Carry-on food fills airline service gap
A US firm is looking to fill a void left by cash-strapped airlines by selling restaurant food to airline passengers.
CarryOnCuisine, a venture backed by Web travel provider Sabre, offers customers the opportunity to make orders online and then pick up their food at airport restaurants to carry on board for a $1.50 (90p) fee.
The scheme is expected to launch this month at Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC, after a 30-day trial involving TGI Friday's. "We hope to be in all of the American national airports by the end of the year," said a Sabre spokeswoman.
Preliminary research based on 100 airport interviews and 1,500 online interviews found that more than 75% of people would use the service and pay the fee, said Earl Furfine, founder of CarryOnCuisine. Food will be mostly cold take-away, such as sandwiches and wraps, said Furfine. His company will take the $1.50 fee.
Sabre, owner of Travelocity.com, will provide a link to the CarryOnCuisine website for customers booking travel online.
"It's a value-add for our customers," said Sabre's spokeswoman. "We started thinking about this about a year ago. At that time the void wasn't there, but the timing is appropriate now."
Airlines worldwide have been cutting back on free in-flight meals in a bid to stem losses, particularly since 11 September. Some are now selling meals to passengers. "We've experienced positive reactions from the public regarding the buy-on-board proposition. Travellers understand the current state of the industry," said a spokeswoman for the International Inflight Food Service Association in Atlanta, Georgia.
Furfine said he hoped to take CarryOnCuisine international.
n After the Washington, DC, launch, CarryOnCuisine will target Providence, Rhode Island; Newark, New Jersey; and New York's JFK airports in early 2003. Participating restaurants will be encouraged to monitor flight schedules in case passengers are delayed.
n More than 40,000 people work in the airport catering sector in the USA, according to the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.
