My friend Ben from One Mile At A Time wrote a story earlier this week entitled, I’d Like Airlines To Offer LESS Service In Business Class. I offer a friendly rebuttal here.
His focus is on shorter overnight flights from the East Coast to Europe, where he rightly notes that an extended dinner service after takeoff plus strong tailwinds plus pre-arrival breakfast service end up leaving very little time for sleeping.
Ben is 100% correct in pointing out a problem. He proposes serving dinner on a single tray, serving breakfast in to-go boxes that can be consumed during descent, or eliminating one meal all together.
While I recognize that these changes would lead to a more quiet and darker cabin, I think he’s tackling the problem in the wrong away. Ben quickly dismisses dine-on-demand service (ostensibly since flight attendants would resist), but that is the only solution as far as I am concerned.
I also do not want the lights turned up after takeoff and an extended meal service performed. Nor do I want to be woken up for breakfast with bright lights if I prefer to sleep. One airline has already shown us the perfect solution: Qatar Airways.
> Read More: Qatar Airways 777 QSuite Business Class Review
> Read More: Qatar Airways A350 Business Class Review
Qatar Airways offers a dine-on-demand service in business class. Lights stay off, there is a never an assembly-line meal service performed, and everyone can eat as much or as little as they want.
This service model solves ambient light issues, since the cabin remains dark throughout the flight (on nighttime flights). If you need light, you can use your individual reading or overhead lights. The result is a more quiet cabin with happier passengers.
But Is Dine-On-Demand A Realistic Solution?
I refuse to throw in the towel and say a dine-on-demand model simply would not work in the USA or Europe. With current FA staffing, it likely would not…that I will stipulate to (United is even removing another FA from its business class cabins next month). But as long we are talking about what I’d like, well, I’d like the chance to customize the menu, ordering food when I want and how I want it.
On shorter flights to Europe, I do believe this could end up being cost neutral to airlines. Say you needed one more flight attendant in the galley to help prepare meals. If most passengers sleep through the flight, food consumption would drop…perhaps even substantially as the pre-flight meal offerings in airline lounges continue to improve.
I don’t think asking for dining-on-demand is like asking for Krug and caviar in business class. Quite the opposite, dine-on-demand simply offers the same food currently available in a different way. Maybe some want breakfast after takeoff or dinner before landing. Offering on-demand service not only solves the light/sound issue, but makes for much more satisfied customers, driving further business.
Absent Dine-On-Demand, Maintain Status Quo
Faced with a choice between the current extended meal service or an express dine with a light breakfast, I’d prefer to stick to the status quo. To explain why, let me give you an example. Earlier this year I was in New York City for meetings and needed to get to Frankfurt. I was in a meeting in New Jersey up until 90 minutes before my flight and by the time I cleared security at Newark, boarding had already begun. Having skipped both lunch and the Polaris Lounge, I was very hungry onboard.
Thanks to strong tailwinds, the flight ended up being under seven hours. But even though it came at the expense of my sleep, I was very thankful to enjoy a multi-course dinner after takeoff. Who can sleep when they are hungry? As far as I am concerned, better is a nap on a full stomach than tossing and turning with a growling stomach.
CONCLUSION
Airlines should do more to customize the experience for business class passengers. Airlines should also tackle the problem of unnecessarily long meal service on shorter flights. Dine-on-demand presents the only realistic solution to this problem. Before dismissing such service, airlines should give it a try. I would be very surprised if it ends up leading to more onboard consumption rather than less.
What do you think? Is Ben right or am I? Or are we both wrong?
Tailwinds, Matt 😉 Tailwinds.
I fixed that before publishing. Looks like I published a draft! Thanks.
Holy cow, you’re quick. Good job, man.
On this topic, my own experiences:
– Flying 5.15pm from EWR-CPH, by all means serve me a meal. No chance I’ll be sleeping anyway.
– Flying 10.55pm JFK-LHR – let me sleep and don’t come two hours out to get the Bose headphones (AA truly takes service to a bottom level on this flight, but that’s a topic for another time).
For it truly depends on whether we’re at dinner time or past it. After 9pm, I agree with Ben. Before, I’ll prefer the status quo. Overall, I’d love the dine-on-demand option.
