Wednesday, February 16, 2005

N'West cuts out free food

Airline follows competitors with plan to offer snack or sandwich for fee.

By Joel J. Smith / The Detroit News

Northwest is following other airlines in cutting meals, a move that could save it $20 million to $30 million a year. Fewer airline meals Northwest Airlines is eliminating complimentary meal service for coach passengers on domestic flights. Instead a $3 snack box containing nonperishable items will be offered. What will you do? I will buy the $3 snack box I will bring my own food I won't eat during flight I will fly first class and get a meal Get results and comments Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

Northwest Airlines plans to save between $20 million and $30 million annually by eliminating free meals on all its domestic flights for coach passengers. Instead, it'll offer hungry travelers a choice of buying a $3 snack box or a $5 sandwich.

Northwest follows other airlines such as U.S. Airways and American Airlines in eliminating complimentary meals in coach service. The so-called legacy airlines have been gradually cutting back on amenities for several years in the face of growing competition from low-cost rivals, such as Southwest, where free food is limited to peanuts or light snacks.

The cost-saving move by Northwest will be phased in over several months, starting March 1, officials say. Elimination of the complimentary meal service will start with about 450 daily flights and expand by July 1 to 900 flights -- about 60 percent of the airline's flights. Northwest has about 1,500 daily flights.

Meals served to business and first-class passengers on Northwest, as well as all passengers flying to Europe and Asia, will not be affected.

"It's strictly focused on domestic coach passengers," Hector Adler, Northwest's vice president of in-flight services, said Tuesday. "Certainly it is one more initiative in our ongoing efforts to reduce overall nonlabor costs."

Northwest, the largest carrier at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, is seeking $950 million in concessions from its labor force. Pilots already have agreed to $265 million in pay and benefit cuts, but so far other labor unions have balked at givebacks. Northwest has lost $1.4 billion in the last four years.

Adler said the snack boxes will include all nonperishable items such as Granola bars, potato chips, cookies, crackers, cheese spread and raisins.

Because the items have a long shelf life, Northwest promises it'll have enough snack boxes for everyone aboard a flight.

On longer routes to such places as Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean, Adler said the airline also will offer a $5 fresh sandwiches that include vegetarian, deli meat or breakfast choices.

Some frequent travelers apparently like the idea of assorted snack boxes.

The $3 charge doesn't seem to faze them.

"I don't need a full meal," said Chris Kinke of Royal Oak, an advisor with American Express Financial. "Generally, I don't eat the airline food anyway. I'd be more likely to eat something like a snack pack where you had a flexibility of choice. This sounds perfect."

Troy Feldpausch of New Boston, who travels as a software training consultant, said he also wouldn't miss the full meal service. "I think it's a good deal for the price," he said.

Northwest began test marketing the idea of charging passengers for food items in January 2003. It offered various items on a limited basis ranging in price from $5 to $10.

In surveying passengers, Alder said many liked the test program but didn't like the idea of Northwest running out of offerings on flights. He said that was happening because perishable food forced them to limit the quantity of items on board or risk throwing away unsold goods.

The new snack box also has other advantages.

"In the past, customers had to eat it when we served it," Alder said. "It wasn't portable. Now they can eat it whenever they want or even take it off the plane with them."

Adler said flight attendants will offer the snack packs when they move through the aisles with beverages. But passengers can ask for a snack anytime during the flight and buy as many as they want.

He said the airline felt the price-conscious public would accept a $3 price tag.

The original testing program was run by an outside food catering company. Northwest now will take back management control of the food.

"We will decide the products that go into the snack boxes," Alder said. "This gives us the opportunity to rotate products so that frequent travelers don't get tired of the same food."

The snack boxes and sandwiches will be assemble by Sky Chef LSG, a food service that specializes in providing airline food, Alder said. Sky Chef has a facility at Detroit Metro.

You can reach Joel J. Smith at (313) 222-2556 or jsmith@detnews.com.