Airline will let passengers pick up free food from new self-serve trolleys
An airline has announced it will be trialing 'help-yourself' snack and drinks trolleys on planes. Instead of having to wait for flight attendants to bring round your peanuts or soft drinks you can hop up and walk to get them yourself without having to ask the cabin crew.
Considering how long meal services can take on planes – especially if you're sitting at the back – the new offering could mean passengers are happier when flying. Plus, you won't have to feel bad for buzzing the cabin crew on a red eye flight if you wake up with the midnight munchies.
The 'Grab-N-Go' station where passengers can help themselves will be trialled on United's new Airbus A321neo planes, which will make their first flight on November 30 from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Holidaymakers will be able to walk up to the station and grab anything they want from a "limited supply of water and the snacks offered during the complimentary service".
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Snacks on offer include fruit bars, chocolate quinoa crisps and savoury snack mix, according to Business Insider. "This new offering is just the latest in United's ongoing efforts to up-level the customer experience for every customer, in every cabin," a statement from United said. Of course, for now, passengers won't be able to get up and grab their own alcoholic drinks. It's important that flight attendants are able to measure whether anyone on-board is too drunk and serve them accordingly as being drunk on a plane is illegal.
It remains to be seen if this is something that is introduced if the trial is successful, or if the snack station is rolled out to other United aircraft. We're sure it will depend on whether passengers can be trusted not to grab all the snacks for themselves within a few minutes.
Robert W. Mann, an airline consultant, has questioned whether other customers may find it inconvenient to have their fellow passengers congregating next to the nearby snack bar as they're trying to sleep or watch a film. Plus, people moving around the cabin constantly can be disruptive.
Some Brits have questioned whether the idea is a good one. One bloke commented: "It would all be in the carry-on of the first (your adjective here) to get to the trolley before anyone else even gets close to that trough… or maybe the plane suddenly nose-dives as they announce that the buffet is open and everyone rushes the front."
Another added: "Some people will take most of the food." While another commented: "I wouldn’t want to be in the seat allocation near that snack bar. People will be standing around blocking your space."
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