Yes, for later east-coast departures to Europe, I’d go even further. Cancel the dinner completely, and serve a full breakfast prior to arrival. Not a cold fruit and juice and a biscuit breakfast, but full-on hot breakfast: eggs, sausage, etc. These later flights arrive mid-morning, meaning I’d miss breakfast in the destination city, so please cater it on the planes.
On demand service will only work for asian or ME airlines not for US airlines because you will get an an attitude from the FA, do I say more?
My thoughts,
I tend to agree with what you propose. Dine on Demand would generally allow people to sleep who want to and allow those who want to enjoy the multi course meal to do things their way. The struggle of course is the noise factor but I suspect that could be addressed by getting meal orders pre-departure or very early in the flight. Once the inflight crew knows what the customer wants the meal can be delivered on demand with a minimum of noise. Speaking as someone who gets to fly long haul premium cabins rather sparsely as a customer I really want to make the most of that experience. I can sleep another time but a great meal, fine wine and a truly comfortable seat are not an everyday experience for me.
Dine on Demand does create challenges and if my memory is right Cathay tried it and backed away because they found it difficult to execute properly. I do think there is a middle ground which comes from United (again if my memory is accurate.) United offers an express service which means you get everything immediately on one tray to allow you to eat quickly and maximize your sleep. Customers who want to enjoy a slower pace of eating can do so through the normal process. The trick here would be executing this service flow with the lights down so that the express or no food customers can get to sleep immediately. I would handle breakfast by offering the box to those who don’t want to be awoken early and a full plated breakfast to those who do.
I understand what Ben is suggesting and see the logic in his proposal on shorter flights especially. But to make it universal would really deprive those who prize the premium cabin experience even on shorter flights from being able to enjoy it. My other thought is that customers buying premium cabin international tickets should be able to expect a consistent product from an airline. They should not be required to know that full meal service is only available on flights over x hours.
I said the same thing on Lucky’s post, but quite simply, when you’re charging a premium price for a premium product, it should come down to customer choice. Full service if you want it, less if you don’t. I think the answer is a combination of both dine-on-demand (or at least “express dining”), and all airlines offering a proper pre-flight dinner service in the lounge, like AF, BA, AA’s Flagship First Dining, etc. To expand on 121Pilot’s idea, I’d have all passengers fill out a card during boarding indicating their preferences. Or maybe have everyone complete it online and have the crew confirm when handing out menus. If anything, I could see this reducing the overall cabin crew workload, as I’d imagine a substantial percentage of passengers would opt-out of one or both meals onboard entirely. Personally, I’d gladly substitute dinner in the lounge for one on-board if I had the option.
Where I think Lucky’s post misses the mark is that it assumes a) all J passengers regard Business Class as all about the seat, and b) everyone has access to a proper meal prior to boarding and upon landing. Neither are universally true, for various reasons.
Luckys turning his blog into a click bait factory. In addition to that his blog appears more and more out of touch with reality. I guess that’s a consequence of success.
Keep up the good work.
Agree!
Each passenger needs are different
We never board a plane with the same expectations
Worldwide, the very few airlines that offer dine-on-demand, the service tends to be a little mess
The food organoleptic properties decrease with the passing of the flight hours
Many Airlines have, as many as, 56 Business Class passengers on a B-777, 67 Business Class passengers on a B-747, or 94 Business Class passengers on an A-380
East coast to Europe flights are similar in length to Europe to the Gulf and certainly on those routes Qatar offer both dinner and breakfast on overnight services if you want it.
The lights in the cabin do not come back on after take off but orders have already been taken during boarding and you can order as much or as little as you want to. If my destination is the Gulf then I try to have a nap the afternoon before to make up for a short night on the way there and so I often have dinner, snooze for a while and then a light breakfast before landing. Many though eat nothing at all and will have eaten in QR’s excellent lounge at LHR.
I’ve had similar experiences between DOH-BKK and also SIN though SIN is a bit further.
So dine on demand can work very well on overnight services if the airline are willing to make it.
Dud you review Oman Air buissines class Boing 787 or frist class B777
You should do