No more free food in coach on Continental, but the airline hopes the new for-sale food will be a lot more popular than those dreaded little cheese pizzas that sat in your stomach like a wet horse-blanket.
Continental says today that its new menu will include freshly prepared hot and cold mealtime selections "similar to those served in casual-dining restaurants," such as Asian noodle salad, grilled chicken spinach salad, cheeseburgers, and a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich. Snacksand desserts -- including a cheese & fresh fruit plate, several types of snack boxes, brand-name snacks and chocolate-covered Eli's Cheesecake on a stick -- will also be for sale. Prices will range from $1.50 for Pringles Original Potato Crisps to $8.25 for the grilled chicken spinach salad.
From the Continental press release:
"The new menu is a direct result of feedback from our customers, who told us they wanted more food choices on our flights," said Sandra Pineau-Boddison, Continental's vice president of food services. "With that in mind, Continental researched trends in the restaurant industry and tested and tasted a broad range of possible menu items in order to provide dining options that reflect today's customer preferences."
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By JOE SHARKEY
I've just never understood why the airlines don't just have a "checkbox" menu at the checkin counter, where you pay for your in-flight meal with a credit card. It would take less time than filling out your immigration card. The selection would go automatically to the flight crew who would note my seat number via some program on a handy laptop.
ReplyDeleteThere could be first-class menu selections. Sure, you'd pay $25 for smoked salmon, capers and a glass of champagne, but so what?
These people just do not have a clue.
I know _I_ would pay $25 for smoked salmon, capers, maybe a bagel, and a glass of champagne.
No heating up, no hassle, keep the menu simple and they could make a bundle from people like me who don't eat Pringles on airplanes or hot dogs in airports in between rushing to gates.