pascalgr

I noticed that in Y, AF no more offer Noodle soup to flight to China overs 10h30 length ; the change seems to have started 1 st of march 12; Instead they offer a sort of mushroom soup done with powder to which hot water is added and some crackers like the one offered with pre meal drink service

On my return flight from HK, no more ice cream as well, but some fruit (pineapple and watermelon wrapped in a small plastic box) and of course no noodle soup ; so i do not know if the ice cream will also disappear of the flight leaving from Paris to long haul destination shortly ; Crew told me it is new and done to save money;

The chinese clientele was not very happy ( and me also i was not happy although i am not chinse! ) about the no more noodle soup strategy; did the 'cost cutter from AF' realize that on these Chinese destinations the chinese clientele represent a large portion of the total travellers...

Did anyone have notice also change in the middle flight snack offering in destination outside of Asia ( like no more ice cream) ?

Zembla

Typical example of lack of vision. An accountant sais in a meetng "Hey if we cut the noodles we will save ammount X per year, let's do it". He forgets that a seemingly small change can potentially chase away clients.

While I can't deny that costs saving are required with the current financial status of AF, I wonder when will AF start to include a vision in their reorganization plans that will actually attrackt more paying passengers? Wouldn't that be good for the future of the airline as well?

brunos

The noodle soup is also done with a dried package and hot water. Maybe a few cents more expensive and a few grams heavier. My local friends would be unhappy without noodle soup.

Zembla

wild guess:

200 passengers X 20grams noodles X 365 flights per year X 4 routes per day = 5840 kilo less weight per year.

200 passengers X 15cents X 365 flights per year X 4 routes per day = 43800 euros per year.

Cultural impact potentially comparable to depriving a Dutchie or a Frenchie from coffee...right...

pascalgr

The noodle soup package is also very more bulky than the new soup; so also less waste too handle perhaps some savings there too!

orbitmic

Don't give them bad ideas or you might be offered some chicoree on your next flight!

brunos

The instant noodle soup also (usually) requires to open and mix two bags of dried food, so a little more work for the FAs.

Pauillac

how long the champagne in Y will last with such trends?

pascalgr

Hi Brunos,

on AF it is a plastic box where they add hot water, there is no mixture involved; for the new soup they put the powder in a plastic glass ( same size as a glass of water) and add hot water... so even more work for them! i hope not a reason for a new strike ! ( joke !)

splflyer

Not sure if pax are really less happy;
KLM stopped offering noodles about one year ago and no major complaints acoording to local staff. But a saving yes. Alternatively at Finnair you can buy them on board ...
Another reason to get rid of the noodles not mentioned here yet is that many passengers and crew burned themselves during or while preparing noodleservice ( dangerous during turbulence

KLflyerRalph

Same if a pax orders some tea (not very strange for Chinese?) mid-flight, no?

HMPS

Yes more work....but remember the FAs are already there and paid for ! So airline saves.

Tgis trend of "decontent" will continue till an airline decides to do "New &Improved " service with "Enhanced " features like real Noodle. Soup"!

brunos

Each cost-cutting might appear small, and even irrelevant to some pax. But when you add them up and see that they all come at the expense of customers not AF staff ... AF products have badly deteriorated in the past few years!