enroute. Thus, catering them is essential. Of course catering is available, it has been for decades! The question is whether it can safely be provided to passengers in the current context and the answer is that it cannot within the parameters of short-haul flying.
There is a vast difference between an individual serving themselves and serving someone else.
In due course, if this all lasts, it would be good to move to a simple cold meal prepared in a sterile kitchen which is then properly wrapped and handed unopened to the passenger along with similarly packaged disposable "cutlery" with drinks served from closed bottles & cans into sealed plastic cups. Ice remains a significant threat.