Serving food on planes, a serious biz indeed

New Delhi: Have you ever wondered how much those curious meals on planes cost the airline? For full service airlines the cost of feeding a planeload of passengers can be up to 3 per cent of their total costs. This is roughly equal to the commission they pay their agents.
According to industry estimates, on average, a full cost airline spends $5 to $7 (Rs 250-350) for a meal served, including water and soft drinks. Breakfast comes a little cheaper at $3 to $5 (Rs 150-250).
Airlines usually cater to 130 per cent of the load factor to allow for choice because you never know which passenger will change his mind and ask for vegetarian after initially opting for a non-vegetarian meal.
But feeding the herds is important so airlines spend a lot of time getting the menu right. It is a different matter that the cooking usually does not match the hype. Also, what do you do when you order a non-veg meal and get an idli stuffed with minced meat?
“The menu content and quantity are decided keeping in mind the body clock and the average food consumed per meal period by an individual,” a senior Kingfisher Airline official said.
The cost of the meal is included in the ticket price for full service airlines. On a low cost airline, the passenger pays for his sandwich, usually through his nose. But the smart traveller can cut costs by ordering food at the time of booking the ticket.
19/04/09 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2009