British Airways says, “Sandwiches? You don’t need no stinkin’ sandwiches!”

by Sean McLachlan on

British Airways has announced that as of next week it will no longer serve sandwiches on its short-haul flights, the BBC has reported.

The move, which the airline hopes will save £22 million ($36.3 million) a year, will affect all flights after 10am that last less than two-and-a-half hours. Passengers will be served “snacks” instead, most likely meaning a tiny bag of pretzels and a thimbleful of orange juice in a little cup filled with ice. Early morning flights will still serve breakfast, such as it is.

The airline is also considering further cuts such as no more hot towels in Club class (my heart bleeds) and maybe even getting rid of free pretzels in economy.

So much for “Fly the friendly skies.” Oh wait, that’s United, and they went bankrupt and had to get bailed out by the American taxpayer. Sorry, I have trouble keeping my penny-pinching airlines straight. I’m still mad about BA opening my luggage and leaving it out in the rain at Heathrow. When it got to Missouri (two days late) my clothes were soaked and my books were ruined.

Ah well, the sandwiches I make at home and bring with me when I fly always taste better anyway. And I never put anything valuable in my checked luggage. I’ve seen people putting laptops in their suitcases. They obviously don’t read Gadling.

Gadlinks for Friday 7.10.09

by Brenda Yun on


TGIF! Really. Thank goodness. Another summer week has passed us by and there are, as usually, tons of great travel reads to keep you occupied through the weekend. Here’s the latest:

‘Til Monday, have a great weekend, everyone!

More Gadlinks here.

Take the Gadling challenge – army meal or airline meal?

by Scott Carmichael on
OR

Here is a fun challenge for you – I’m sure that anyone who has been served an airline meal has come across a dish that looked like it came right out of a blender.

The kind of meal that takes 5 minutes just to determine what exactly it is.

In this quiz, you get to pick whether the “delicious dish” is an army meal or an airline meal.

Army meals are often referred to as “MRE’s”, which stands for “Meal Ready to Eat”. The meals are usually freeze dried or preserved in a can, and can be heated using a portable stove, or more recently with a self-heating mechanism.

Airline meals are prepared in massive kitchens by people who probably bring their own food when they fly, because no matter how delicious it sounds on paper, the final product never really tastes (or looks) right at 35,000 feet.

I’ve had a couple of happy exceptions, mainly on Asian airlines who really know how to prepare a dish to taste like it was intended, no matter where you are.

So, do you think you can tell what was prepared for the army or what was prepared for airline passengers?

Done (or too lazy to finish the quiz)?

Click here to see photos of the answers!

Pricey, Gourmet In-Flight Meals

by Neil Woodburn on

While the rest of us poor mopes are forking out $10 for an in-flight boxed lunch with soggy sandwich and a few carrot sticks, the wealthy are now enjoying entrées from some of the world’s most famous restaurants while jetting around Europe.

NetJets, a company which specializes in “fractional ownership” of jets for individuals and companies, has inked a handful of deals with some of the best restaurants on this planet to provide catered food on their flights.

Thinking of jetting from London to Barcelona? Just peruse the online menu featuring items from Ubon, the Four Seasons Hotel, Yayatcha, Vama, or other culinary heavy hitters and your boxed meal will not only be waiting for you when you board, but heated up and tasting just like it does in the exclusive restaurant from whence it came–or so I’m told.

But, it doesn’t come cheap. Lunch from Ubon, for example, runs up to 140 euros. And, of course, it’s only available on NetJets where, if you have to ask how much, you can’t afford it.

There are ways to land yourself a tasty gourmet meal on a commercial airline as well. If you happen to be staying at the Bulgari Hotel in Milan, for example, their acclaimed chef will whip up a scrumptious lobster salad with caviar, prawns, and lemongrass to go for just 80 euros. I’m sorry, but if you sit next to me and my bag of peanuts on United Airlines with such a meal, I just might have to beat you with the seatback tray and steal your food.